"We had a lovely holiday at Fir Tree Cottage."
The cottage is very quirky, on account of it being so old, which made our holiday even more exciting, especially for our 4 children!
Nonetheless the cottage was very comfortable, with lovely bathrooms, a well equipped kitchen, nice beds, and a wood burner in the sitting room. It was very spacious, with more than enough room for our family of 6 plus dog. The slate floors downstairs are dog friendly, and the garden is beautiful. Our children loved playing in it after a day out walking. My only 2 comments would be that it would have been nice to have had some basics in when we got there: milk and tea bags for example, in line with other cottages we have stayed in at the past (and some more dishwasher tablets). Also a high chair and cot would have been good. We did bring our own as I’d checked the day before leaving but it is quite unusual not to have these things (particularly a travel cot).
All in all though it was a fantastic holiday, made better by staying in this beautiful historic building.
Reviewed by Lucy4.7★ Apr 2024
"We thought the property was amazing."
We have no negatives. Had an amazing time thank you so much
Reviewed by Amie5.0★ Mar 2024
"We had a fantastic stay at this property."
Beautiful setting, beautiful cottage. Well equipped kitchen for cooking. We will definitely be back!
Reviewed by Laura5.0★ Feb 2024
"We had a great time in The Lake District."
The cottage was clean, comfortable, the beds were comfortable. It was wonderful to have the fire in the lounge, it made our evenings very cosy.
Kitchen was very adequate, nothing extra needed.
TV and internet worked perfectly.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed our cottage. Yes, we're really pleased with the new glass-fronted wood-burning stove. It creates a lovely cosy room. It's good to hear you found everything you needed in the kitchen. We were at the cottage a couple of weeks before you and did a full audit and bought quite a few new bits and pieces. I hope you will come back again.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Paul5.0★ Feb 2024
"We were a bit daunted by the cottage when we first arrived as the cleanliness didn't seem very good in parts."
Some of the rooms were excellent, like the roll top bathroom and the shower room downstairs but the kitchen left a lot to be desired even though it contained a state of the art stove (not Aga but very similar). We went to the shops and bought our own frying pan because the pans in the kitchen looked like they hadn't seen soap and water for a long time. The cottage is quirky with lots of interesting features. A bit creepy in parts, like the staircase roped off from the bedrooms to the kitchen and the bolted and barred door off the storeroom. All in all, it grew on us over the course of the week. It was cosy in the living room with the log fire lit in the evenings. The beds were comfortable and the linen of good quality. Our dog loved the garden and we loved watching the many different birds that visited.
Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know about the problems with the pans. I'm so sorry about - it is not how it should be at all. We have complained to Lakelovers, whose job it is to keep the place spick and span, and hopefully it won't happen again. We are in the cottage this week and have been scrubbing or replacing pans and trays as appropriate.
Yes, the cottage is very old. In the 17th century it was two separate cottages, which is why there are two sets of staircases. The one up from the kitchen has not been modernised and therefore every step is at a different angle. Given that it is polished wood, and could be slippery in socks, we have taken the decision to rope it off. The main staircase, which has been modernised, is better to use. The bolted door and barred door off the storeroom is just the back door. It just leads to some mossy steps and the garden of Dovecot (our other rental property). Even when we are staying in both cottages we don't use it as it's still easier to walk round the outside of the cottage.
I'm glad the cottage grew on you and that you found the beds comfortable - they are all new. I do hope you'll come again. If you want to come with a larger party, you could rent Dovecot at the same time.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Susan3.1★ Jan 2024
"The directions there are tough to follow and could be clearer, inside the ..."
The directions there are tough to follow and could be clearer, inside the property the door frames are unusually low, so constantly banging heads, this should be highlighted, outside lighting needs improving
Thank you for your feedback. We will look at whether we can improve the instructions but the dark nights do make navigating a bit more tricky. This part of Grasmere is rural and the community tries to limit light pollution. There are movement-sensor lights all around Fir Tree but we do recommend bringing torches.
The cottage is over 300 years old and the door frames and some original beams are lower than in modern properties. This is mentioned in the notes in the online description as it can be a challenge for the taller guest … and taller owner!
Property Owner
Reviewed by Mike3.1★ Dec 2023
"The shower is slippery as it’s in the bath and needs a mat."
It’s the only criticism. Otherwise a great and cosy cottage
Delighted that you found Fir Tree a cosy stay for a winter break. There is a mat for the downstairs bath and shower. It is normally rolled up on the window ledge, but we have asked the cleaners to leave it in a more obvious position. If you meant the upstairs bath, this is a pedestal bath to enjoy a long soak in, and not for showering. Hope you come again soon.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Richard4.7★ Nov 2023
"Beautiful cottage!"
Lots of character and very well situated for access to Grasmere and other areas of Lake District. Great garden for the dog. Unfortunately had to cut our break short by a day due to the adverse weather.
Thank you for your lovely comments. I'm sorry about the weather - it has been quite a wild November! I hope you will come back again and get some blue skies. If you wanted to stay with a larger group, did you know that our other cottage (Dovecot Cottage) is just behind Fir Tree.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Yvonne5.0★ Nov 2023
"Best cottage we've ever stayed in!"
Lovely, quirky, characterful and warm property. Thank you for asking the red squirrels to visit the garden almost daily!
Thank you for taking the time to write such a kind review. I'm delighted to hear that you saw so many red squirrels. We donate to the Grasmere Red Squirrel Group with every booking, and they keep the specific red squirrel feeders, which they've put up in the garden of Fir Tree and Dovecot (our cottage just behind Fir Tree), stocked with squirrel food. Thanks to them, the local red squirrel population has doubled in the last year.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Helen5.0★ Nov 2023
"Considering the prices now being charged a starter pack of wood would of been nice on a dark damp arrival."
I bought bird feeders for the garden and left bird food in the kitchen for the next set of visitors hope this is continued by the owners.the cottage itself is a typical old building with all the quirks that come with that nice setting,clean and tidy and with easy reach of the village but still secluded enough for peace and quiet.would definately stay again.one for the owners maintenance when we arrived it was raining heavily and the dining room roof was leaking looks like its coming through the sky light and unfortunately one of the smoke detectors fell down on our last night tried to re-fit it but the screws arent long enough.
Thank you for taking the time to leave this really useful review. Lakelovers have reinstalled the smoke detector; another time, do give them a ring - they would have come and reinstalled it for you very quickly. We are investigating the cause of the leak - thanks for letting us know about it. It was kind of you to leave the bird feed, however, we are focussing on the red squirrel feeders. As you might know, we donate to the Grasmere Red Squirrel Group with every booking. Their efforts have helped to double the red squirrel population in Grasmere in the last year! I do hope you managed to spot some red squirrels during your stay. The Grasmere Red Squirrel Group have put up some specific red squirrel feeders in the gardens of Fir Tree and Dovecot (our cottage just behind Fir Tree) and keep them stocked with the appropriate feed. I'm not sure if bird feeders encourage the grey squirrels, but we don't want to anything that might.
I'm sorry that we are not able to leave fire wood. Logistically it is not something we are able to organise from a distance and it's not a service offered by Lakelovers. In addition, our insurance does not allow for large amounts of firewood to be stored in the cottage.
I hope you enjoyed your stay and that you had some good weather and walks from the door.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Andrew3.8★ Oct 2023
"We love Fir Tree cottage."
It's our home-from-home.
We're so pleased you enjoyed the cottage and hope you'll come back another time. I think you were lucky with the weather - it was probably too warm for the new wood burning stove!
Property Owner
Reviewed by Alison5.0★ Sep 2023
"We had a lovely 4 day break."
Fir Tree Cottage was warm and welcoming with all home comforts. We were close enough to all amenities while still feeling we were in the countryside. The Swan pub was a nice amble for an evening drink and something to eat.
We are delighted you enjoyed your break at Fir Tree cottage. The Swan is very handy - we believe the cottage was originally the smithy for the Swan in the 17th and 18th century. We hope you come back for another visit.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Jennifer5.0★ Sep 2023
"The cottage was lovely and had good, uncluttered space."
all the appliances were easy to use and everything worked that we tried (we didn't use the telly). wifi was fine. the situation is nice: private and away from the main road but conveniently close to it, and to Grasmere's amenities.
Thank you so much for your review. We're delighted that you enjoyed the cottage and hope you'll come back. Yes, we love the fact that the cottage is nestled at the foot of the hills - but still only a 10 minute walk from the Co-op.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Jane4.7★ Jul 2023
"Beautiful old cottage refurbished to a really high standard, such a comfortable ..."
Beautiful old cottage refurbished to a really high standard, such a comfortable bed, huge bath with plenty of hot water just what’s needed after a day’s walking of which there are great walks from the door, would definitely stay again
Thank you for your great feedback. We've done a lot of work on the cottage in the two years we've own it - which included new beds, so we're delighted to hear that you found them comfy. Yes, we love the fact that you can do a different walk from the door each day and never have to use the car once you've arrived. I hope you come back another time.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Jane5.0★ Jun 2023
"The cottage can only be described as adequate."
The kitchen - crockery and cutlery cupboard falling to pieces as was the cupboard and drawer unit under the draining board. Right hand front gas ring was faulty and needs urgent attention. Upstairs bathroom - no bath mat. Middle bedroom - needs a floor mat. Inadequate hanging clothing facilities in bedrooms. First impression of cottage was disappointment - certainly not helped by the derisory welcome pack for the washing up - certainly not adequate for a two week stay. Why no milk or tea bags in situ after a long journey?? Two toilet rolls for two weeks for in effect 6 people - wow!! Please explain as to why there was no mid term bed linen and laundry change or the offer of a clean - surely we had paid for this. If we had booked the cottage for two separate weeks this would have been automatic. It would seem that some form of recompense is required for a lack of service that was in effect part of the property rental. The lack of all this sadly reflects on our holiday experience at the cottage. It could have been so much better!!
I'm so sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy the cottage. It is 17th century cottage, so there are elements - such as the Victorian cupboard - that we feel are in keeping with the character of the cottage, although they are not as smooth as modern furniture. We have had a look at the cupboard over the summer and tightened up some of the screws so hopefully it is in better shape now. Thanks for pointing it out. We've also checked the ring on the gas hob. Sometimes these struggle if they are not put back correctly after cleaning. I think that's what might have happened here as it was fine when we visited. Thanks too for pointing out the issue of cleaning between the two weeks. Heart of the Lakes would have cleaned if you had requested it, but of course you'd have had to vacated the property. This is now on our radar and we know to contact people who are staying for two weeks. I'm afraid we do not live locally and cannot organise for any more of a welcome pack other than that offered by Heart of the Lakes. As Fir Tree is a self-catering cottage, the loo rolls provided are only to get you through the first night. We will try and make this clearer in the instructions.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Graham1.9★ Jun 2023
"Perfect location, once parked we did not need to drive out anywhere."
Plenty of good walks straight out of the front door. Very quiet, nice size enclosed garden very good for dogs. The separate laundry room was very useful. We did have a problem with the smoke alarms going off in sequence at random times but Heart of The Lakes managed to sort it out. One piece of advice, if you order a supermarket delivery make sure to give plenty of directions (the ones we received for travelling to the property should suffice). Please note, we had a few difficulties with the front door lock which we did not notice until the end of our stay as one of our family usually stayed at the property while others were out. With several attempts we managed to lock it. If you have a larger group then another towel rail would come in handy. Good size fridge with a small freezer compartment next to the kitchen. I actually managed to spot a red squirrel as well, a nice surprise!
Thank you for your feedback. I'm really sorry about the fire alarms, but pleased that it was sorted out. We are in the process of replacing the fire alarms so hopefully this will not be a problem again. We have also mended the front door lock. Thanks for letting us know about that. Delighted to hear you saw a red squirrel. We do love watching them.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Alan3.8★ Jun 2023
"Beautiful spacious cottage with a lovely enclosed garden."
Lots of equipment, everything you need.
We will definitely return again if possible. A travel cot and high chair would have been helpful as I didn’t realise until the last minute and we had to bring them with us. We were lucky with the weather and didn’t want to leave!
Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely review. So glad you had wonderful weather and were able to enjoy Fir Tree’s garden in the sun. We get very few young families so we don’t provide a travel cot or high chair at the moment.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Alison5.0★ May 2023
"Characterful old cottage in a quiet, peaceful location ,away from the main road but an easy walk to the village of Grasmere and also a nice local pub."
Beautiful garden.
Navigating the road around the cottage can be a challenge with parked cars often blocking or nearly blocking access. Tall people need to be aware the house has low beams. Very disappointed that only two (partial) toilet rolls provided, no paper kitchen towel and just a couple of very cheap dishwasher pods suppled for a 5 night stay. The upstairs bathroom bathtub looks wonderful but is unusable. No no-slip bath mat and a hand held shower only. Hot water pressure is ridiculously low (it would take a week to fill a bath!). Also, not mentioned is the fact that the laundry facilities are in a separate outbuilding.
Thank you for your comments. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay.
We take all comments on board. As the property is self catering, toilet rolls and dishwasher pods that are provided are meant as a starter.
The Heart of the Lakes Owner Relations Team
Thank you taking the time to write this review. The upstairs bath is perfect for a nice, long soak after a day on the fells - we use it all the time. It is not designed for a shower; the hand-held shower is just for rinsing hair after a bath. However there is a stand up shower downstairs with a non-slip mat. The instructions do say the laundry is shared (with the Dovecot property at the back) - its a few steps from the house and has a washing machine and a brand new dryer plus sinks for washing by hand if you need to.
The owners
Property Owner
Reviewed by Peter3.8★ May 2023
"Love Fir Tree Cottage."
This is our 4th visit and can’t wait until we come back again.
Thank you for your comments, we are always pleased to see your bookings and hope that you enjoyed some of the new additions around the house.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Robert5.0★ Apr 2023
"Great rustic cottage with a comfy super-king bed and very nicely fitted bathrooms in an excellent position."
However, unless you're not tall or concentrate hard as you move about, you will occasionally bash your head on the various doorways and beams. Perhaps this is why it only gets a 3 star tourist board rating - it's definitely more than that otherwise.
Thank you your review. We are delighted you found the new super-king bed comfortable and enjoyed the cottage. It dates back to the 16th century when we believe it was the smithy for the Swan pub and therefore does have some low doorways and beams - which sometimes catch us out too.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Tim5.0★ Mar 2023
"This is a beautiful cottage with top quality fittings and fixtures - beds really comfortable and spacious."
Lounge comfy sofas and plenty of lights for reading. A charming dining room which we used a lot - so atmospheric. Bathrooms spacious and lovely big fluffy bath towels. Great enclosed garden for our Labrador and a quiet spot but so near to walk to the centre of Grasmere easily. Kitchen well stocked with plenty of mugs, plates, etc. The only thing missing was a couple of pint beer glasses and maybe a couple of small dishes for nuts, crisps, etc.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback. We have made a lot of improvements to the cottage since we bought it in 2021, including replacing all the beds, so it is lovely to read your comments. We have added some pint glasses and thank you for this suggestion. If you like beer we do recommend the Badgers Bar at Rydal or Tweedies in the village. I think we eat bigger portions of crisps than you, as we use the cereal bowls for these!
Property Owner
Reviewed by Helen4.7★ Feb 2023
"We really enjoyed our stay in Fir Tree Cottage."
It was a great location, plenty of walks right on the doorstep and easy walk into Grasmere Village itself. It will be even better once the Swan Inn reopens after its refurbishment, just a short stroll if you fancy eating out.
We found the cottage to be very well equipped. The beds were very comfortable and it was lovely to have a good hot bath after a day's walking.
One tiny point, it is worth telling guests that there is not a hair dryer available. Not a problem for us as I packed one just in case but might be a problem for some guests.
Thank you for your kind feedback. Glad you enjoyed the walks from the door and the location: it’s quiet and away from Grasmere, but also just a short stroll into the village. We also like the fact that is a bus stop by the Swan, which we use to extend our walks. The Swan has now finally re-opened and there are five other places to get a good pint of real ale within 15 mins. Good suggestion about the hair dryer - we have added one. Thank you.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Julia5.0★ Feb 2023
"Amazing cottage big spacious full of original features."
Lovely garden for dog and morning coffee Within walking distance to grassmere and some great walks would definitely recommend
Thank you for taking the time to post this feedback. The garden at Fir Tree is lovely: we eat out there whenever we can as it catches the sun for most of the day. We frequently see red squirrels there too and have feeders to encourage them to visit.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Julian5.0★ Feb 2023
"Absolutely fabulous cottage."
Ideal for a rainy week in the lakes. It had the ideal set up for returning home soaking wet from a great walk. Floors were easy to keep clean (even with a drenched spaniel) and it was so cozy to come back to. All the facilities you need in the kitchen and laundry and great baths for a soak.
We would definitely recommend.
Thank you for your lovely feedback and glad you enjoyed your stay despite having a damp week. On a wet day we often walk to
The Badgers Bar at Rydal (via Alcock Tarn and the Coffin Route) which welcomes dogs and has cosy fires and stoves. You can even get the bus back if you’ve had enough.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Caroline5.0★ Dec 2022
"A beautiful cottage with so many original features which we loved."
Tastefully decorated for Christmas which was really appreciated.
Set in a perfect location for walks straight from the cottage and in easy walking distance to Grasmere village meant we hardly used our car!
The cottage is very well equipped and has everything you need plus the beds were very comfortable.
The enclosed garden was lovely and great for our dog.
Cannot fault this property we would love to stay again as soon as we can!
Thank you so much for your kind review. Sorry for the terribly late response! It's great to hear that you loved the cottage as much as we do. You might be interested to know that The Swan reopened two days ago, so we now have a very close pub.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Kate5.0★ Dec 2022
"Beautiful , spacious , characterful property in a lovely setting."
Great for our dog too. The set up allowed us to cope with getting kit dried out during an atrociously wet week.
Minor negative issues were a hopelessly soft and uncomfortable mattress on the double bed and some feather pillows etc which necessitated some midweek bed/ bedding swapping which resolved the issues.
Would book again but would remember to bring antihistamine next time and avoid that bed if your back needs a firm mattress.
Generally a lovely place. Thank you.
Thank you for this feedback. We are delighted you enjoyed Fir Tree and its great location and character.... despite the 'lake-filling' weather.
Since you stayed we have replaced the bed and mattress in the middle bedroom for a roomier kingsize and a firmer mattress. In fact, all three bedrooms have now had new beds and mattresses in the last 18 months. So we do hope you visit again and have better weather next time!
Property Owner
Reviewed by Rosemary4.1★ Nov 2022
"We loved our stay at Firtree Cottage and would recommend to others."
If was a very comfortable stay - the beds were great and the 2 enormous baths was a real bonus. We liked the way the property had been converted and the kitchen had everything we needed for a self catering stay. We would definitely come back to Firtree Cottage again.
Thank you for your review. It's lovely to hear that you like Fir Tree as much as we do. We have done a lot of work on the cottage since we bought it 18 months ago. We're continuing to find little ways to improve it - we've just ordered a new king-size bed for the middle room - so please do come back and see how the cottage is coming along.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Auriol4.7★ Oct 2022
"We were very pleased with the rental but it was let down by the management of it."
We asked two specific questions prior to arrival: for the twin beds to be combined into a king (an option in the listing); the answer we were given was 'yes', but they were not - very disappointing. The second question was did the fridge contain a freezer compartment. The answer provided was 'no'. We therefore purchased (for £80) a portable freezer box. On arrival we were surprised to find the fridge contained a large freezer compartment. These were the only the only negative points in a quality rental.
We would like to thank you for your feedback.We are pleased you were happy with the property however we are sorry that you were not happy with the experience from Heart Of The Lakes. You made us aware of your zip link requests however this was not communicated to our housekeeping team. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention to ensure this does not happen again. We have also added the freezer specifications to our property notes for future guests. We hope to welcome you back to Fir Tree Cottage again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Thomas4.7★ Jun 2022
"Loved it and was sad to leave."
What a heavenly spot. Am counting the days to going back again.
Reviewed by Helen4.1★ Mar 2022
"Been to this cottage numerous times."
Love.it. What a difference with the new cooker.
I'm delighted to hear that Fir Tree is a favourite place of yours. Yes, the new cooker and extractor fan are a great improvement, aren't they? You might also have noticed the new beds, fridge and pictures since your last visit. We've also added a new radiator and internal door to make the dining room more cosy. I hope you will be back again soon before too long. If you wanted to come with a bigger party, did you know that you can also book Dovecot, just behind Fir Tree, at the same time?
Property Owner
Reviewed by Patricia4.7★ Dec 2021
"Super cottage in peaceful setting and lovely front garden."
Great for wildlife too. Though there is a small cottage in the back garden one hardly notices the people staying there and one can use the front garden which is lovely. Very cosy cottage though once its a bit cooler the wood burning heater in the living room would be worth using. I'll know for next time to bring some wood. Also take your slippers as floor is cold.
Enjoyed our stay in the cottage and would certainly come here again. Not cheap but worth it. Thank you.
Thank you for this lovely review. I'm delighted you enjoyed the cottage. We love the setting too - very quiet but a short walk to Grasmere. I hope you managed to see some red squirrels during your stay. We've had a new fridge since your visit, and an extra internal door to make the dining room warmer, so I do hope you come back one day.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Jolanta5.0★ Oct 2021
"A lovely character cottage and an excellent location."
Details about the laundry were confusing but in the end not relevant
Thank you for your positive review. I'm so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the cottage and its location. Sorry you found the laundry information confusing - we will try and make it clearer for future guests.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Chris4.1★ Oct 2021
"Very comfortable traditional cottage."
Thank you for this positive feedback. I hope you will come back next year and see how we have added new beds, stove, fridge, curtains and cushions.
Property Owner
Reviewed by M5.0★ May 2021
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