The Old Barn

Disappointment doesn’t cover it!

On arrival we discovered a quite frankly putrid smell upstairs, which we eventually tracked down to one of the bedrooms (I suspect something has died within the floor, wall or roof cavity) - it was so bad it would have been impossible not to notice and had obviously not happened just that day. Some of our party had to sleep on the sofa as a result and long story short, I eventually had a human reach out 1 hour after we checked out, 3 days later. If this had been the only issue I probably wouldn’t have left a review, however the only thing I would say was good about this property was the location and shared garden to the rear. The place was grubby and poorly maintained; the mattress in the ‘kingside room’ was a double on a king sized base, there wasn’t enough dinnerware by far (5 plates, 4 bowls), the carpets and soft furnishing had multiple stains, the en-suite shower didn’t work properly and the screen was broken, light bulbs missing, bedside lamp broken, there were various items left from previous guests around the property (like burst balloons and hair bobbles), no blinds at any of the upstairs windows alongside thin curtains (take an eye mask), door trims hanging off causing trip hazards ….I could go on. This was supposed to be a celebratory weekend for a special birthday and quite frankly it ruined it. I did ask for a third of my booking back as recourse for the poor experience and the fact a third of our party had spent the weekend on a sofa….this was refused. So I cannot stress enough how disappointed I am both with the property, and the handling of the situation. I wouldn’t book here again.

Scruffy carpets.

Decoration very bland. Good location. Spacious. Well maintained grounds. Convenient parking. Need more plates as and bowls for 6 people.

We stayed here with our young family and the cottage was perfect for us.

Spacious and roomy and the toys there were an added bonus. Great location if you want to explore Windermere, Ambleside and surrounding areas. Only issue was lack of specific property information in the welcome folder. We had to phone up to find out WiFi password but easily sorted.

Lovely, spacious cottage.

Excellent location for exploring the lakes. Within walking distance to Ambleside (about 45 minutes leisurely walk) and bus stop just at the end of the road for coming back! Needs a bit of a refresh internally but apart from that, clean, plenty of space and would recommend!

The property is in a fantastic location, great location for Ambleside and Bowness-on-Windermere.

Access to the cottage is gated which makes it very secure. Lovely gardens and grounds around the cottage. Really handy having 2 car parking spots right outside the property. All rooms inside the property were really large, much bigger than the description of the property and pictures made out. Such a great space for sharing with other family and friends. Great little additions in the house for little ones. The only very minor areas that require some attention would be: - mattresses are not very comfortable - the stair gate for children was broken but usable but needs some repair work or replacing to ensure it is fully secure - the children's little trike in the lounge was broken (we did end up fixing it) - the towel rails in the bathrooms upstairs were very rusty - some spot lights out in the kitchen - childrens toys need a good clean These areas listed didn't impact on our stay but it would be really good if they could be rectified. We will definitely be returning to the property. Thank you

upon our arrival the downstairs toilet was heard to be dribbling water continually and would not fill or flush - unusable.

waste discharge on bathroom sink was broken -unusable. unwashed plates and cups found in cupboards. Difficulty in use of electric oven. TV broke down during stay Cottage felt tired attention to kitchen and plumbing required. Lakelovers customer care is a joke - prepare to be ignored.

We enjoyed a lovely stay at this cottage recently.

It was perfect for my 2 sisters and I to have a double room each. The lounge was very comfy and we enjoyed the kitchen and outside space. The items in the kitchen cupboards would benefit from being cleaned, which has also been mentioned on other previous reviews, but it was fine for us to wash what we needed.

Spacious and lovely place.

Mostly very good. However in the front upstairs bathroom the basin sink is not draining properly. Also the outer kitchen door was sticking in damp weather.

Superb location and spacious accommodation.

Tired decor and cleaning could be improved. Lots of grime around inside of window panes. Cobwebs and spiders in situ on arrival. Pans not clean and bottom oven not working. More trays for oven would help as two of party were coeliac and needed separate trays. Soap and shampoo holder in en suite coming away from wall so couldn't be used. Beds in two smaller rooms not comfortable for couples who slept there. Blackout curtains would improve sleeping. Despite these things we all enjoyed our stay.

This is a really lovely house; Superb location, very “safe” environment, large rooms, close to bus stop and Brockhole for strolls and Lake cruises.

Would recommend it and we would happily book again. Points for improvement: the downstairs toilet sink had a disconnected plug mechanism making it unusable, there were many pan lids of all sizes but only three oversized pans. Bring your own DVDs/CDs.

We really enjoyed our stay.

It's a beautiful peaceful location and a really spacious house. We had a great week. It does, however, need some TLC to bring it up to the highest standard. There are a lot of things either missing, broken or just not working very well, which is a shame because it could be really fantastic. I'd be happy to provide a list should the owner be interested.

We were very pleased with the property.

It was spacious, clean and comfortable. Luckily the weather was good so we could make full use of the lovely garden and outdoor space. It was so pretty, pleasant and peaceful. We had no negative issues and hope to return one day. Thank you

We had a very enjoyable stay, with very clear directions to locate the barn and a simple check-in system.

I approached the team with a query before our stay, which was dealt with promptly. The property is as advertised- clean, spacious and generous proportions for a family of four. The location is excellent, a 10 minute drive from Ambleside and we had two parking spaces. A peaceful, calm location which I would highly recommend if you want a communal feel, with a small group of neighbours. My only points for improvement- a simple welcome basket would have been appreciated, as the nearest Tesco is 15 mins away with limited parking, the front door doesn’t have a blind or cover which was slightly unnerving as it is clear glass, and the beds whilst comfortable- are very firm- so perhaps the option for a mattress topper would have been a nice touch.

Such a beautiful cottage and great location.

We all had a fabulous time. The layout was spacious all rooms finished to a high spec and it was very clean. If we were to grumble about anything it would be the beds. We all struggled getting a good nights sleep.

The houses was spacious.

Could do with a lot more in tensels in the Kitchen,Small saucepans,kitchen clock etc.The house was nice and warm.Could do with new comfortable beds.We had nice weather and the Old Barn was in easy reach to go every were.

We enjoyed our stay in the Old Barn, a spacious home for one week, equipped with everything you need.

From here you have a perfect start to visit many places in the Lake District. Thank you, we really liked it.

The cottage itself is clean, comfortable and was more spacious than expected.

The kitchen could do with a few extra utensils and a decent set of saucepans. And 6 table mats. Ideally located for Windermere and access to the lakes. We had a lovely stay. Would definitely recommend a stay here.

Location of the property is superb.

Having Brockhole within a 5 minute walk allows you so many opportunities of exploring the lakes and entertaining the family. Lovely peaceful stay with a very spacious accommodation. Mattresses could all do with being replaced. Mattress springs were found to be noisy. Staining from water penetration on living room ceiling and peeling paint within en suite would be rectified. Would return as property has a lovely seating area and access to a decent sleep sized communal garden which is ideal for children.

Very clean comfortable property in great location with ample parking and spacious interior Kitchen utensils urgently need updating as some pans not fit for purpose especially at the price we paid

We had a wonderful stay at the Old Barn.

It is ideally situated on Windermere with easy access to the lake and nearby attractions. The house is set among a small group of other holiday lets making it feel secure, with plenty of parking and is afforded lovely views of the surrounding area. Well appointed facilities inside with huge sofas in the living room and well stocked kitchen. The bedrooms are comfy and the whole house has a light, airy feel to it. It's a real home from home. I can't really think of any negatives except a note that the mattress for the travel cot is very old, stained and torn so unsafe to use, but luckily we had brought our own anyway. I would most definitely return again.

We had previously stayed at The Old Barn and were disappointed with the overall cleanliness and facilities although the amount of space was great there were a lot of things that needed repainting, cleaning & replacing, this aside we decided to rebook.

On arrival we were greeted with a warm and welcoming accommodation that had been updated, cleaned with new sofas and curtains. We were blown away and the experience was amazing and worth every penny. It was great to see the updated Barn and we would 100% book again. The only issue was the freezer needs defrosting which was passed onto the agent so I am sure that will be sorted and the cooker had been turned off. If you don't reset the clock the oven doesn't work, thanks for the challenge and we had a great week.

A clean, spacious accommodation in a fabulous location.

This property could be truly fabulous if the owners took care of the small details. However, the previous critics were rather harsh (in my view) although somewhat understandable as if you pay premium prices, you expect the details to be premium standard too. But they did not spoil or detract from the fabulousness in any way. Recommend.

The property is situated in a fantastic location, with easy access to beautiful walks to Ambleside and trout beck.

To property also benefits from easy access to brockhole which contains amazing activities for kids and the pier for ferry rides to Ambleside,Wray castle and Windermere. The property is generously proportioned and the kitchen was sufficiently equipped to accommodate home cooking. The disappointing attributes were the state Of condition of the facilities inside the property which were as follows ; freezer was heavily iced up rendering it unusable - it needs a good defrost, the ensuite shower was blocked up meaning all the shower water collected in the shower tray, the sofas in the living room need replacing (as other reviewers have mentioned) and the kitchen is short of glasses. Despite these minor agrievences we had a fabulous stay and would highly recommend.

The cottage was so spacious and well appointed.

We lacked for nothing. Being able to access the outdoor centre and the lake without having to drive was perfect. We’d love to return soon.

Sadly our stay at the Barn was very disappointing as the facility did not reflect what was advertised.

The external setting and appearance of the property is exceptional, with the grounds well kept. The disappointment was internally as the décor was very tied and in desperate need of renovation, the curtains on the ground floor were hanging off the curtain poles and draped across the floor as they were 200mm to long. The two settees in the lounge were so old and dirty that we had to drape over a cover before sitting on them. The stair carpet was covered in stains and appeared not to have been cleaned since originally being layed. The disappointment continued upstairs as the beds and linen were of a low quality and very uncomfortable, certainly not what you would expect in a quality holiday let! I note that a number of these points were previously made by other guests with no action being taken! To say that our holiday was tarnished would be an understatement as having nice accommodation with comfort is an important part of any holiday. We have been using Lake Lovers for the last fifteen years plus, and have always been extremely satisfied with both the service and accommodations, but on this occasion the Barn was unacceptable! I would highly recommend that you have one of your senior customer service representatives carry out a full facility audit of this property, so that you fully appreciate the extent of this complaint as we do not feel in its current state that it should be marketed to future guests. I look forward to your response in due course. Sincerely, Mark Bates. P.S. With regards to publishing our feedback, we leave that entirely up to you as you are the agents!

This is a nice cottage in a lovely location but it is s in need of some attention.

The sofas and curtains need to be replaced in the living room. The kitchen needs to be supplied with crockery, glasses, chopping boards and other essential items. The carpets need to be cleaned and/ or replaced. We stayed for two weeks and found the mattresses uncomfortable. Some attention and it will be a great place to stay.

initial Location reference is misleading, felt somewhat conned on arrival.

property showing signs of use and requires a clean up. curtains in lounge hanging of hooks and require attention both sofas in the lounge are well past their sell by date and require replacement chipped glasses found on arrival, cups required cleaning. overall we enjoyed our stay at this property and if the above was addressed would consider staying again

The booking and communication process with yourselves has been very good.

It was however hard to contact you when leaving the property and our out of hours emergency wasn't answered until the next day. The property itself has an amazing location and beautiful grounds, but could do with some modernisation and a deep clean. I pushed the sofas back to find something and it was clear that hadn't been done in a while!