Surprise View

32 Customer Reviews

• "The property was totally unsuitable for us."

  There were several flies in every room and evidence in ceilings and walls where people had squashed them. Many spiders on ceiling and especially corners. When I booked I explained we must have ground floor accommodation as my husband can no longer manage the stairs. I was totally horrified to find steep stairs going up to kitchen and living room. As we arrived in the dark and later than we had intended there was nothing we could do about it that night. We phoned Sykes the following morning and they said they were unable to assist with finding us alternative accommodation but would get their customer service to contact us by phone. To date this has not happened. We were left by ourselves, stressed and worried where we would sleep that night. Once back home we are straight into a planned building project and extremely busy. The only communication Sykes have had with us is an email 27.9.23, 20 days after our 1 night stay from Customer Relations Team saying Francesca will respond to us. She has not called. Asking us to complete another questionnaire is their only contact with us We are left out of pocket for the 3 nights we could not stay in our accommodation and still stressed by the experience. We are extremely disappointed with Sykes and would not wish this situation on anybody else. I am hoping that by writing this report it will galvanise Sykes into contacting us direct and resolving this problem. Since 18th sept we have heard nothing other than the 1 email mentioned above . Vicky

  Reviewed by Vicky1.6★Sep 2023

• "A comfortable and cosy cottage with lovely views from the upper floor lounge."

  Located on a working farm it is both quiet and rural and a great base for cycling the area. It has easy access by cycle or on foot via an estuary route to Ravenglass. The area has lots to offer from historic Muncaster Castle, steam engine rides, access to Wastwater and an easy train link to Whitehaven. The farm had lots of cute runner ducks and hens with their many chicks, running around the yard and visible from the kitchen window. An excellent base for relaxing and enjoying the Lakes.

  Reviewed by Chris4.4★Jun 2023

• "As lovely as the view from the property was, I was disappointed in a few things that put a damper on my stay."

  The shower didn’t drain and hot water didn’t last long most nights so I wasn’t able to have a proper shower during my 4 night stay. There were a lot of cob webs and massive spiders in bedroom. I wasn’t expecting the location to be so busy. It wasn’t as peaceful most nights as I hoped, but I suppose that’s a personal preference. Other guests had dogs off their leash and would bark and advance at my dog and I. Nothing happened as luckily the owners grabbed their dog in time, but it was irritating to deal with every time I left. I had trouble sleeping at night because there was a toilet in front of my bedroom window and would hear people open and close the door throughout the night. I was actually looking forward to coming back home. The view is very beautiful, and the property is in a great location for hikes and site-seeing but I won’t come here again sorry.

  Reviewed by Laura2.8★Jun 2023

• "A lovely stay again!"

  We hope to be back soon. The view is one of the best in the Lake District

  Reviewed by John4.7★May 2023

• "The property was comfortable & homely , if a little tired ."

  The tiles behind the cooker need fixing back onto the wall to prevent any future holiday maker jumping out of their skin when the panel decides to fall - - good job we had nothing on the cooker top at the time ! Also there was no mention of the camping facilities on site or the campers toilet & shower being only a few yards from our door & bedroom window meaning we heard anyone using this facility when they slid back the industrial sized bolt on the door to gain access. The " Surprise View " would be greatly improved if the windows were cleaned - - we cleaned the bottom half as best we could . The bed ( a king not super-king ) was comfortable & the bed for the third guest is now a full sized single bed & not a bed settee. A few niggles but nothing to spoil our holiday .

  Reviewed by Robert3.8★Sep 2022

• "Lovely cottage and stunning views."

  Met the owner Mike, who was welcoming and knowledgeable about the area. We would definitely stay again.

  Reviewed by Helen4.7★Jul 2022

• "Lovely cottage, clean welcoming & lovely views."

  Ideal to explore the Western Lakes

  Reviewed by Sue5.0★Mar 2022

• "A lovely cottage, was cosy and warm especially with the log burner."

  The owners on site were extremely helpful.

  Reviewed by Sarah5.0★Nov 2021

• "A comfortable and characterful cottage perfectly located for exploring the south western lake district and coast."

  Very dog friendly. Stunning views of the SW lakeland fells come and go as you watch the weather patterns shift from the living room window.

  Reviewed by Mary4.7★Oct 2021

• "A warm welcome from our host at the farm."

  The barn conversion cottage was very clean, warm, cosy and comfortable (hurrah - a good bed!), and pretty well equipped. Our hosts had thought of almost everything! The only things I can think of to add would be coat hooks under the stairs to hang wet coats (don't want to put them in a wardrobe), a squeegee to clean down the shower, and a small laundry basket. Oh, and instructions for the washer/dryer! We couldn't get the dryer to work, tho I'm sure that was us being dim, nothing wrong with the machine. We especially liked the wonderful view from the upstairs sitting room window, the welcome pack for the wood burner (wood, coal, and a ready to light fire), and the gaggle of ducks pottering about outside our door. Also only 20 minutes walk to the beach, and in easy reach of Ravenglass. We liked it so much we are going to book the same cottage in the spring, and come back to see all the things we missed. Such a beautiful place.

  Reviewed by Prue5.0★Sep 2021

• "Great place to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet."

  Particularly enjoyed the fact that there was no internet

  Reviewed by Michael5.0★Sep 2021

• "Lovely peaceful location but close enough to see things"

  Reviewed by Devina5.0★Jul 2021

• "Very nice place to stay, highly recommend"

  Reviewed by Edyta5.0★Jun 2021

• "Very relaxed place to stay, great location to access both the coast and the valleys in view from the cottage."

  Reviewed by Jorrit5.0★May 2021

• "The cottage was originally booked for the Spring but due to Covid restrictions we had to defer the trip until October."

  However the cottage was lovely albeit on a muddy farm due to the weather. Heavy rain at night but apart from one day, lovely weather during the day so ideal for a holiday. It is also a working farm so bookers need to be aware of this. Don't expect to keep your car clean. The cottage had everything we needed and was very clean and tidy. It was also ideally located for us as it was near everything we wanted to visit. Ravensglass to Eskdale railway, Westwater, Conniston Water etc. Also took the train to Carlisle which is a great journey as the railway follows the coastline for much of the journey and only £18 return. There is a lot to do in Western Lakes and the cottage is an ideal location to see the area. The only criticism I have is with Sykes. Having originally booked for the Spring and having to move the booking to October due to Covid lockdown, we were never contacted re the price difference, which was about £100 cheaper. It would have been nice to have been asked if we were happy to continue to pay the extra £100 to the owners, which we were. We are retired and have not been financially affected by this disease, but understand many have been affected, so were happy to pay the extra. But it would have been nice to have been asked.

  Reviewed by Philip5.0★Oct 2020

• "Wonderful location sea shore and mountains."

  On a farm with lovely and helpful hosts .In easy reach of the pristine Ravenglas (plus railways) Do note the paucity of shopping venues in the area so take all your provisions.

  Reviewed by George5.0★Sep 2020

• "We really enjoyed our stay."

  Of all the years we've been visiting the Lake District, we've never had the weather as hot as it was, especially for the full week. The only thing we could have done with was a fan, but given the unusual weather, I guess it's not normally required. Very comfortable and despite being on a working farm, we were never disrupted by noise. Mike and Lesley, the hosts were very friendly too. It's a great location to get to all of the best sights in this area (only a mile walk to the estuary down a country lane). Definitely recommend a stay here!

  Reviewed by Louise4.4★Aug 2020

• "Fantastic cottage with all the comforts of home, great location and super host."

  Reviewed by Richard5.0★Jan 2020

• "This holiday cottage is the best!"

  You get a lot for your money. It has every comfort and is exceptionally warm and sound proof in the winter, a very cosy cottage. This is a working farm and the owner is very pleasant and helpful. The views are wonderful and the area offers crags, mountains, and beaches for walking, a must if you have dogs. Muncaster castle is just around the corner, the best time to see this is in May when the Rhododendron are breathtaking and blue bells on the woodland walk phenomenal. If you take the time to see Ravenglass 1 mile walk via beach there is a Roman bath house, steam train ride and quaint village with lovely pubs. One of the highlights is during the week we were here ( End of November) the MOD where firing artillery shells into the sea which was very exciting. Overall a lovely place with plenty to do and see. Can't wait to go back.

  Reviewed by Deborah5.0★Nov 2019

• "Great stay."

  Very friendly & helpful hosts.

  Reviewed by Jennifer5.0★May 2019

• "A brilliant cottage."

  Lovely owner. Quite and peaceful but close to loads of activities. Cottage very clean, well stocked and has everything you could possibly need. I would recommend to anyone. We will be returning.

  Reviewed by Sally5.0★May 2019

• "Ideal place to stop, particularly if you enjoy walking, which we do."

  Very peaceful place, with a lovely view, we enjoyed watching the hens strut their stuff and seeing the calves. Even if you don't like walking it is a good location to drive 10 to 25 mins, to several interesting places, seaside resorts, Muncaster castle, Wast Water - stunning views - a must do visit, the little steam train (La'al Ratty) in Ravenglass with its spectacular views along the way and lovely country stops. We enjoyed the 25 min walk into Ravenglass, we also had a lovely walk and visit to Muncaster castle. Surprise view cottage is great for self catering and if you fancy a break from cooking the pub food in Ravenglass is good. I did miss having a cafetiere for my morning coffee, but that is a minor personal preference.

  Reviewed by Janice4.7★Apr 2019

• "Friendly host, great location, warm cosy cottage with all the comforts of home."

  Reviewed by Richard4.4★Jan 2019

• "The directions to the cottage are absolutely shocking!"

  “Pass dwelling on left” there are two “dwellings” before the cottage, which you do not pass. If the directions said to go into Cumbnalds Farm it would save twenty minutes driving in and out of the wrong place

  Reviewed by Anthony4.1★Oct 2018

• "Lovely cottage, ideal location, stunning views, the only negative was the shower ..."

  Lovely cottage, ideal location, stunning views, the only negative was the shower was a bit hit and miss temperature wise,

  Reviewed by Diane4.7★Aug 2018

• "The owners are friendly and always there to assist in any issues."

  Reviewed by Chris4.7★May 2018

• "We had a perfect week in surprise view cottage."

  Finding the farm was very easy and the views from the cottage were spectacular. So peaceful and serene with absolutely breathtaking views of the mountains. In fact, I don’t think we have ever stayed anywhere with such views. Plenty of parking space for the car. The farm owner was very friendly and informative about the area. Fresh eggs also available from the free range hens. It was only 30 minutes on foot to Ravenglass via a quiet lane and a path along the beach. There are also several very interesting walks from the Ravenglass railway. The cottage itself was ideal for us with everything that we needed for cooking, washing etc and also a fantastic log burner for the chilly nights. This is a totally unspoilt area of the lakes if you are looking to escape from the crowds. I can also recommend the Victoria Inn at Drigg for food. We really loved it here and would definitely go back.

  Reviewed by Karen5.0★May 2018

• "Excellent cottage and this was my second visit."

  Lovely to have the magnificent view of some of the Lakes highest peaks. Two other comments and they do not mean I would not go again. I love the place. The drive up the track has rather a lot of pot holes - but I know it is a working farm and tractors will go up and down. Great to be on a working farm. TV is rather small and the DVD does not give a very good picture. Minor points! It is beautifully warm when the heating is on. I would certainly recommend the place to anyone - especially as it is so close to some of the most wonderful scenery of the Lakes and makes the Wastwater area easily accessible by car. La'al Ratty starts from nor far away and is a gem.

  Reviewed by Christopher4.7★Apr 2018

• "My one slight criticism would be the size of the shower cubicle."

  It's a little small but apart from that I would still book this cottage again as I had a very relaxed break and was very well received by the owners.

  Reviewed by Malcolm4.2★Aug 2017

• "We had a fantastic week in this cottage and the location was perfect for visiting both the coast and fells."

  You can also easily access Keswick, Kendal and Windermere. Fantastic for long walks on the beach or costal paths. The location of the accommodation was very quiet and comfortable and we would definitely recommend and will look to revisit in the near future.

  Reviewed by Julie5.0★Jun 2017

• "The shower was a very small cubical"

  Reviewed by Des4.6★Jun 2017

• "The building, the views,its location and its position on a working farm made it feel special."

  Great location as within 1 hour drive north or south were very many points of interest,attractions and fantastic scenery. A short interesting walk to Ravenglass with 3 licensed establishments and a fascinating land locked estuary.

  Reviewed by Paul4.8★Nov 2016

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