Ghyll Bank Bungalow

For us the location of this property had stunning views, peaceful, lovely walks surrounded by wildlife, which is perfect for us!

We have a bigger car and didn’t have any problems going up and down the narrow lanes, we just drove carefully! Ideal staying close to Staveley village which has fresh roasted coffee cafe, best gelato parlour Kimi’s, pubs and easy access into the main Lakes areas. The bungalow interior is dated as seen in pictures but everything is functional, clean, lovely warm log burner on cool evenings, with plenty of wood. Easy parking. It was fine for us 3 adults staying, and would definitely return again.

The bungalow was as described and comfortable.

Suitable for 2, using separate rooms. Lovely views over the valley towards Staveley. Booking easy, access details Ok.

Our stay at Ghyll Bank Bungalow was, without a doubt, the best holiday stay we’ve had so far.

If you are looking for a peaceful and private getaway, this is the perfect spot. The Location The bungalow is truly isolated in the best way possible, offering stunning 360° scenic views and incredible walks right from the doorstep. It feels like your own private slice of the Lake District. Despite the feeling of being tucked away from the world, it is incredibly convenient—only a 15-minute drive from Windermere town. The Experience It serves as the ultimate "best of both worlds" destination. We used it both as a relaxing retreat to unwind and as a perfect base to explore the wider Lake District area. The Hosts A huge thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Beaty, who were wonderful hosts. They even took the time to come down and meet us in person to ensure everything was perfect with our stay. That personal touch really made us feel welcome. Final Verdict: I would highly recommend Ghyll Bank Bungalow to anyone looking for a high-quality, serene experience in the Lakes. We can’t wait to go back!

Such a beautiful spot, near the lakes.

Had all the amenities we needed and the view was lovely, nice cosy fire, very tranquil stay

Love the location and the supply of wood for the easily-maintained woodburning stove in this cosy bungalow.

The obliging owner usually visits to see if you are settling in. A few things needed to make it even better: new large frying pan, dish drainer, better shower head, readable knobs on rhe cooker (numbers worn away).

We loved the general position of the cottage and the beautiful scenery.

It was warm and comfortable and made a great base for exploring the southern Lakes, though the approach to the site is not for those nervous of driving on narrow roads! We did feel it needed some cosmetic refurbishment, plus one of the storage heaters looked rather old but overall it was great value for money.

READ THIS REVIEW Plenty of very varied reviews on here from good to bad.

Following hopefully is factual such that you can make your own mind up. The cottage is described as ‘beautifully renovated’, however all of the furniture/fittings/kitchen units/carpets look at least 25-30 years old. There is a very new looking washing machine. The dishwasher looked ok age wise but was filthy and therefore not used. Freezer shelf is very rusty. There was a dehumidifier in the lounge which was not operating due being full of water. Once emptied it refilled again in about 24 hours. Shower valve looks new, but the new head does not fit the clamp properly which results in head sagging and spraying at the bath taps rather than into the bath. Shower screen does not hold in position and constantly swings into the bath. Easy enough to overcome by jamming a towel under it. Cottage has storage heaters and was cold on arrival in the afternoon. Next day much better having set the storage heaters up properly. My opinion: Ghyll Bank Bungalow is a very dated cottage which is crying out to be brought up to date. The description of ‘beautifully renovated’ is inaccurate and I can’t in all honesty recommend staying at the current price point. Owners are very friendly but seem to be running this cottage as cheaply as possible.

Lovely little cottage with beautiful views and everything we needed!

We had a great stay and would love to stay again in the future, thank you!

In need of a good clean and some general maintenance

Beautiful location.

Stunning views

We love The Bungalow, though we would like a few more cooking utensils, ie a frying pan and a pyrex dish for the microwave.

We love the wood burning stove and the supply of wood always nice and dry. A few pictures on the walls maybe?

Booked again for March, we love it here for our large family.

The owners are lovely and welcoming. Thank you

Fantastic cottage in a wonderful location, close to Windermere and Kendal.

Lovely friendly owners. The bungalow was comfortable and well equipped with everything you could need. Would certainly stay again.

Just spent 4 nights at Ghyll Bank Bungalow, absolutely stunning location on the outskirts of Stavely, beautiful views, located about 5 miles from Kendal and Windermere, had the pleasure of meeting Donald and Sylvia, lovely couple very friendly, would definitely recommend this property.

Lovely little venue.

Stunning surroundings

The bungalow is fine.

Comfortable enough and lovely location - great views. Could do with a sort-out of the crockery etc (eg too many side plates but no bread board and only one wine glass) and it's not for those who like good looks, quality or modern style. But it's decent value, good place for walks and, overall, does the job. Thank you

Was a cozy and comfortable cottage.

Facilities were good, although they could do with some sharper kitchen knives. Thank you!

It was a very lovely cottage the owners was very helpful there was everything in it you needed thank you for helping us at the last minute

We had a lovely stay at gryll bungalow, the views were amazing, very quiet and cosy and the owners were very welcoming.

The bungalow was well equipped with all we needed for our stay and lots of places to visit with lovely walks. All in all a very relaxing comfortable stay and would recommend a visit. We will definitely book again! Thank you Sylvia and Donald Jayne , chris, Brian and Bella

Ignore the bad reviews.

The bungalow was very clean, no bad smells. It had everything we needed to make our stay comfortable. We found the walk back from Staveley challenging as its up hill but well worth the amazing views. Plenty of places to explore nearby. We loved seeing the lambs everywhere.

I only stayed one night, it was very damp and cold even with heaters and fire lit, there was a awful smell in the bedroom, and is very dated, the wood they provided for the fire had foam on it, which in my opinion is bad for the environment, really needs a massive makeover, and I’m afraid I don’t understand how they get away with letting it, as it is, when I told the owners they said oh we haven’t had any complaints before, but reading other reviews tells me different, it would be nice if I got my money back as it was the worst place I had ever stayed in, I have pictures if you would like to see them.

Kind regards Jill.

We really enjoyed our stay at Ghyll Bank bungalow.

The weather was spot on for a January visit, sunny and not too cold. The bungalow itself was very comfortable with amazing views.

Lovely holiday bungalow.

Great location with amazing views all around and very friendly, helpful owners. We hope to stay again one day.

There are lovely views from this cottage.

Walk up on a nice day to take in the panorama (public footpath goes very close) but DON’T STAY HERE. The cottage is shabby, neglected and in dire need of some maintenance, sprucing up, replacement of many internal items and a deep clean. Some of contents appear to have come from a skip – you could get better on freegle or from a jumble sale/pound shop. Coupled with an apparent absence of even superficial cleaning before my arrival was the fact that much of the dirt was ingrained, not just recent. The utility/porch, in particular, was in an appallingly filthy state. (& light bulb didn’t work). The kitchen sink was dirty brown, embedded grime in kitchen caddy and washing up bowl. Empty soap container in kitchen. Food debris in kitchen cupboards. Filthy stained lampshades. Mould on bathroom ceiling, bathroom blind and a snail on the bathroom wall. Hairs on basin and on bath. Toilet brush bristles and holder had excrement in. Bedroom blind covered in mould. Dirty stained bedroom stool upholstery. Tatty threadbare ‘decorative’ cushions on bed. Accumulation of dirt along edges and in corners. Mass cobwebs throughout (not just an odd wispy recent one, clearly not been attended to in weeks/months). Sweet wrappers & other debris down side of sofa cushion. Of the three remotes for TV/DVD/VCR, one had no batteries, one had dead batteries, the other took a different size. No spare batteries in cottage. (unable to use TV until owner brought some batteries - he declined to leave any spares in the property). Told him there were corroded batteries in kitchen cupboard & queried why hadn’t cleaner removed them. Also relayed poor cleaning standard to him. He said you would know better than me what’s in here and said he’d ‘have a word’. He moaned about contract cleaners, difficulty getting seasonal staff. Made no apology and seemed pretty indifferent despite being told about various issues, including the snail in bathroom (which the cleaner could not have failed to see if they’d even gone in there). Other oddities/omissions/small gripes: No dustpan and brush. No bleach. “Bath” towels were small, thin & rough. Just 3 teaspoons yet over 30 side plates?! Provision of foil/cling film would have been useful, and has been in previous s/c I have stayed in. Apart from the dirt & neglect of the place, there was the issue of vehicles from the 4 adjoining lets; one a large building divided in 3 cottages, the other a large house taking around 16 people (that I counted). There was a minimum of 10 cars/vans during my entire stay, which turned round on, passed across and sometimes parked on, the area of tarmac directly in front of the cottage, meaning there was limited privacy and frequent engine noise/fumes. The cottage is anything but the idyllic, peaceful retreat it is made out to be. Having paid around £1,300 I made the best of my stay, but I was disgusted with it & to say it was disappointing is understatement of the century. I don’t think this property should even be let out again until cleanliness issues addressed & certain items replaced.

Cottage was lovely, had just about everything we needed.

It was clean and although there was much bigger houses either side which were full of guests we still felt as that we were alone. Views from the front door was amazing. Kitchen was well equipped but the knifes could do with sharpening or replacing, chopping board was small but we managed and the frying pan was small and we struggled to cook our tea on the first night. Shower isn’t amazing and there was no toiletries or anything, but we will definitely be back.

A lovely little cottage in a beautiful area.

The bungalow was small, but comfortable and well equipped. The only issue we had was parking. The houses on either side were full of guests from the same party....there was 13 cars, one of them parked within 3ft of our porch door. We did manage to park near the cottage before other vehicles arrived. However, this did not spoil our stay and we would definitely book again.

This is a lovely location.

Quite idyllic and isolated and yet easy access to Staveley and then Windermere. There are a number of interesting and challenging walks from the doorstep and it is very easy to get further afield to the higher fells. The bungalow has everything you need - good kitchen facilities and bathroom, comfortable bedrooms. This was my second visit and I hope I will be able to make a third some time in the future. It was also nice to meet the owners who dropped by on Sunday evening.

Ghyll Bank Bungalow was everything we could have asked for.

There was plenty of room for us and our dog, including space for her crate. The bedrooms were a great size as was the bathroom. The kitchen a perfect size and well stocked with crockery, pans and cutlery. Even with people staying in all the properties on site there was no noise to distract from the sound of birdsong outside. The views were amazing in every direction with a super choice of walks and hikes from the doorstop. The location was ideal for visiting Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside, Keswick and Kendal. A visit from the owners, Mr and Mrs Beaty on our first morning was absolutely delightful, a real personal touch that you don't see very often.

Fantastic getaway location with beautiful views.

The stay was highly enjoyable and the log burner made it a lot better. The property could do with a refresh and the furniture updated. The seating was not comfortable at all so the evenings were hard to relax. The shower did not work and there was mould in the bathroom. The bed were very comfortable but just not to our taste. We would love to stay again if there was a uplift to the property and furniture.

The cottage was lovely and the view's were fantastic.

We really enjoyed our holiday, our little dog Jess enjoyed hill climbing. The owners of the property were very pleasant and sociable.

Wonderful Little Cottage/Bungalow.

Ideal for exploring South Lakeland. Warm and Cosy (loved the log burning stove). Well appointed Kitchen, easy for self catering. Lovely owners, really helpful. Will definitely return next year.

Some essential equipment missing in the kitchen, fridge old and not working properly, sofa grubby and bedrooms need refurbishing with unpleasant smell In main bedroom.

Big house became a car park on change over day with 7 cars parked outside spoiling view from cottage. Fabulous views and quiet area attentive owners.

Was not expecting to be so near to other properties.

Maybe a different picture could be used. Saying that other properties were full and it was still peaceful.

Needed handrails in the property

The bungalow is situated amongst four other properties which were all fully booked, this did not change the tranquility at all.

A beautiful setting in which you can relax. I particularly liked to watch the birds of prey soaring around the valley. The bungalow has everything you need for a break away. We slept really well after full days of visiting some fantastic areas of interest. The bungalow was spotlessly clean and the owners were very attentive. This is an ideal base for a lovely holiday.

Beautiful setting with fabulous views.

Perfect size for family of three. Would definitely stay here again. Only small negativity would be that because the bungalow had been locked up over lockdown it was a bit musty to begin with; but nothing that a few good days with widows opened didn't fix. Met the owner who was lovely, ex dairy farmer and very friendly. Staveley itself has the Hawkshead Brewery which is definitely worth a visit. Would not hesitate to recommend!

We loved our stay in this cosy bungalow, when we stayed we didn’t have any neighbours bar 2 people next door, there is potential for it to get busy however didn’t bother us.

The hosts were very nice and accommodating, even tho we did lock ourselves out at 12pm!! We were back in the bungalow within 20 mins! Lovely walks on the doorstep, and Windermere not too far away.

The cottage was warm and clean with the bonus of the wood burner on cold nights.

It had everything we required for our relaxing holiday. Very handy being inbetween Kendal and Windermere plenty of places to eat and attractions for everyone. The only down side to the cottage is that it is very close to the large house which can occupy 2/3 families which on busy weekends and school holidays, this could make the cottage less private and peaceful.

This was our 3rd visit to Ghyll Bank Bungalow, we love the location it’s so peaceful with just the sounds of the sheep & the wind.

It’s has everything you need, the log burner is a bonus. It’s just nice looking out of the window & admiring the view. If you want a quiet peaceful holiday this is a perfect location.

The property is shown entirely on its own and we booked it because of that as we wanted to be isolated.

In fact there are 2 large properties adjacent and there were children running around and dogs, one of which barked a lot. This wasn't what we'd expected or what we wanted. There should be a different photo. The property is listed as having TV, however this did not work during the whole week. The picture was so pixelated that it was impossible to watch on any channel. We rang the owner who did come and have a look at it and re-tuned it (which I had done already) but the picture was just as bad. We were looking forward to relaxing evenings watching our favourite programmes but this was impossible and spoiled much of the holiday for us. We did tell the owner (by text) that the TV still didn't work but nothing more was done. Additionally we had taken some DVDs but were unable to watch these as, although it worked fine, there was no remote control and so it was impossible to use subtitles which we need as my husband is hearing impaired. On the day we left, we found the remote which had been put (by previous occupants?) in a corner of the main bedroom - we hardly thought to look there! Perhaps the cleaner could ensure that all remotes are in the right place. There were no instructions for TV or DVD which would have been useful. A small point - but there was no bath mat. This would be useful. There was no casserole type dish (apart from a really tiny one) which would also have been useful. The screen for the shower round the side of the bath didn't stay put very well - could that be looked at? There were many good points, however: excellent supply of hot water; comfy beds and good decoration throughout.

The good bits!

Absolutely beautiful views, while the photos of Ghyll Bank are as has previously been stated misleading in that it’s very much sandwiched between two other large dwellings, nevertheless when we stayed we were not encroached by this with both properties being empty. With a full complement of guests present on site this would be far from isolated (I’d imagine) everything one would need is present though some attention to detail would help. It’s location offers easy access to a good proportion of beautiful lake land, without the need to travel vast distances & the local village of Staveley is well appointed with eating & shopping facilities. Ghyll Bank is certainly warm & dry & overall provides a lovely base. Not so good are the niggles. Attention to detail would have left us with the means to light the wood burner which, we felt we needed by the evening as the storage heat drops away a little by then & the electric bar fire is broken. The wood store leaks leaving a good proportion of wood soaking wet but there was enough dry to be able to cope. The shower screen is abysmal, it needs to be manually wedged in order to use it, but there is plenty of hot water. A drainer on the sink draining board would be useful too. Be warned clothes storage in the second bedroom is limited!

Lovely quiet little cottage about 2km outside Staveley and a short taxi ride to Bowness.

Easy enough to find as it’s just off the A road from the M6 to Bowness. The cottage is remote enough that you feel you’ve “got away from it all” but no so remote that it’s a bind getting to some sort of “civilisation” (aka, the pub). It is the smaller of the three cottages available, ideal for just a couple or a couple with a child. The facilities are very good, well laid out, very cosy and comfortable and well appointed. Highly recommended.

We enjoyed Ghyll Bank Bungalow.

Very quiet place with superb views.

Great little bungalow, very cosy.

Will definitely be returning

Can’t fault anything it was a lovely break and would come back

A fabulous home for our weekend away !

We loved the bungalow which was plenty spacious and very clean on arrival! A great base for our trip to the lakes as able to reach lots of lovely nearby areas. Had a walk out of the back of Ghyll Bank and instantly had phenomenal views and a great hike! Thank you to Mr and Mrs Beaty for our fantastic stay x

I raised a complaint the day arrived.

We didn’t stay. The property has not recently received any investment from the owners, nor had it been cleaned. The photographic evidence speaks for itself. have called three times since and each time, I have had to call because the promised call from you has not been received. On this basis I would not recommend the property nor Sykes. I have also left the appropriate feedback via Trip Adviser.

This is a cosy, comfortable bungalow with stunning views.

It was spotlessly clean and had everything we needed. It is a perfect location for access to Windermere which is a short drive away. It is situated between two larger properties, both of which were occupied but we did not find that intrusive at all We enjoyed sitting on the bench looking at the view. Two small suggestions - a welcome tray would be nice after a long journey and it would have been nice to have two toilet rolls rather than just one. We loved this place. Thank you.

Lounge furniture was very uncomfortable and main bedroom smelled slightly damp.

Bungalow was spotlessly clean ,very well equipped and owners were very helpful and friendly.

The images don’t reflect the fact that the cottage is actually in the middle of the car park between two larger properties ( within 50ft) The cottage has been renovated in bits bathroom is lovely but the rest of it has been given a cheap makeover.

Has the feel of a 1960’s pontin chalet! Hot water is technical - is on a small immersion that you need to remember to boost on a regular basis especially if you want a bath or two showers in a row!! Couple who run it try really hard and are lovely they’re just not in touch with modern expectations, I suspect. We own a holiday cottage ourselves so we do understand the challenges- however they either need to upgrade or be more explicit in their marketing in order to manage people’s expectations.

Ghyll Bank location perfect, fantastic views, the facilities of the bungalow were as described and perfect for the two of us plus one dog for a long weekend, but the whole site is superb.

.. we will be going back and if there are more of us we will stay in one of the other units as they are amazing!!! The owners were lovely to deal with and so helpful .

Comfortable, warm cottage on a beautiful, well kept farm but poor communication regarding keys.

Listing does not mention 2 large adjacent cottages which housed large groups of noisy guests. WiFi didn’t work. Facilities acceptable for self catering but no attempt to make it a memorable visit - a few teabags would go a long way. We’ve stayed self catering in the Lakes before and find the price of this cottage too steep for what you get.

Delightful location and a great place from which to explore the valleys and ridges of Kentdale and Longsleddale on foot.

There are some excellent walks on the doorstep. I could imagine for some the location might be considered somewhat isolated but if you want peace and quiet and superb tracks and bridleways then Ghyll Bank is perfect.

A problem with electric sockets was dealt with promptly by Zoe at Sykes Cottages shop Windermere who contacted owners on our behalf ( no mob.

signal on my phone) and dealt with by owners the same day. A few more microwaveable containers would be good but not a huge problem. Comfortable enough for two but think 3 people would find it a bit cramped. Over all nice place to stay lovely views little bit off beaten track

The village of Staveley is very quaint.

Post office sells the best pork pies we’ve ever tasted. Hawkshead brewery which is in the village serves superb real ales. Wilfs cafe renowned for their legendary breakfasts. The bungalow itself is lovely and has everything necessary for your stay , however could do with a couple of easy chairs in living room. The beauty of the local scenery and different walks from The bungalow are breathtaking.

Absolutely loved it.

Booked our return already!

A beautiful setting overlooking the the valley down to the village.

We had the large house and the bungalow and I wonder if the large group (18) of us may have rather over shadowed the people staying in the other cottages. You can walk out direct from the house but beware that there are a lot of sheep about. We had a well behaved young dog with us and we had to keep an eye on her the whole time. No exploring on her own. The village of Staveley, a 20 minute walk away is brilliant. Superb bakery, pub, cafes, brewery. Plus chemists, small shops et al. The owners of the house came by a few times and we usually had a chat and a cup of tea. Cuckoos calling and House Martins nesting under the eaves. As you can probably tell, we had a great time.

The property was not over clean,we had to wipe all surfaces, the property smelt and was very damp we brought some fragrance spray and some glad Jels to try and make the place smell better.

the bedding had hairs in it ,so we used our own.the dvd did not work and the bathroom heater did not stay on.The washing machine was caked up with old powder .which we had to scrub and clean before we could use it.over all the worst property we have ever stayed in.We shall not return.We left the property twice as clean as when we arrived.The owner emailed us to say we had left clothes behind,if he had checked the property before we had arrived he would have known the clothes had been left buy another renter before us,just shows he had not done the cleaning or inspected the condition of the property before we arrived.

The only reason we wouldn't re book this cottage is because we like to stay in different places each holiday.