No more than a few dozen houses, Applethwaite is the most sought-after village around Keswick, and it's not hard to see why. The village is a sleepy little hamlet, more reminiscent of Madeira than England, with hens, ducks, goats and sheep wandering over the lane.
And the lane isn't going anywhere else; the main road by-passed Applethwaite long before bypasses were thought of. So children and pets are pretty free to wander. Beside the lane riotous gardens bloom azalea, rhododendron, every kind of shrub hugging the hillside. Streams cascade down Skiddaw on their way to the River Derwent, and tumble merrily beside the road and farmsteads.
And yet, you're only a mile and a half from Keswick, with all it has to offer. You can walk there along the road, or on one of the many paths cutting through the village, on their way up to Skiddaw, Latrigg, or into the woods around. This beautiful holiday home offers self-catering accommodation for up to 12 people.
The barn has been specially converted for holiday use and can sleep up to twelve guests in eight bedrooms. Great for a family get-together or for parties of walkers and friends! Here you can really enjoy each other's company in the middle of lovely countryside, and with the delights of Keswick just 2 miles away.
The heart of the accommodation is the superb lounge with its coal fire (coal provided) and the separate kitchen and dining area - all 20 feet square of it - with patio windows looking out due south over that magnificent view. Here there's plenty of room to play games together, chat, watch the television (one in each room) or a DVD, or enjoy each other's company over a leisurely meal.
The kitchen area has all home comforts, including dishwasher, microwave, electric cooker, fridge etc. A separate utility room houses the washing machine, tumble dryer and freezer.
After an invigorating day out on the fells, the patio is a great place to relax with a drink and a snack while you watch the sun go down over Bassenthwaite Lake.
The four bedrooms on the first floor share two shower rooms and an additional WC, and all have built in wardrobes. There is one king-size bedroom, a twin bedroom and two single bedrooms. Head further upstairs to the second floor and you will find four more bedrooms: a spacious king, a twin and two singles. There is a large bathroom as well as a shower room. All the rooms up here have Velux roof windows.