Rustic charm abounds at this former bobbin mill just outside the village of Hawkshead. Sitting in a secluded valley, this heritage property is packed with delightful period features. Sleeping five people over two bedrooms and welcoming three canine companions, it’s the ideal rural retreat for small families or groups of friends who want to get away from it all and make the most of country living in the Lake District. Spend your days canoeing on Coniston Water, and your evenings warming your toes by the property’s wood burner.
Access to this property is via an iron gate that brings you into a field. Cross the field, step inside the property and kick off your walking boots in the hallway before checking out the spacious lounge/diner. Make yourself at home, whip up some dinner in the rustic kitchen and gather around the dining table in the lounge/diner for a sociable meal. After dinner, take a stroll through the property’s wild gardens and along the mill stream. Alternatively, cosy up on the sofas in front of the wood burner and chat the evening away. At the end of the day, a slate staircase leads you up to the first bedroom, which has twin beds, a small double bed and a working fireplace. Another step leads you up to the spacious double bedroom, which has a door leading out to the garden.
Head to Coniston Pier (3.5 miles) and take a cruise on the National Trust’s Steam Yacht Gondola. Pack up a picnic and alight at any of the stops along the way for an al fresco lunch. Or head into the market village of Hawkshead (1 mile) to visit the famous Old Grammar School where William Wordsworth went to school, or treat yourself to a traditional cream tea in one of the cosy tearooms.