Tucked away in a quiet corner of the peaceful village of Mockerkin, this comfortable two-bedroom apartment is a perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sleeping four people (plus a cot or child's put-up bed if required), this practical apartment has an en-suite to the main bedroom as well as the family bathroom - perfect for two couples holidaying together or for families. The cosy lounge/diner is roomy enough for everyone and the compact kitchen is so well-equipped that hosting a dinner party is easily achievable! The large shared courtyard is equipped with seating and picnic benches, filled with flowers in the spring and summer and sheltered by buildings on three sides - it is a real sun trap, especially in the evenings.
Mockerkin is a quiet, rural village just outside the Lake District National Park, south of Cockermouth and just a 5-minute drive from beautiful Loweswater. The nearest pubs are a short drive away and Cockermouth is the closest town for a good range of shops and restaurants, bustling with life throughout the day and into the night. Quiet lanes and footpaths lead through and out of Mockerkin village for evening strolls with verges full of flowers and the air full of birdsong.
Ideally placed for exploring west Cumbria, the apartment can offer familiar or new horizons to explore. The Cumbrian coast may offer some surprises; clifftop walks around the sandstone headland of St Bees or the wide-open expanses of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and in between the towns of Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport with historic harbours, industrial heritage and museums to discover. Inland, there is easy access to the western fells. Quieter than the better-known fells around Buttermere or Keswick, the tops around Loweswater and Ennerdale are no less beautiful and offer some lovely ridge walks. Lower level walks abound with bluebells in the spring and crunchy autumn leaves at the other end of the year, choose from three different lakeshores within a short drive of the apartment.
This ground-floor apartment is situated in a small development of similar properties converted from a former outward-bound centre; but don't worry, the dorms and sweaty socks are long gone and this is a well-appointed, homely cottage in which to spend a week or two. The owners use the apartment as their own holiday home and it shows - everything you could possibly want has been thought of in this superbly well-equipped and comfortable apartment.
The front door leads from the sheltered communal courtyard into a spacious hallway with a window overlooking the courtyard and space for storing muddy boots and hanging coats. Turn right through a fire door into the main living/dining room, relax on your choice of a three-seat sofa or two armchairs and enjoy the bright dual-aspect out through the patio doors to the courtyard and the view of fields and trees beyond the neighbouring garden. Evening entertainment is provided by a Freeview TV with DVD, and a handy coffee table provides a perch for a cuppa whilst you peruse the guidebooks on the shelf beneath. There is also a good choice of novels to choose from, a rack filled with up to date tourist information leaflets and a cupboard full of games for all the family. The dining table with four chairs is located by the window and Lake District photos on the walls will inspire you with must-see places to go.
To the left of the dining table is an open doorway into the compact but well-planned kitchen. There is plenty of worktop space and the cupboards are very well stocked with everything you could possibly need. An electric oven and hob plus a microwave and a four-slice toaster should cover most cooking requirements. There is also a built-in under the counter fridge and as well as a washer/dryer. Enjoy the view over next door's garden to the fields whilst doing the washing up. With its tiled walls and floor this is a clean, smart bright and practical kitchen. In a cupboard behind the living room door is a freezer, plus an airer and an iron, so you really have everything provided for a comfortable stay here.
Back through into the hallway opposite the front door is the master bedroom: a double with bedside tables, large built-in cupboards, a chest of drawers, chair and mirror plus an en-suite shower room. This en-suite shower room is fully tiled with an electric shower. The window makes this a lovely bright room and looks over the neighbouring garden to trees and fields beyond.
The hallway continues past a big storage cupboard, with space to hang coats, to the family bathroom containing a shower over he bath. This room is also fully tiled and has that all important heated towel rail for dry snuggly towels after a lovely hot bath.
Finally, at the end of the hallway is a bright twin bedroom with a bedside table between the beds and chest of drawers for storage, plus a mirror and chair. The window looks across the parking area to the trees behind.
Outside is a sheltered communal courtyard, it is only shared between four properties and is pretty and quiet. Flower beds and pots are alive with colour in spring and summer and you can sit and soak up the sun on folding chairs stored in the large hall cupboard or sit on the shaded bench. There is a picnic table for eating alfresco, perfect for summer days when you can open up the patio doors in the lounge and really make the most of this peaceful spot.