A very warm welcome to beautiful this beautiful holiday home. Nestled in a quiet corner of the northern Lake District this wonderfully characterful house usually sleeps up to 12 people in six spacious bedrooms and provides more than enough socialising space for a gathering of family or friends. Not only that but it welcomes up to three well behaved pooches!
Benefiting from a huge garden with staggering views of mighty Blencathra and sitting just nearby a working farm it is a truly magical place to pass a Lake District holiday. With a host of period details such as exposed beams, ornate open fireplaces, wood panelling and even a reinforced glass window down into an ancient well beneath the house it really has personality oozing from every nook and cranny. While at the same time it has been brought right into the 21st century with cosy heating, modern bathrooms and appliances.
Wallthwaite is a tiny hamlet situated just six miles from Keswick and 11 miles from Penrith. Surrounded by picturesque rolling fields and just a short jaunt to the foot of Blencathra and Souther Fell it's a world away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. There are walks galore from the door, quiet roads for taking the little ones out on their bikes and surrounding fields filled with lambs in the spring. If fell walking is on your to-do list then the higher fells are within easy reach with the Skiddaw and Helvellyn ranges nearby. Wallthwaite is also well placed to enjoy the lakes themselves with the shores of picturesque Ullswater and glorious Derwentwater both within eight miles from the door. Why not take the family out on either lake's stately launches or if you're feeling more energetic then try rowing, kayaking or paddleboarding? Either way, pack yourselves a picnic, find a favourite spot and splash away till your heart's content.
Should you wish to experience Lake District town life then it's never too far away. Penrith is an attractive Cumbrian town with larger shops, an award winning visitor centre at Rheged and a wealth of history to explore. While Keswick, the adventure capital of the area, has a host of things to do for all the family. It has a fabulous choice of eateries and independent shops as well as its own leisure pool, art deco cinema and a beautifully situated theatre showing a varied programme of music, comedy and drama throughout the year. Why not book a session with one of the town's adventure companies to test your wilder side with ghyll scrambling, rock climbing or quad biking? Whether you want to make the most of all the opportunities the area has to offer or just have a fantastic welcoming and spacious place to gather your favourite people under one roof then this nice holiday home should fit the bill.
On arrival at the house guests are welcomed by the heavy wooden studded door leading into a porch with stone table for storing all the muddy boots and wellies you're sure to generate from your Lake District adventures. Through here you enter the warm and welcoming kitchen. This is a wonderful large space for a gathering with a huge dining table, a comfy sofa and a large window for taking in the magnificent view of mighty Blencathra. The kitchen is very well equipped with dishwasher, microwave, large range style electric fan oven with induction hob and a halogen heat plate, stylish large red fridge/freezer and all the utensils and crockery you're likely to need for a large family get-together. The kitchen itself has lovely dark wooden doors, a twinkling black granite work surface, cosy underfloor heating and, most excitingly, a circular reinforced window in the floor looking down into the ancient well below the house. Don't worry there are no trolls!
Moving through to the living area you start to get a real feeling for the character and age of the house. The main living room has wonderful exposed beams and stunning dark wood panelling as well as windows and a front door deep set into the thick walls overlooking the front garden. There are comfy sofas and a cosy open fire framed by a beautiful ornate Rennie-Mackintosh style fireplace. A perfect space to curl up or sit around the fire and plan your fell walking shenanigans. Through the door in the dark wood panelling you'll find the second sitting room or snug. Ideal for the younger members of the party to commandeer as their own. This also has its own open fire and more comfy seating for lounging around. Both living rooms have a television so no arguments over the remote control.
A door from this room leads through to the spacious ground floor bedroom. This is a twin room with zip-and-link beds that can be made up as a super-king should your party require it (please let us know on booking if this is the case). Also off the living room is the door to the large utility area with and bags of space for all your outdoor bits and bobs as well as storage for extra food and drinks.
The propertyhas two staircases to access the first floor, the first of these leads up from the kitchen through a sliding wood panelled door to the light first floor hallway. To the left you'll find the gorgeous main family bathroom. With it's stylish modern suite, huge freestanding roll-top bath and curved shower enclosure with mixer shower it's a great space to soak away any tired muscles.
The first four of the spacious bedrooms along this floor have views out on to the gardens, the farm buildings and rolling fields behind the house.
Bedroom two has twin single beds and is next door to the main family bathroom. Bedroom three has a double bed. Bedroom four has twin singles which can be linked to make a super-king should your party require it (please advise us on booking). Bedroom five has a king-size bed and a delightful contemporary en-suite shower room. Bedroom six has a king-size bed and beautiful views out to Blencathra. This room is next door to the spacious light shower room with its large walk-in enclosure and electric shower. From here the second staircase leads down to the groundfloor bedroom, utility room and then back through to the living rooms. In the garage area you'll also find a washer and dryer.
The property also has games room with a pool table and table football.
The outside space at the property is no less magical then the interior with mature trees, a huge lawn for cartwheeling away your days, play equipment and outdoor dining furniture. Make sure to use this seating for enjoying al fresco morning cuppas and sunset glasses of wine while taking in the breath-taking panorama of Blencathra, Souther Fell and Great Mell Fell. Sunny day outdoor lunches are an absolute must. Moving to the other side of the house there's a lovely raised lawn and gravelled area where you can watch the comings and goings of the neighbouring working farm.
In all, it's the perfect place to gather family or friends to enjoy this peaceful and unspoiled corner of the Lake District.