Guests say
Bracken Ground is a well-loved cottage praised for its comfortable accommodation, beautiful grounds, and thoughtful welcome packs. Guests enjoy the privacy, the pet-friendly environment, and the ample space for family gatherings. While some maintenance issues are noted, the overall experience is positive, with many guests expressing a desire to return.
The property generally receives positive remarks on cleanliness, with guests finding it tidy upon arrival. However, there are isolated comments about the need for a deeper clean in some areas, such as kitchen utensils and the presence of dead flies.
The secluded, peaceful setting in Cumbria & The Lake District is highly appreciated for its privacy and direct access to walks. Its remoteness is seen as a positive aspect, although it may not suit those wishing to be closer to the main Lakes area.
Guests find the beds comfortable and the house spacious, contributing to a restful stay. Some guests mention issues with heating consistency and suggest improvements to the quality of mattresses and bedding.
The property's facilities, including a hot tub and sauna, are well-received, but several reviews mention maintenance issues such as the sauna being out of order and the hot tub size being inadequate for the number of guests. The kitchen is well-equipped, but some appliances need updating or replacing.
The welcome packs are frequently mentioned and appreciated, indicating a high level of thoughtfulness. However, it should be noted that such gifts, while a lovely gesture, are not guaranteed for every stay.
About this property
Beautifully set in a wild and wonderful setting just south of Coniston lies Bracken Ground, a truly luxurious retreat for family and friendly gatherings in the Lake District. Sat alongside a meandering stream, surrounded by 7 acres of natural grounds with private outdoor hot tub and sauna this is the perfect Lake District base.
A large private drive leads you up to the house, enter through the large porch and into a large open plan sitting room with dining area with double French doors leading out to garden and woodburning stove for those cosy Autumn evenings. There are 5 luxury bedrooms for you and yours to spread out and relax in, with a beautiful master suite with en-suite shower room, bay window and sitting area. Back outside, there’s plenty of space for everyone to explore and if you’re lucky you many see some of the local wildlife, such as deer, badgers or foxes. There is a wood-built barrel sauna and hot tub to unwind.
Nearby Torver and Coniston offer country pubs and plenty of Lake District walking routes. The fine market town of Ulverston is also just 7 miles away, a labyrinth of cobbled streets, independent shops and some excellent eateries. It is also the birthplace of Stan Laurel and home to the world’s only Laurel and Hardy museum.
Perfectly located for discovering some of the less-trodden areas of the Lake District, Bracken Ground is magical base for a break any time of the year.
Nestling at the head of Coniston Water, the pretty village of Coniston is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the Lake District National Park, making it a superb base for touring, with Hawkshead, Ambleside, Windermere and Grasmere just a short drive away. Superb walking, mountain biking and climbing are available locally on Coniston Old Man and Wetherlam, and the lovely woodland trails at Grizedale Forest. For watersports enthusiasts, the quiet lake is ideal for dinghy sailing and canoeing, whilst the less active can enjoy a leisure cruise on the beautiful steam yacht 'Gondola’, or visit Brantwood, the former home of John Ruskin. Nearby attractions include the award-winning village of Hawkshead, home of the Beatrix Potter Gallery, Tarn Hows, one of the most visited beauty spots in the country and Esthwaite Water, famous for its fishing. A first class holiday location at any time of the year.
Accommodation
Five Star Highly Commended property.
Five bedrooms: 1 x master king-size bedroom with en-suite shower room, basin and WC, 3 x king-size bedrooms (one with en-suite), 1 x twin bedroom with French doors to the rear.
1 x bathroom with shower over bath, basin and WC.
1 x shower room with basin and WC.
Utility.
Kitchen with dining area.
Sitting room with dining area and woodburning stove.
Separate sitting/reading room.
Outdoor hot tub, sauna, BBQ and pizza oven
Gas central heating with woodburning stove.
Electric oven and gas hob, microwave, Jamie Oliver Pizza Oven, fridge/freezer, washer/dryer, dishwasher, TV with Sky HD and Sky Sports, WiFi.
Fuel, power and starter pack for fire/stove included in rent.
2 x travel cot and 1 x highchair available.
Off road parking for 10 cars.
Extensive lawned garden with woodland and pond.
Private hot tub and sauna.
Outdoor BBQ and pizza oven.
Two well-behaved pets welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Pub 1.5 miles.
Shop 7.5 miles.
Note: Due to rural location WiFi speeds &/or availability cannot be guaranteed.
Please note there is a pond with open access and children should be supervised at the property at all times.
Towels are provided for use with hot tub.
Nearby points of interest
- Lakeland Motor Museum
- Lakes Aquarium
- Laurel and Hardy Museum
- Hawkshead Grammar School Museum
- Beatrix Potter Gallery, Hawkshead
- South Lakes Safari Zoo
- The World of Beatrix Potter
- Esthwaite Water
- Lake District National Park
- Lake Windermere
Reviews (39)
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Jean
Cooking facilities and crockery were plentiful. Wine glasses were sparse but sufficient. Food hamper provided was of a high standard and greatly appreciated. We took full use of the hot tub and sauna.Bbq was also used.The only negative is that when you are home for the day then you are home.The roads to the property are not for the feint hearted.Otherwise fabulous!!
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Simon
Highlights included ghyll scrambling in the gorgeous Duddon Valley, canyoning in Church Beck Coniston, biking in Grizedale Forest, visiting the Ruskin Museum to see Bluebird K7, climbing the Old Man and a glorious hike from High Tilberthwaite to Cathedral Cave at Little Langdale. It was great to have the wood burning stove and a plentiful supply of firewood as the weather was chilly despite being June. However, we needed to chop more kindling and so would have benefitted from access to an axe. We would happily have brought our own, perhaps we overlooked this advice in the description ?
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Carol
It is a very special location, away from all hustle and bustle and totally private in addition to being very beautiful. The layout has been carefully designed and was a perfect fit for our family. It has been sensitively designed to blend with the landscape and the outdoor facilities were very much enjoyed. The welcome pack that was provided was very generous and gladly received. The quality of the property is good and itâs obvious that a lot of thought went into the planning and resourcing of materials, fixtures and fittings. The property was really clean, and all bedding and linen was of a good quality and very nice to have towels provided for outdoors. To make this place really âsparkleâ, it could do with some light maintenance. I was disappointed to find that bathroom fans were mentioned in a previous review, there are still issues with them, maybe it is time for some new ones! Fundamentals like the kitchen knives need sharpening and we had at least 5 light bulbs that needed replacing but there were no spares anywhere. I wonât list all the little niggles here, but we left a list with the cleaner, so I hope that these are addressed. It just needs a little TLC to bring back the polish. Visitors also need to come prepared for ticks; they are prevalent in the Lake District. We thankfully had tick cards and they came in useful as three of the family picked up a tick and whenever we walked the dog, he picked some up, we got very used to spotting them before they bit. This property is special and unique in its location, and we would willingly return, although we do like to try new places, but we would highly recommend it.