Guests say
Tarn Hows is a well-liked cottage praised for its cleanliness, modern decor, and comfortable beds. Its proximity to Windermere and local attractions is appreciated, as is the enclosed yard for dogs. While some maintenance issues are noted, the property generally meets guests' expectations for a pleasant stay.
The property is frequently described as clean, with several reviews highlighting its spotlessness and well-maintained interior. This suggests a high standard of cleanliness that guests value.
The location is generally praised for being close to Windermere, Bowness, and local amenities. However, some guests mentioned parking difficulties, which slightly impacts the score.
Guests find the beds comfortable and the property cosy, contributing to a good night's sleep. Some concerns about restrictive dog rules and furniture arrangement suggest room for improvement in overall comfort.
While the property is well-equipped, several reviews mention maintenance issues such as heating problems, a dangerous step, and a non-working washing machine. These issues indicate that the facilities could be better maintained.
There is no consistent mention of gifts or special touches that would indicate thoughtfulness from the owner. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a score in this category.
About this property
Ideally positioned in the village of Windermere, is this family-friendly cottage, Tarn Hows. This Victorian town-house offers spacious accommodation with all of the contemporary fixtures and features you could need for a self-catered stay, there’s no better place from which to explore the Lake District with your loved ones. To the front of the property is a snug sitting room with pretty floral wallpapers and décor to match; here you can spend some relaxing time in front of the television on the plush sofas before heading into the open-plan living space of the property to enjoy a hearty home-cooked meal. Within the open-plan space you will find a kitchen to the rear, boasting sleek white and grey units holding a wide selection of appliances to assist you in concocting your delicious dishes. Attached to the kitchen is the dining area, holding a sofa too so you can relax with a glass of wine in hand as your dinner simmers on the hob before gathering around the table together for a tasty treat or an evening of board games. Discover four bright and airy bedrooms on the first floor, offering ample space for all of the family to wind down in the evenings, with storage space available for all of your personal belongings; choose from a double room, a twin holding an additional cot, a further twin and a bunk room, there’s plenty of space to relax into your evening. Spend some time in the rear patio area for a breath of fresh air with your morning coffee before heading out to explore your local surroundings. Set within the centre of Windermere, you’ll find a wide range of attractions with easy reach of the cottage; from simplicities such as delicious eateries and quaint shops to waterfront adventures on the renowned Lake Windermere where you can try your hand at sailing, kayaking, canoeing and more! Take a trip into Kendal and explore its cultural delights including a museum, art gallery and historical landmarks just to name a few, or choose to spend your time around the lake at Bowness-on-Windermere where you can find the Beatrix Potter attraction, dramatic landscapes and plenty of excitement. In reach of a wide range of attractions to suit all tastes, Tarn Hows makes a wondrous base for exploring the Lake District.
Windermere is a wonderful base from which to explore Cumbria, consisting of the twin towns of Bowness and Windermere, it's an extremely popular location for a holiday in the Lake District. Both of the towns hold a wide range of shops and eateries, as well as nearby Ambleside offering boat rides to attractions such as the Lakeside Aquarium and Beatrix Potter's Hill Top House at Sawrey. In reach of Kendal, Keswick and the Lakeland Mountains too, Windermere is a great base for your holiday to Cumbria.
Accommodation
Four bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x twin with an additional cot, 1 x twin and 1 x bunk beds.
Ground-floor shower room with shower, basin and WC.
Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC.
Open-plan living space with kitchen, Electric oven and gas hob, microwave, fridge, fridge/freezer, Dishwasher, washing machine, dining area and sitting area.
Sitting room.
Gas central heating.
Smart TV and WiFi.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Private parking to the rear for 1 car and free roadside parking to the front.
Private patio with furniture.
Two well-behaved pets welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shop 0.1 miles, pub 0.4 miles.
Note: There are small internal steps throughout the property
Nearby points of interest
- Lake Windermere
- Lake District National Park
- Esthwaite Water
- The World of Beatrix Potter
- Hawkshead Grammar School Museum
- Beatrix Potter Gallery, Hawkshead
- Hayes Garden World Ambleside
- Lakes Aquarium
- Lakeland Motor Museum
Reviews (18)
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Zara
You can tell the owner isn't too bothered about people's enjoyment whilst staying. Very minimal kitchen stock, poor cooking equipment. The heating still seems to have issues and the boiler is locked away so hard to rectify it. The step by the back door is a serious hazard. I have 2 small children aged 2 and 3 and both fell several times accessing outside. The back yard was filthy, the front yard was overgrown with weeds. It wouldn't take much cleaning up but as i said no care is taken by the owner. Old garden furniture just rattan without cushions. There is only 1 TV in the whole house which was surprising. Compared to a stay in another of sykes properties in Cornwall it was world's apart. Cornwall was like a 5* hotel where this in the lakes was 2* at best and for the same amount of money. Wouldn't return.
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Rebecca
In a good location for the town. Parking is slightly tricky but we were only there a few days so decided to leave the cars parked and walked
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Peter
Considering our allocated time at Tarn Hows was 42 hours - 16:00 Friday 17 November to 10:00 Sunday 19th - it was a little disappointing to say the least to be without a functioning boiler system for at least half of this time. To arrive at a property with all the windows opened in November seemed strange; to then discover the house completely cold was understandably concerning. The general theme of our short break was walking activities, so as you can imagine being without hot water for nearly 24 hours wasn't ideal. The communication throughout from Sykes was satisfactory but not exceptional, particularly under the circumstances. The customer service staff overall were, however, polite and courteous. The excuses, though, from one assistant with regards potential difficulties sourcing a tradesperson on a Saturday seemed a bit odd considering this is the hospitality industry and the weekend being the lake district's busiest time of the week. Taking everything into account, especially given the time of year, we would expect some form of compensation for the fact we were left without heating and hot water for the majority of our stay. Your feedback to this would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards Peter