The Old Barn, Ambleside

The property could be so much more than what there is. It is impressive, but feels tired with dingy and dirty carpeting on the stairs and on the upper floor. Dishes and glasses in the cupboards had not been properly washed. There was a bird trapped in the living room when we arrived that we had to help escape. All in all, disappointing. I think Sykes should establish a baseline for what is offered for all houses in the way of a basic catering offer on arrival for example salt, sugar, .5 litre of milk. In the Old Barn there was nothing a half full bottle of washing up liquid, liquid soap in the bathrooms, and a 'Cleaning Kit'. In a house that was, and did not feel, cleaned this was insulting.

Disappointment doesnt cover it! On arrival we discovered a quite frankly putrid smell upstairs, which we eventually tracked down to one of the bedrooms I suspect something has died within the floor, wall or roof cavity it was so bad it would have been impossible not to notice and had obviously not happened just that day. Some of our party had to sleep on the sofa as a result and long story short, I eventually had a human reach out 1 hour after we checked out, 3 days later. If this had been the only issue I probably wouldnt have left a review, however the only thing I would say was good about this property was the location and shared garden to the rear. The place was grubby and poorly maintained the mattress in the kingside room was a double on a king sized base, there wasnt enough dinnerware by far 5 plates, 4 bowls, the carpets and soft furnishing had multiple stains, the ensuite shower didnt work properly and the screen was broken, light bulbs missing, bedside lamp broken, there were various items left from previous guests around the property like burst balloons and hair bobbles, no blinds at any of the upstairs windows alongside thin curtains take an eye mask, door trims hanging off causing trip hazards .I could go on. This was supposed to be a celebratory weekend for a special birthday and quite frankly it ruined it. I did ask for a third of my booking back as recourse for the poor experience and the fact a third of our party had spent the weekend on a sofa.this was refused. So I cannot stress enough how disappointed I am both with the property, and the handling of the situation. I wouldnt book here again.

We stayed in this property about two years ago, and nothing had changed from back then, the cleanliness was ok but not to our standard there were cobwebs in the lounge, and what I can only presume rodant droppings in the lounge behind the furniture next to the wall units, dust and muck, glass on the patio doors were full of mucky marks, the fridge in the kitchen is old and I dont think is working correctly our milk went off plus our cold stuff wasn't cold. even with the temp turned up, the freezer was frozen up the door seal cant be shutting correctly? lack of crockery for the number of people, the patio area was full of dead leaves which have clearly been there a very long time? the bushtree near the garden gate was overgrown and needs to be cut back. Still no small welcome pack...when you are paying the sort of money you do I would expect at least a small welcome pack e.g. milk, bread, eggs, cheese, snacks, a bottle of wine, juice etc we have paid less than this and got all the above and more in a welcome pack. The mattresses didn't fit the bed base properly a double on a king size bed frame? The interior needs a total refurb it looked tired and dated it needs a good painting and decorating throughout...woodwork, emulsion etc. It wasn't the best accommodation I have to say for the amount of money we paid. Disappointed is the word I would use for this experience. One final thing there was no manual in the property with information in it there was a lever arch file if you could call it a manual? On the plus side you are close to both Ambleside and Windermere and Brockhole adventure park with activities for the kids, and a nice walk along the lake, also you can get a boat trip from there around the lake. Asda and Domino's pizza's do deliveries to the property. If you are planning to stay around the property then I would do an online food order from Asda Kendal.

Scruffy carpets. Decoration very bland. Good location. Spacious. Well maintained grounds. Convenient parking. Need more plates as and bowls for 6 people.

We stayed here with our young family and the cottage was perfect for us. Spacious and roomy and the toys there were an added bonus. Great location if you want to explore Windermere, Ambleside and surrounding areas. Only issue was lack of specific property information in the welcome folder. We had to phone up to find out WiFi password but easily sorted.

Lovely, spacious cottage. Excellent location for exploring the lakes. Within walking distance to Ambleside about 45 minutes leisurely walk and bus stop just at the end of the road for coming back! Needs a bit of a refresh internally but apart from that, clean, plenty of space and would recommend!

The property is in a fantastic location, great location for Ambleside and BownessonWindermere. Access to the cottage is gated which makes it very secure. Lovely gardens and grounds around the cottage. Really handy having 2 car parking spots right outside the property. All rooms inside the property were really large, much bigger than the description of the property and pictures made out. Such a great space for sharing with other family and friends. Great little additions in the house for little ones. The only very minor areas that require some attention would be mattresses are not very comfortable the stair gate for children was broken but usable but needs some repair work or replacing to ensure it is fully secure the children's little trike in the lounge was broken we did end up fixing it the towel rails in the bathrooms upstairs were very rusty some spot lights out in the kitchen childrens toys need a good clean These areas listed didn't impact on our stay but it would be really good if they could be rectified. We will definitely be returning to the property. Thank you

Upon our arrival the downstairs toilet was heard to be dribbling water continually and would not fill or flush unusable. waste discharge on bathroom sink was broken unusable. unwashed plates and cups found in cupboards. Difficulty in use of electric oven. TV broke down during stay Cottage felt tired attention to kitchen and plumbing required. Lakelovers customer care is a joke prepare to be ignored.

We enjoyed a lovely stay at this cottage recently. It was perfect for my 2 sisters and I to have a double room each. The lounge was very comfy and we enjoyed the kitchen and outside space. The items in the kitchen cupboards would benefit from being cleaned, which has also been mentioned on other previous reviews, but it was fine for us to wash what we needed.

Superb location and spacious accommodation. Tired decor and cleaning could be improved. Lots of grime around inside of window panes. Cobwebs and spiders in situ on arrival. Pans not clean and bottom oven not working. More trays for oven would help as two of party were coeliac and needed separate trays. Soap and shampoo holder in en suite coming away from wall so couldn't be used. Beds in two smaller rooms not comfortable for couples who slept there. Blackout curtains would improve sleeping. Despite these things we all enjoyed our stay.

This is a really lovely house Superb location, very safe environment, large rooms, close to bus stop and Brockhole for strolls and Lake cruises. Would recommend it and we would happily book again. Points for improvement the downstairs toilet sink had a disconnected plug mechanism making it unusable, there were many pan lids of all sizes but only three oversized pans. Bring your own DVDsCDs.

We really enjoyed our stay. It's a beautiful peaceful location and a really spacious house. We had a great week. It does, however, need some TLC to bring it up to the highest standard. There are a lot of things either missing, broken or just not working very well, which is a shame because it could be really fantastic. I'd be happy to provide a list should the owner be interested.

We were very pleased with the property. It was spacious, clean and comfortable. Luckily the weather was good so we could make full use of the lovely garden and outdoor space. It was so pretty, pleasant and peaceful. We had no negative issues and hope to return one day. Thank you

We had a very enjoyable stay, with very clear directions to locate the barn and a simple checkin system. I approached the team with a query before our stay, which was dealt with promptly. The property is as advertised clean, spacious and generous proportions for a family of four. The location is excellent, a 10 minute drive from Ambleside and we had two parking spaces. A peaceful, calm location which I would highly recommend if you want a communal feel, with a small group of neighbours. My only points for improvement a simple welcome basket would have been appreciated, as the nearest Tesco is 15 mins away with limited parking, the front door doesnt have a blind or cover which was slightly unnerving as it is clear glass, and the beds whilst comfortable are very firm so perhaps the option for a mattress topper would have been a nice touch.

Such a beautiful cottage and great location. We all had a fabulous time. The layout was spacious all rooms finished to a high spec and it was very clean. If we were to grumble about anything it would be the beds. We all struggled getting a good nights sleep.

The houses was spacious. Could do with a lot more in tensels in the Kitchen,Small saucepans,kitchen clock etc.The house was nice and warm.Could do with new comfortable beds.We had nice weather and the Old Barn was in easy reach to go every were.

We enjoyed our stay in the Old Barn, a spacious home for one week, equipped with everything you need. From here you have a perfect start to visit many places in the Lake District. Thank you, we really liked it.

The cottage itself is clean, comfortable and was more spacious than expected. The kitchen could do with a few extra utensils and a decent set of saucepans. And 6 table mats. Ideally located for Windermere and access to the lakes. We had a lovely stay. Would definitely recommend a stay here.

Location of the property is superb. Having Brockhole within a 5 minute walk allows you so many opportunities of exploring the lakes and entertaining the family. Lovely peaceful stay with a very spacious accommodation. Mattresses could all do with being replaced. Mattress springs were found to be noisy. Staining from water penetration on living room ceiling and peeling paint within en suite would be rectified. Would return as property has a lovely seating area and access to a decent sleep sized communal garden which is ideal for children.

Very clean comfortable property in great location with ample parking and ... Very clean comfortable property in great location with ample parking and spacious interior Kitchen utensils urgently need updating as some pans not fit for purpose especially at the price we paid

We had a wonderful stay at the Old Barn. It is ideally situated on Windermere with easy access to the lake and nearby attractions. The house is set among a small group of other holiday lets making it feel secure, with plenty of parking and is afforded lovely views of the surrounding area. Well appointed facilities inside with huge sofas in the living room and well stocked kitchen. The bedrooms are comfy and the whole house has a light, airy feel to it. It's a real home from home. I can't really think of any negatives except a note that the mattress for the travel cot is very old, stained and torn so unsafe to use, but luckily we had brought our own anyway. I would most definitely return again.

We had previously stayed at The Old Barn and were disappointed with the overall cleanliness and facilities although the amount of space was great there were a lot of things that needed repainting, cleaning & replacing, this aside we decided to rebook. On arrival we were greeted with a warm and welcoming accommodation that had been updated, cleaned with new sofas and curtains. We were blown away and the experience was amazing and worth every penny. It was great to see the updated Barn and we would 100 book again. The only issue was the freezer needs defrosting which was passed onto the agent so I am sure that will be sorted and the cooker had been turned off. If you don't reset the clock the oven doesn't work, thanks for the challenge and we had a great week.

A clean, spacious accommodation in a fabulous location. This property could be truly fabulous if the owners took care of the small details. However, the previous critics were rather harsh in my view although somewhat understandable as if you pay premium prices, you expect the details to be premium standard too. But they did not spoil or detract from the fabulousness in any way. Recommend.

The property is situated in a fantastic location, with easy access to beautiful walks to Ambleside and trout beck. To property also benefits from easy access to brockhole which contains amazing activities for kids and the pier for ferry rides to Ambleside,Wray castle and Windermere. The property is generously proportioned and the kitchen was sufficiently equipped to accommodate home cooking. The disappointing attributes were the state Of condition of the facilities inside the property which were as follows freezer was heavily iced up rendering it unusable it needs a good defrost, the ensuite shower was blocked up meaning all the shower water collected in the shower tray, the sofas in the living room need replacing as other reviewers have mentioned and the kitchen is short of glasses. Despite these minor agrievences we had a fabulous stay and would highly recommend.

The cottage was so spacious and well appointed. We lacked for nothing. Being able to access the outdoor centre and the lake without having to drive was perfect. Wed love to return soon.

Initial Location reference is misleading, felt somewhat conned on arrival. property showing signs of use and requires a clean up. curtains in lounge hanging of hooks and require attention both sofas in the lounge are well past their sell by date and require replacement chipped glasses found on arrival, cups required cleaning. overall we enjoyed our stay at this property and if the above was addressed would consider staying again

The Old Barn was a brilliant place to stay and we shall consider staying again in the future. The cottage was well equipped and very spacious.