Self Catering in Cumbria - Gosforth

Not as described on sites
cottage ok.lovely hot tub at the top of very steep drive, No outside space for relaxing not so dog friendly,actually on the farm so be prepared for farm smells, can not open windows lots lots of flies from animals and manure yuk, dogs barking for 2 nights untill I asked isabelle if she could keep them quiet which she did but also said you are on a farm,with sheep,cows,bulls,horses chickens.the description of the cottage on many sites is not described properly.we would not return to that property we would rent another.the village of gosforth is beautifull and the area.
Gil N
2020-09-05

Not so dog friendly
I can agree with other reviews about the cottage itself, it is very comfortable and warm and was more than spacious enough for my partner and I, our teenage son, my elderly mum and our two dogs. The living area and kitchen are open plan and there was adequate space to cook but there is no cupboard space for food unless you move around the very many tea cups to free up a small shelf. There is also a wetroom/loo/utility room downstairs and the shower was mostly great, tho' the hot water did cut out on a couple of occasions. The patio area in the photo is quite sloped and this leads to a more sloped, short driveway into the farmyard. This 'patio area' is where you have to park your car(s) and from where you will need to reverse down the slope, into the yard to get out of the property. My mum found it particularly difficult to get in and out of the car, especially in the pouring rain. The patio is ungated and there is no private access to the cottage either by car or on foot, you do have to go through the working farm yard. This means that if the horses/sheep/cows are moving along the slope you would have to wait. We were led to believe that we had access to the field at the back of the farm 'for ball games and/or to exercise the dogs'. This was impossible. The fields are either full of livestock or full of their manure. There is a small area of grass across from the cottage but you have to go down some steps at one end and it is unlit and very uneven. There is a small gate at the further end but this takes you near the kennels. At the bottom of the slope are housed the three farm dogs. Upon arrival we were told that they are territorial and we should give a shout to the owner's if we are coming thru' the yard on foot in case they are loose. The dogs were generally in their kennels or chained up but barked quite aggressively each and every single time we ventured out of the cottage with our dogs, either for a morning walk or for their late night pee. They also barked at our car entering/leaving the yard and on several occasions would be barking incessantly for quite a time in the middle of the night. On our very first morning my partner and I went out quite early with (thankfully) just our young labrador. There is a nice walk that runs past the farm yard. Unfortunately as we returned and reached the second farm gate (prior to the yard) we were spotted by a farm dog and the dog of the farm hand. They came tearing out of the second yard pursuing my dog (who was on lead) ferociously around and around me. The farm hand's dog grabbed my dog by the neck and shook him for what felt like an age. The farm worker called his dog, which after a few calls ran to the yard, it ran back out and had another go before we got away, all of us quite shaken. The owners daughter gave a non apology of saying it isn't their dog and she doesn't know why he does that. (present tense). I was immensely glad my mum and her dog were not with us on that walk as the dog is 19 and would not have survived such an attack. This put a pall on the whole week as we were very nervous of leaving the cottage for our walks, and scared that we would encounter the farm hand's dog again. It was still allowed off lead in the yard and near our cottage door throughout the week. It attacked our car on our return to the farm one evening, jumping up and scratching the paintwork on one side before running round the car trying to get at our dog. This and the persistent barking whenever we were around was a real downer on our week. I wouldn't go back there, even without a dog. I certainly was glad not to have any small children with us.
AndPoochMakes5
2017-09-13

The position of this cottage was perfect for our needs and introduced us to an area of the Lakes we did not know well. We had excellent proximity to both towering mountains and wonderful beaches. The owners were extremely helpful and courteous.
Mrs Hall
2016-07-31

A very comfortable and spacious cottage, in an excellent location for the Western Lakes and in close proximity to the village with good pubs, food and shops. All in all a great base for a Lake District walking holiday.
Mr Worthington
2016-04-03

Bleng Barn Cottage was warm and comfortable with real character. We particularly liked the location. Very relaxing.
Mr Fawcett
2016-03-22