Self Catering in Cumbria - Rosthwaite

Definitely not 4 star
This cottage is very dated and needs an urgent revamp. This was once a B & B and is now supposed to be a nice warming friendly cottage. No modifications have been made to make it the cosy cottage as advertised in their description. Firstly the place was very dirty, the tea towel in the kitchen looked like someone had wiped their boots with it. The kitchen itself was filthy, the grill pan and oven were full of grease that I had to clean before I could use it, The pans were in a 'cupboard' that turned out to be doors hung over a recess in the wall and the pans were actually on the bare stone floor, not very hygienic. No cleaning materials, not even a mop were provided and I had to go out and purchase everything before I could begin to prepare any food. Most of the lounge furniture was badly stained. When we moved one of the sofas the wallpaper and plaster behind was coming away from the wall in several places. There were dead flies in the ceiling light covers, looked like they hadn't been cleaned for months. Also we were looking forward to a nice warm log fire, only to discover a notice left by the owner, that if a fire was lit, the lounge door needed to be left open so not to fill the lounge with smoke - great !!I On the plus side the cottage was always warm, which was a godsend considering the fire was not practical to use. Upstairs was reasonable and there were plenty of nice bath towels and the beds were ok comfort wise. When approached by the company I booked the cottage through, the owner said he would contact his cleaners, but I'm afraid that the dust and amount of dirt that was embedded everywhere was not from just a weeks' cleaning being missed this was MONTHS of neglect. We had booked this cottage for a few days to help me come to terms with a recent bereavement but unfortunately it turned out a bad experience. Its a shame, this cottage could be very nice with a lot of money spent on it as it is in a good location, nice little village and a great pub a few yards away. Overall very disappointing and disgustingly dirty!!!!!!!!!
heatherwhitt
2019-12-24

A lot of good points, but also some not so good
There is no phone signal, and very limited internet access. So no-one can call you on your phone unless you drive much closer to Keswick. There is no house phone. Internet is next door, and due to thick stone walls throughout the cottage, it won't travel more than 5ft from the party wall. The cottage is pretty clean. I noticed the bedroom carpet not very well vacuumed when I dropped an earring. I cleaned the downstairs Windows myself inside & out, they were very dirty. The bedroom with the ensuite has a very hard mattress The family bathroom had issues with the electric shower, very difficult to get the temperature right. The kitchen seems well appointed, but the oven was very difficult to cook in. Half the seal on the door was missing, and the element at the top sticking out. There is plenty of cutlery, decent pots, pans, plates & glassware. Take dishwashing tablets. There was no introduction/instructions book/folder, which caused problems with the oven & the heating. The thermostat for the heating is on the cottage next door, so after a fruitless search we found this out, and was instructed to "open a window" if it got too hot. There is parking (with shuffling) for 2 cars out the back, unless you are happy to park further down the village. There is an open fire with logs, kindling, firelighters and coal You are 2 doors away from the pub. There is a nice garden to sit in too
Arramattic
2019-05-13

Perfectly placed for walkers, drinkers, or both
A charming cottage in the back-of-beyond. Just what was required over a festive Christmas break. The kitchen's facilities were more than sufficient for us to comfortably prepare a Christmas meal for 5. A short walk along the beck to Rossthwaite and we were able to get a lovely meal and some fine beer in the Riverside pub. I did find it difficult to get comfortable in the bed in Room 1. And for those in need of WiFi (why this would be required I am not sure) may find it difficult to get a signal in those areas not adjacent to the adjoining farmhouse.
FishyFrog
2019-01-03

We enjoyed the beautiful cottage garden, it was very relaxing. In a perfect location for walks or fell climbing. There is an excellent pub two doors away, and a short stroll brings you to fields of lambs. A very roomy cottage, highly recommended.
Mrs Mannion
2016-05-21

Stonethwaite was a warm comfortable cottage in an ideal location for exploring Upper Borrowdale.
Mrs Tolliday
2016-04-09