The Grange Country House

About The Grange Country House

The Grange is a Victorian house on Manor Brow, set above Keswick on the road out towards Castlerigg, with a view down over the rooftops of the town to Derwentwater and the fells beyond. It has been run as a guest house for many years and is consistently among the highest-rated small properties in the northern Lake District. The house keeps its period proportions, with bay windows, high ceilings and a sitting room with a fire.

There are ten bedrooms, all individually decorated, including one on the ground floor for guests who would rather avoid stairs. Rooms vary from compact doubles to larger front-facing rooms with the full view; all are en-suite, and the fittings are kept up to date rather than left in a state of Victorian authenticity. Breakfast is cooked to order using Cumbrian bacon and sausage, with vegetarian options, and is served in the dining room overlooking the garden.

Practical details are handled well. There is ample free parking on site, which is a real advantage in Keswick, plus an electric vehicle charging point and free wifi throughout. Guests are given complimentary access to the leisure facilities at a nearby spa hotel, which covers a pool and gym that a house of this size could not provide itself. The owners are generous with route advice and know the local walks properly.

Keswick town centre, the market square and the theatre are about ten minutes' walk downhill, and the Derwentwater launch jetties a little beyond that. Latrigg, Walla Crag and the Castlerigg stone circle are all reachable on foot. It suits couples, walkers and older visitors who want a proper breakfast and a quiet house rather than a hotel, and it is small enough that booking well ahead for summer and half-term is sensible.