Garden Cottage

Garden Cottage sits on the grounds of Rydal Hall, reached via a dozen stone steps that lead through gardens to your own entrance. The single bedroom has a king-size bed, and the bathroom is ensuite with both bath and shower. The ground-floor living space combines lounge, dining area and kitchen in one room, with an open fire for winter evenings. The kitchen is equipped for proper cooking—electric oven and hob, dishwasher, fridge—rather than self-catering basics. Wi-Fi, heating, bed linen and towels are all provided.

From the gardens you can see across to the Stepping Stones and the river Rothay, with the fells beyond. There's garden furniture for sitting out, though the gardens are shared with other properties on the site. One parking space comes with the cottage. Ambleside is within walking distance; the town has independent shops, pubs, restaurants and access to Windermere ferries. This suits couples looking for a quiet retreat with easy reach of the Lake District's main attractions, though note there are steep steps in the grounds and a no-smoking policy applies throughout.