Tower House

Families and small groups wanting a base in Ambleside will find Tower House works well for five people. The cottage occupies the front section of a Gothic church dating from 1812, complete with a tower visible from the windows. It sits in the conservation area on Chapel Hill, surrounded by the village's oldest properties and shared gardens, yet within easy reach of local shops and restaurants on foot.

The layout spreads across three floors. Downstairs holds a living and dining room with a television and DVD player, plus a kitchen equipped for cooking—electric oven, hob, microwave and washer-dryer. Upstairs on the first floor are a double bedroom and a single, with a bathroom. The top floor has two further single beds in one room, alongside a shower cubicle. Electricity, bed linen, towels and wifi are included. The cottage permits one dog, though smoking is not allowed.

From the upper windows, children can look out over the church's crenellated roof towards the fells. Ambleside itself sits at the northern tip of Windermere, with rowing and cruises available, and the Armitt Museum across the road housing Beatrix Potter's botanical watercolours. A pub stands 150 yards away; the nearest shop is a three-minute walk.