A characterful cottage that’s perfect for a family to retreat to after a day out exploring the Lake District with access to luxury facilities including a spa and a private chef.
Kirkstone is situated in a beautiful, secluded part of the Lake District, yet also within a short drive of Kendal and Windermere. Set on a five-star cottage complex (there are just four other boutique-style properties) with three acres of tranquil gardens, Kirkstone is an excellent choice for a relaxing luxury cottage holiday in the UK. Enjoy lovely country walks and bike rides from your door, the sounds of birdsong and sheep on neighbouring farmland, and a supreme level of comfort. With an on-site spa and swimming pool available for your exclusive use, as well as the option to book a private chef who will cook dinner in your cottage in time for your return ‘home’, Kirkstone is ideal for pure indulgence.
Kirkstone is a spacious Lakeland cottage decorated in a contemporary Cumbrian style. Inside, there are beautiful, exposed stone walls that add a characterful backdrop to the neutral décor, slate grey flooring and wooden ceiling beams.
The cottage layout is set out mainly over the ground floor, with just a few steps here and there, so can be a good choice if you’ve got lively little ones in tow, or find climbing stairs difficult. The open-plan living/dining/kitchen area is a sociable space where you can be cooking, yet still be involved with conversations going on in the lounge area. There are two comfy sofas, a Smart TV with Freeview and Netflix built-in, and a log-burner to make those winter evenings even more cosy. The cottage also features music control pads and Bluetooth technology so that you can play songs from your own collection, or stream music.
The bespoke kitchen has plenty of prep space, including a stylish island with a built-in wine rack, as well as everything you could need to prepare delicious meals including a double oven, instant convection hob and fridge/freezer, plus pots and pans. A dining table with space to seat four in comfort is right next to the two large windows and French doors, which flood the space with natural light.
If the weather is being kind, open up the French doors and dine outside on your private, part-shaded patio where there are views that extend across the meadow. There is also a BBQ if you’d like to cook up some local Cumberland sausages on a summer’s evening.
There are two bedrooms: the first has a super-king bed and an en-suite shower and bath, whilst the second bedroom has a super-king bed (but can be arranged into a twin room on request) and an en-suite wet room with shower. Both bedrooms also have their own TV which is handy for times when you feel like sloping off to bed early and snuggling up with a film.
For nature-lovers, there’s a ‘nature spotter diary’ in the cottage for noting sightings of wildlife, drawing pictures, adding photos or pressings. You’ll also find bird and nature guides to help you identify species. If you’d like to study the dark night skies more closely, stargazing equipment can be dropped off at the cottage on request and on a clear night there is lots to see.
The Lake District National Park is the UK’s most visited national park with many opportunities for nature enthusiasts. Lakes, forests, and mountains provide spectacular scenery as well as important ecological habitats, and it is an ideal location for a for a bird and wildlife watching holiday.
Lake Windermere is home to over a thousand ducks, geese and swans that live there all year round. At any time of year, you’ll be able to spot coots, Canada geese, cormorants, mergansers, mallards, and swans sheltering in the reed beds or swimming across the water as they forage for food. In winter, the avian population more than doubles as birds fly in from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Keep your eye out for goldeneyes, great-crested grebes, pochards, and tufted ducks.
Grizedale Forest, east of Coniston Water, is the largest forest in the Lake District and home to numerous birds of prey. Red kites were introduced to the forest in 2010 to replenish the north-west of England’s population. Buzzards, barn owls, honey buzzards, and goshawks can also be spotted in the area, as well as crossbills, siskins, lesser spotted woodpeckers, hawfinches, grouse, and wood warblers.
For many years, RSPB Haweswater was home to England’s only golden eagle, but it hasn’t been spotted for nearly a decade. However, you can still see other birds of prey including buzzards, merlins, and peregrine falcons. By the lake, dippers, gulls, and a variety of waterfowl can be seen, while the oak woodlands are home to many small birds including redstarts, stonechats, and pied flycatchers. At the south end of Haweswater look out for mountain-dwelling birds, such as ravens and ring ouzels nesting on the edges of the fells.
Dodd Wood is situated a few miles north of Keswick. It’s managed by the Forestry Commission who have set up the Lake District Osprey Project in collaboration with the RSPB. Ospreys are currently breeding in trees near Bassenthwaite Lake which is a favourite fishing location of the birds, and viewing stations set up with scopes are available to give you a chance to spot the nesting birds. There are plenty of marked trails throughout the woods and as well as some breath-taking views over the surrounding fells, look out for sparrowhawks, kestrels, tawny owls, oystercatchers, great crested grebes, barnacle geese, redstarts, and blackcaps.
Tarn Hows, managed by the National Trust, is one of the most popular areas in the Lake District. Once owned by Beatrix Potter, it’s a beauty spot surrounded by dense woodland with majestic mountain views. A short circular trail will take you around the tarn with the opportunity to spot blackbirds, tree pipits, bramblings, buzzards, chaffinches, bullfinches, and barn owls. Rare Belted Galloway cattle and hardy Herdwick sheep can be seen grazing nearby.
Derwent Water is just a 10 minute walk from the centre of Keswick. It’s surrounded by wooded fells and to its south is the entrance to the beautiful Borrowdale Valley. In early spring you can hear tawny owls hooting to each other as they search for a mate, and during breeding season listen out for peregrine falcons calling to their young from nearby Falcon Crag. Later in the year, cuckoos arrive for their short summer visit. You’ll also have the chance to see green woodpeckers, house martins, ravens, kingfishers, and long-tailed tits. In winter look out for the tracks of wild deer and rabbits who are joined by fieldfares, redwings, and occasionally snow buntings.
Boathouse Feld at the northern end of Derwentwater is a small nature reserve managed by Cumbria Wildlife Trust where wet woodland and reedbeds are home to a variety of birds. Coots, mallards, and swans can be spotted around the edges of the lake, and look out for great spotted woodpeckers, long-tailed tits, treecreepers, and spotted flycatchers in the woods.
