Guests say
Swallow Barn is highly praised for its cleanliness, spaciousness, and modern amenities. Guests appreciate the thoughtful welcome gifts and the property's ideal location for exploring the Lakes. The comfortable furnishings and well-equipped kitchen contribute to a relaxing stay, despite minor maintenance issues and suggestions for improvements.
Guests consistently mention the property's exceptional cleanliness, describing it as 'spotless' and 'immaculately clean'. This indicates a high standard of cleanliness throughout the property.
The location is frequently highlighted as perfect for adventures in the Lakes, with easy access to local attractions and amenities. The quiet village setting is also appreciated, although one review mentioned difficulty finding the property.
Comfort is a strong point, with numerous guests commenting on the comfortable beds, spacious living areas, and cosy atmosphere provided by features like underfloor heating and a log burner.
Facilities are generally praised, especially the well-equipped kitchen and entertainment options. However, points are deducted for maintenance issues such as a loose toilet seat and stiff windows, as well as the lack of a microwave and a suggestion for more garden chairs.
The welcome gifts are frequently mentioned and appreciated, indicating a high level of thoughtfulness from the hosts. However, it is noted that such gestures are a bonus and not guaranteed with every stay.
About this property
Cockermouth 3.6 miles. Nestled in the quaint village of Deanscales near Cockermouth in Cumbria is Swallow Barn. This beautiful, dog-friendly, stone-fronted holiday home benefits from a fantastic location on the edge of the breath-taking Lake District National Park, charming character features like exposed beams and a-frame, a spacious enclosed garden with lawn, decking and bike storage and three well-appointed bedrooms perfect for families or friends looking to explore the wonders of Cumbria. Cross the threshold and head up the stairs where a welcoming open-plan living space greets you; get acquainted with the fully-equipped kitchen where you can whip up delicious meals for the whole group. Dine together around the large dining table before pouring yourself a glass of wine and snuggling up in front of the gentle warmth of the woodburning stove and flick on the Smart TV for a much-needed movie night. When sleep calls, head downstairs to wash off the day in the sleek family bathroom ahead of catching your rest in the super-king-size with en-suite shower room, the king-size or the twin with zip/link, can be a double on request. For the evenings when you don’t fancy cooking, why not stroll over to the popular village pub, The Old Posting Station, where you can treat your loved ones to a delicious meal? If you can tear yourself away from the tranquillity, venture into the nearby market town of Cockermouth where you can stock up on essentials at a variety of stores or simply enjoy a well-earned break from the kitchen with a meal at pubs including Castle Bar or The Bitter End. While in the town be sure to immerse yourself in the past while admiring Cockermouth Castle, Cockermouth History Wall and the National Trust Site of Wordsworth House and Garden, which was once the home of the famed poet and now runs tours and educational displays. For a taste of the great outdoors, meander through the nearby Lake District National Park where you can explore famous lake towns including Keswick which boasts a museum, pencil museum and the theatre by the lake. There is also a plethora of walking, cycling, and hiking opportunities woven throughout the park offering guests spectacular views across the English countryside. Make memories at Swallow Barn.
Cockermouth, a quaint country market town just 13 miles from Keswick, may be found in the Lake District's northwestern corner, an unexplored and unspoiled location. Wordsworth's Georgian family home, located on the main street, is today a major visitor attraction held by the National Trust due to the town's literary and historical significance as the birthplace of both Wordsworth and Fletcher Christian (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame). Cockermouth has a nice selection of stores, pubs, and restaurants, but the real draw is the stunning natural beauty and excellent hiking around the northern lakes, such as Bassenthwaite Lake, Ennerdale Water, and Derwent Water.
Accommodation
Reverse-level.
Three bedrooms: 1 x ground-floor super-king-size with en-suite walk-in shower, basin and WC, 1 x ground-floor king-size, 1 x ground-floor twin (zip/link, can be double on request).
Ground-floor bathroom with bath, walk-in shower basin and WC.
First-floor, open-plan living space with kitchen, dining area and sitting area with woodburning stove
Oil central heating with partial underfloor heating.
Oven, hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, hairdryer.
Smart TV, Xbox and WiFi.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Highchair available on request.
Off-road parking for 3 cars.
Rear enclosed garden with gravelled area, lawn, bike storage, log shed, decking and outdoor table and chairs for 6 guests.
EV charging port.
Starter pack, with a small amount of wood and kindling.
Two well-behaved dogs welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shop 3.1 miles and pub 0.3 miles.
Garden dining table with 6 chairs
Reviews (31)
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Grace
A lovely, clean, modern living space that was very comfortable. The washing machine was a bonus, and the property has an enclosed garden which is very convenient if you have a dog. Lovely furnishings. Great location too, Cockermouth was very close with lots of lovely parks and walks by the river and we even managed to get a Dominos Pizza delivered to the property. We read in one of the information books that feedback is really important to the owners so here is our honest feedback on any issues we had, or anything we felt that would make the property even better. Oven- When opening the oven, a black strip kept falling off and dropping to the floor. These needs securing back on. Dining Sets- The plates/bowls werenât microwavable. They became extremely hot in the microwave and then we realised. This is purely from a convenience point of view, but it meant we had to use the hob more and create more mess! Downstairs lighting- The lighting in the downstairs hallway area was quite poor in the dark. The only light that you can switch on from downstairs is the upstairs middle light so when you are coming from either of the two smaller bedrooms you have to walk across the hallway in the dark before you can turn a light on and the same for turning it off and then having to walk across the hallway to the smaller bedrooms in the dark. We also found that even with this upstairs middle light on, the corner where both smaller bedrooms and main bathroom is was still very dark. There needs to be another light added under the stairs or in that corner to make it more inviting and also for safety reasons. We were visiting with someone who is unsteady on her feet so an additional light in that corner would have added more safety and would have made her feel more comfortable. There was only 1 key to the property â We had issues when we didnât always go out together and this meant we had to either lock people in the house in order to take the key away to be able to get back in, or had to get someone to lock us out and then get up and let us back in when we go back. This may not seem like a big issue but I can imagine if 3 couples were sharing this property for example and they go off doing different things eg: one couple is back late at night when the others are asleep then they are going to have to wake up to unlock the door or the couple going out or going to have to lock the others in the house so they can get back in on their own. The issue with this is that there is only one door to exit the property so if this is locked then its dangerous if there was an emergency. We think 2 keys are essential, allowing those inside to lock and open the door whilst allowing people to leave and lock the door behind them. As I mentioned, we are travelling with someone who is unsteady on their feet and we would go out to the shops ect leaving her in the property, but as we didnât want to lock her in with no key in case of an emergency she would have to walk all the way downstairs on her own to let us all in, which at times was unnerving as they had no assistance walking down the stairs. We needed the additional key so that we could lock her in, knowing that she had another key in order to get out if there was an emergency. The water in the fridge- The water machine in the fridge had a funny taste, not very nice. Pipes might need a clean ect. Wasnât a big deal as we just had tap water but worth mentioning. The Zip link bed- The zip link bed closest to the bathroom had quite an uncomfortable strip down the middle where it was joined, I appreciate that there may not be much that can be done about this but for older people or people with more sensitive backs this could be an issue. Quite a few of the windows were very stiff to open, might need some lubricant to make it easier. Added touches that would make it even better: A stairgate at the top of the stairs to keep children and dogs upstairs in the living space. We mention this as its quite a large staircase and the wood can be slippy. A blanket for each bedroom in case it gets chilly. A mat by the front door to wipe feet, the door is quite close to the floor so appreciate that it might be too high for the door and might not be possible. A mat in front of the bench downstairs could work as an alternative potentially. A really lovely stay at Swallow Barn and we would stay here again, itâs great that the owners are open to improvements and with a few alterations it could be a really perfect property. Thank you again for our lovely stay!
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Wendy
A wonderful place to stay, spacious, clean and comfortable. Location is perfect for all walks.
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Adrian
Lovely village pub, facilities of Cockamouth very close and a great location for touring the Lakes