Guests say
Dene House in Windermere is generally praised for its excellent location, ample space, and well-equipped kitchen. Guests appreciate the thoughtful touches like tea and coffee, and the property is ideal for large groups and family gatherings. Some concerns were raised about heating upon arrival and the need for more glassware and coat hooks.
Most guests found Dene House comfortable and clean, though there were isolated comments about floors not being cleaned upon arrival and a need for more frequent towel changes. The presence of rats outside was mentioned, which may indicate an area for improvement.
The property's location is highly praised for its proximity to local amenities, pubs, shops, and the lake, making it an excellent base for exploring Bowness and the surrounding areas.
Guests found the beds comfortable and the property spacious enough for large groups. However, some noted a lack of seating in the lounge for the maximum number of guests and a need for a downstairs toilet.
The property is well-appointed with a fully equipped kitchen and plenty of bathrooms. However, guests noted some maintenance issues such as a damp-smelling cinema room, out-of-order toilet, and the need for more glassware and cutlery to cater for full capacity.
Guests mentioned appreciative details such as toiletries in bathrooms, tea and coffee provisions, and festive decorations. While these gestures are warmly received, it should be noted that such personal touches may vary and are not guaranteed.
About this property
Nestled paces away from Lake Windermere in the heart of the iconic village of Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria is Dene House. This traditional Victorian home benefits from seven beautifully-appointed bedrooms, en-suite shower rooms, a spacious patio with furniture and a fabulous setting in the fun-filled Lake District National Park with access to its endless wonders; the perfect choice for families, friends and large groups looking to explore Cumbria. Cross the threshold into your new home-from-home to find a sitting room with Smart TV, a fully-equipped kitchen where you can rustle up meals for the whole family which can then be enjoyed in the spacious dining room which boasts seating for everyone!
Be sure to raise a toast to your getaway then allow the kids to head downstairs to take advantage of the cinema room while you enjoy evening drinks out on the front patio. When the evening draws to a close choose between seven sumptuous bedrooms with handy en-suite shower rooms including super-kings with zip/link functions, king-sizes and a double along with a single bedroom serviced by a bathroom. During the day take a short walk into the heart of the village where you can stock up on all of your self-catering essentials at local stores or treat the whole family to an evening out at pubs like Lake View Garden Bar, Hole in t’ Wall and The Old John Peel Inn.
Take a leisurely stroll down to Lake Windermere where you can catch a gentle boat ride to admire the scenery from the water or try something more adventurous like kayaking, canoeing, wakeboarding and kneeboarding! Outdoor enthusiasts can also find an abundance of walking trails including Orrest Head, Black Fell Peak and The Old Man of Coniston, and a foot and car ferry within a mile of the property allowing you to explore the area further. Other must-see attractions include The World of Beatrix Potter, Blackwell Arts and Crafts, the National Trust site of Townend and Holehird Gardens; there is truly something for everyone!
Make unforgettable memories at Dene House.
Bowness and Windermere are two of the most popular destinations in the Lake District, and with good reason. The two towns are connected by a bridge and offer a wide variety of restaurants, stores, and entertainment options for tourists. Windermere Lake Cruises in Bowness, as well as those in Brockhole, Ambleside, and Lakeside, all provide a choice of boating excursions and boat rentals (at the southern end of the lake where the Lakeside Aquarium and the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway are situated). Both the Old Laundry Theatre and the World of Beatrix Potter are within two miles of your hotel. Take a short hike to Orrest Head and take in the breath-taking views of the lake and surrounding fells that inspired Alfred Wainwright to write his series of classic guidebooks. The high wire treetop adventures of Brockhole are only three miles away, and it won't take long to reach the historic communities of Grasmere, Ambleside, and Troutbeck. For the more active visitors, marine centres lining the lake provide a wide range of watersports. Coniston, Grizedale Forest Park with its delightful walks and famous outdoor sculptures, mountain biking, and 'Go-Ape' adventure park, Ullswater, Kendal, Keswick, stone circles, Roman forts, and England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, are all within easy reach from the area.
Accommodation
NOTE: Check in time is now 4pm.
Over four floors.
Seven bedrooms with Smart TVs: 2 x super-king-size with en-suite walk-in shower, basin and WC, 1 x ground-floor super-king-size (zip/link, can be twin on request) with en-suite walk-in shower, basin and WC, 2 x second-floor king-size with en-suite walk-in shower, basin and WC, 1 x second-floor double with en-suite walk-in shower, basin and WC, 1 x single.
Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC.
Lower-ground-floor shower room with walk-in shower, basin and WC.
Second-floor cloakroom with basin and WC.
Kitchen with Smart TV.
Dining room.
Sitting room.
Lower-ground-floor cinema room
Gas central heating.
Electric oven, gas hob, microwave, American fridge/freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher, slow cooker, iron, hairdryer.
10 x Smart TVs and WiFi.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Highchair and travel cot available on request.
Off-road parking for 6 cars.
Front patio with furniture and side patio with lockable bike storage.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shop 0.3 miles, pub 0.2 miles and Lake Windermere 0.3 miles.
Note: There are five steps up to the entrance of the property, please take care.
Note: The gardens are not enclosed and children must be supervised at all times.
Note: The tumble dryer is housed externally in the shed.
Please note : This property has cctv on the external of the property for the safety of guests and Dene House
Reviews (13)
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Susan
There were 10 of us and Dene House with 7 bedrooms fit our requirements. In general the house was good. The beds were comfortable and most bedrooms had an en-suite. There was lots of parking and bins for waste and recycle. Having a washer/dryer was critical due to the wet hiking days. It was a short walk to Bowness center though the walk back is uphill. The dining room was huge with plenty of room for all. The lounge in comparison was small and not large enough for all everyone. We enjoyed several local restaurants and supermarkets were reasonably close. Shortcomings though are many: - No place to hang coats or store shoes in foyer - Not enough plates/bowls/beer glasses for 10 much less the 14 the house claimed to fit - No dishwasher tablets supplied. Iâve never stayed anywhere before where they werenât supplied. - Several of the showers were so small that you couldnât bend over - No spare towels and towels supplied were threadbare - When we asked for an additional duvet we were told that we needed to ask for that in advance. They did sent someone over to tell us not to move any furniture and repeatedly confirmed that this wasnât his job. We only wanted an additional duvet because 2 siblings had to share a bed but didnât want to share a duvet. A simple, sorry but we canât accommodate this would have been a better response. Overall we had a great trip to the Lake District but Dene House could have been better equipped.
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Alan
On entering the property we realised there wasn't a cloakroom for coats and shoes which meant coats and shoes when wet were left, hanging about in the hallway. 2. No downstairs toilet which meant a trip upstairs, not very friendly for elderly guests. 3. Lounge . Not enough seating for 13 people to sit in comfort. 4. Cinema room. Down steep set of stairs from the kitchen to the cellar which had a strong smell of damp and the toilet was out of order. 5. THE KITCHEN. totally ill equipped to cater for 13 people. 1 domestic oven, mismatch of cooking utensils and cooking equipment. Work surfaces and prep areas were practically non existent. all cutlery was in the dining room which meant a trip to get even a teaspoon had to be made to make a cup of tea. 13 dinner plates, side plates and bowls, don't know what you would do if you accidently broke one. One kettle and a four slice toaster. 6. The Dining room off the kitchen accommodated all guests which is were we gathered of an evening. In here was the cutlery and a very limited amount of drinking glasses a fight for a beer glass if you wanted one. 7. Bedrooms. 1 on ground floor with en suite which was tired and had a door which didn't close properly. 8. Tired furniture in the rest of the bedrooms though beds were large and comfortable in some rooms. en suite in our room was very tired with a plastic shower door and taps on the basin which needed replacing. Door on wardrobe didn't close easily and handle on the bedside table kept coming off. 9. Fortunately the only outside area to accommodate us all was at the front of the house, had it been outside of the dining room conservatory which was more of a yard than a garden, instead of bunny rabbits running around we had RATS. Poison boxes were in place but on inspection by my husband there was no sign of poison in any of them and hadn't been for some time. 10.On arrival we had 1 bath towel ( one of which was ripped) in our en suite and 1 hand towel and the other rooms had the same. We had to use the same towels for the rest of our stay as no one came to change them. 11. The only contact we had with the owners was on the first day and that was to make sure we followed the rules regarding recycling of waste etc. which in itself was hard to keep tract of when there are so many people of different age groups in your party. We did our best but with 5 bins. a bag and 2 boxes it became a chore seeing as there was only one waste bin provided in the kitchen. 12.If your reading this I bet your thinking how can this person be bothered writing this report, ill tell you why, I would hate for anybody spending well earned money to rent this property until some of the issues mentioned have been addressed. If money is no object and your expectations aren't like ours then this property is for you. I also recommend that if you haven't been to Bowness on Windemere in the school holidays Id think twice as it was heaving down by the boat terminal especially at the weekend. Parking was a nightmare and the roads choker block. Stayed in some wonderful properties over the years with our family mainly up in Scotland and non of them have disappointed us, in fact we have been amazed at the care and quality we have experienced. I was not impressed and certainly didn't get value for money. I am also disappointed in Sykes Cottages. Alan Shand
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Ed
!!! With regard to this property - very little information provided in the usual file . Kitchen rather small to cater for 13, and once the dishwasher was filled there was no more glassware crockery etc until the cycle completed. So to increase these would be good