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Nethercroft

Nethercroft lies near to the southern end of Lake Windermere and the River Leven in the little village of Finsthwaite. Owners Chris and Sue Potts have revitalised this former Lakeland Cottage to offer their guests a very stylish, comfortable contemporary space. By modernising and extending along with beautiful furnishings throughout, this is very much a retreat for couples looking for high quality and comfort, a quality recognised by the Visit England prestigious five star gold award.

Set above and back from the lane, you approach by a short, gravelled drive. A rear door opens into the kitchen. Beautifully fitted it has all mod cons along with an AGA to produce your favourite dishes.

Part open plan, you move from the kitchen through to the sitting room and dining area. The huge glazed doors and ceiling light let the sun flood into the room. Big plump sofas sit on a pale timbered floor, where to one end, looking out to the little patio area, sits a fine dining table. Come cooler months you have the tall, modern log burner, adding atmosphere and a glow to the room.

Off the sitting room is a small snug, perfect for quiet moments to tuck up and read the latest best seller.

From the kitchen you go into the main hall. Large and fitted with desk and chair, you can sit in peace to write your postcards. Off the hall is the downstairs double bedroom with king sized bed. Opposite is the shower room with shower, basin and WC.

Stairs lead up and open into the master bedroom. A fabulous large space, with pitched ceiling, gentle cream decor and a huge super king bed, dressed with a plump duvet. The en-suite bathroom is a delight, where you can choose between the relaxing teardrop bath or the large shower.

The gardens surround the cottage. Sloping lawns to the front and a sunny patio area to the rear, perfect for outside dining.

For me Nethercroft is very much a cottage for adults, making the perfect romantic retreat for relaxing holidays, special occasions, honeymoons and anniversaries. Come - enjoy and congratulate yourself on your excellent taste.

The Location

Finsthwaite is a huddle of farms and houses strung along a backwater country lane, with a splendid church built by Paley & Austin in 1874, along with National Trust Stott Park Bobbin Mill.

A short walk from the cottage is a path leading up to High and Low Dam, one of my two favourite little tarns, easy to get to and perfect for a picnic or paddle in summer.

For dining or a drink there are some good choices. The Lakeside Hotel lies about a mile and a half around the lane at Lakeside. Overlooking the lake, this fine hotel has a traditional bar serving local ale, a lounge bar and contemporary bistro, along with a more formal restaurant offering fine cuisine, perfect for celebration or just a little indulgence.

At Newby Bridge you have the Swan Hotel, with its gardens overlooking the River Leven and offering a decent bar and bistro restaurant.

Locally there is quite a lot to do. As mentioned, the walk up to and around High Dam is a must. This can be extended by crossing over to the Rusland Valley. At Lakeside, steamers and launches leave for trips on the lake and can be used as a sort of water bus to explore other areas. Also at Lakeside you have the Haverthwaite & Lakeside Steam Railway, where you can take a short 'there and back' ride on a restored steam engine. The Aquarium of the Lakes is well worth a visit where you get to see close up the habitat and residents of our lakes and rivers, the high point being the glass tunnel which gives you a fish eye view of things.

Around the foot of the lake, on the eastern tip, lies Fell Foot Park. Supervised by The National Trust, there are gardens, a cafe, and at the lake shore jetties for mooring and hiring rowing and sailing boats, along with a ferry crossing to Lakeside.

Nearby at Backbarrow is the famous Lakeland Motor Museum with over 30,000 exhibits.

North, up the Rusland valley, you have the Grizedale forest where you can purchase a map of the trails for both walking and mountain bikes. As you explore the forest you will come across fabulous sculptures, which are part of an ongoing art initiative sponsored by The Forestry Commission. A great attraction of the forest is Go Ape,  offering wild fun in a tree top adventure with breathtaking scenery, tree-top wires, crossings and wind-in-your-face zip wires. 

South lies the Cartmel Peninsular with its winding lanes and rolling hills that tumble down to the coast. There are two villages well worth visiting:

Cartmel with its ancient buildings, an impressive medieval priory, a towering arch and a sweet clear river along with the smallest National Hunt race course, is a lively, picture perfect village centred on a sunny square, with a great choice of pubs and fine restaurants. For shopping there is the Cartmel Village Store in the square, and in Unsworth's Yard you have Cartmel Cheeses and The Bread Shed along with The Red Pepper & Hot Wines shop. Each Friday the village holds a food market with many local producers setting up their stalls. Along with the foodie outlets there is The Larch Tree selling quality gifts and clothing and Chamberlain’s Gifts  offering a range of delightful gifts and is supplier of life size sheep and animals for Cartmel-Shepy Village.

Cartmel has four decent pubs, The Cavendish Arms, The Royal Oak, Pig & Whistle and The Kings Arms. For something a little special you must try Simon Rogan's Michelin awarded L'Enclume, one of Cumbrias finest restaurants. Another good option is Rogan's wine bar, set by the river it is very relaxed and with excellent cuisine. Come bank holidays the village buzzes with arrival of race day. Owned by The Holker Hall Estate the course is on the edge of the village and as well as the racing there is a carnival along with many other attractions. A mile out of the village is Cark in Cartmel and Holker Hall, a magnificent country house open to the public with beautiful gardens and a food hall.

Grange over Sands lies about a mile over the fell. This pretty Edwardian village overlooks the bay and you will find an excellent grocer, Higginson's famous butchers, two bakers and local stores. On the prom there are nice gardens to stroll and in summer the prom hosts an outdoor art market. Finally Grange offers two golf clubs, both set in quite delightful countryside.

A little further afield you have the coast where you can explore the edges of the bay. For me one of the finest walks in the Lake District is to set out along the shore from Arnside, over to the south side of the bay. Ahead of you stretch miles of silver sand, and as the tide comes in the view is spectacular. It must be noted that the sands are hazardous, but providing you keep to the shoreline the walk is fine.  

Finally You are quite close to two of our larger towns. Ullverston is very traditional with cobbled streets, plenty of shops, pubs and cafes and well worth a visit. Kendal is the principle town of South Lakeland. With lots of shops, cafes and pubs the town has plenty to offer, especially on the arts and cultural scene with the Brewery cinema, theatre and arts center and the Abbot Hall Art Gallery with changing exhibitions along with a fine permanent collection.

 

Guest Reviews

"What an amazing place to come for your honeymoon!
After our wedding we wondered what could possibly top our fantastic day…well Nethercroft certainly did.
We have had a fabulous stay with good weather, good home cooked food on the Aga and wonderful walks with fantastic scenery. We can certainly recommend High Dam and Grizedale Forest.
Thank you so much for making our honeymoon so very special, we will certainly be coming back."
Mr & Mrs W - Harrogate

"This is by far and away the best cottage we have ever stayed in.
It feels so homely and yet luxurious."

"We had a wonderful week in this very special cottage.
It is so comfortable, pretty and luxurious and far and away the loveliest we have stayed in"

"What can we say?
The cottage is beautiful and a rural idyll in wonderful surroundings. Finsthwaite is perfectly peaceful."

"Nethercroft is beautiful and wonderfully decorated.
Finsthwaite is lovely and peaceful. It's great to watch the deer outside the front windows each evening and the hedgehogs at the back."

"What an absolutely incredible and stunning area and cottage.
We loved cooking on the Aga and soaking endlessly in the tub."

"We had an absolutely beautiful time here.
The cottage is a fantastic combination of design and quality.
The walks are magnificent. We did enjoy absolutely every minute of out time here. Thank you."

Local Areas Of Interest

Cartmel Peninsular - The Morecambe Bay
Cartmel
Kendal
Newby Bridge To Bouth
The Grizedale Forest
The Lyth & Winster Valleys

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