Overview
Grammar School House offers the perfect location for family holidays in this very beautiful and unspoilt area of the northern Lake District, where the owners have given every thought to their guest's comfort, offering a high-quality holiday home and acknowledged as such by the Visit England highest award of Five Star Gold.
It is ideally suited for easy access, being 7 miles into the National Park from Penrith. Yet it is off the tourist trail and offers peace and seclusion. A mile from the shores of Ullswater, you can have plenty of fun in and on the water, walks onto high fell and mountain, with the perfect house to come home to relax and unwind after your day's activity.
Set in one of my favourite locations, Grammar School House is spacious and well equipped, standing in its own private and quiet garden, with lawn, a small wooded area and a large pond. Here, in the grounds, wildlife abounds, and rare red squirrels are often to be seen scurrying in the trees, along with a variety of birds. The owners have thoughtfully provided wildlife feeding stations around the grounds along with feed supplies to keep them topped up. Spring bringing the extra delights of quietly viewing the activities of all the new born young, a real treat to be enjoyed and enhance your holiday memories.
Built 150 years ago as the local school, there is an interesting history and the headmaster's log is a quaint testament to this. It has been completely refurbished and newly furnished throughout to suit modern tastes and comfort.
Living Spaces
The very large kitchen is the heart of the house with its Aga, rustic furniture, soft leather sofa and large screen TV. Wide, glazed doors look out to the garden, and the whole makes for perfect lazy lunches and cosy dinners, long into the night.
There are two sitting rooms for you to spread around and relax. Both comfortably furnished, one has a further TV, the other a piano along with a luxurious massage chair.
Wi-Fi and Sky TV will further enhance the comfort and enjoyment of your stay.
Bedrooms & Bathrooms
Upstairs the bedrooms are large and spacious. Two are king sized double rooms, one of these having an en-suite shower, with the remaining two rooms offering twin beds. As well as the en-suite shower room, there is a family bathroom and a further shower room.
Garden Spaces
The gardens are a delight, surrounding the house with lawns, trees, shrubs and a garden pond. You can relax under a shady tree with a good book, gaze out at the fell and watch the abundant wildlife that has found a home in the grounds, or is simply passing by - all in all pretty perfect.
For me, the owners have provided the perfect house to both holiday at, and as a base for exploring the magnificent countryside, lake and villages. Whether you come for holidays with family and friends, or are gathering for a reunion or celebration, I am sure Grammar School House will please, leaving happy memories of your stay.
Out & About
Ullswater is thought to be the most beautiful of all the lakes in Lake District, where much of the shore and surrounding fells are accessible to explore offering some of the finest walks and water activities, along with the amenities of the lakeside villages.
One of the best walks in the National Park is the trail that runs along the eastern shores of Ullswater. Explored from the southern end of the lake, dominated by Place Fell, St Sunday Cragg, Fairfield and Helvellyn, you take the path from Glenridding over to the east side of the water. The route takes you all the way to Sandwick and onto Howtown. You will be able to ramble all day with a magnificent view always in your sight. For the return journey, board the steamboat from Howtown back to Glenridding, but do check boat times and last sailings.
Getting on the water is easy. You can take a boat cruise on one of the five beautiful steamers in the Ullswater Steamer fleet. They run the boats from Glenridding, with piers also at Pooley Bridge and Howtown. It's a great way to see the lake from a different perspective and well worth taking a camera.
Boat hire is readily available, both at Glenridding and Pooley Bridge, where you have a varied selection of craft on offer including kayaks, sailing boats and little motorboats, along with hire of fishing tackle and licenses.
There are three main villages, Patterdale with a little shop and the Lion Inn, Glenridding, offering shops, a garage and selection of cafes and inns, and at the far northern head of the lake is Pooley Bridge, again with a small but good selection of shops, cafes and inns.
Overall there is so much to see and do, both around the lake and nearby areas, towns and villages, where to get the best from your visit it is well worth investing in a few good guides and maps.
Dogs are charged at £20 each per full or part week.
Please note there is a refundable £200 security deposit for this property payable closer to the start of your holiday.