Overview
Middle Bank Cottage and its adjoining partner, Top Bank Cottage, are set in the grounds of Crosthwaite House in the little village of Crosthwaite, in the Lyth Valley east of Lake Windermere.
Middle Bank Cottage is the larger of two conversions, restored by owners Robin & Marnie. Dating back some three hundred years they were originally a farm cottage and barn. Middle Bank has retained much atmosphere, with an abundance of oak beams and pillars, stonework and flagged floors.
Living Space
From the courtyard you enter into an open plan sitting dining room with kitchen area, furnished in traditional cottage style. Original steps have been retained that take you out of the sitting room into the private garden through a tiny glazed door.
Bedrooms & Bathrooms
Stairs lead up to a landing, off which are the two bedrooms, one double and one twin (the twin can be made into a super king double by request on the booking form). The twin room has an interesting veranda with steps leading back down to the forecourt. The bathroom has bath, overhead shower, hand basin and WC.
Garden Spaces
The garden is a delight, beautifully cared for and busy with the local wild birds and enjoys panoramic views from the lawn across the Lyth Valley, looking out to the nearby church and the distant fells of Whitbarrow Scar and Cartmel Fell.
The location and cottage each combine to offer a relaxed holiday within easy reach of the whole of Southern Lakeland.
Out & About
The Lythe Valley lies about five miles east from Lake Windermere. Famed for growing damsons, in summer it can be a sun drenched patchwork of green and yellow ochre meadows and orchards, crisscrossed with narrow winding lanes that pass through farmland, by woodland and over rivers and becks, perfect for walks and cycling.
A stones throw from the cottage is the popular Punch Bowl Inn, renowned for its cuisine and a most pleasing place to dine.
South at Sizergh you will find Sizergh Castle. It is an imposing house with rich and beautiful gardens that include a pond, lake, a national collection of hardy ferns and a superb limestone rock garden. Also at Sizergh is the Strickland Arms, a great pub to have lunch or evening meal. Lastly there is Sizergh Barn, well worth a visit for the farm shop and cafe.
Across the way from Sizergh is Levens and Levens Hall. A beautiful historic house, the gardens are grade I listed dating from 1694 surviving in their original design where the highlight is the topiary, some of the oldest in the world and justifiably famous.
Drive west and you come to the foot of Windermere, where you can spend a day at Fell Foot Park mucking about in and on the water.
Around the bottom of the lake is Newby Bridge and Lakeside with some excellent hotel inns, the Aquarium of the Lakes, the steam train and Windermere Cruises.
Further up the lake are the linked towns of Bowness and Windermere. Each is a busy community of shops, cafes, restaurants and attractions, serving both the local community and our visitors to the Lake District.
Perhaps the biggest attraction is the bay at Bowness, a sweeping crescent of waterfront and adjoining parkland, where you can enjoy a walk by the shore or find a quiet place to picnic. At the bay you will find the piers and the famous Windermere steamers, which offer boat trips up and down the ten - mile reach of the lake. Here you can also hire rowing boats and motor-powered boats, which can be taken by the hour to explore the lake and it islands for yourself.
Other popular attractions are the World of Beatrix Potter, the Windermere Steam Boat Museum and a little south of Bowness the Blackwell Arts and Crafts house, one of the most important surviving houses from the turn of the 20th century. The house is a superb example of the Arts and Crafts movement architecture, where it occupies a stunning position overlooking Windermere and is open to the public as a gallery for craft and applied arts.
For visual entertainment you have the Royalty Cinema in Windermere, and the Old Laundry Theatre in Bowness, staging a lively annual season of music, theatre, comedy and film. There are plenty of pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Head south and you come to the Cartmel Peninsular where you can explore the little villages such as Grange and Cartmel and visit the coastline joining Cumbria's section of the coastal way.
East is Kendal, south lakes capital town. Well worth a visit for its shops, and restaurants, the town has a thriving art scene, with the Brewery Arts Centre offering live gigs, theatre and cinema, also the Abbott Hall Art Gallery which hosts many fine and changing art exhibitions.
Please note there is a refundable £100 security deposit for this property payable closer to the start of your holiday.