Beckwood

The house has lots of space, a nice garden and a great location. But checkout at 9am felt ridiculous when check-in isn't until 4pm. The pet rules are also a problem: the house is called dog friendly, yet guests are told not to leave any pet hair, and we found cushions covered in dog hair. Based on those house rules, I wouldn't recommend it.

We did enjoy our stay, and the house has loads of space and potential, but it needs quite a bit of attention. The grass was long and the bushes had grown over the garden views, which also made it harder for the kids to spot all the dog mess. Some windows were so dirty we could barely see through them. One fridge wasn't working, so some of our food spoiled, and the heating couldn't be turned off. With the balcony door stuck shut, we couldn't use it to cool the place down. We reported the problems to the site. Someone came out and replaced a toilet seat, but that was the only issue addressed. Some family members also struggled to get up from the very low sofa.

The views from Beckwood are spectacular, including the bedroom view at night, with no light pollution around. The house was warm and had just been redecorated to a high standard. We knew the neighbouring Glen cottage from three previous stays and booked Beckwood for the views and extra space as our family has grown. The location and scenery lived up to expectations, but several finishing touches were missing. The living room is spacious, with three good sofas, though the TV seemed ancient and sounded awful. In the master bedroom, the blinds were fitted poorly and only one of the two curtains was there. The sofa was stained, the en suite floor had cracked or loose tiles, the taps wobbled, and the mirror light didn't work. The kitchen didn't seem equipped for eight people: there were only three small pans, dirty roasting tins, a small kettle, a toaster that handled just two slices, one old wooden chopping board that was splitting, and too few bins for rubbish and recycling. Some spotlights didn't work, and the ones that did varied a lot in colour and brightness. I'd told Sykes about the problems. They said the owner could fix some of them while we were staying, which we appreciated, but we declined given the Covid situation. The place feels 90% finished and needs that last 10%. In this business, getting things right from the start should be basic, rather than waiting for my feedback to prompt action.

A cosy, well-kept house with all the amenities, a log fire and underfloor heating. Handy spot just off the A66, between the M6 and Keswick.