4.3★
Lakelovers rating
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5 Guests
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3 Bedrooms
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1 Bathroom
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Pets Yes
Features
- Off road parking
- Cot available
- Pub/shop < 1 mile
- Dishwasher
- Broadband / WiFi
Reviews & Ratings
* Based on a combined average customer score
29 Customer Review(s)
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Darren 
“Stayed for Christmas 2024.”
The cottage was not decorated for Christmas but fortunately we had brought our own... not a big problem but other xmas properties are decorated. There is a need for some maintenance. The ceiling light fitting in the double bedroom was broken (bulb laying on bed) and needed replacement. There is also VERY bad lighting at night outside and a sharp greasy step right outside the door. Note for the owners, two battery solar lights do not cut it in the Lake District in December (not enough light to ...
The cottage was not decorated for Christmas but fortunately we had brought our own... not a big problem but other xmas properties are decorated. There is a need for some maintenance. The ceiling light fitting in the double bedroom was broken (bulb laying on bed) and needed replacement. There is also VERY bad lighting at night outside and a sharp greasy step right outside the door. Note for the owners, two battery solar lights do not cut it in the Lake District in December (not enough light to charge them) they really need wired PIR lights for the garden and entrance.
- Darren, December 2024 -
John “Everything was fine On of the better properties in Ambleside we have stayed in over the last few years”
- John, October 2024Many thanks for your positive feedback. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay and hope to welcome you back in the future. Please note that from 2025 the property will be listed via LAKELAND RETREATS Property Owner
Eon “Alter End was a perfect property for us as a family of four with a dog.”
The rooms were clean and comfortable, as was the large living room with board games and a large screen TV. The kitchen is compact but still had plenty of counter space for preparing meals. The dining area is quite small but still worked out well for our family. Having a dedicated, free parking space next to the property was a huge bonus along with the fenced-in space outside - which was great for sipping a coffee while sitting on the bench and giving our dog somewhere to play in-between our walks. Despite being just a short walk from the busy centre of Ambleside, this beautiful-looking old church has quite a tranquil setting. We’ve stayed at around half a dozen different properties in Ambleside over the years but Alter End is the one we’re most likely to return to. We’ve already recommended it to friends. Sykes Cottages were great to deal with. Everything from booking to arriving to leaving for home couldn’t have gone more smoothly.
- Eon, July 2024Many thanks for your positive feedback. We are delighted that you enjoyed your time with us so much and look forward to welcoming you again. We will be marketing with “Lakeland retreats” from December onwards but will be easy to find Property Owner
Julia “A really lovely property, both clean and comfortable.”
It was equipped with everything you could possibly need when staying away from home. Fantastic location and extremely convenient having access to a parking space. Would definitely recommend and hope to return in the future. Thank you!
- Julia, June 2024Thank you so much for your lovely feedback regarding our cottage , it’s location and its designated parking space.We look forward to welcoming you back soon. ( from the end of December we will be joining Lakeland Retreats- nothing else will be changing). Property Owner
Sandra “Lovely cottage, well maintained and in an ideal location.”
- Sandra, June 2024Thank you for your positive feedback. We look forward to welcoming you back again to Altar End! Property Owner
Chloe “Lovely cottage, had everything we needed.”
Right in the heart of the town and an easy walk to the lake and surrounding areas. The enclosed garden was great to be able to let the dog out. Would definitely come back.
- Chloe, February 2024Thank you for your really positive feedback. We are so pleased you liked Altar End and especially liked the private enclosed garden area and being really close to town yet within the historic part of Ambleside.We hope to welcome you back again soon. Property Owner
John “First time staying in this property.”
The property was extremely spacious, well equipped and clean. We would definitely stay again. The only issue we had was the over powering smell in the living room. Not sure if something had been sprayed or sprinkled onto the carpet when hoovered.
- John, December 2023Thank you for the positive feedback. We are glad you enjoyed the property and found it well equipped, clean and spacious. We will enquire with the housekeeping staff regarding the fragrance used in the cleaning. Hoping you’ll return soon to Altar End! Property Owner
Pam “Thank you for accommodating me at short notice!”
Our favourite cottage - very comfortable and feels like ‘home from home’. Good kitchen facilities, nice bathroom and comfortable beds. Great location with good all-round views and I always feel fitter after a week of yomping up Peggy Hill. Thank you
- Pam, November 2023James “Great location for Ambleside and the Lakes.”
- James, November 2023Thank you for your feedback. We are glad you enjoyed the location of the property. Lakelovers Owner Relations Team Property Owner
Ian “Cottage was clean and in good location within a minute walk to town.”
Parking on site with a dedicated parking space. Cottage has small enclosed garden which was great for dogs. Very impressive interior being a converted church. Lovely views of the fells. Lounge area spacious with smart TV and comfy seating. Kitchen/diner good size with everything we needed. Large bath and shower with plenty of hot water. The cottage is situated up a steep bank which wasn't a problem for us. Only negative - there was no downstairs loo.
- Ian, September 2023Thank you for your positive feedback. We are delighted that you enjoyed the spacious cottage and it’s garden. As you say it is situated in a raised part of town where the historical buildings of Ambleside are, quiet yet within a minute of the centre. We hope that you return to Altar End for another break in Ambleside soon. Property Owner
Tracey “Fantastic holiday home in a beautiful location,everything you need for a comfortable self catering holiday with Parking for one car.”
Ambleside village centre with a large selection of independent shops,friendly pubs and restaurants is a 5 minute walk. Kirkstone pass is on the doorstep with stunning scenery. Definitely recommend this property.
- Tracey, July 2023Many thanks for your positive feedback, we are delighted you enjoyed your stay and enjoyed being so close to the amenities whilst being in a very quiet location. We look forward to you visiting again. Property Owner
Hilary “This property is lovely and well appointed.”
It is our second visit and although we loved the cottage it is marred by a number of issues. * Garden furniture in a disgusting state and not useable, knowing that they would be the same as last year we brought our own. * Dining room chairs filthy. * Beds extremely uncomfortable and old. The two singles are very wobbly, as last year. This is an extremely important issue, none of us slept well which can ruin a holiday. * Apart from the bathroom and front door all other doors do not close, this is a serious Fire Safety issues and would not meet standards if inspected by the Fire Service. *Informed by staff that the bedroom window was cracked and they have taped it. Husband informed me that it was cracked last year ! It's not good enough for owners to spend money decorating and replacing new cushions/blinds and NOT address MORE important issues.
- Hilary, July 2023James “The cottage was a tardist, we were amazed on entering how big the cottage was.”
A well equipped home for the week. As the weather was good whilst we stayed there ,the garden was in desperate need of some TLC. In the photo of the garden there is a table and chairs , that wasn’t there. You are advised ,how it’s very tight it is to enter the properties car park. It’s is . Overall a great stay with the family .
- James, June 2023Thank you for your constructive feedback- we are really pleased you enjoyed your stay and found the cottage large and well equipped. We are sorry there were no tables and chairs- they were there recently so we cannot explain this but will rectify this immediately. Likewise the garden grows very quickly in the hot weather and. We will trim back the growth this weeks . Property Owner
Sandra “We had a very comfortable and enjoyable stay in Altar End.”
The accommodation was as described and very well fitted out…plenty of crockery, utensils, pots and pans. There was an efficient dish washer ( easy to use) , a good washing machine with a mini load program ( l’m buying one of these when l next change my machine…an easy to use hob…but…we couldn’t get the oven to work. ..that was the only problem we encountered in the house. The nice, compact area outside was ideal to let my dog out onto as it was safe.. there was a designated car parking space for our car which was a huge plus point as parking in Ambleside was a problem. I would recommend this holiday property and we will probably book it again.
- Sandra, June 2023Thank you so much for your positive feedback, we are so glad you enjoyed the cottage and look forward to welcoming you back again soon! Property Owner
Pam “Appreciated the various upgrades.”
This cottage suits our needs very well, and a perfect location if you don’t mind Peggy Hill!
- Pam, May 2023Thank you for the positive feedback and for returning once again to Altar End. We hope to see you once again in the future! Property Owner
Debbie “A great clean and comfortable cottage, perfect location near all shops, cafes in ambleside.”
Was well equipped with everything that you need.
- Debbie, April 2023Many thanks for your excellent feedback. We are so glad you enjoyed your break at Altar End and look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Property Owner
Ann “This cottage very nice, well decorated very nice furniture and everything you could need in the kitchen.”
- Ann, February 2023Many thanks for your great feedback. We are so pleased you had an enjoyable stay to give us a 100% rating. We hope you come back to visit Altar End soon!! Property Owner
Alan “Great place, clean and tidy on arrival.”
. car parking is a little tight, if you have a big car and a bigger double bed would be a nice addition.. Overall it is a very nice place to stay and central to everything the Lakes has to offer .
- Alan, December 2022Thank you for feeding back, it’s great to hear you enjoyed your stay and we look forward to welcoming you back. The cottage is, as you say, really centrally located in the historic part of Ambleside- the parking is indeed tight but is reserve solely for Altar End. Property Owner
Louise “Cottage warm & cosy.”
Kitchen & living room space lovely. However there was mould on the master bedroom wall and the living room. The plug in the bathroom sink didn’t work. The toaster couldn’t be used as it tripped all the fuses in the cottage. Also the wall in the kitchen next to cooker was full of stains / grease. Considering this cost over £1000 for a week, I was expecting better quality.
- Louise, December 2022Thank you for taking the time to feed back to us. We are sorry that some aspects were not ideal. We are currently decorating most of the cottage and will make sure the sink plug and toaster are both working well. Property Owner
David “Overall very happy.”
. Nice end of the property with the private back garden. For all's sake sort the fridge door closure which is binding as you are wasting energy costs. Also freezer is over frosting, again due to closure issues.
- David, September 2022Thank you so much for taking the time to feed back to us. We are glad you enjoyed the properly, it’s location and quiet private back garden. The freezer and fridge door closure will be sorted imminently and we look forward to welcoming you back very soon. Property Owner
Martin “It was a great location and very nice property, but there were a few issues that you could look into to make it better for anyone else staying.”
Firstly the doors to the fridge and freezer comparments don't shut very well, they stick on the fascia and as a result when we came in the freezer was starting to defrost and had a small puddle on the floor. This resulted in the freezer being iced over and some of the drawers couldn't be opened. The fridge not shutting and perhaps as a result of the freezer frosting over caused water to form and drip onto the things we put in there. Really the whole thing needs defrosting and the doors sorting. There was lack of kitchen utensils which weren't broken and the knives were all blunt apart from the bread ones.. Two of the dining chairs were broken, they had popped out of their slots and were very wobbly, we put them out of the way. The other two were ok. It was a difficult place to keep clean with the outdoor matt being a sponge in the rain and the indoor catching all off the pine needles, but we did our best to clean it before we left. It was a really good place though, well located, in a quiet area where you could hear the water at night. None of these issues stopped us from enjoying the property, but I do think that they need addressing, certainly the chairs if more than two people stay and the fridge/freezer. The recycling isn't what I am used to, even in holiday rentals, but I assume that is a local thing, but in this day and age, it should be a natural inclusion to have recycling facilities there. Other properties I have stayed in have a central recycling for the local house or group of houses. It looked like this place was using a 3rd party, so it is achievable I am sure. The forced disposal of food and the lack of certain items in the property could also be improved, I threw quite a bit of food away, perhaps an arrangement with a local foodbank would be a good idea. Ensuring that there is handwash upstiars and downstairs, more than a thimble full of washing up liquid, and having basic salt and pepper? Anyway, these are things that you could look to improve. I have stayed with Sykes once before, it was a similar level and I have another booked in a few weeks time.
- Martin, September 2022Many thanks for your helpful feedback. We are delighted you enjoyed the great location and the cottage overall. We will do our best to sort out the freezer very soon, as well as the dining chairs. The recycle suggestions we will Pass onto heart of the lakes as a company. Property Owner
Nicki “We had a lovely stay, the property was clean apart from the odd cobweb.”
The only real problem we had was using the dryer which we could not get to work!
- Nicki, July 2022We are so glad you had a lovely stay. The dryer seems to now work fine and we have checked this so we are sorry it didn’t work for you, we will keep checking to make sure it stays behaved! We hope to see you back at Altar End soon! Property Owner
Hilary “Thank you for a wonderful stay.”
We booked this last minute and were not disappointed. Altar End is a lovely quirky cottage. It was immaculately clean and tidy when we arrived. Within a short walk to the pub and town centre. We thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to book again. One minor point to make was the small garden could be tidied up a little and new garden furniture. Its a beautiful little spot to sit in and enjoy the weather.
- Hilary, July 2022Many thanks for your very positive feedback. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you back at Altar End in the future!! The garden is indeed lovely for breakfasts outside or evening relaxing , and we will always aim to keep it tidy. Property Owner
Pam “I left a list of things that need upgrading.”
The beds are uncomfortable and the kitchen implements and crockery need sorting out. Bedroom curtains and blinds in the lounge need sorting, and a whole lot of other little things. It’s a lovely cottage and we love staying there but a few tweaks would make it really fab. HoTL responded excellently to any problems
- Pam, May 2022Many thanks for your helpful feedback- we are so glad that you found the cottage lovely. We have added to the kitchen implements which can sometimes become fewer without us realising- and the curtains etc are sorted too - new blinds are also being fitted. Property Owner
Rosemary “I was very pleased to be able to spend the second week of my two week Break in the Lakes holiday at Altar End, at very short notice, and at a very reasonable price.”
.Thank you. My only small suggestion would be that the heating be set to come on before 7.30am.. for those of us who are early risers! I wasn't confident to attempt adjusting the settings, and couldn't work out how to use the gas fire, so also felt the chill whilst in the house during a couple of very rainy days. (Possibly me being technically inept!).I would definitely be happy to book this property again.
- Rosemary, November 2021Many thanks for your positive feedback- the heating sessions have been changed and we are always happy for this for be amended according to your comfort - the gas fire now has a a small instruction note next to it. We hope you will return to Altar End soon!! Property Owner
Jackie “Please let owners know that the outside light is not working and the freezer door does not close securely so ice builds up very easily and urgently needs to be defrosted.”
The bath plug is not draining - I tried to clear it but it needs a plunger. Also I noted that the cost of rental has gone up by £110 for the same dates next year - why such a jump in price, very excessive. Makes me cross and sad. Thanks Jackie
- Jackie, October 2021Many thanks for your feedback, the outside lights and freezer were attended to following your feedback at the time, and the bath plug also. We are always happy to sort this immediately if you notify heart of the lakes during your stay. Best wishes : Property Owner
Tracy “The cottage was okay but not great.”
The decor in places looked a bit tired and it needed a refresh. The room with the double bed was difficult to manoeuvre around due to the position of the door to the bed. Also the cupboard/wardrobe was really hard to open due to the drag on the carpet. The mattresses on the single beds, that we ended up using due to the issue with the main room, were very lumpy. On the positive the lounge is a good size and comfortable, and the kitchen is equipped with all that you need for a week away. Would I book this cottage again, probably not, there are too many compromises for the rental fee. I feel you can book a better accommodation for the same price.
- Tracy, September 2021Many thanks for your feedback which we have acted upon. The cupboard / cloakroom door was a little stiff on the floor due to a new carpet being fitted and this is now sorted. The mattresses have also been upgraded with new bedroom furniture. Property Owner
Paul “Perfect base for exploring the Lake District, many attractions both in Ambleside itself and within the surrounding area.”
Accommodation is excellent; clean and comfortable with a garden area ideal for sitting out and for taking your hound along too. We had a lovely week, many thanks.
- Paul, July 2021Pam “Very nice, really enjoyed my stay.”
We did try to fix a lightbulb that had gone ping but managed to wreck the fitting, really sorry, I did call. If the owners will still have us back we will probably book it again same time next year as it was perfect location, size and facilities.
- Pam, May 2021Summary
- Three bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x twin, 1 x single
- Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC
- Kitchen/diner
- Sitting room
- Gas central heating
- Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, washer/dryer, dishwasher, Ipod/Iphone docking station with Bluetooth, TV with DVD Player, Wi-Fi
- Fuel and power inc. in rent
- Towels and Bed linen inc. in rent
- Travel cot provided
- Private parking for one car
- Enlosed patio with outdoor seating area
- One well-behaved pet welcome
- Sorry, no smoking.
The property
Altar End is a comfortably furnished and well planned holiday home in a superb location in the historic quarter of Ambleside within easy walking distance of the village centre amenities, shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Altar End, as its name implies, was imaginatively created from the eastern end of the former St Anne's Church - the site is steeped in local history and borders one of the oldest and most characterful parts of the village. The cottage has been carefully replanned to offer a comfortable base from which to explore - there are fine walks from the door for all ages and ample opportunities for touring our wonderful National Park. Accommodation: Front door leads into the fully fitted and well-equipped dining kitchen and then leads through to the comfy sitting room (TV, DVD, free wi-fi broadband & iPod/iPhone docking station with bluetooth for guests to play their own music).
Stairs to the first floor give access to the three very pleasant bedrooms - one double, one twin and a good single room.
The attractive bathroom has a bath with shower over, basin and wc. The whole cottage is very comfortable with good quality furnishings in tasteful and traditional style in-keeping with the property - good fabrics add to the quality feel and there is pine in the bedrooms.
The arched windows upstairs have been retained to complete the scene.
Fitted carpets throughout.
Gas fired central heating.
Room under the stairs for hanging your walking gear.
There are outlooks from the upstairs double room to Wansfell. Outside: There is a pleasant enclosed patio garden partially screened by trees and with a picnic table where you can have breakfast or eat out on warmer evenings.
Private parking for one car.
Village centre amenities a few minutes walk.
This property is no longer available from January 2035
Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £200.
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About the location
AMBLESIDE
Grasmere 4.4 miles; Windermere 4.7 miles; Keswick 16.7 miles.
Lying at the northern tip of Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, Ambleside makes a superb base for touring the central Lakes, with Grasmere and the Langdale Valley just a short drive away. There is plenty to do here - cruises, boat trips and watersports on Lake Windermere itself and numerous shops, restaurants and pubs in the village to suit all tastes. On the lakeside at Waterhead, the parkland offers lovely views down the lake and a short stretch of beach, whilst a walk in the other direction, following Stock Ghyll through woodland, will bring you to the entrancing waterfall of Stock Ghyll Force. Along with the Lake and the great walking on offer, Ambleside is also famous for its annual rushbearing ceremony and the diminutive 17th century “Bridge House” - one of the most photographed buildings in the Lake District and now the National Trust Information Centre.
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