“The negatives:
Do not be mislead by the website images, these were taken in 2011 immediately after a refurbishment.”
The property is looking tired now and in need of some TLC. The hot tub is now a smaller plastic version. The property is suffering from some damp issues, particularly in one bathroom and all of the windows, as a result the majority of the curtains have mould on the window sides. The bathrooms are cold due to the “weird” timing of the electric radiators with no obvious way to change this. The lower entrance gate is broken so if you have young children and/or dogs be aware. We are advised by the owners that the damp issues and the gate are due to be addressed in January 23. The cleanliness wasn’t great on arrival, we had to clean the kitchen and floors again and most of the cutlery and utensils. The main oven stopped working during Xmas dinner preparation, a sign of its age, which wasn’t ideal! It was fixed on the 27th December but other reviews have noted issues with this oven, so be aware!
The positives:
In a wonderful location surrounded by 7 acres of private grounds. Access to a few walks straight from the property. Comfortable beds. Plenty of parking space.
Thank you for taking the time to record your concerns with regard to your recent stay. Of course, we are very sorry to hear that you had such a negative experience and because of this we were glad you took us up on our offer of compensation for the inconvenience caused. Given the in-depth nature of your complaints, I would like to take the time to respond to each of them in turn:
‘The property is looking tired now and in need of some TLC. The property is suffering from some damp issues, particularly in one bathroom and all of the windows, as a result the majority of the curtains have mould on the window sides.’
We bought Bracken Ground from the previous owners in the summer of 2019 and have spent many thousands of pounds on improvements and repairs in that short time. Much of this will go unnoticed as it includes a new boiler and essential remedial work to external stonework and pointing. We had a specialist damp report carried out in February 2021 and it made several recommendations, all of which we have acted upon, including stonework and chimney stack repair and the fitting of new constant run, humidistat controlled mechanical extractor fans to provide more effective atmospheric moisture control in the master bedroom and ensuite. However, given the location of the property surrounded by nature in the Lake District, we will continue to monitor this over the course of our ownership and will indeed be commissioning a further survey to that effect this month. Re-decoration work to rectify the aesthetic damage caused to walls and curtains is something that has been delayed due to Covid and an extremely busy bookings calendar in the past two years. We have, however, blocked off several weeks in the calendar between now and the Spring to repaint walls and fit new curtains.
‘The hot tub is now a smaller plastic version’
As far as I understand, the previous wooden hot tub was the same size as the current version and was replaced only a few years after the 2011 renovations because its location amongst the trees - one of the houses’ most beautiful features - caused the wood to turn green very quickly and the less aesthetic but more practical plastic hot tub was bought in its place. New photography is to be commissioned by Lakelovers when the warmer weather arrives.
‘The bathrooms are cold due to the weird timing of the electric radiators with no obvious way to change this.’
The radiators in the bathrooms are on a timer designed to come on during the mornings and the evenings. I was not aware of any issues in this regard, but l will certainly get this looked at and apologise for any discomfort this caused.
‘The lower entrance gate is broken so if you have young children and/or dogs be aware.’
This gate was damaged in November and a replacement was immediately commissioned from a local craftsman. I have just today (January 5) received an email confirming it is ready for fitting. Given its bespoke nature, I think this has been a remarkably quick response, but I am sorry that it wasn’t ready in time for your stay. We do note in the guest manual that: 'we have made every effort to make the property and grounds dog friendly, but owners must be aware that the perimeter fence is not completely secure in all places. With regards to young children, we also make the point: 'the perimeter is roughly defined by the wire fence surrounding the woodland and you are welcome to stroll around and investigate but please take care as this environment conceals steep and rocky slopes and natural hazards such as brambles, wobbly stones and low-hanging branches. Younger children need to be supervised at all times, especially around the water.
‘The cleanliness wasn’t great on arrival, we had to clean the kitchen and floors again and most of the cutlery and utensils.’
This is clearly unacceptable, and I have spoken to the cleaning team about this. I can only sincerely apologise that the cleanliness wasn’t up to standard and I’m not sure what happened on this occasion. I will say though that our last Five Star Visit England report from January 2022 noted: Housekeeping continues to meet excellent standard within the property.
‘The main oven stopped working during Xmas dinner preparation, a sign of its age, which wasn’t ideal!’
Obviously, the timing of any oven breakdown isn’t welcome but at Christmas I understand this would be particularly distressing. As I understand it, the oven stopped working as an excess of tinfoil had been pushed down the back of the oven causing a shorting of the electrics. Lakelovers responded extremely quickly - particularly given the time of year - determined the unusual nature of the issue and fixed it there and then. The smaller oven in the range remained unaffected. The oven, like all major appliances of more than a few years in age, has been repaired in its lifetime but is regularly serviced and has performed well. We will however look to replace the oven in 2023 as part of our ongoing improvements and repairs program.
Property Owner
