Stunning views nr Lake District, spacious & snug

If you like walking, or staying snug with a wood burner in beautiful countryside, this is your retreat! Underfloor heating, 3 comfy double bedrooms & amazing views to Wild Boar Fell & the famous Settle-Carlisle railway line. Our nearest neighbours are 2 fields away. Walk from the door, in any direction, watch ponies, hares & sheep. Try ghyll-scrambling or kayaking, or star gaze - no light pollution. Market town & train station 1 mile. Gastro pubs, castles & river swimming. We use Eco-boiler. The Hayloft is an upside-down house, with 2 of the double bedrooms on the ground floor in order to take full advantage of the amazing views from the kitchen/sitting room. The bedrooms are spacious, comfortable and thoughtfully furnished. The third double bedroom is in the loft, reached by a steep staircase (like on a boat). It has a balcony overlooking the open plan sitting room. There is a large wood-burning stove, a 32 inch Smart TV and underfloor heating throughout the property. Outside, you can walk for miles from the front door. Climb to the top of Birkett Knot to see the full sweep of Mallerstang valley below. Sit in the large window and watch hares gallop across the meadow. Pick herbs from the herb garden opposite your front door. Borrow our bicycles and head down country lanes to the local pubs. Or visit some of the beautiful stately homes close by: Dalemain, Acorn Bank, Lowther Castle.... Paddle-board on Ullswater. Or head to Beatrix Potter's house, take a steamer across the lake, try tasty home-made ice cream or, for some history, visit the first Quaker meeting house just 10 miles away at Briggflatts. You have your own front door, and your own outside space with table and chairs. There's a picnic table, rope swing, table tennis and trampoline. You're welcome to use our open-sided Shed with brazier - ideal for al fresco barbecues! You can walk in all directions from the house. Nine Standards is a great hike, about a mile away, a spectacular climb. There are some great gastro pubs close by. When our hens are laying, we will provide you with some delicious, yellow-yolked free range fresh eggs, and you can pick fresh herbs from the walled garden opposite your front door. You can borrow our bicycles and roam all over the fells; picnic by the river Eden, or swim if you're brave; we have some super swim spots close by. We are usually available 24 hours a day, but we'll leave you in peace unless you request otherwise! The town is 3 miles away, & has a butcher, bakery, a large Co-Op & Spar; several cafes, garage, chemist, takeaways & Barclays Bank (with cash machine). There are fantastic walks - Wild Boar Fell and Nine Standards are close by, and we are in the Westmorland Dales National Park. Lowther Castle, Dalemain and Acorn Bank stately homes are an easy drive, as are the towns and mountains of the Lake District. The Settle-Carlisle railway line is visible from here, and steam trains pass regularly. There is also a small railway museum, and soft play area for younger visitors, in town. If you like star-gazing, we are in the heart of Dark Skies territory; there is absolutely no light pollution! There are picturesque country pubs serving delicious food close by in Ravenstonedale and Winton, as well as several bars, independent shops & cafes in Kirkby Stephen. Horse-riding is available 1 mile away, & there are public tennis courts locally too, as well as ghyllscrambling, kayaking, wild swimming etc. The lively picturesque towns of Penrith and Kendal are only 30 minutes away, offering theatre, cinema, unique boutiques, swimming and leisure centres. Appleby Manor Hotel has a superb, and reasonably-priced Spa. Email me for further information! A car is really useful if you want to explore the area. However, Kirkby Stephen train station is one mile away; it is on the main line to Leeds and Carlisle. If you are coming by train & hoping for a taxi from the station, warn me; there probably won’t be one just waiting when you get off the train. Need to book in advance. If you are staying more than a couple of nights, we are happy to negotiate a fair price on 5 or 6 guests. CANCELLATION DUE TO COVID 19 OR OTHER VALID REASONS - We need some degree of certainly that our guests are serious about their booking. BUT if you need to change your booking, of course we're happy for you to do so, as long as The Hayloft is free. If we have a national lockdown or we are in a Tier that you can't travel to, we'll offer you the choice of moving your booking, or cancel and receive a FULL REFUND from us. If you contract Covid or have to self-isolate, we will offer the same options upon proof. And same if you are not allowed to travel from your area. WiFi is 4G. It isn’t super fast. Our speeds can be affected by bad weather. But from spring 2022, we should have super fast fibre optic connection. The kitchen is small but fully equipped. There is a beautiful built-in dresser, brand new double oven cooker (autumn 2020), but a small sink (‘though there is a full size dishwasher). Microwave, hob, fridge-freezer with a further fridge-freezer outside in the shed, should you need more space. We are limited to electricity for the oven, as there is no gas out here! Unfortunately, the Hayloft isn’t ideal for wheelchair users. The bedrooms & bathroom are on the ground floor, so that can be useful. And there is only a small step at the entrance. But the ground outside is ‘field grass’ (a little uneven), & you’d need to be able to cope with a fairly long staircase (20 steps or thereabouts) to get upstairs into the lounge area. Young children: due to the open plan style of the living room (with wood burning stove), & stairs, The Hayloft isn’t ideal for adventurous toddlers. We do have a BBQ but it is half an oil drum & not ideal unless you’re cooking for large numbers. So you’re probably better off with disposable BBQs. Let us know if you would like to use ours, though.