Townhead Cottage Kirkby Thore

Townhead Cottage is in Kirkby Thore. It's a village just off the A66, about five minutes from Penrith and maybe twenty from the Lakes.

It sleeps three. Two bedrooms and one bathroom. The rating is 4 Star, so it's comfortable and well looked after. One thing to mention is it's old. The stairs are steep, and some of the doorways are low. You get used to it.

The bathroom is between the two bedrooms, so you have to walk through one to get to the other if you're using the single. The garden at the back gets the sun most of the day. There's a summerhouse with chairs in it, which is handy if it rains. You can see the fells from there.

Inside, there's a wood burning stove. We leave logs for you. The kitchen has the basics: oven, hob, microwave, fridge with a small freezer section, and a wine cooler. There's WiFi.

You can bring two dogs. The garden is enclosed but it's not fortress, so keep an eye on them. The front door and the garden are on the same level, no steps, which is good.

Kirkby Thore has a shop for basics and a pub. Penrith is five miles away and has supermarkets, restaurants, and the train station. The Settle to Carlisle line stops at Appleby, which is about four miles from the cottage.

For the Lakes, you're close to Ullswater. Pooley Bridge is about a twenty minute drive. You can get the steamers from there. Ullswater Steamers have timetables. Keswick and the northern lakes are within half an hour.

If you like walking, the Pennines are on the other side of the A66. Lowther Castle is nearby too.

What's included: all the electricity, bedding, towels, and the first lot of logs for the stove. There's parking for one car on the drive.

Useful links: Lake District National Park and English Heritage in Cumbria.