Lake District Self Catering cottage, Simcas House, Penrith, sleeps 6

Modern lakeland home with woodburner just 4 miles from Ullswater. Sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms.

Simcas House was built by the current owners as a unique and wonderful family home. Built into the hillside Simcas is presented as an upside-down house with the living accommodation on the upper floor and the bedrooms on the lower floor allowing the house to offer very spacious living accommodation and three equally sized bedrooms. The result is a home that offers very social accommodation for families and friends.

There is a choice of three bedrooms, one with ensuite shower room, the bright and spacious living room benefits from a cosy log burning stove, and the large dining conservatory with balcony and is complemented by an outdoor dining patio. Located in the pretty village of Stainton, just a few minutes’ walk from two county pubs, a short drive to the shores of Ullswater, conveniently located a similar distance from the motorway and the market town of Penrith with all the amenities you could need along with very easy access to the popular market town of Keswick and the stunning scenery of the northern Lake District, Simcas House offers great accommodation at any time of the year. Accommodation In Detail Simcas House is built into the hillside; you enter from the driveway through the front door and into the living accommodation, stairs lead down to the bedrooms and the back door that opens to the patio and the garden.

Stepping through the front door the hallway provides plenty of space for boots, coats and outdoor gear. The spacious living room is bright and airy with big picture windows allowing the light to flood in. At one end patio doors open to a small patio area and at the other glazed doors open to the large dining conservatory.

Comfortable sofas are arranged around the feature fireplace with welcoming log burning stove and, to the side, a large screen Smart TV. The conservatory dining room enjoys an elevated position overlooking the garden and the patio and is a great room to relax in over a social family dinner. From here doors open onto a balcony where guests can sit and relax over drinks in an evening.

The well-appointed kitchen features a breakfast bar, electric hob and oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher additional freezer and an excellent inventory of crockery, crockery and kitchenware. Leading off the hallway is a cloakroom WC with washing machine and tumble drier and there is additional storage for outdoor gear in the adjacent sore room. Stairs lead down to a choice of three bedrooms on the lower level of the house.

The master bedroom is presented with a comfortable kingsize bed and ensuite shower room with shower cubicle, basin and WC. There are two further well-presented bedrooms, one with kingsize bed and one with a choice of superking or twin beds (please specify when booking) and these bedrooms are complemented by the family bathroom with bath, shower cubicle, basin and WC. All three bedrooms feature their own Smart TV too.

Outside the cottage is a spacious patio with outdoor dining furniture and to the side a sloping lawned garden. Parents should be aware that there is a small stream that runs behind the wall at the side of the patio. To the front there is private parking for three cars.

Location Stainton is a small hamlet close to popular village of Pooley Bridge at the northernmost tip of Ullswater. The village has a selection of village pubs, cafes and shops for the visitors and is popular all year round. The area has a huge selection of footpaths and bridleways and there are walks for all and is a popular area for mountain biking.

Travelling from the central Lakes over the stunning Kirkstone Pass you will drop down into the beautiful glacial carved landscapes surrounding the Lake itself, with many quaint villages along its shore line. The areas around the lake provide the perfect place for a restful and relaxed self-catering holiday, with plenty of opportunity for walking, exploring and getting out on the Lake. At the southern end of the Lake you will find Glenridding, a popular little village and an excellent base to explore plentiful challenging peaks but especially Helvellyn and Striding Edge.

Ullswater is thought by many to be the most beautiful of all the lakes in the northern Lake District, being a serpentine body of water snaking a nine mile course under the lea of magnificent fells, woodland and mountain. Much of the lake, its shore and surrounding fells are accessible for visitors to explore, where you will find some of the finest walks and water activities, along with the amenities of the lakeside villages. One of the best walks in the National Park is the trail that runs along the eastern shores of Ullswater.

Explored from the southern end of the lake, dominated by Place Fell, St Sunday Cragg, and Fairfield, you take the path from Glenridding over to the east side of the water. You will be able to ramble all day with a magnificent view always in your sight. For the return journey, board the steamboat from Howtown back to Glenridding.

For those who like getting up high, there are some of the best mountains and fells on your doorstep, the most famous being Helvellyn and the precipitous Striding Edge. A gentler walk is Aira Force, probably the most famous of the Lake District waterfalls. The main force falls some 70ft below a stone footbridge - so don't forget your camera.

Getting on the water is easy. You can take a boat cruise on one of the five beautiful steamers in the Ullswater Steamer fleet. They run the boats from Glenridding, with piers also at Pooley Bridge and Howtown.

It's a great way to see the lake from a different perspective and well worth taking a camera. Boat hire is readily available, both at Glenridding and Pooley Bridge, where you have a varied selection of craft on offer including kayaks, sailing boats and little motorboats, along with hire of fishing tackle and licenses. Further afield you have Keswick the main town of the north lakes, a bustling market town set between the peaks of Skiddaw and the gentle beauty of Derwentwater.

An all year round town there are good shops, a host of restaurants and cafes, along with museums, a theatre, cinema and leisure centre. At the lake you can take a boat trip or hire one for yourself and explore the shoreline and little bays. For more information on Keswick and its attractions see our links.

The market towns of Penrith and Alston lie to the North West on the edge of the Eden Valley and are well worth a visit.