Frequently Asked Questions

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FAQ

Have you got a question?  This page answers some of the questions we are most commonly asked.  If you have a question that is not answered here, then please feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Some of yOur Most Common Questions

The apartment is situated on the River Kent in Kendal, between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, in north-west England. (Directions and the precise location of the property are shared upon booking.) See our location page for further information on the area.

The property can sleep up to 4 people, but is often just occupied by couples who appreciate the additional space.

There are two bedrooms – a master en suite room with a super king sized bed, and a second bedroom which can be made as a large double or a twin-bedded room, depending on your requirements.

A travel cot is also available for an infant if required.

We’re sorry, but dogs / pets are not allowed in the property.

We regret that smoking and/or vaping is not permitted in the property, or on the balcony.

Yes, our apartment comes with one dedicated secure parking space (used at owner’s own risk).

If you should bring more than one car, or have a visitor, there is time-limited street parking outside the apartment which can be useful for short-term parking. 

For longer term parking, we recommend investigating the car park at Kendal Museum which, at the time of writing, charges £5 for all day parking. It is a very short walk from our apartment.

A full guide to parking in Kendal and South Lakeland can be found on the Westmorland and Furness Council website.   This includes alternative places to park in Kendal and the surrounding area.

Yes. Guests have access to our free business broadband with Zen Internet, with an unlimited data allowance.

Guests are kindly asked to arrive from 4pm onwards on the day of their arrival, and to vacate the property by 10am on the day of their departure.

More questions about the Apartment

Whilst our apartment has not been designed specifically for people with mobility issues, it is nevertheless relatively accessible.  We hereby present accessibility information so you can determine whether our apartment is right for you.

It is a first floor apartment, accessed by one flight of stairs. There is also lift access to the first floor. Once in the apartment everything is on one floor.

Please note that all of the following measurements are approximate.

Width of main entrance to the apartment building: 95cm
Width of entrance/exit to lift: 80cm
Width of fire door between lift and apartment door: 90cm
Width of main door into the apartment: 90cm
Width of doorways within the apartment: 78-80cm
Please note that two doors within the apartment don’t quite open to the maximum extent. These are the door out to the balcony (74cm) and the door to the en suite to the master bedroom (74cm).
There is a lip from the living/dining area to the balcony of 8cm.
There is a lip to the shower in the en suite of 23cm.
Width of entrance into shower: 70cm
All other areas of the apartment are on one level.
Height of light switches: 1.15m

Entrance to secure car park: 4m (wide) x 2m (high)
Width of both fire doors from car park to apartment building: 90cm
There is lift access from the car park level to every floor in the building.

Some of the doors in the public areas of the apartment building require a fair amount of upper body strength to open them, so we would suggest that our accommodation is not suitable for unassisted wheelchair users.

Of course, accessibility is dependent on the lift being in operation. It is very rare indeed for this not to be the case. The lift is manufactured by Schindler and, on the very few occasions we have been aware that it wasn’t in operation, it was reported and fixed on the same day.

This is best illustrated by a floorplan.

 

Yes, there are TVs in the living area as well as both bedrooms. There’s also a Bose sound system and an Alexa Echo Dot.

The apartment has two bathrooms.

The en suite to the master bedroom has a shower, WC and hand basin.

The second bathroom has a bath with a handheld shower attachment, WC and hand basin.

The kitchen is very well-equipped and should include everything you need for your stay.  Appliances include oven, hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, kettle, toaster, dishwasher, clothes washer/dryer, etc.  You should also find all the pots, pans, crockery, cutlery and utensils you need.  If you think we’ve missed anything, please let us know!

Yes! Whilst it’s not a common sight, otters do frequent the river and you might be lucky enough to spot them during your stay if you keep your eyes peeled. 

Otters have in the past been seen going in and out of the artificial holt that was integrated into the apartment building when it was developed. This holt is visible from our apartment’s riverside balcony.

Cumbria’s otter population has recovered well since the 1990s when numbers were quite low, with them now found in almost every suitable water body in the county.

IN AND AROUND KENDAL

Kendal is in the north-west of England, between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales National Parks. It is often referred to as ‘The Gateway to the Lakes’ and is just 8 miles from Junction 36 of the M6 motorway.  It is one hour 30 minutes north of Manchester and one hour south of the border between England and Scotland.

The nearest train station is Kendal station, just a few minutes’ walk from our accommodation. The nearest mainline station is Oxenholme the Lake District, which is 3 miles from Kendal, on the West Coast Main Line. From Oxenholme you can get a taxi to the apartment, or take a train on the Windermere branch line (and the first stop is Kendal train station in walking distance of the apartment).

Trains from London Euston to Oxenholme the Lake District take just 2 hours 45 minutes.

The nearest major international airport is Manchester (IATA: MAN) which is 1 hour 20 minutes by car, or 1 hour 30 minutes by train.

We are also accessible from the following airports: Blackpool Airport (1 hour 2 minutes), Teeside Internaional Airport (1 hour 30 minutes), Liverpool John Lennon Airport (1 hour 35 minutes), Leeds Bradford Airport (1 hour 43 minutes), Newcastle International Airport (1 hour 55 minutes), Glasgow Airport (2 hours 28 minutes), Edinburgh Airport (2 hours 46 minutes) and Birmingham Airport (3 hours 4 minutes).

Also worth considering are London Heathrow and London Gatwick since the train from London Euston to Oxenholme takes less than 3 hours.

Kendal Bus Station, from where you can catch buses into the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, as well as other locations, is just a 5-minute walk from the accommodation.

The nearest supermarket to the apartment is LIDL just a few minutes’ walk away. There is also a Booths, Marks & Spencer and Iceland in easy walking distance. A short drive away, you will also find an ALDI, ASDA and Morrisons.

Yes, there are several taxi companies in Kendal. We tend to use Lakeside Taxis (01539 239239) as their app is very simple to use and prices are competitive.  You could also try Blue Star Taxis (01539 723670) or K Cars (0800 049 9488). For airport transfers, try Airport Services (UK) Ltd. who are based in Kendal (01539 724658).

EATING AND DRINKING

Kendal has lots of cafés. At the time of writing, the 5 highest rated cafés on Tripadvisor are Café Olive, Cottage Kitchen, Brew Brothers, Farrers Tea and Coffee Shop, and The Bristly Hog. All are within easy walking distance.

Kendal has lots of pubs. Locals tend to enjoy The Factory Tap just off Anynam Road or Vats Bar at The Brewery Arts Centre. You might like to also visit The Watermill Inn at Ings which has its own micro-brewery. For pub food, you could try Romneys or, for a treat, The Punchbowl at nearby Crosthwaite. This is by no means an exhaustive list – just some suggestions that we tend to enjoy.

Of course, where to eat and drink can be a very personal thing. In town, we personally enjoy meals out at Corner 124 (Mediterranean), Bangkok 7 (Thai) and Comida (tapas), but there are numerous other options, including the likes of Pizza Express. If choosing to eat at any of these, we recommend booking in advance, rather than waiting until you are here, particularly at weekends.

If it’s a special occasion and you’re looking for Michelin star dining, then you’ve still come to the right place! Cumbria has the UK’s highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants outside of London and Berkshire.

The nearest of these is SOURCE at the Gilpin Hotel, just a 15-minute drive away. L’Enclume, which currently holds 3 Michelin stars, is a 25-minute drive away in the village of Cartmel, as is Rogan & Co., and Heft at nearby High Newton, the latter two each holding one Michelin star.

Other Michelin-starred restaurants in the county, but a little further afield, are: The Old Stamp House and The Samling, both at Ambleside; Forest Side at Grasmere; Allium at Askham Hall in Penrith; the Dog & Gun at Skelton, near Penrith; the Cottage in the Wood at Braithwaite, near Keswick and The Pentonbridge Inn just north of Carlisle.

For vegans, we recommend the following in Kendal (click on the names for their respective websites):

For lunches, try Café Olive, a Turkish-inspired café on Stramongate (next to Subway). Much of their menu is vegan.

For evenings, we enjoy Corner 124 which is only a short walk from the apartment. They have a Meditteranean-inspired menu with lots of options, including some vegetarian and vegan choices. You can book online but we would recommend calling them and discussing your requirements as we find they are usually very accommodating of any dietary needs.

Another favourite of ours is Comida in the middle of town.  They serve tapas from midday until late and have a good number of vegan options (you can see their menu on their website).

For takeaways, try the Thai Kitchen on Kendal’s Dockray Industrial Estate. Again, they have lots of vegan options. It is advisable to pre-order by text (give plenty of advance warning as they can get busy) – please see their website for further details.  If you enjoy Thai food but would rather eat in a restaurant, Bangkok 7 (no website – just this Facebook page) is an excellent choice, also with some vegan options.

Activities

For a short walk from the apartment, try heading down the river and up to Kendal Castle (that’s the castle you see from our apartment balcony); it’s in ruins but you can freely wander around and there are a couple of viewing platforms.  Short walks can also be enjoyed on The Helm,  Serpentine Woods, Cunswick Scar and Scout Scar, as well as various other locations around Kendal.

For short walks further afield, you might like to look up Orrest Head at Windermere, Rydal Water and Stockghyll Force both near Ambleside, and Tarn Hows near Hawkshead. These are just a small handful of suggestions. There are of course many more.

For some slighly longer walks, try Gummer’s Howe, accessed from the road between Bowness-on-Windermere and Newby Bridge, as well as walks around Kentmere, accessed via Staveley which is not far from Kendal. Wansfell, which can be reached from either Ambleside or Troutbeck is another possibility.

More challenging walks that are more suited to 3 hours or longer depending on the speed you walk, include Coniston Old Man (Coniston), Fairfield Horseshoe (Ambleside) and the Langdale Pikes (the two distinctive peaks you see as you drive along the edge of Windermere [the lake, not the village] towards the central Lake District).  Scafell Pike (England’s highest mountain) is on many walkers’ wishlist, as is Striding Edge close to the summit of Helvellyn.

These are just some suggestions. There are literally thousands of walks you could do in the area. If you pick up any guide books or leaflets, you should be able to get more ideas. There are also lots of websites about walking in the Lake District and these will include routes for the above and more.

Windermere Lake Cruises do regular boat trips between various points on Windermere (Bowness Bay – Lakeside – Ambleside – Waterhead).

Cruises on Coniston are possible with Coniston Launch or on a steam yacht gondola.

Cruises on Ullswater are possible with Ullswater Steamers.

You can also cross Windermere (on foot or by car) on the Windermere ferry.

Cruises and boat hire are also possible on Derwentwater with Keswick Launch.

You can hire rowing boats, kayaks and SUPs at Fell Foot at the southern tip of Windermere through Stoked Watersports.  There are also watersports available through Windermere Outdoor Adventure Watersports Centre at Miller Ground and Low Wood Bay Watersports near Ambleside.

If you enjoy parkrun, you will find parkruns at Fell Foot (at the southern tip of Windermere, accessed via the A590), as well as Ambleside, Lancaster and Morecambe.

More information coming soon….

More information coming soon…

There are family friendly walks (some pushchair friendly) from the apartment (for example, along the River Kent and up to Kendal Castle, visible from the apartment balcony), which are less strenuous than some of the more difficult walks in the Lake District.

There is also a charty-led children’s soft play centre just across the road, as well as a leisure centre with a swimming pool on the edge of town. If the weather is favourable, there is a good outdoor park in Kendal, close to the river (Abbot Hall Park).

Some examples of other family-friendly attractions nearby that are suitable for young children include the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, Lakes Aquarium, South Lakes Safari Zoo, Ducky’s Park Farm, Greenlands Farm Village, Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, Sizergh Castle and lots, lots more.

Don’t forget also… if your children like ‘Postman Pat’, then the village of Greendale is based on Longsleddale, a valley just outside Kendal. There’s not much to see there, but Postman Pat’s creator, John Cunliffe, lived in Kendal and there is an old Post Office building at Greenside (just up from the town hall) where you can see a plaque and a postbox. You can read more about Kendal’s connections withi Postman Pat in this old BBC article.

For fun family friendly outdoor adventure activities in the area, consider the dry ski slope in Kendal, close to the castle, watersports at Low Wood Watersports Centre or other venues, plus Go Ape! (rope course in the trees) and mountain biking in Grizedale Forest,  not to mention a whole host of activities at Brockhole

On rainy days, active kids may like a visit to the KendalWall – a great indoor climbing facility on the Lake District Business Park on the edge of town. Teenagers will also enjoy Kendal’s own cinema at the Brewery Arts Centre in the middle of town.

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