Tucked away at the quieter end of the Lake District National Park is this 1669 house with pretty windows, lime-plastered walls and rustic beams. Its delightful owners, who live in the house’s other half, have resisted smoothing out the rough edges; 1920s graffiti still adorns the stable dividers. It’s deeply comfortable and attractive and there’s plenty of space for spreading out with two sitting rooms – both with open fires.
You’ll find fresh milk, local homemade sausages, bacon and eggs waiting for you in the fridge as well as a homemade cake. Cooking in the big kitchen by the Aga can be a sociable affair but if you can’t be bothered you can order Jill’s homemade meals before you come. Top up on supplies at the farm shop in Ireby – just two miles away so you can walk. There’s a pub in Uldale (three miles.)
Unwinding here is easy surrounded by the grandness of nature.
High Houses doesn’t feel like being in a rented house. It feels like being at home, but better! From the home-made cake on arrival, to the enormous cast iron bath and the views across the Solway Firth, it’s a perfect combination of beauty, history and comfort.