Right in the heart of Kendal, this beautiful Georgian house has a layout which gives an extended family or group of friends plenty of room to spread out and have their own private spaces. Within a minute`s walk of Kendal`s high street with it`s shops, cafes and restaurants, Kentside House has two of those things rarely found in a central Kendal property, it`s own private parking space and a fantastic, private courtyard which catches the evening sun.
The Property:
The entrance hall leads to a large lounge with original fireplace (not currently in working order) and smart TV, a door leads out to the private courtyard with planting and an outside dining area. The entrance hall also has a door leading into the dining room with seating for eight. A flight of stairs leads up to a king sized bedroom with a Westmorland window and a new ensuite with drench shower, toilet and basin. From the dining room you can also access the office/working space and the fully equipped kitchen with a microwave, oven, gas hob, dishwasher and washer/dryer.
A flight of stairs up from the entrance hall leads to a bathroom with a shower over the bath, toilet and hand basin. A door from the bathroom also allows access to the second king sized bedroom with another door to this bedroom from the hallway.
A further flight of stairs leads up to the two single bedrooms which can be made into twin bedrooms (please see `other things to note` below). Both of these rooms have space saving stairs up to a carpeted loft space. Please note that these stairs are very steep and young children should not use them unattended. The house has many period features including sash windows and parents with young children should ensure that they are supervised and/or the window locks are fastened to prevent the lower sash being opened inadvertently. The top floor also contains the other newly renovated bathroom with a shower over the bath, a toilet and hand basin.
Guest Verification and Good Housekeeping Bond or Waiver:
Once your booking is confirmed, we request a contact email address, mobile phone number and a photo of a Government ID as part of the guest verification process. Also, to encourage all guests to respect the property and its contents, we ask for a refundable Good Housekeeping Bond of £400 to be placed as a hold against a card by your card issuer, or alternatively, we allow guests to pay a non-refundable £40 Bond Waiver. Completing these two steps is mandatory as it allows access to your personalised Boarding Pass which provides all the details for your stay, advice about activities, electronic manuals, directions to the property and the latest key safe code. This Boarding Pass is provided in conjunction with Enso Connect.
The Area:
Kentside House is within a minute`s walk of Kendal`s high street. Kendal is a chartered market town and was originally the administrative seat of the ancient county of Westmorland. Although it is not technically within the boundary of the Lake District National Park, it is only 1 mile outside this boundary and is 15 minutes drive from Windermere and from there into the central Lakes area. It`s easy and close transport rail and road links make it a perfect base to visit the Lakes and the Yorkshire Dales as well as the Lake District Peninsula area.
Kendal was founded on the cloth industry, its town motto is `Pannus Mihi Panis` - `Cloth is my bread` and it`s `Kendal Green` fabric was apparently worn by the Kendalian archers at the successful battle of Agincourt. Other notable exports from the town are Kendal Mint Cake which was taken to the top of Everest by Sir Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tenzing and K-Shoes which for many years were made here in Kendal and graced the feet of numerous schoolchildren.
These days Kendal is known as a great base for the Arts and for Festivals. The Brewery Arts Centre, a wonderful blend of cinema screens, art galleries, theatre and concert spaces, as well as a cafe and restaurant, is just a five minute walk from Kentside House and is the base for one of the towns biggest festivals, the Kendal Mountain Film Festival, but with Kendal growing as a Festival town there is a festival for everyone.
Kentside House is being lovingly refurbished and is a stunning Georgian property, part of the historic leather tanning industry of Kendal. It has a walled and private courtyard that enjoys the summer sun from mid afternoon to the evening - great for that relaxing pre-dinner drink. Just a few minutes walk will take you onto the high street and a few steps in the opposite direction will allow you to access the beautiful and quiet river side areas and Abbot Hall Art gallery and park. A short walk will take you up the hill to the ruins of Kendal Castle (owned by Katherine Parr`s family, who was the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII) for panoramic views over the town and to the Lake District Fells in the North and West and to Morecambe Bay in the South.
Children/Infants:
Please note that the property may not be suitable for those with toddlers and infants as it does not have a travel cot, high chair or stair gates.
Additional Guests:
The single beds each have a trundle bed underneath which pulls out to form a standard height single bed so a further two guests can be accommodated, with prior approval, for an additional fee of £25 per guest per stay. Please request this at the time of booking and ensure you receive confirmation.
Check-in and Check out:
The property is set up to allow remote access with easy self check-in meaning that no direct contact with anyone is needed.
Please note: Check-in is from 16:00 and Check-out is before 10:00.
Other Things to Note:
Please be aware that as Kentside House is over 200 years old there are some quirks which come with this age of property. For example it has single pane sash windows which have warped with age so some don`t open as much as they used to and may rattle in high winds. The house also sees periodic visits from harmless wood lice. They have been `treated` but we have been advised that to eradicate them completely would involve tearing up the internal fabric of the house. If you have a phobia or concerns about such creatures then Kentside House is probably not for you!
Guest verification required: contact details during your stay and a simple ID check may be requested
Good Housekeeping Bond or Bond Waiver required: £400 refundable Bond hold or £40 non-refundable waiver
Extra guests: up to two extra guests are allowed with prior approval and on payment of an additional fee.
Quiet hours: 11pm to 7am
Lost keys or keys not left in the key safe on departure: £100 fee
Keys locked inside the property: £50 fee
Please leave the property in a similar state to when you arrived and lock all doors and windows.
