Gap Cottage

Gap Cottage is an excellent rustic retreat, with two bedrooms (sleeps 4), just off the tourist trail in the beautiful valley of Wasdale in the western Lake District.

Set in a delightful spot with uninterrupted views up the valley, it's a great base for walking, sightseeing, reflecting, and just relaxing.

The cottage offers a cosy living room with flagstone floor, wood burner and comfortable seating; a large kitchen with dining table and basic cooking facilities; a bathroom with bath and shower; and upstairs two bedrooms - the main one can be set up either with a superking or two single beds; the other has two single beds (bed linen, towels and tea towels provided). It's centrally heated throughout.

Gap Cottage has been in our family for over 20 years, and we continue to enjoy it as a much-loved base for walking holidays. Thought to date from the 1700s, it was originally the farm labourer's cottage at Gap Farm.  It had been newly-renovated when our father, a keen fell walker, bought it in 1999, and 2022 was the first year we made it available for holiday lets.

It is within walking distance of Wastwater (or Wast Water), "the deepest lake in England which is nearly three miles long. The head of the Wasdale Valley is surrounded by some of the highest mountains in England, including Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Lingmell" – Wikipedia.

The very small village of Nether Wasdale is within easy walking distance, with two pubs; a tiny church; and a campsite and associated shop (very good ice cream and useful for a pint of milk).

The Sawmill through the village, is a farm shop and eatery with ice creams, coffees and food to eat in, and nice outside tables by the river.

The cottage is about four miles from the village of Gosforth, where there are a couple of pubs and an Italian restaurant - The Wild Olive - as well as a village store and a bakery. There's also The Bridge Inn at Santon Bridge and the Bowerhouse for eating out, at Eskdale.

The cottage is about seven miles from the coast at Seascale, which is great for a beach walk (the tide seems to go out forever), and where there are a few more shops (including a Co-op, a useful greengrocer/pharmacy/post office and a good hardware shop which sells firewood during the winter months), as well as a mainline railway station.

Outside there are a couple of small garden areas, a long drive and plenty of parking space.

From the outside and some windows there are outstanding views up the valley, as the light and clouds constantly change the appearance of the distant fells across the fields.

The view from the back garden

A view from the ascent of nearby Buckbarrow

The beach at nearby Seascale, where there's also a railway station and a few shops

The nearby Ravenglass and Eskdale steam railway 'is one of the oldest and longest narrow gauge railways in England, known affectionately as La’al Ratty meaning “ little railway “ in olde Cumbrian dialect'. More info here.

SP