Another restaurant. Another set menu. Another table of twelve pretending to enjoy the crackers. There’s a better idea. Take one of our big houses in the Lake District for your Christmas party. Everyone gets their own bed. Nobody’s driving. And instead of a starter you didn’t order and a main course that arrived cold, you […]
by Andy Cheetham
Winter in the Lakes. It’s Better Than You Think. Let’s be honest. The Lakes in winter has a reputation. Grey skies. Drizzle. The kind of weather that has you questioning your life choices by lunchtime. But here’s the thing. We built our houses for exactly this. Come in from the cold Step through the front […]
by Andy Cheetham
Last month, six company directors checked into Orrest Head House for a mid-week strategy session. No hotel lobby. No conference centre. No strangers at the next table listening to your five-year plan. Just a Grade II listed house in the heart of the Lake District, with over two acres of private grounds, a dining room […]
by Andy Cheetham
You’re not 25 anymore. Nobody wants to share a bunk bed in a city-centre flat. Nobody wants a club night that ends at 6am. Nobody wants to spend Sunday feeling like they’ve been wrung out. What you actually want is this. Sixteen of you. A Grade II listed house in the Lake District. A 7-seat […]
by Andy Cheetham
Let’s be straight with you. You can find our properties on Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO and Cottages.com. They’re great platforms. But here’s the thing — you’ll pay more for the privilege. Book direct at theterracewindermere.co.uk and you’ll pay around 15% less than you would through Airbnb, Booking.com or VRBO. Compared to Cottages.com, you’re looking at around […]
by Andy Cheetham
A mid-week group break at Orrest Head House, Windermere — and one of the most creative uses of an outdoor space we’ve seen. We’ve had some creative guests over the years. But this one made us smile. A group of ten women booked Orrest Head House in Windermere for a mid-week Lake District break. No […]
by Andy Cheetham
We’ve been sitting on a secret at Orrest Head House for a while. Now it’s out. In late May 2026, we’re opening The Loft — a brand new sixth bedroom at Orrest Head House. And it’s a proper one. We made a short film so you can see it for yourself. Press play. Take a […]
by Andy Cheetham
Let’s be honest. Weekends in the Lake District are brilliant. They’re also expensive, busy, and full of people who’ve just arrived and have nowhere to park. Mid-week is different. The roads are quieter. The restaurants have tables. Booths supermarket isn’t a contact sport. And the fells? They’re practically yours. Here’s the thing. The Lakes don’t […]
by Andy Cheetham
There’s a better way to do a work away-day. And it doesn’t involve a dated hotel function room, bad coffee, and a projector that takes 20 minutes to connect. Number One, The Terrace is a Grade II listed property in the heart of Windermere. It sleeps 14. It has a 15-seat cinema room with a […]
by Andy Cheetham
Let’s be honest. The Lakes in winter has a reputation. Grey skies. Drizzle. The kind of weather that has you questioning all your life choices by lunchtime. But here’s the thing. We built our big houses for exactly this. Come in from the cold Step through the front door and the outside world becomes someone […]
by Andy Cheetham
Let's be honest. The Lakes in winter has a reputation. Grey skies. Drizzle. The kind of weather that has you questioning all your life choices by lunchtime.
But here's the thing. We built our big houses for exactly this.
Come in from the cold
Step through the front door and the outside world becomes someone else's problem. Open fires crackling. Chesterfield sofas so big you'll need to set a search party if anyone gets too comfortable. The kind of warmth that hits you in the chest.
This is what these houses are made for.
At Bannerrigg, you've got an AGA in the kitchen. A proper one. Three ovens, a permanent low hum of warmth, and the best slow-cooked Sunday roast you'll ever pull off in your dressing gown. There's nothing like an AGA on a cold January day. Nothing.
Films. All of them.
When it's tipping it down outside — and let's be honest, sometimes it will — head downstairs. Every Terrace property has its own cinema. We're talking proper cinema seats, a 75-inch screen, and enough space for the whole group. Pick something long. Nobody's going anywhere.
Bannerrigg goes up to 18 seats. Number One seats 15. Alice Howe and Boston House aren't far behind. Grab the snacks. Log into Netflix. The night is yours.
The hot tub debate.
Here's our case for hot tubbing in winter. You're warm inside. You nip outside. It's cold — properly cold, maybe even a bit of frost. You lower yourself in. The water is 38 degrees. You look up. Stars.
That's it. That's the whole argument.
All five Terrace houses have hot tubs. They don't close for winter. They just get better.
(And yes — the floor can be a bit slippery if it's icy. Watch your step. You've been warned.)
Walks that actually feel earned
The Lake District in winter is extraordinary. Fewer people. Sharper light. The kind of views that make your phone camera give up trying.
The Orrest Head walk starts right at the gate if you're staying at Orrest Head House. Twenty minutes uphill and you're looking out over Windermere with a view that Wainwright himself couldn't stop writing about. Do it. Then come back and sit by the fire for the rest of the day. You've earned it.
Homeground. Non-negotiable.
Windermere village is two minutes from most of our properties. And Homeground does the best breakfast in the Lakes. Go. Eat well. It'll set you up for whatever you've got planned — or planned to avoid.
Big groups, big memories
Our houses sleep anywhere from 12 to 16 people. That's a big birthday party. A family reunion. A group of mates who've been saying "we should do something" for three years. Winter weekends are often better value, easier to book, and — we'd argue — more fun.
The Lake District is the UK's adventure playground. But in winter, it's also the UK's best excuse to do absolutely nothing, in very good company, in a brilliant house.
Book one. Make the memories. You'll be talking about it until at least next Christmas.
Andy and Barbara (owners)
