Cottage vacation rentals in Alston

We spent 5 nights here at the end of March and start of April 2025. We were really fortunate with the weather and took full advantage of the wonderful location: scaling Slight Side and Scafell on one day, riding to Coniston via the bridleway on another and 'bagging' most of the Coniston fells on another day via Wrynose Pass. We ate in on a couple of nights and also went to the Wainwright's for some pub grub, as well as Stoves for their evening menu. Simon and Belinda's place is very well situated in Great Langdale for all kinds of walks and rides, food and decent pints. The house itself is a lovely place to return to in the evening with easy parking outside for our van and once inside, everything is spotless, well equipped and cosy. We really appreciated all the helpful information on bike routes and walking routes and spent the late evenings by the fire pouring over the Wainwright books planning the next day's adventures. 100% recommended.

Beautiful cottage. Was perfect for us and the dogs. Fully enclosed fenced garden with a gate down to a quiet riverside walk. The hottub was huge and warm ready for our arrival. Everything we needed was available in the kitchen. We only stayed for 1 night so cannot comment on the local area as we did not do much exploring but we noticed a spar walking distance just down the road and a few cafes.

Gatecroft barn (& spa!) is a delightfully quaint little cottage in a fairly remote part of the North Pennines area. My wife and I were looking for somewhere almost off grid, from which we could walk our dog, enjoy walks together and indulge in a spot of fell running. We needed it to be not tooooo far from some kind of shops and close enough to drive if we fancied somewhere special to eat. We were also looking for somewhere with a little something else, a cherry on top. Well we found that, in spades! Garrigill is picturesque and then some. There are walks/ runs from the front door! The cottage is well equipped. The hot tub (the cherry on top!) is perfect for after the adventurous days in the great outdoors - hygiene and cleanliness of which is exemplary. The host was as helpful as you could hope for (def one of the better hosts we’ve come across!) and made some great recommendations - most of which we used and welcomed! Including a meal at Langley Castle. We’ll definitely go back… 5*

I absolutely loved our stay at Barnacre Alpacas, we stayed in the rose cottage, it was very clean and the hot tub was a bonus. We enjoyed the alpaca walk and talk, that was something I’ll never forget! On arrival the cottage was dressed up for a birthday surprise and champagne and chocolates was left for us. Thank you to Paul and Debbie, we will be back!

Really enjoyed my stay here would 100% stay again

Beautiful home, very spacious and plenty of amenities. felt right at home! perfect for toddlers too. Ian was great, very helpful and easily contactable.

Our stay was fantastic. Daniel was very helpful with recommendations of local things to do, which was very helpful with a toddler and to catch-up with the in-laws. Beautiful property that was comfortable. All the little details have been thought of from setting up a bed for our toddler to the care package of tasty local food. Daniel was helpful and answered questions about where to go to entertain the family in all weather's. Thank you. We look forward to staying again!

We enjoyed a great break in Peewit Cottage, which was spotless and had everything you need. The surroundings were well looked after and amenities great. The little touches, including the welcome pack (best we’ve had and included the dog!) and Prosecco and strawberries to enjoy in the hot tub were thoughtful and lovely. All the information you need is provided prior to arrival or readily available within the cottage. We used the cottage as a base to visit local attractions, all easily accessible by car. Glen was both very welcoming and helpful. Would definitely recommend and somewhere we would return to. Thank you, Jacqueline!

Windermere Cottage was a perfect spot for exploring the lakes. Plenty of space for 5 adults and a dog with 3 bedrooms all en-suite. A 2 minute walk into Windermere and lots of food and cafe options along with a Co-op, Boots and WHSmiths along with lots of lovely local shops and cafes. The cottage was easy to find, pristine and great facilities. Alison was timely in communication and offered some friendly advice on places to eat as well as providing a lovely bottle of wine and chocolate biscuits on our arrival. Thank you for a lovely stay. Would highly recommend.

We had a lovely couple of days at Brandybuck cottage. Superb location in the heart of Kirkby Stephen with the high street a minute walk away and some gorgeous walks around the local area straight from the cottage. The cottage itself is a real home from home with a well equipped kitchen,comfy beds and a decent shower. There was plenty of space for our family of 4 with 2 older children(who appreciated the TV in each bedroom). Communication from the host was excellent with directions and check in details clearly explained so arrival and check in was a smooth process. Parking is on a road to the rear of the property which again was clearly explained and Marks directions took us to the exact place to park with further clear directions from there to access the rear of the cottage. Tea,coffee,sugar,milk and a packet of biscuits was provided upon arrival which was a nice touch and much appreciated. We booked this cottage as a last minute break and it is a real gem of a find.

This is a beautiful cottage with everything you need for a relaxing stay. It’s in a great location to explore Northumberland but very quiet & private. We self catered but there were plenty of places to eat out in walking distance if you want. We self catered and every piece of equipment you need is in the kitchen, including an air fryer. Our only disappointment was not getting to use the log burner as it wasn’t cold enough !!

Brilliant stay at Stuart’s. This is the third time we’ve stayed and we wouldn’t hesitate to stay again! There’s so much to do and the accommodation is perfect. See you next time Beth and Fraz

Knotts View was exactly what we needed for a peaceful break. Stunning location, gorgeous cosy property, immaculately clean. Chris greeted us on arrival and was on site in case we needed anything, which we didn’t as everything was provided and more. Fantastically equipped kitchen, super comfy beds, plentiful logs for the fire and a secure garden for our dog to potter around. We took advantage of the Royal Hotel for food and drinks, which is just a few steps away. Plenty of choice of classic pub food and local beers. Ideal location for exploring Ulswater, plenty of walks right on the doorstep with no need to drive unless you want to. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Chris and Ruth for an amazing break.

A few days away after the Easter BH weekend in the lakes and we couldn’t have chosen a better base. Steve was fantastic host and showed us around when we arrived. He also sent a great little itinerary if we wanted to visit any of the main areas which was also really good. The property and facilities were exactly as described (literally a home away from home) and we settled in right away. We only had a few night here but are already looking at planning a return. Thank you Steve for a lovely few days away.

What can I say... Absolutely fantastic place. You couldn't ask for anything more. Really peaceful location with fantastic views of the hills etc. We had a strange issue but this was sorted out very swiftly by Malcolm 👍 We will definitely be looking to book again and have another peaceful time just watching the world go by. Thanks Bob & Chris

Great central location in Windermere & a parking space which was really welcomed. You can walk to the shops/cafes/restaurants in just a couple of minutes. Bowness is approx 20-25 mins walk. Easy access by car or public transport to the rest of the Lakes. Lovely house with everything we needed for our stay. We were super lucky with the weather and managed to catch the sun in the back garden. Will be fab in summer. The owner has left plenty of books if you want ideas of walks or places to visit.

Really relaxing stay, lovely views from the cottage and hosts very welcoming but still felt private.

Erika is an outstanding host. the cottage wa immaculate, it felt clean, fresh, with enough space for 3 couples or a family of 5-6. it felt very cosy, practical. we had a fully equipped kitchen for our meals, towels and hand soaps for the bathroom (do bring shower gel as I forgot to). I loved to natural light on the top floor. the cottage was comfortable and of very good standards. Erika was available if we had questions and provided some recommendations on arrival. I wanted somewhere nice while being a driving distance of swimming and hiking spots so it's been ok.

The cottage is beautiful, peacefully located in the farm yet very easily approachable. It has everything you'll need for your stay. Best part of the cottage is many windows, the are numerous windows and each one is giving beautiful view of outside farm, courtyard or sky. Rach is lovely and very helpful, would definitely recommend this to everyone.

The Vault is the perfect place to stay while visiting Hexham. It really was a home from home. Super clean, cosy and a great location. Alex was a great, friendly host. Can’t recommend Alex and The Vault highly enough. Thank you Alex

A nice cottage located in beautiful rolling hills, primarily overlooking the West Northumberland scenery. Photos look just like the property and the location is really good, far enough away from any towns yet close enough to Haydon Bridge and Hexham to go for supplies or a restaurant if needed. Awesome views. Cottage was comfortable, bed and pillows are quite soft though. Bathroom was good, nice large shower, well catered for with soaps and shampoos etc. Kitchen was spacious and had everything you needed, besides maybe a few more glass dishes for cooking with. Easily accessible from the road, just down a short driveway to a dedicated gravel car parking spot for 2 cars. Please note that there is a similar holiday cottage right next door, something the photos do not show, so be prepared to share the car park with neighbours and that both the front porches / verandas can somewhat overlook one another to the side and you can hear conversations. All in all a nice stay, would recommend.

This is a great place. We could’ve done with longer - struck gold with the weather so didn’t use the leisure facilities as much as we might have. Really well placed for visiting Keswick and Penrith. Whinlatter Forest took us about 30 mins to get to - great for walks, bikes, cafe.

Lovely little cottage. Great location , easy walk into town centre and the bonus of a parking space. Cottage itself was clean and well equipped for the two of us. Friendly host with good communication.

First time, but not the last time myself and my girlfriend will be staying here - Matthew had everything set up for ease of use, comfortability and more. Was easy to get to, and a 2 minute drive from town. The home is exactly as the pictures show and overall, has a very cosy feel - perfect to come back to after a long hike. Already planning our next stay!