We very much hope you have a good stay at Mireside and the following contributes to your enjoyment.

Many of you reading this will have stayed in Mireside previously and may have read much of this information before although it's updated every year very little changes

Quality Cumbria Recognition - Mireside is equipped and maintained to the standards required to achieve this quality recognition from the Cumbrian Tourist Board. The code of conduct specifies minimum standards for the quality, cleanliness and provision of guest facilities. The last inspection was in November 2007 and we make every effort to exceed all of the minimum standards.

Living Area - The kitchen/diner and lounge are one large area. The lounge has comfortable sofa’s for eight, a woodburner and flat screen TV with DVD player. There is also an additional, separate, lounge with sofa’s and a TV. In the dining area, a large pine farmhouse table seats 8 comfortably. The kitchen is equipped with a large fridge with separate freezer compartment, a dishwasher, a fan oven, a microwave and a full sized hob plus all the usual utensils and a plentiful supply of crockery & cutlery.

Bedrooms - Three twin and one double all upstairs. All rooms are bright and well lit. There is space for a cot in the double and one of the twin rooms.

Bathrooms - A spacious shower room with w.c. downstairs and a bathroom with shower and w.c upstairs.

Boot Room - Perfect for boots and drying clothes. The room is equipped with a Belfast sink, a washing machine and a tumble dryer.

Heating - Oil fired central heating with radiators to all rooms. There is also a wood burner in the lounge.

Telephone - The telephone will accept incoming calls and local calls can be made free. The number is 017687 76717.

Outside - The yard and buildings all belong to the house. There is lighting in the adjoining barn and the large barn at the rear where cars and boats can be stored. The brick milking parlour is now used as a machinery store by a local farmer and children should not explore. A Bridle-way runs past the front door and is often used by walkers.

Pets - We welcome one pet on the understanding that it does not enter the bedrooms and that the gardens are left clean for children to play.

Shops - Mireside is roughly equidistant from Keswick and Cockermouth. The latter is a pleasant market town with a good range of shops and several small supermarkets including Sainsburys. It also has less traffic congestion in the busy season. ‘Booths’ is Keswicks largest supermarket and is very good. The attendants in the car parks in Keswick & Cockermouth are extremely zealous and the fines very high if you exceed the permitted times. Workington has small branches of the national retailers including Debenhams and M&S. Fresh bread, newspapers and other basics are sold at the shop on Traffords Caravan Park (turn left onto the main road, it is a few hundred yards along) which is open 9 – 5 at weekends and during school holidays, and 9 – 11 on other days. The opening hours seem to change every year and the shop closes from the end of October to March. They will save a newspaper if you ask.

Pubs & Food - Too numerous to mention them all but we are frequent visitors to ‘The Sun’ in Bassenthwaite which is open all day and serves meals from 6.00. It is very popular and reservations are taken. Others we have tried include The Farmers at Portinscale, The Wheatsheaf Inn at Embleton (just completely refurbished but with a 1980’s style pub food menu, The Royal Oak at Braithwaite and The Sun at Ireby. The Fox & Hounds at Uldale and The Horse & Farrier at Threlkeld are two of the best. If you are just out for a drink, The Castle Inn has a pretty garden. Armathwaite Hall has an excellent restaurant with a six course table d’ hote menu. The Pheasant Inn, across the north end of the lake, has a three course table d’ hote menu which we tried in in July. It was very good. There are a number of restaurants and Bistro’s in Cockermouth.

Things To Do - There are excellent Tourist offices in Cockermouth and Keswick with a mass of information, copies of many leaflets can be found in the house. If you want a group activity the Keswick Climbing Wall Centre can arrange days to include wall climbing, assault courses, cycling and ghyll scrambling. There are accompanied walks from Keswick Tourist Office which provide the benefit of the guides local knowledge and combine linear walks with a bus or launch ride.

Walks - ‘The Cumbrian’ magazine contains many good walks and we have compiled a booklet containing most of them from the last couple of years. Locally there is a visitor centre with a variety of short walks at Whinlatter. Dodd Wood, opposite Mirehouse on the way to Keswick, has routes in the woods. Mirehouse also has a play area for children and has previously won the national title as ‘the best property to visit for families’ in a poll of visitors to country houses. From Mireside you can walk to Bassenthwaite Lake.

Buses - The Bus Stop is at the Crossroads about half a mile away. The X4 runs every two hours to both Keswick and Cockermouth. The 554 operates three times daily between Carlisle and Keswick and the 73A operates on Saturdays from Bassenthwaite to Keswick. Timetables are in the house.

Golf - We have played at Keswick, Workington Silloth and Cockermouth clubs. All are very good courses. Cockermouth is short, very interesting and a good walk on the fells. Silloth is the best of the lot and is a tough links course.

Swimming - Keswick has a ‘leisure pool’ with a wave machine and water slide. A conventional pool can be found in Cockermouth and it is possible to buy day tickets to the leisure centres at Castle Inn and Armathwaite Hall.

Many visitors return to Mireside, some quite regularly. The visitors book is testament to the enjoyment the house and location provides. Please come and see Mireside for yourself!