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STEPHENSON GROUND

Unique C17th farmhouse

self-catering in Cumbria

“Wow this place is something exceptionally special. We not only reconnected with nature but with ourselves! Set in quite frankly eye wateringly beautiful surroundings and totally private. This is Britain at its best.” Ruth, February 2024

“This is one of the best places we have stayed as a family and group, incredible views, surroundings and a house that’s packed full of character and homely comforts.”

Gary, December 2021

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Dogs by the wood burner

“We LOVED our stay at Stephenson Ground. The house itself is in a beautiful location surrounded by lots of nice walks and wildlife everywhere! There is plenty of space for larger groups and the rooms are spacious and comfortable. Dog friendly downstairs is also a great plus. All in all, great holiday, very happy!”

Rebecca, June 2021

Facilities

Pets welcome

Plenty of parking

No smoking anywhere inside the house

Towels not provided – please bring your own

MORE FACILITIES

Essentials:

  • Mains electricity
  • Oil-fired central heating
  • Open fires (plus logs for two/three nights)
  • Bed linen (beds made up for you)
  • Free Wifi (not guaranteed)
  • Shower gel, shampoo & conditioner
  • Toilet paper
  • Hair dryer
  • Private spring-fed water supply
  • Private septic tank
  • Mobile reception (can be patchy)

Kitchen:

  • 7 burner gas hob (bottled gas)
  • 2 electric ovens (fan & convection) + grill
  • Large fridge
  • Under worktop freezer
  • Kettle
  • Toaster
  • Microwave
  • Cafetiere
  • Dishwasher
  • Blender
  • Pots, pans, dishes,
  • Cooking knives & utensils
  • Crockery, glasses & cutlery for 10
  • Cleaning materials
  • Initial supply of coffee, tea, salt, pepper, oils, vinegar, ketchup, herbs & spices

Laundry:

  • Washing machine
  • Tumble drier
  • Outdoor washing line
  • Iron & ironing board

Entertainment:

  • Terrestrial TV (no streaming services)
  • Books
  • Board games & jigsaws
  • Ping pong table, bats and balls
  • Table football
  • Dart board (bring your own darts)
  • Well visited bird table

Safety:

  • Smoke detector
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Carbon-monoxide detector
  • Fireguards

Welcome to Stephenson Ground

Stephenson Ground is a 400-year-old traditional stone built Cumbrian farmhouse. It is stunningly located on a secluded lane, nestled 800 feet up in the beautiful fells of the Furness peninsula in the southern Lake District.

You will have the whole place to yourself with no close neighbours – five big bedrooms, three bathrooms, a superbly equipped kitchen, large dining area and two walled gardens give you plenty of space to spread out and totally relax. There are glorious views from every window, wonderful walks straight from the front door and a truly great pub just a couple of miles away. This haven of tranquillity provides easy access to the whole of the southern Lake District.

Stephenson Ground has been in our family for over 50 years and is very much a home-from home. The decor is homely and welcoming with plain white walls, comfortable furniture, and lots of characterful touches. Modern amenities blend seamlessly inside this historic building, with open fires, central heating and double glazing making it a perfect getaway at any time of year.

Sleeps up to 10 people yet cosy enough for a couple or smaller groups. Up to two well behaved dogs are welcome for a small extra charge.

Check availability

Outside house shot from the road
View from the kitchen window
Stephenson Ground Arial View

“Wonderful Cumbrian adventure for those who love the outdoors. Nice dining area for a get together and a cosy living space both with log fires. Many wonderful walks nearby including a nice circuit round the hills which takes you back via a gorge with numerous waterfalls. Blacksmiths Arms was great, we went twice! Definitely be back.”
Louis, Feb 2022

Outside space

Garden benches, views & play barn

There are two large walled gardens with small ponds and natural streams. Garden benches are dotted around the garden to take advantage of the beautiful views.
A stone bench beside the front door is a perfect spot for a cup of tea or a beer and watching the birds on the well-attended bird feeder.
If it’s wet outside, you can play table tennis and table football in the barn.
We actively manage our land for biodiversity and the valley is home to an enormous variety of wildlife. Our bird table regularly attracts chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, siskins, yellow hammers, wagtails, robins, blackbirds and wrens. If you’re lucky you may spot the resident pair of greater spotted woodpeckers, plus some of the rarer visitors including goldfinch and nuthatch. The barns provide summer nesting sites for swallows and barn owls. Tawny owls, kestrels, buzzards, sparrow hawks, peregrine falcons, grouse, partridge and goldcrests are regularly spotted in the valley while winter visitors include flocks of redwings. Hares, foxes, badgers, weasels, voles, frogs, toads and slowworms are all resident in the gardens or surrounding fields.

“We had an amazing stay here; the house is stunning and so is the location.” Craig, November 2021

Stephenson Ground Garden
Stephenson Ground View from front door

Local activities

Stephenson Ground is perfectly situated for walking. Directly behind the house are two excellent footpaths, one leading into the Duddon Valley (made famous by Wordsworth), the other leading into the higher fells of Coniston via the Walna Scar route. There are plenty of lowland valley and forestry walks straight from the house as well. Countless other walks are accessible within a 10 minute drive.

Some of the wider fell tracks are suitable for mountain biking (but please respect the fells and the land, and always give way to walkers and horses).
A 10-year archaeological dig took place on nearby Stephenson Ground Scale (half an hour’s walk up the valley); it’s now mostly covered up but artifacts and an explanation of the site are on display in the excellent Ruskin Museum in Coniston.

Outdoor activities available in Coniston (8 miles away and the nearest lake) include pony trekking, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, fishing, climbing, gorge walking, and mountain biking.

The nearby beautiful Duddon valley has literary connections with both Wordsworth and local poet Norman Nicholson.

Attractions within an hour’s drive include Lake Windermere, Wast Water and Tarn Hows, the Aquarium of the Lakes (Windermere), the Ravenglass and Eskdale Miniature Steam Railway (L’il Ratty) and the tourist centres of Ambleside and Kendal.

For those who want to simply walk during the day and relax in a friendly pub during the evening, there are several excellent pubs offering home-cooked locally sourced food and guest ales within a 10 minute drive, including ‘The Blacksmith’s Arms’ in Broughton Mills, ‘Newfield Inn’ at Seathwaite and ‘Wilson Arms’ in Torver. Other good pubs can be found nearby in Broughton-in-Furness or in Coniston.

Eating out & shopping

Useful local websites for tourist information:

Visit Cumbria – https://www.visitcumbria.com/amb/coniston-water/
Lake District – https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/placestogo/aroundconiston

BROUGHTON MILLS:

(2 miles) has arguably the best pub in the world, The Blacksmiths Arms, serving excellent locally sourced food (not Mondays) and guest ales, and a postbox. Booking is essential for dinner but do try to visit for at least a drink.

BROUGHTON-IN-FURNESS:
(5 miles) has a post office (with cash machine), excellent butcher, greengrocer and general store, award-winning bakery, petrol station, garage, electric vehicle charging point, two cafes and three pubs. Cattle/sheep market fortnightly on Tuesdays.
TORVER:
(3 miles) has a good pub, The Wilson Arms, plus a well-stocked (though somewhat pricey) deli selling local and speciality foods.
CONISTON:
(8 miles) has a selection of local shops, cafes and pubs, cash machine, Co-op store, butcher, hairdresser, local crafts, gifts, walking and outdoor supplies, hardware, tourist information, petrol station & electric vehicle charging points.
MILLOM:

(10 miles), medium sized Tesco, small Co-op, hardware stores, gift and charity shops, petrol station and electric vehicle charging points.

ULVERSTON:
(15 miles), a good shopping area with Street and Cattle markets every Thursday. Also Booths supermarket, M&S food store, petrol station and electric vehicle charging points.
BARROW-IN-FURNESS:
(25 miles) large Tesco, Asda and other superstores.

“Britain doesn’t get much better than this.  Hike the hills in your back garden, spend evenings playing ping pong or darts and long nights around the fire…. Stephenson Ground adds that little bit of magic missing in everyday normal life..”

Rob,October 2025

“Wonderful house with fantastic views. Up a challenging track, especially with a wide car. Had a fabulous meal at the Blacksmith’s arms. Walked from the house straight up into the fells. Amazing!”

Sarah, July 2021

“A fabulous house in a fabulous location!”

Paul, October 2021

“This is the perfect, idyllic bucolic retreat. Miles from civilisation with views art directed by a superior intelligence. Log fires to welcome you back from the great walks right outside the door. A perfect local gastropub, The Blacksmiths Arms. Simply could not recommend it enough.”

Gregg, October 2020

Bookings

2026 prices: (excluding school summer holidays, Christmas & New Year)

Minimum stay: 3 nights
£185/night for up to 4 guests
Additional guests £40/night/person (up to a maximum of 10 guests). Plus cleaning charge of £80

Late July/whole of August: Minimum stay 5 nights. £210/night for up to 4 guests, additional guests £40/night/person (up to a maximum of 10 guests). Plus cleaning charge of £80.

Christmas & New Year prices on application.

Well behaved dogs are welcome for a one-off charge of £20/dog. Max 2 large/medium or 3 small dogs.

We require a 50% deposit to secure your booking with the balance payable 6 weeks before your arrival. Guests will be asked for a £150 damage deposit with the final balance, repayable when our cleaners have checked the house on your departure. Please see our cancellation policy in the drop down box below.

CHECK-IN: from 4.00 pm.

CHECK OUT: 11.00 am.

For bookings and more information, please contact

Kerry Harvey-Piper

(e) kerry@stephensonground.co.uk     (m) 07976 272139

Do just ask if you’re in any doubt about anything at all, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

Please read before booking

 

Maximum number of overnight guests:10

Minimum age: We don’t accept unsupervised groups of under 25-year-olds.

Cancellation policy:

  • Full refund for cancellations more than 30 days before check-in, less a £50 admin charge.
  • 30 or less days before check-in – no refund unless we can rebook your dates with other guests.

We strongly recommend that all guests take out travel insurance to cover any non-refundable cancellation charges.  If we need to cancel your booking due to bad weather, or other unavoidable problems, you will be refunded in full.

Dogs: (and other pets) are welcome in the downstairs areas but please do not allow them upstairs or in any of the bedrooms. Pets must not be left alone in the house unless safely crated and must be always under close control outside as this is a farming community. Please clean up after your dog in the garden and verges. The cost of repairing any damage caused by pets or extra cleaning costs incurred by leaving dog mess in the gardens will be charged to the lead guest.

Damage and incidentals:

We understand that, even with the best of care, things can get broken by mistake. Please let us know immediately so we can replace or fix anything before the next guests arrive. The cost of repairing any damage beyond the odd mug, glass or plate will be charged to the lead guest.

 

Accessibility:

• A car is essential, both for getting to Stephenson Ground and for getting around once you’re here. Driving directions will be sent to you on booking.
• The local roads are single track, very narrow and some have steep drops, indistinct edges or substantial dry-stone wall edges. There are several steep gradients (1 in 3) so please drive slowly and use passing places.
• The farmyard is a public road (albeit very quiet) so expect farm traffic and occasional cars.
• The house and games barn opposite are part of the holiday let. The remaining barns are used for storage by local tradespeople and are not accessible to guests.
• Public transport: local railway station Foxfield (15 mins drive). The nearest mainline stations are Ulverston (approx 40 mins drive) and Oxenholme, Kendal, (approx 1 hour drive). There are no local buses and taxi services are very limited.

Important information:

• Outside surfaces can be very slippery especially when wet. Please take great care on the stone terraces and steps outside.
• Stephenson Ground cannot be made suitable for wheelchair users and garden steps and internal stairs may prove difficult for anyone with restricted mobility.
• Dust from the open fires may make the house unsuitable for severe asthma sufferers.
• Children of all ages are warmly welcomed but the house isn’t specifically child-proofed and we do not provide cots, stair-gates or high chairs. You are welcome to bring your own.
• We actively manage our gardens and field for the benefit of wildlife and biodiversity. Occasionally a stray bug, spider or other creature will decide to come into the house, especially if the doors are open. Please gently relocate them.

• During the winter, snow and ice can sometimes make getting to the house very difficult if not impossible. If you’re booking a stay between December-March, we’ll keep you updated on current local weather conditions but be prepared in case of last minute cancellations due to the house being inaccessible.