Sunnywood, Staveley - character cottage in beautiful gardens.

A place to breathe. A place to belong.

High on the quiet rise above Staveley, where the Kentmere Valley stretches out in soft, rolling greens, you’ll find Sunnywood, a home shaped by the hills, warmed by real fires, and ready to welcome all who come seeking simplicity, space and the steadying calm of Lakeland life.

This is a house with stories in its beams, laughter in its walls and room enough for families, friends, and four-legged companions to simply… be.

A home that doesn’t ask you to tiptoe, but invites you to kick off your boots, shake off the day, and live freely.

Where the journey begins

Follow the country lane from Staveley, over the stone bridge and through grazing meadows, until the world begins to quieten.

Through the gates, Sunnywood appears, sturdy, open-armed and full of character, its history woven into every slate and stone.

Once two cottages for the bobbin mill, later the foreman’s home, Sunnywood now brings everyone together under one roof: a place for shared meals, outdoor adventures and slow mornings with coffee and birdsong.

A home that holds you

Inside, warmth settles around you like a familiar blanket.

Sunlight catches on slate floors. Fires glow in old hearths.

Two sitting rooms offer space to gather or drift apart, children and dogs tumbling between them, adults finding quiet corners for a book or a chat.

The kitchen hums with the everyday rhythm of a busy house: breakfasts at the bar, soup simmering after a wet walk, laughter while someone chops vegetables by the window.

In the dining room, the table waits for long evenings of stories, card games and second helpings.

Boot rooms, utility spaces and a downstairs shower stand ready for wet coats, tired feet and windswept hair, places built for real living.

Upstairs, bedrooms look out across fell and garden, peaceful by day and restful by night. Space for children to whisper into the dark, space for grown-ups to unwind, space for friends to feel at home.

Two staircases twist their way through the house a playful reminder of Sunnywood’s past, and endless entertainment for young explorers.

Where nature spills into every moment

Step outside and the landscape wraps itself around you.

Three raised terraces watch over the Kentmere Valley, catching morning light and evening glow.

A level lawn invites cartwheels, picnic blankets and games that stretch until dusk.

The orchard, heavy with apples and damsons in autumn, fragrant with blossom in spring, offers quiet shade and a place to wander, dream or nap beneath branch and sky.

Beyond it, the meadow moves gently in the breeze, alive with bees, butterflies, birds and, if you are lucky, the flicker of a red squirrel. Children will find worlds within it: warm rocks hiding slow worms, patterns in the grasses, secret paths mown just for adventure.

And when the days are warm, the beck across the road sparkles with the kind of simple joy only cold water can bring.

Walk from your door… and do not stop

From Sunnywood, the Lakes unfold in every direction.

Wander up to the old packhorse bridge and waterfalls; climb on to Skeggles Water, quiet and still among the grasses; or take on the Kentmere Horseshoe, a perfect arc of peaks made for long-legged days.

Staveley’s village life is a stroll away, gelato by the river, pints at The Eagle and Child, warm pastries from More Bakery, and the hum of walkers and cyclists gathering in Mill Yard.

And beyond that, the full tapestry of the Lake District awaits waters to paddle in, fells to climb, woodlands to wander.

Slow down. Sink in. Feel at home.

When the day ends and you return to Sunnywood, cheeks pink, boots muddy, hearts light the house greets you just as warmly as before.

Fires crackle. Doors stay open. The kitchen fills with chatter.

Here, everyone finds their own rhythm: children darting between rooms, a dog curled by the hearth, a glass of wine carried out to the garden bench to watch the last light fade over the valley.

Sunnywood is not a place to admire from a distance.

It is a place to live in, stretch out in, and fall a little bit in love with.

Come together. Slow down.

Let the Lakeland air do the rest.