Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat Reviews – Best area to stay in the Lake District

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For anyone looking for the best place to stay in the Lake District Nature Reserve, Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat should be one of the places to consider.

In this article, I want to share with you our family staycation in the Lake District Nature Reserve and our accommodation at the incredible Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat

Why should consider a holiday in the Lake District and why stay in Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat? Please stay with me as I share our family experiences at the Lake District in Cumbria.

As an African immigrant family who has lived in the United Kingdom for many years, we’ve always liked to explore the UK. Staycation in the UK is a high priority for us.

We have been to many parts of the UK including Cornwall, Somerset, Cotswolds, Scotland, and Wales. We’ve done many beach holidays and forests. But we’ve never been to a Nature Reserves.

This time we decided to take a long drive from the Cotswold where we live to the Lake District. We wanted to explore the lovely Cumbria so we choose Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat as our accommodation.

Reception and welcome

The customer service at Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat is very good. We arrived in the evening and while we were on our way we received a call from the reception asking about our possible arrival time for check-in.

The reception closes at 8 pm so they wanted to make arrangements for our check-in if we would arrive after 8 pm.

Eventually, we arrived there before the reception closes. We were made to feel welcome, and the receptionist was quite cordial. The box with the key and a piece of paper with a park map and other crucial information was provided.

The location of our accommodation was pointed out to us. The receptionist also provided us with directions to our lodge.

Park Facilities

Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat offers a special getaway in the stunning Lake District.

Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat is one of the Darwin Escape holiday parks. The park has all the important facilities like a gym, an on-site spa which has a sauna, and a restaurant as well as a corner shop. 

This is a small park and a retreat, for people who have young kids, this isn’t a park that has all the fun activities for families and kids. We’ve been to a lot of holiday parks in the UK, especially the Haven parks. Majority of the holiday parks we’ve been to have swimming pools and activities for kids. This park is a retreat that wasn’t advertised as a family fun resort.

While Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat does not have activities for kids, we will still highly recommend it for families because of the tranquillity, and calm and peaceful environment.

I will share our experiences about the accommodation further down in this post. In the meantime, the uniqueness and the luxury factor of the accommodation are one of the reasons why you should choose the Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat. 

For us, we used Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat as our accommodation while we explore the Lake District Nature Reserves.

Accommodation at Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat

I have to say the accommodation at Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat is the best accommodation we’ve stayed in so far in our staycation in the UK. The one that is similar standard is the Center Parcs but this one might be better. 

We stayed in an elegant lodge which featured a stylish interior.

There is a balcony with chairs and a table just by the patio sliding door. As you enter through the main single door, you will see straight away that you are about to experience a luxury lodge. The accommodation is very clean I must say.

Entrance

The entrance is very spacious. There is a carpet to step into to avoid carrying dirt inside. On the left is a space where you can put your shoes and a small table. There is a shelf where you could put your keys and other things.

Hooks are available for your coat, jumper, and jacket. Also at the entrance, there is a rack for boots and wellington boots for drying.

Kitchen

The first part of the accommodation that jumped at me is the kitchen island which we really enjoyed using for our cooking.

There are two bar chairs at the kitchen island where the person cooking or someone else can seat while cooking is going on.  There is the extractor which is very useful to avoid stuffiness while cooking. 

The living area and kitchen are open plan and this is similar to most of the holiday accommodation we’ve seen in our staycation in the UK.

The oven and microwave are above one another in integrated style.

Kettle for hot water, toaster for toasting your breads,  these are all available. The fridge freezer is not a small size. It is the size you will see in an average home in the UK.

Cooking pans, dishes, cutlery, and glasses are all available. Other essential kitchen utensils are all available for a wonderful eating and cooking experience. The washing machine and dishwasher are also available in the kitchen area.

I must not forget the wine cooler where I kept my wine and it was very useful because it kept my wine at the perfect temperature.

Living room

We had a wonderful family time seating in the living room. The sofas were very comfortable. The wooden center table looks beautiful. We found a food basket on the table where we put our fruits.

The living area with the dining and kitchen were all laminate flooring. Only the bedroom had carpets.

Dining

The dining area is very spacious and has a round table with four chairs which were very good for us family of four. They put salt and paper on the dining table. I particularly liked the wooden table mats and coasters.

Internet and TV

There is free WiFi which is at a reasonable speed. This is a public internet network and might not be secure so take caution in using it for personal information.

The TV has the usual national channels like BBC, ITV, and Channel 4. There is a section of the TV where you can select a movie to watch but you will need to pay for the movie.

We were a bit disappointed that the TV is not a Smart TV that can allow us to watch catchup streaming. Perhaps in the future, they will have a smart TV in the lodges.

Bedrooms

We are family of four, we had a lodge that sleeps four people. There are two rooms. The main room has a double-size bed while the second room has two single beds which were good enough for our two boys.

I must not forget to mention that both room sizes are much bigger than other resorts we’ve been to. The bedrooms had carpet beautifully laid.

Both rooms have a TV fixed on the wall and a bedside table with an outlet above that you can use to charge your mobile phone or use to plug in electronic devices. There are flexible lights by the bedside which can be very useful for reading while on the bed.

There are wardrobes in both rooms with hangers. The master bedroom has iron, iron board and airer perhaps for drying cloths after washing in the washing machine.

Washroom

The washroom is very spacious. The washroom in both bedrooms is similar. Both rooms are en-suite.

The washroom comprises of WC, a sink with a large mirror above the sink, a bath, and a shower. The showroom is very clean with the tiles and flooring shining.

Grocery shopping

We had our grocery shopping at the local Lidl in Cockermouth before checking. We are fans of Lidl and Aldi simply because they always have reasonable prices.  

The Lidl is about 15min away from the park. There is also an Aldi at Cockermouth. You could also try the Lakes and Dales Co-Operative at Keswick which is about 17min away. There is also the option of ordering groceries that can be delivered to the Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat.

There is a corner shop at Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat but it’s very small. You should also expect to pay more for the items in the corner shop at the resort.

Restaurant

There is a restaurant on site but we didn’t try the restaurant so I can’t say much about it. We walk in just to see the environment of the restaurant.

It was very clean and well organized. We cooked our food when in the lodge and eat out when we are outside the park exploring the Lake District.

Things to do

Look at the best things to do in Cumbria and the Lake District and start planning your next perfect escape.

For us, our aim was to explore the Lake District National Reserve and we use Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat as our accommodation in the Lake District. There is a lot to do in the area.

These are some of the best things to do in Cumbria and the Lake District.

The Lakes

The closest of the Lakes to Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat is Bassenthwaite Lake which is less than 10mins away. There are a number of lake viewpoints.

As you drive on the roads you will see cars parked at various viewpoints where you can also park and the footpaths or steps down to experience the lake.

Lake District from its name is known for lakes. There are around sixteen lakes in the Lake District. Aside from Bassenthwaite Lake, you can also take a trip to see the other lakes and perhaps take a walk around the lakes or participate in some water activities or sports.

The largest of the Lakes is Windermere. Other lakes include Coniston Water, Ullswater, and Derwentwater.

Lake District Wildlife Park

For people who love animals, you will enjoy the Lake District Wildlife Park.

There is a lot to see, including falconry demonstrations, discussions about more exotic creatures, and frequent feedings of the animals. Tractor rides and an adventure playground are available. Additional fees apply for animal encounters and experiences.

There are a number of animal talks or shows at different times during the day. At the wildlife park, we particularly enjoyed the reptile and insect shows where we learned a lot.

Lakes Distillery

The Lakes Distillery is one of the tourist attractions of the Lake Districts. You can take a tour of the Distillery

The tour will give you exclusive access to a sample tasting of The Lakes Single Malt Quatrefoil Faith, and a variety of maturing spirits from sherry and bourbon casks. The tasting will be exclusively hosted in the Lakes Distillery Boardroom.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

You can uncover the mysteries of Castlerigg Stone Circle.

Of all the stone circles in Britain, Castlerigg has one of the most spectacular and atmospheric settings, with sweeping views and the Helvellyn and High Seat mountains serving as a backdrop.

It was established in the Neolithic era around 3000 BC, making it one of the earliest British circles.

Keswick Market Town

Keswick, which is sandwiched between the massive Skiddaw and the serene beauty of Derwentwater, has emerged as the main tourist destination in the northern Lake District.

Visitors can enjoy a variety of attractions in this charming market town, including unique museums, unique shops, and boat tours around Lake Derwentwater. Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat is located less than 10 miles from the historic town of Keswick.

Final Thoughts

We had a wonderful time at Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat. I will strongly recommend this resort to anyone interested in exploring Cumbria and the Lake District.

We have seen a lot of accommodations in our staycations in the UK. This resort has exceptional accommodation and environment.  If you have been thinking about exploring the Lake District, stop thinking and start planning your trip.

I produced a video where I give you a tour of the Keswick Reach Lodge. Click on the link below to watch the video.

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