Nab Cottage Review
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Waking up overlooking Rydal Water and surrounded by mountains in the Lake District instantly made us UK-holiday fans. Trawling through Organic Holidays a few weeks earlier, we had thought Nab Cottage sounded perfect. Even though it wasn't, it was a fantastic base for a good, wholesome weekend.
Nab Cottage is an authentic, homey place to spend a weekend in a beautiful part of the country. The breakfast was scrummy -- all the condiments were either organic or Fairtrade, the 100 per cent organic homemade bread was great (but the white Hovis sliced bread wasn't), and on the weekend we went, owner, Tim estimated that the morning meal was 70 per cent organic. He also told us they've bought most of their supplies from the organic workers' co-operative, Suma, for the past 20 years, which really impressed us. Additionally, they're cutting food miles by getting tomatoes, mushrooms, meat, ice cream and the free-range eggs from local suppliers.
The Nab Cottage crew also has a large vegetable garden, where they grow their own sorrel, rocket, radish, beans, lettuce, leeks apples, rhubarb, red and blackcurrants, gooseberries and plums. All paper, cans, glass, plastic, batteries and cardboard are recycled.
Food is sourced locally or grown in the stunning grounds of the cottage
From June to September Nab Cottage doubles as an experiential language school teaching English to adults from all over the world. We went in September and although we did see the students around the cottage, we didn't actually notice it was a language school.
Nab Cottage's location is stunning and regardless of the weather it really encourages walking and cycling. We brought our bikes and had a brilliant time cycling around the area. If you can, we suggest you bring either a bicycle or a good pair of walking boots.
One thing that didn't quite work, however, was the decor. We would have thought the international aspect and wholesome atmosphere would have prompted some sort of interesting interior, but it didn't happen, and instead, the great variety of floral patterns on carpets, sofas, walls and throws made the cottage feel typically English in the un-stylish sense. Also, considering the effort the owners have put into sourcing and making organic food, we did expect more on the organic front -- a hand soap or an organic towel or two to make it feel a bit more consistent.
So, Nab Cottage isn't the place to go if you expect a 100 per cent organic holiday with organic cotton bed linen, towels, soap, paint etc. This isn't really criticism -- it's just a warning to people who connect organic with luxury and high-end products. We thoroughly liked Nab Cottage's amazing food, authenticity (we loved the wonky old architecture) and holistic and wholesome atmosphere. And more importantly, it felt good to be on holiday in the UK.
[box]Essentials: Rooms cost from £27 to £30 per person per night including breakfast. Only open from October to July. Windermere Station is a short bus or taxi ride away. Rydal, Ambleside, LA22 9SD, England.[/box]
Quality
Value
Ethics
Green
