This 3-bedroom cottage is a three-storey home in Ambleside, Cumbria, sitting right on the edge of the river with an elevated first-floor lounge and south-facing balcony where you can hear the river below and spot wildlife in the surrounding trees. The distant sound of Stockghyll Falls drifts into the living space. The setting more than compensates for a quiet riverside stay.

Ambleside town centre is just 0.5 miles away on foot. Lake Windermere is 1 mile. You've got pubs, cafes, an independent cinema and outdoor activity centres all within easy reach. Water sports, lake steamers and mountain biking are all on the doorstep.

The cottage sleeps six across three bedrooms. The ground-floor double has an en-suite shower room. Two second-floor rooms, one double and one twin, share a family bathroom with a large walk-in shower. Skylights flood the second-floor rooms with natural light.

Hill Top (Beatrix Potter's House) is 7.5 miles away. Bowness is 6 miles. Grizedale Forest is 8.5 miles. Orrest Head is 5.5 miles.

This getaway suits families or groups of six wanting a proper Lake District base with genuine riverside character and Ambleside on the doorstep.