News
08/01/2010 - We are unscathed and open for business!
Neither flood waters nor ice and snow have been of any issue to Lyndhurst Guest House. Certainly the River Kent was at an extremely high level during the Kendal Mountain Festival in Novemeber, but it did not come even close to affecting us.
We have had snow here in Kendal since December 19th and it shows no sign of shifting. However, all main roads into Kendal are fully open and have been for some time. Some side streets are still affected, South Road included, but they are easily negotiable with a little care.
With all the surrounding fields, hills and mountains covered with their blanket of white, what better time to come to the Lake District, and to Kendal in particular. Most restaurants and bars in the town are business as usual; there are numerous music, comedy and theatrical shows at the Brewery Arts Centre, five minutes walk away, and even closer by the Abbot Hall Art Gallery opens it's doors to the new Basil Beattie: Paintings from the Janus series II 2010 exhibition very soon.
So come on to Kendal - we are looking forward to welcoming you. Stuart & Yvonne
25/11/2009 - Kendal Mountain Festival - Dave Ehlen's stay at Lyndhurst Guest House
David Ehlen stayed for four nights over the recent KMF weekend and was moved to write the following review on Tripadvisor. We reproduce it here with his permission.
I was lucky enough to stay for 4 nights here recently. During previous trips to Kendal I have stayed at the Travelodge just outside town, which was ok, but the location isn't too good. So I browsed the B&Bs available and decided on Lyndhurst , and I dont think I could have made a better choice.
Parking is available on street in the area, and usually I was able to park directly outside the house which was great. The town centre is about a 5 minute walk from the B&B, which is situated across a small side road from the River Kent, which was in full flow whilst I was there during the recent wet weather up in Cumbria
The hosts Stuart and Yvonne were very welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble. On arrival Stuart gave me some tips on places to eat and drink in Kendal, and also pointed out where NOT to eat and drink!! I'd been to Kendal before a few times but this was useful nontheless.
I was in a double room which was excellent. The bed was too good....if you sat on it to watch TV, you fell asleep within minutes!!! :-) The adjoining bathroom was fine - some people would perhaps say it was small, but it was more than adequate as far as I was concerned.
The Breakfast each morning filled me up for hours afterwards. I had the full Cumbrian brekky, with local sausage, bacon and eggs. I would say its the best B&B breakfast I have had in my many stays at B&Bs.
As I said to Stuart and Yvonne when leaving, this Tripadvisor is a great site but when you come across a really top notch hotel or B&B you have the dilemma of keeping it to yourself or letting everyone else know about it and perhaps making it so popular, its fully booked next time you want to stay there !!
Lyndhurst must be the best B&B in Kendal, certainly for the price you pay.
Welcoming hosts, easily found and well located, comfortable and homely accomodation with excellent food (not forgetting Yvonne's range of home made breads cakes etc)
I will definitely try booking Lyndhurst next time I am up in Kendal, and would recommend it to anyone.
20/10/2009 - Stuart & Yvonne's 1st Wedding Anniversary.
Yes it really is a year since our wedding day, and hasn't it gone by so quickly? We decided to have a short break from Lyndhurst Guest House and decided on totally "chilling out", hiring a narrowboat on the Leeds Liverpool Canal for a few days. We picked up our boat, the "Pendle Glory" from the outskirts of Burnleyand soon were heading through the first flight of locks towards gargrave and Skipton. It was truly wonderful - so relaxing, chugging along at 3 m.p.h. Mooring deep in the countryside each night, but within a short walk of a pub or restaurant was just perfect. We came back to Lyndhurst feeling totally relaxed and revitalised; ready to welocme more guests into our home. We enjoyed it so much we are considering a repeat some time in 2010.
25/08/2009 - Some recent guest feedback
Bridget Machell and her daughter Carson, stayed at Lyndhurst in early August, and this is what she wrote:
The Lyndhurst Guest House was cozy and inviting. From the minute I entered the house, I felt comfortable and welcomed into Stuart and Yvonne's home. They were friendly and very helpful with any questions I had. Each morning I had the full English breakfast, and it was huge! I didn't come close to finishing all the food that Yvonne prepared. The room was clean with a nice view of the river, and the bed was very comfortable. The Lyndhurst's location is perfect too; I was in walking distance of everything in the town. I would highly recommend the Lyndhurst to anyone.
The photograph is of Carson Machell enjoying her Full Cumbrian Cooked Breakfast in the Lyndhurst Dining Room.
01/02/2009 - Stuart's Fat Lava & Art Glass @ Bygone Times
As many of you may know, Stuart has always had an interest in Antiques and Art Glass in particular. He has now branched out into a relatively new collecting field - Retro West German Ceramics newly named as "Fat Lava". These ceramics come in all shapes and sizes, and were often finished with the most fantastic thick and colourful glazes. Some are foamy, some like pummice and some just like a volcano - hence "Fat Lava".
Stuart has recently extended his stall at Bygone Times in Eccleston, near Chrley. It now boasts the most varied and extensive selection of Retro Ceramics in the North of England, and perhaps the whole country. Stocks are constanly rotated to keep the stall "fresh" and prices are reasonable in a climate showing rapid price rises in this field.
Should anyone be interested, please come along; if you let Stuart know in advance he will make every effort to meet you there. You may also get a discount for direct sales if you mention this news item to Stuart.
30/11/2008 - Yvonne's Packed Lunches
Yvonne provides freshly made packed lunches which are healthy, tasty and nutricious. They have been very well received by guests and local business people alike.
This years Kendal Mountain Festival was massively attended as usual and Lyndhurst played host to "serial guests" Julie, Kevin, John, Peter and Ian as has become the norm (This was their fourth stay with us). This year Julie and Peter sampled the packed lunches. The photograph is self taken by Peter, eating his bread whilst mountain biking in Longsleddale! And here is Julie's review:
Hi Yvonne,
Great to see both you and Stuart, and thanks very much for looking after all of us.
You'll be pleased to know that Network Rail closed the overhead lines when we reached Crewe so the train stopped for 45 mins whilst I ate my packed lunch.
The results are (marks out of 10) :
The bread - 10/10 and very filling so I saved one piece.
The chicken & couscous - 10/10 - really delicious and just the right texture and consistency.
The dressing - 10/10 and just enough to hold the whole meal together without drowning any other flavours.
The salad - 9 3/4 / 10 - only because some of the lettuce leaves were a bit tricky to pick up with the wooden fork.
The Apple - 10/10 and apples are not my favourite fruit but this was just ripe enough
Overall satisfaction - 10/10
Quantity - more than enough for someone sitting on a train / in an office all day and probably enough for a walker's packed lunch with the bread and maybe a piece of cake too.
As for the presentation, excellent.
So, I'll be back for more. Hope this new venture goes well and look forward to seeing both of you next year.
All the best
Julie x
Please note that if you wish try Yvonne's packed lunches, you can pre-order from an extensive menu - please ask.
12/11/2008 - Bob and Saran's Lyndhurst Stay
Dear Stuart and Yvonne,
Greetings from Malaysia!
Saran and I are now safely back in Kuala Lumpur after our mammoth trip around the UK. We enjoyed our stay with you so much and thought you may like a bit of feedback, so here it is.
But first, how was the wedding of the year? We both hope that it went really well and that you had a great time.
Located in a quiet residential part of Kendal with lovely views over the River Kent, the house is well furnished; our room on the top floor was spacious –necessarily so to accommodate our six pieces of baggage – light and airy. Hot water for showers etc was abundant. The room was well heated. In almost all B&Bs the “ management regime” is usually at least as important as the décor and furnishings. From the moment we stepped over the threshold we both felt most welcome. Seated in the sitting room Stuart took us through the arrangements for the house, the (numerous) choices for breakfast from the simple fruit and cereal style to the “full works” which some people it seems still prefer. A simple map of Kendal was annotated during discussions about what to see, where to go, where and, where not to eat, with a summary of what cuisine was on offer, its quality and price. We used this map many times throughout our three day stay in Kendal and found it to be invaluable. Our bed was comfortable and we slept well. The breakfast arrangements were great. We agreed a time and the menu the night before. In the morning we arrived on time for breakfast (it helps the chef!) and were allocated a table. Breakfast was served with good cheer and in a welcoming spirit; it was always delicious and beautifully cooked. The table in the bay window has lovely views of the river and the hosts always provided topics of interesting conversation! We could not have asked for anything better; every one of the breakfasts was a great treat and a great start to the day.
Kendal provided easy and interesting walks which we greatly enjoyed. There was a good range of eating places. The art gallery Abbot Hall was an unexpected treat; its collection is fabulous and we had the additional benefit of the summer exhibition which was of Ben Nicholson’s works. The old Public Library has an excellent internet café which is accessed for a small fee, for anyone travelling without a laptop pc.
If we visit this part of the UK again we would make a considerable effort to ensure that the timing of the visit coincided with a vacancy with Stuart and Yvonne.
That’s all folks! A few photos will follow in due course when we have mastered the download system!
With all good wishes
Bob Steedman
11/10/2008 - Stuart & Yvonne - The Wedding
Well we finally did it! After seven years together Stuart & Yvonne were married in the Registry Office, Kendal on Saturday October 11th. It was supposed to take place at 12 noon, but Stuart's son Gavin managed to miss the shuttle bus and was late. As he was due to perform the first reading this was a problem. He arrived by taxi, with a flurry of "sorry dad's" and the ceremony was under way at 12:10. He read very well under the circumstances, probaly set at ease by the gentle chiding from the lovely registrar. So all was well in the end. The ceremony was very simple but very nice, and we soon moved outside for some photographs. The wedding party moved on to Maude's Meadow for more photographs, whilst the guests took the shuttle bus to the Eagle and Child at Staveley. The autumn colours made for some wonderful photographs from the excellent Chris Holmes.
11/10/2008 - The Wedding - Part 2
It rained constanly and sometimes torrentially for the 48 hours prior to the wedding, but it relented at 7:30 on Saturday morning. Yvonne had, as insurance, purchased a pair of wellington boots; she was lucky enough to find a pair which fitted very well with her wedding dress. She had a wonderful time, paddling in the flood waters in Maude's Meadow with her wedding dress train slung over her shoulder. It was all so much fun. This was all a nice addition to the more formal photographs. Here is Yvonne in her wedding wellies, posing in her own understated fashion!
11/10/2008 - The Wedding - Part 3
The wedding party moved on from Maude's Meadow to the wedding reception at the Eagle and Child in Staveley, where guests were already relaxing with a beer or two. More photographs preceeded a truly delightful meal, and then we moved on the speeches. It was then we realised how cosmopoltan the whole wedding was, with Juergen Buescher, having given Yvonne away giving a fantastic speech. Mike Shotkoski from Greenville, South Carolina was the best man and his entertaining words followed Stuart's offering. We had a look around at our friends and family and realised that British guests were outnumbered by those from overseas, with guests from Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the USA and even Ireland! ;-)
The cake was duly cut, and after a short break, we all moved on to the Hawkshead Brewery Beer Hall for the evening knees-up. We were presented with a wonderfully risque cake by Yvonne's mother, Ellen (anyone wishing to see a photo, please email and we will send it on). More food and drinks were interspersed with dancing and making merry. All in all we had a fantastic day, one which neither of us will ever forget, and we thought that this final photograph summed up our enjoyment.
30/07/2008 - The Crumlish Wedding
Saturday July 5th was the wedding day of Gary Crumlish and Laura, and their extended family (Anderson, Crumlish and Glass took over Lyndhurst Guest House for the weekend of July 4th and 5th. It proved to be an interesting and eventful weekend. They were very lucky with the weather on the day, when the rain relented both before and after the ceremony in Sedbergh. Here is a family group photograph from their big day.
25/05/2008 - Charity Swim for Jody
Katherine Wignall and her fiance Jody Thorpe will be staying here at Lyndhurst Guest House for a week in August. During their stay, Jody will be taking part in a charity fundraising event; let's hope he can emulate his illustrious Australian namesake in some small way! We wish him luck. Here are his own words describing what he will be doing and why. Anyone wishing to make a donation should cut and paste the link below.
"I will be attempting to swim the length of Lake Windermere (10.5 miles) in August. The reason for this is to raise as much money as I can for the Oxford Transplant Centre who looked after my sister Hannah after her operation in January of last year. An extension is being built at the centre to increase the capacity from 10 to 19 beds, provide lab space, academic facilities and office accommodation. The money we raise will go towards these improvements (so please dig deep!).
I've been in training since November, visiting the local pools as much as possible and hitting the rowing machine and feel confident I may actually make it across. If however my attempt is not sucessful, rest assured you may well have sponsored the fastest dive to the bottom.
Thank you,
Jody Thorpe.
http://www.justgiving.com/jodythorpe
17/03/2008 - Rayhan and Ahsan
Rayhan Kollol and Ahsan Mojumder stayed with us at Lyndhurst Guest House for three nights at the beginning of March, and they fell in love with Kendal and the Lake District. Rayhan is a keen photographer, and Ahsan was moved to write a poem about his experiences - the following sections show how talented both these individuals are!
Here is one of Rayhan's views over Windermere.
17/03/2008 - Ahsan's Lake District Poem
Heaven on earth
The wiggly road embraces the entire city
Regular mountains guards the lakes,
Immaculate town please my mind;
Journey seems 'breath-taking' the longer it takes.
Friendly people; prolonged bus journeys touches my heart
I drown in 'it's' water before realising anything,
Heavenly feelings bond me with the surroundings;
Unhurried life gets the 'worriless' time moving.
More I see more I become astonished by its beauty.
Reaching the top of the mountain gives me the satisfaction,
You tend to forget about the struggle you have been through;
You become astounded; lose control of your emotion.
That is the closest I been to a Heaven
You feel 'this' immense tendency to trying hold every second,
Then suddenly a gust of winds blows your mind.
Existence seems like an endless dream which you wish you could rewind.
A Mojumder
15/02/2008 - Strawberry's stay!!
Strawberry Moose and his firiends Liz and Eric Asby took a weekend break with us here at Lyndhurst Guest House, and here is what they said in a recent e-mail:
"... thanks for putting us up (or putting up with us!). We had a fantastic stay with you - great fun, and when we're back in Kendal we'll certainly be hoping to book with you again, and not only for Yvonne's Fruity Porridge." :-D
I'm attaching a photo of Strawberry. He's actually an internationally famous Moose with fans across Europe, although he's quite modest about it. ;-)
I hope Yvonne's lunch business is doing well - it certainly should be!
Cheers,
Liz, Eric, & Strawberry.
25/12/2007 - Merry Christmas
Here is a Christmas Greeting sent to us at Lyndhurst Guest House from the Sheppards, who stayed with us earlier this year. It was sent with the following message:
"FESTIVE GREETINGS TO YOU ALL FROM THE SHEPPARDS AT SNOWDROP COTTAGE, DERYSHIRE. IT IS 05:15am AND HE HAS BEEN!"
Stuart & Yvonne would like to thank Mr & Mrs Sheppard for their greetings, and to wish all our guests a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2008.
05/11/2007 - Andy Godfrey's wonderful photographs
Andy Godfrey from Surrey enjoyed an extended Bed and Breakfast break here at Lyndhurst Guest House during the school half-term holiday. He enjoyed mixed weather as you can expect during October, but still managed to take some wonderfully atmospheric shots in Kendal, as well as better Autumnal weather shots nearby Keswick. Here are a selection commencing with a woodland view by the riverside near to the guest house.
05/11/2007 - Serpentine Woods, Kendal
Another damp yet atmospheric view from Andy's camera.
05/11/2007 - Derwentwater
Finally, a better weather view of Derwentwater. Andy took more photographs on this day than all the other days put together!
30/09/2007 - Wireless Broadband at Lyndhurst
We are proud to announce that we can now provide wireless broadband internet connection in all eight of our bedrooms. Should any guests wish to utilise this free of charge facility, they should ask for our security key on arrival. Please note that computers should be WiFi enabled in order to use this facility.
12/09/2007 - Coniston Challenge
Recent Lyndhurst guests Maxine, Minty, Alison, Lorna, Katie and Matt, collectively know as the "Beating Chastards" last weekend competed in the Coniston Challenge. Their aim is to raise enough money to fund a guide dog for the blind. They successfully completed the 12 miles cycling in Grisedale Forest, the ascent of the Old Man of Coniston and the kayaking on Coniston - congratulations to them all! You can see them here, at the misty top of the Old Man.
Should you wish to contribute to this worthwhile cause then please cut and paste the link below into your browswer, or alternatively you can directly follow the link on our Links page.
http://www.justgiving.com/beatingchastards
25/07/2007 - Lands End to John "O" Groats
In September of this year Richard & Ange will be cycling from Lands End to John "O" Groats in aid of Wishes 4 Kids. They will be staying here at Lyndhurst Guest House in Kendal for their half-way "rest". The trip has been organised totally independently and self funded; every penny raised will go direct to Wishes 4 Kids. We wish them every success with their venture. For more details, or if you wish to make a donation, please check their website at:
http://www.freewheelin.org.uk
15/07/2007 - Joseph Mo's visit to Kendal
Joseph and Lai Ping Mo stayed here at Lyndhurst Guest House earlier in the year. Joseph is a keen photographer as well as being an expert in Acupuncture and Tai Chi and here you can see one of his Kendal views. Joseph and Lai Ping both commented on how much they enjoyed breakfasts during their stay, particularly the Plumgarth's Cumberland Sausage and that they will for sure be coming back for Bed and Breakfast at Lyndhusrt. They will be very welcome - Joseph talked at length about his passion for photography and also his work in Acupuncture - all very interesting.
13/06/2007 - The Howett Wedding
This photograph is of the mother of the groom with her three other sons, all of whom stayed with us here at Lyndhurst Guest House. They very much enjoyed their stay, and we very much enjoyed hosting them; below are the words of Mrs Howett, sent to us by e-mail:
Hello Stuart and Yvonne
It was a real pleasure to stay at The Lyndhurst because it’s rare to come across a team as good as you two: you complement each other perfectly and the result is an outstanding B&B that is efficiently run with a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Your location in a quiet corner of Kendal but still within easy walking distance of everything was ideal. We had no problems finding you and it was a relief after a long drive to have no problems with parking. The comfort of the rooms and the overall standard of care were very much higher than I had expected and more on a level with a multi-star hotel. However, no hotel could have provided such a pleasant atmosphere and I really liked the way you were often around to pass the time of day, always showing an interest in what we were doing. I was particularly delighted that I could just cross the road and go for an early walk along the river bank, enjoying the clean and sparkling water and the many birds, trees and flowers. Breakfast was a lovely and relaxed time with a menu that was delicious, original and inspired.
I am particularly grateful to you for putting up with all the comings and goings before and on the wedding day and all you did to help and make things easier for us. We had a great time and the fact that you entered into the spirit of it all made a huge difference.
Very many thanks and all good wishes for your continued success.
Jenny Howett
21/05/2007 - Guest Feedback
It is always nice to receive positive feedback from our guests, and we are particularly happy and proud when our efforts are so appreciated that guests are moved to write to tell us. Here is a recent example:
Hi Stuart & Yvonne,
Just to say a big thank you for our stay with you over the week end.
We were made to feel welcome from the minute we walked through the door until the time we left.
The rooms were spotlessly clean and the breakfasts superb. It was nice to feel "part of the family" rather than just a paying guest.
We will be returning to the area again in the future and look forward to staying with you then.
Once again our sincere thanks for looking after us.
Mick & Diane Perry
Ian & Julie-Ann Cunningham
21/05/2007 - More from the article above
Here is another photograph from the recent stay of Mick & Diane Perry and Ian & Julie-Ann Cunningham who are featured in the article above.
03/05/2007 - Guests scale Scafell Pike
Kathrin, Tanja, Joerg and Sebastian, who are recent visitors from Germany and stayed with us at Lyndhurst Guest House. During their stay they scaled Scafell Pike (England's highest peak) and they can be seen here at the summit.
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