The History and Refurbishment of ‘Lacet Cottage’
From it’s owner Kate Fraser
The name is pronounced “Lace-ette” and the cottage was built some time in the nineteenth century, but as records are not firearms, we don’t know exactly when. Originally it was two cottages, which you can imagine made for very cramped living conditions, Lacet forms part of the Hutton John estate.
The Refurbishment all started in January 2017. We thought we’d have it finished by Easter, but Easter turned in to the end of May. It’s always the same with old properties – you start one job, that reveals two more. However, we think all the hard work has been worth it. Lacet has always had the most beautiful of settings, cocooned by the hillside and bordered by Skitwath Beck on its east side, but now the interior has been transformed. It took a lot of planning and lots of hard work from our fabulous team of builders. Dennis is deserving of particular mention, as he has overseen all of the work and turned all our ideas into reality.
We have gutted the whole cottage and it has metamorphosised into a luxurious two bedrooms getaway, one bedroom with a comfy super king bed and the other bedroom with a king bed and a roll top bath looking out to the hills above Ullswater. The lean-to became a wet room and utility with a doorway straight into the back garden.
We kept the little pantry, with its original sandstone floor and the cold slab, as a snug for anyone who wants a bit of time to themselves. The kitchen is compact, but fitted with all mod cons. The boot room enables you to throw off any dirty clothes and boots and dry them off and if you have brought your bike you can store it there under cover.
We think Lacet makes a wonderful place to relax and unwind after a day out in the glorious Lake District. Light the fire and take in the view, perhaps from the bath! Read a book or listen to the radio.
Alternatively, if the weather is good enjoy the peace and tranquility of the garden. The red squirrels have come back now the noise and hubbub has died down, and the birds too. I bet you won’t want to leave!
One last thing we owe an enormous debt of gratitude and therefore a BIG thank you to, Dennis, Mark, Sean, Donald, Aaron, Darren, Louis, Stephen, Chris, Colin, Ronnie, Steven, Darren, Graham and Mr Maxwell, who between them made the cottage look so fabulous and Karen who deftly sewed all the curtains and soft furnishings.
