Holidays are a precious time in which to relax, especially during these unusual times, so we hope your stay at Maple Bank will be as relaxed as possible. We want you to feel like you're 'home-from-home, here in our home', but with a few extra treats.

For those of you who have stayed with us already, you'll know that our approach to cleanliness is extremely thorough - which is also reflected in our guests reviews' scores - and the wellbeing of our guests and friends who work with us is - and will always remain - our top priority. We will continue to manage our cleaning regimes and the space in the dining room during breakfast as we did during 2020/2021 after each lockdown, as well as how we manage our guests' bedrooms during each stay.

B&B check-in information

Before your arrival day, please can you let us know your approx arrival time.

Check-in is after 5pm. As we are a B&B, we don't have a 24-hr manned reception, which is why our check-in time is from 5pm onwards. This gives us plenty of time to clean your room, tidy the House, pop out to the shops and walk our dogs.

You're very welcome to arrive before 5pm and leave your car in the car park if you want to enjoy one of the many local walks from the House, or have a leisurely lunch or recuperative drink at one of the local pubs or tea shops in the village, all within walking distance. Please just email or call us to let us know. If your anticipated arrival time is after 7pm, then again, it would be great if you could let us know so we can plan our evening.

If you come before midday, we can give you your key and let you know when your room might be ready.

Please note that we do not have a separate toilet downstairs for guests. There is a public toilet in Braithwaite village, beside Jasper's Cafe.

Directions

Directions are available here Please do not rely on your satnav once you get to Braithwaite as you will end up in a really odd place in the village. And please note that if you follow these directions you will be able to easily see our sign from the junction off the A66 'Thornthwaite/Gallery'.

B&B Parking

All parking is free at Maple Bank and is on a first-come-first-served basis. We have seven guest rooms and six spaces on site. Two are at the front of the House and four are at the rear of the House in the car park. Additional parking is on the road outside the House, where we park our car. Please don't park on the pavement as this will block the pavement for prams and wheelchair access. (Our neighbours own the garage to the right of the House, so please don't park in front of these.)

What to expect in your B&B room

When you arrive at Maple Bank, you access the House by the front door where we will check you in.

In your room will be:

a welcome note with all the information you need: how to switch on your shower, where the plugs and USB plugs are, WiFi code and how to use the SMART TV - so don't forget to bring your Netflix and Amazon Prime log in details
please leave your registration form - a legal requirement - at reception once completed and signed. All guests are required to provide full address and contact details
a blank breakfast order form, so you can choose your breakfast for the next day. Please complete and leave in reception by 8pm each evening. We have always asked our guests to pre-order their breakfast as it helps plan our kitchen prep and more importantly, helps us manage any waste. Separate menu order forms are available for vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free diets
a room tidy order form - so you can order more tea bags or coffee sachets or clean cups each day. Just tick what you need and leave it outside your door in the morning
a list of recommended pubs and restaurants (with telephone numbers) in Braithwaite and Keswick, is beside your kettle, including those offering takeaway meals, with a little pawprint beside those restaurants which are dog-friendly
and details of our cold Sharing Platters for two - meat, fish or veggie - as well as our Hot Pot options - with a choice of beef stew, chicken casserole or a vegetarian hot pot - are available beside your kettle. Please order these 24-hours before your arrival if you would like a Sharing Platter or Hot Pot on the day that you arrive, or let us know at breakfast on the day you wish to enjoy them.

Signing the registration form means that you are happy to accept our requests during your stay at Maple Bank, in order to keep yourselves and other guests as relaxed as possible during your stay.

Breakfast information

Breakfast is between 8am and 9.30am and is cooked to order, once all of your party have come down to the dining room. We ask you to choose a breakfast time when you check in, just to make sure we can look after all our guests properly. If you're in a party of three or more, then we will try to block out at least half hour for your order so you can all be served together and so our other guests aren't caught up waiting for their breakfasts. This helps make sure that everyone can get out for their days adventures and enjoy the Lakes. If you need to be out in the morning by a specific time then please let us know the night before, especially if it is before 8.00am. You'll get a fresh menu order form every day so you can choose your breakfast each day.

If you had made plans and would like breakfast before 8am, then we can leave fruit salad, yoghurts, and milk and butter in the fridge in the dining room, along with cereals and bread out on the dresser. You can help yourself to these and make your toast as usual. We also have Porridge Pots available that you add hot water to (from the kettle in your room). Syrups, mixed seeds and dried fruit are available in the dining room on the dresser. Just let us know when you check in if you would like an early breakfast i.e. before 8am.

If you want to phone or email ahead to reserve a specific breakfast time, please do. Happy to help.

Staying with your dog at our B&B

If you're bringing a canine pal with you, we'll show you our fully enclosed garden, point out where to find the green dustbin for pooh-bags, and where to find dog-towels and doggy-dressing-gowns for wet paws. We have trays in each room for water and food bowls, but please do bring your dog's own beds, as it does seem to it help settle our four-legged guests more quickly. All rooms will have fleeces and throws for our four-legged guests which are washed after each stay. Please do read our 'Dog-Friendly' page for further information that you might need for your pooch. And please read our Dog Policy as well. Many thanks.

B&B room tidy service

Daily, please leave any dirty cups, glasses, plates and cutlery on your tray outside your bedroom door, along with your bin(s) if you wish it/them to be emptied. And we will replace the items for your return. Please can we ask you to open your windows to refresh and vent the room when you come down to breakfast and leave open whilst you're out.

For longer stays of four days or more, we will agree with you when you wish to change your towels. And we can discuss if and when you wish to have your bedlinen changed and your room hoovered.

Evening Meals

If you wish to have a take-away evening meal in the House rather than eat out, some of our local pubs and restaurants can offer you this service in Braithwaite and of course in Keswick. You're welcome to eat your meal in the dining room, at your table. Our recommendations and phone numbers are available in your room. And some takeaway menus are also in your guest folder, as well as being available online. We do ask that you don't eat hot food in your room as curry/chip sauces does not come out of bed linen. There is a small collapsible table in your cupboard if you wish to have sandwiches etc. And of course, please do bring your pooch down the dining room if you're enjoying your take-away down stairs. The Silk Road and Mama Mia will deliver to Maple Bank (with a delivery charge).

If you think you might be arriving late, then you can pre-order a sharing cold platter for two as an evening meal here at Maple Bank, for when you arrive. We can offer you meat, fish or vegetarian options @ £35 per platter, for two people. (Not available on Sunday nights.)

And of course, you're very welcome to enjoy a cold sharing platter any other time during your stay. We also offer hot options as well, with a choice of beef stew, chicken casserole or a vegetarian hot pot, all served with potato mash and peas @ £15 per person. Details are available beside your kettle in your room. Just let us know at breakfast on the day you wish to enjoy them.

The dining room also has a small guest fridge and you're welcome to pop any drinks or snacks in there as well.

Eating out in Braithwaite

There are three pubs and one hotel/restaurant in the village which you can walk to. A map of the village, with the local pubs and restaurant highlighted, with telephone numbers, is available at reception by the front door.

The Coledale Inn - 017687 78272. Approx 15 mins stroll through the village - independent pub , very welcoming with very generous portions - dog-friendly. Last food orders at 2045
The Royal Oak - 017683 92355. Approx 10 mins walk from the House. Brewery-owned pub. Good beer. Dog-friendly in the bar area. Last food orders at 2000
The Ruddings - 017687 78436. Approx 5 mins walk from the House. A fabulous gastropub. Dog-friendly. Last food orders at 2045
The Ivy House Hotel and Restaurant - 017687 78899 ( no dogs allowed). Approx 10 mins walk from the house. Can book online.

Guest sitting room at Maple Bank

We also have a guest sitting room at Maple Bank, on the ground floor, opposite the dining room. All guests, 4-legged as well as 2-legged - are welcome to use the sitting room. There are details of walks and places to visits in there. Plenty of chairs and sofa space. There is a radio if you wish to have music. And all of our board games, packs of cards, Uno, draughts, chess, Snakes and Ladders, Banagram, Articulate, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary etc etc are all available to use during your stay. If the door is open, you're welcome to enjoy the sitting room at any time during the day and evening. Perhaps to enjoy your complimentary cake after your day out or after breakfast to plan your day. No TV. We do ask that you retire to your rooms by 10pm.

The garden at our B&B

The garden is there for everyone to enjoy, not just our four-legged guests. Here you'll also find our newly created Paradise Terrace with chairs and a table for anyone that would like to sit outside. And more chairs are available if needed - just ask.

If it's wet or muddy, you can leave your boots in the hall to dry out, and we always have plenty of newspaper which you can use to scrunch up inside any wet boots. Any wet clothes can be hung up in the hall or in the private bathroom. Best not to leave them in your car as they are unlikely to dry out overnight.

Pre-ordering sandwiches

If you're wanting to pre-order some sandwiches for your days adventures, the Village Shop in Braithwaite is happy to make them up for you. You'll need to order them by 8pm the night before and email your order to braithwaitevillageshop@gmail.com You can check out menu options here