3 Bed Houses To Rent in Selside and Fawcett Forest

Selside and Fawcett Forest sits in a rental market that works on a very different scale from urban housing. Comparable sale prices across the surrounding LA8 postcode area show an overall average of £415,000, yet rental stock in the parish itself is thin on the ground and usually very localised. What does surface is often a mix of traditional agricultural dwellings, converted farm buildings and the odd period cottage, which fits a building stock shaped by the C14th through to the C18th centuries.

House prices in the wider Selside area have corrected noticeably lately, now 22% below the previous year and 6% under the 2010 peak of £440,000. That movement has started to feed into rental expectations across the broader market, although limited supply inside the parish means individual property features often matter more than market drift. A terraced home in the Selside area sold for £415,000 in February 2025, while semi-detached properties have reached around £532,000, a sign of the premium attached to family-sized homes in this sought-after spot.

Anyone using our platform should keep in mind that this rural market is intimate, so new rentals can appear only rarely. We track listings across several local sources and flag them as soon as properties in Selside and Fawcett Forest come up for rent. With so many heritage buildings here, including numerous Grade II and Grade II* listed structures such as Selside Hall and the Church of St Thomas built in 1838, tenants should also expect specialist maintenance needs linked to age and character.

Life in Selside and Fawcett Forest still feels like proper Cumbrian countryside living, much as it has for centuries. The civil parish is spread out, with a village community set among open countryside, moorland and the working farms that have shaped the landscape for generations. Fawcett Forest itself recorded just 23 residents in 2001, a figure that says plenty about the remoteness and calm that define everyday life in this part of Westmorland and Furness.

The local economy has long been driven by rural work, with hill farming, grouse shooting and small-scale quarrying providing the mainstay of employment. These days, many residents travel to Kendal for work, shopping and services, while tourism adds extra income for a good number of local families. The parish’s many listed buildings, including Selside Hall, the Church of St Thomas built in 1838, and dozens of C17th and C18th farmhouses and barns, leave the area’s farming past visible in the streets and lanes.

For those searching through our listings for a break from urban pressure, Selside and Fawcett Forest offers a rare standard of living set against striking natural surroundings. The parish is close to the Lake District National Park, so walking routes, cycling trails and all kinds of outdoor pursuits are on the doorstep. Nearby villages cover the day-to-day basics, while Kendal, about 8 miles away, brings supermarkets, healthcare and a wider choice of shops, cafés and restaurants.

Families looking at a rental in Selside and Fawcett Forest will find most education provision in the nearby villages and in Kendal. The parish itself is too small for dedicated primary schools, which reflects the dispersed settlement pattern across this part of Cumbria. Children usually travel out to surrounding villages for school, with transport handled through the local education authority’s catchment area policies.

Kendal has several respected primary and secondary schools serving the wider rural hinterland, including the LA8 postcode area that covers Selside. Parents should check the latest admissions policies and catchment maps published by Westmorland and Furness Council to see which schools their children can apply for. Many rural schools in this corner of Cumbria have close community links and smaller class sizes, and primary schools in villages such as Staveley and Burton have long served families from outlying parishes, while the Kent Estuary area gives extra options for those in the southern part of the postcode.

For secondary school, pupils usually move on to schools in Kendal or the surrounding towns, with school transport running across the rural network for children from outlying parishes. The Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale serves families in the southern part of the area, while those nearer Kendal generally use The West Lakes Academy or one of the town’s own secondary schools. Sixth form provision is available at secondary schools in Kendal, and further education college facilities can be reached in the larger towns nearby. Families moving from urban areas may find rural school transport needs a bit of advance planning, especially with the distances involved and the changeable weather that can affect travel in exposed Cumbrian locations.

Transport in Selside and Fawcett Forest reflects the parish’s rural character, so most daily journeys rely on a private car. The area sits within an agricultural landscape where public transport runs on frequencies better suited to occasional use than to everyday commuting. Bus links between Selside, Kendal and the surrounding villages give a vital connection for anyone without a car, and the 30/31 service is one of the main routes between the village and the market town. Current timetables are worth checking so the exact departure times and journey lengths are clear.

For people commuting to Kendal, driving usually takes around 20-30 minutes, depending on the destination and traffic on rural roads. The A591 and A6 are the main routes linking this part of Westmorland and Furness to Kendal, though some journeys involve single-track lanes typical of Cumbrian rural roads. Those travelling from properties we list further afield, perhaps towards Lancaster, Penrith or the M6 corridor, should allow extra time because the main transport hubs are some distance away. Lancaster is usually around 45 minutes to an hour, while Penrith is roughly 40 minutes away via the M6.

Rail travel is available through Kendal station, with onward links to the West Coast Main Line at Oxenholme Lake District. From there, direct trains run to London Euston, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, so Selside and Fawcett Forest can work as a base for commuting professionals who are comfortable with the travel time. The nearest major motorway access is the M6 at junction 36, for Kendal/Sedbergh, about 15 miles from the parish, giving wider national connections for longer trips. The X35 bus also links Kendal with the station at Oxenholme, which is useful for those depending on public transport for longer journeys.

Renting in Selside and Fawcett Forest brings a set of issues that are quite unlike urban lettings. With so many historic and listed buildings in the parish, many rental homes are period properties and need a tenant who understands their heritage character. Before committing to anything, we would arrange a full inspection of the property, with particular attention to the roof structure, damp proofing and the condition of any wood-burning stoves or solid fuel heating systems common in traditional Cumbrian homes.

The flood risk profile in Selside and Fawcett Forest needs careful thought because of the parish geography. Selside sits between the River Mint and River Sprint, so some homes may fall within flood risk zones that affect buildings insurance premiums and the availability of contents cover. It is sensible to ask about the flood history of any property under consideration and to check what flood resilience measures have been put in place by current or previous owners. Low-lying homes near watercourses may face higher insurance costs or limits on cover.

Rural broadband in Selside and Fawcett Forest varies a great deal, so anyone working from home or needing dependable high-speed internet should check the service available at the exact address. Mobile phone coverage can also be patchy in parts of the parish, which is worth confirming before committing to a tenancy if reliable communication matters to your routine. We suggest checking with more than one provider, since some rural spots may only have satellite broadband or community-led schemes rather than standard copper or fibre connections.

Budgeting for renting in Selside and Fawcett Forest needs more than just the monthly rent. The first costs of securing a tenancy usually include a security deposit, generally set at five weeks' rent and held in a government-approved deposit protection scheme for the duration of the tenancy. That deposit is returned at the end, subject to deductions for damage beyond fair wear and tear or for unpaid rent. It is also wise to allow for referencing fees, which usually run from £100-£300 per adult tenant and cover credit checks, employment verification and previous landlord references.

For tenants looking at properties in Selside and Fawcett Forest, the heritage status of many local buildings deserves close attention. Traditional stone cottages, converted barns and listed farmhouses that define the rental market here can hide maintenance issues not obvious during a standard viewing. A RICS Level 2 Survey before signing the tenancy agreement is strongly advised, because it gives a detailed assessment of the property, picking up structural concerns, damp, roof condition and other problems that could affect day-to-day living or need the landlord’s attention. With much of the stock dating from the C14th through to the C18th centuries, a professional survey can be especially useful in spotting hidden defects.

Utility bills in rural homes can be different from urban ones, with heating costs often higher in period properties that have solid walls and older systems. Rural broadband and mobile coverage also need to sit in the budget and in lifestyle planning. Council tax in Westmorland and Furness is charged by band, and most homes in this parish fall within bands A to D. First-time renters in England may qualify for certain exemptions or reduced costs, although these depend on individual circumstances and should be checked with the relevant authorities before a tenancy is agreed.