My husband and I had always wanted to stay at a National Trust property, and we were delighted with our stay at Monk Coniston. The setting was incredibly beautiful, on a tree-covered hillside overlooking Coniston Water. The hotel is a set of historic buildings--we stayed in the main house. The room itself was clean, up-to-date, quiet, and comfortable. The bar and lounge areas were gorgeous, tastefully decorated with lovely views. And the price was very reasonable.
Service was a bit scattered--the manager was coping with walking-tour groups as well as with independent guests like us--and were were told that dinner would not be available to us that night due to a private party--which I suspect was just a larger-than-usual walking tour group. That was OK with us, since we didn't mind the 20-minute walk into town, but others might have found that inconvenient if they were expecting to eat at the hotel.
Breakfast was very good, but the seating arrangement was tight--too many places were set at each of three large round tables--so we were literally rubbing elbows with other guests at breakfast. They should invest in a few more tables for the dining room!
Overall, however, the setting at Monk Coniston--the grounds, the view, the historic buildings--was so wonderful that it negated any of the small problems with service. It was truly exceptional, and I would stay there again in a minute!

We stayed at Monk Coniston for a 'long' weekend. Lovely location overlooking Coniston Water. Rooms were comfortable, and breakfast was a cold buffet, with hot dishes to order.
We also stayed for dinner one night, and the food was excellent, and above average quality and presentation. Property was a country estate, with no parking problems. We would stay again.