Hannah Drury did not sell the £4 million Lake District house she won through an Omaze draw in 2025. Instead, she and her family turned Deer Close, the luxury property overlooking Coniston Water, into a holiday let and welcomed their first guests in January 2026.
The decision has proved popular fast. The home secured 46 bookings in its debut year, and reservations were already stretching into 2027, a sharp response for a property that can sleep up to 10 guests and comes with a private jetty, direct lake access and a boathouse snug looking out over the water.
Drury said the phone call telling her she had won did not feel real at first. She said she had gone from living a completely normal life to owning an extraordinary lakeside house, and that she and her family did consider selling it before deciding it was too special to let go. Opening it to guests, she said, felt like the best way to make the most of it while keeping it part of family life.
Drury’s choice also meant staying in work. She continued teaching at primary school after the win, saying it still felt surreal at times but that she loved her job and saw the house as a source of security for the future. That combination — a major property prize, a working owner and a family home that became a business — is what has kept Deer Close in the spotlight.
The property was listed through and has been opened up with the kind of amenities that help explain the demand: an outdoor kitchen, a hot tub, and a wellness suite with a gym and treatment room. In a statement on the appeal of such stays, James Shaw said demand was growing for unique, experience-led breaks in iconic UK destinations such as the Lake District, adding that homes with standout features and memorable settings were especially popular with holidaymakers looking to make more of their time away.
The booking surge suggests Drury’s decision answered the question that came with the win: keep the house, share it, and turn a one-off prize into something that still works for her family. For now, that choice has given Deer Close a second life — and a calendar that is filling well beyond its first season.
