“A bit disappointing really.”
We went there to celebrate a 30th birthday but left glad to be gone.
The listing itself is quite misleading. The property is smaller than expected and not quite as rural as implied. The property is within a large row of terraced houses, most of which seem to be other holiday lettings. The view from the front is of car parks and wheelie bins and the back is of sheds and gravel.
Inside the property was quite dirty with thick dust in a lot of places, stained and grubby rugs, and soiled or ...
We went there to celebrate a 30th birthday but left glad to be gone.
The listing itself is quite misleading. The property is smaller than expected and not quite as rural as implied. The property is within a large row of terraced houses, most of which seem to be other holiday lettings. The view from the front is of car parks and wheelie bins and the back is of sheds and gravel.
Inside the property was quite dirty with thick dust in a lot of places, stained and grubby rugs, and soiled or grimey crockery. We read the guest book and found a lot of people to be commenting on their 'welcome pack', which we didn't have. Some even mentioned receiving Prosecco. Again, something we did not find.
The general attempt to provide anything we felt was very lacking, from the owners, and even made us feel like we were imposing. For example, there was a lot of what felt like restrictions placed on us. We had to use a specific setting on the washing machine and we weren't supposed to touch the heaters, which came on at night and roasted the house resulting in very restless nights. There were only 3 washing tablets provided for the washing machine, about 4 kindlers, no paper, and a small basket of soft wood (cut from planks) that lasted all of about 20 minutes in the fire, and a 'smart TV' with no terrestrial channels and all apps had to be signed in to our own accounts to be able to be used, something we definitely don't want to be doing on holiday and especially not in someone else's home. Obviously nothing needs to be provided for us, but the fact that so little was, gave us the impression that we were imposing or somewhat unwelcome and the owners were renting just for the money and not bothered about the customer satisfaction or experience at all.
The shower was very small and very uncomfortable, which is a shame because it was a nice shower with a good temperature. As briefly mentioned in the listing, the stairs are very steep and narrow but the bottom set of stairs up to the first floor have a very dangerous opening at the top that is very close to the bathroom door. We only went up to the top floor to look and decided that it was not worth us using that room at all and never went back up.
The main bedroom is quite small and you can barely fit down the sides of the bed. The bed itself is very short and has a solid wooden end which comes up higher than the bed itself. This meant that I could not stretch out without putting my feet on top of it or kicking it unexpectedly, which was very uncomfortable. Because of these factors we definitely would not recommend this property for anyone elderly or anyone with children.
We liked the cosy feel of the sitting room and the stained glass window in the bathroom but the decor felt a bit naff (made for photos only) and took any real character away from what could be a beautiful cottage.
We definitely will not be returning, which is a shame as it could be a cottage with a nice interior. There were just too many negatives for us and we have stayed in a lot nicer cottages in much better locations with absolutely impeccable attention to detail and provisions that maximise customer satisfaction and the staycation experience, for the same price and less. This was the most expensive cottage we've stayed in, out of four in the last 18 months and it was, without question, the worst in every single aspect. At no point did we feel relaxed or welcomed into the cottage, we couldn't shake the feeling of reluctance to have us there.
A brief mention of other observations, that were not a reflection on the owner. But the pub the cottage is attached to was quite unfortunate to be in such close proximity to. The local patrons were rude and very ignorant of the car park. Parking across spaces and being very loud. The pub itself is actually not dog friendly and is only open from 18:00. This meant that on one night there was a dog tied up in the cold for the entire time the owner was inside, which was essentially from open until close which was about 4 hours. They claimed that the dog was happy but it looked utterly miserable and was sheltering under a bench in the cold and wet. We found this very distressing, we even tried to make it aware in the local Facebook page, but were abruptly kicked out of it after it became clear to us that the owner of the dog had the same surname as the group admin. Every aspect of the area and cottage made us feel extremely unwelcome. So, instead we went a short drive to eat at a place called 'The Witching Post Inn', which was absolutely wonderful. They were welcoming, kind, and so friendly and the food was brilliant, we could not fault them at all. It was a pleasant change to our experience so far.
As mentioned, we were glad to be leaving, which is an awful feeling to have after a holiday away and terrible when it's in your home country when the cost of the accommodation for four nights is more expensive than a week's holiday all inclusive on the continent. Places like this are why people aren't holidaying in the UK anymore.
We are extremely disappointed with your review which seems to contradict the vast majority of other reviews. Our contact numbers are given so clients can advise of any issues which you did not. We apologise if a welcome pack was not left out for you (prosecco was a special request by a guest) There are no restrictions on which program can be used on the washer or dishwasher merely advice on which programs are the quickest - guests are free to use whichever program they wish. The heaters are night storage heaters which work in a different way to central heating and are set to give optimal heat - guests are of course free to switch them off if they wish. A starter pack of kindling firelighters and wood are provided along with a starter supply of dishwasher tablets, washer pods, washing up liquid, loo roll, kitchen roll etc - it is after all a self catering property. The TV is a smart TV and most guests have no issue signing in and out of their own accounts such as BBC iplayer, itv x, netflix etc which gives access to live TV. The shower is the best we can provide in the space available- this is a small cottage after all. Perhaps you should have booked a more modern property if you wished to have a large shower. The stairs are steep and this is detailed in the property listing - the property is very old. None of the original features have been removed as this is what gives the cottage its character. The bed is not small it is a standard double bed - there is the option for a super king on the 2nd floor on request.
The other comments you have made we cannot comment on as they are completely out of our control.
To say 'places like this' are the reason people aren't holidaying in the UK is quite frankly an insult.
You clearly booked the wrong property for your needs. Anyone reading our other reviews will see that they are positive- including a recurring comment of 'spotlessly clean'.
Property Owner
