- Mrs Frost, January 2018 - verified booking

"Have been booking short breaks and longer holidays through Sykes for a number of years and have always been very happy with their website and communications with me, once I have made a booking. All the cottages that we have booked have exceeded expectations and we have always highly recommended them and even returned to a few. It is just unfortunate that this particular cottage under performed in a few key areas. Lovely quaint cottage in a lovely area close to main roads giving quick access to areas and towns of interest. However, whilst the bedrooms were comfortable and roomy with lots of towels and storage space, the kitchen, bathroom and lounge were a real disappointment. Starting with the kitchen, a massive range cooker and 2 butler sinks took up most of the space that could of been used for a work surface added to this a dishwasher and fridge that were not under a work surface then the only preparation space was in the corner. A huge welsh dresser adorned a 3rd wall but 2 shelves had christmas lights draped over them so was no use for anything. A massive fold down table with fold up chairs took up the 4th wall and would have taken up any spare floor space if put up to eat at. A fridge freezer took up all the space in the porch which could of been used for shoes and coats, there is nowhere else to put them, So they spent the holiday thrown under and on the leaning tower of fold up chairs. In the bathroom the floor was covered with 5 bits of carpet and bath mats making the room look and feel messy. The lounge is tiny. With a wood burner jutting out into the room the potential for warm and cosy has been lost to the largest white 3, 2 and 1 seater sofas that I have ever seen, all covered in white throws that immediately look a mess as soon as you sit on them. The addition of a further 7 throws and 17, yes 17, cushions and the room becomes a minefield to navigate, as you squeeze around and between soft furnishings. This beautiful cottage has the potential to be an absolute gem as a holiday let but with small windows festooned with swags that block out a lot of natural light the kitchen and lounge feel gloomy and dark. The gloomy feeling continues when you see the cobwebs and layers of dust on areas such as the hall lampshade and top of shower. I presume that the owner lived in the house until deciding to rent it out and as a home to 1 or 2 people the cottage probably works fine but if it is to become a successful holiday let, with up to 4 people staying at a time, the owner needs to look at the property with fresh eyes and lose the oversized furniture and excess soft furnishings."

Mrs Frost - verified booking

"All the cottages that we have booked have exceeded expectations and we have always highly recommended them and even returned to a few. It is just unfortunate that this particular cottage under performed in a few key areas. Lovely quaint cottage in a lovely area close to main roads giving quick access to areas and towns of interest. However, whilst the bedrooms were comfortable and roomy with lots of towels and storage space, the kitchen, bathroom and lounge were a real disappointment. Starting with the kitchen, a massive range cooker and 2 butler sinks took up most of the space that could of been used for a work surface added to this a dishwasher and fridge that were not under a work surface then the only preparation space was in the corner. A huge welsh dresser adorned a 3rd wall but 2 shelves had christmas lights draped over them so was no use for anything. A massive fold down table with fold up chairs took up the 4th wall and would have taken up any spare floor space if put up to eat at. A fridge freezer took up all the space in the porch which could of been used for shoes and coats, there is nowhere else to put them, So they spent the holiday thrown under and on the leaning tower of fold up chairs. In the bathroom the floor was covered with 5 bits of carpet and bath mats making the room look and feel messy. The lounge is tiny. With a wood burner jutting out into the room the potential for warm and cosy has been lost to the largest white 3, 2 and 1 seater sofas that I have ever seen, all covered in white throws that immediately look a mess as soon as you sit on them. The addition of a further 7 throws and 17, yes 17, cushions and the room becomes a minefield to navigate, as you squeeze around and between soft furnishings. This beautiful cottage has the potential to be an absolute gem as a holiday let but with small windows festooned with swags that block out a lot of natural light the kitchen and lounge feel gloomy and dark. The gloomy feeling continues when you see the cobwebs and layers of dust on areas such as the hall lampshade and top of shower. I presume that the owner lived in the house until deciding to rent it out and as a home to 1 or 2 people the cottage probably works fine but if it is to become a successful holiday let, with up to 4 people staying at a time, the owner needs to look at the property with fresh eyes and lose the oversized furniture and excess soft furnishings."

Janet walker - verified booking

"Not at all what we expected from a 4 star rated cottage . The cottage was grubby !In fact we had to clean the dust from the bathroom radiators/towel rails before we were able to use them. The washing machine dispenser drawer was in a disgusting state in that it was black with mildew and on removing it to wash it the mildew was even worse underneath .The furniture overall was old and shoddy especially in the bedrooms where the wardrobes were so shallow that a normal size coat hanger does not fit in, making it impossible to hang up our clothes !!The equipment in the kitchen left much to be desired and much of it was faulty e.g. even the scissors had a broken handle.The fridge was faulty in that no matter how low we turned it, the food was on the point of freezing. It should be made clear that although there IS shared use of a freezer it is,in fact, in the owners garage which is a good 300 yards down a slope to access. Not helpful for people such as us who all have walking /breathing difficulties!Onto the TV - be aware that this is only a very small 24 inch screen. Certainly not big enough for the size of the room .The roll top bath is very nice but for people with mobility issues is difficult to get in or out of. Some grab rails would make a very useful addition.On a positive note the sofa and chairs in the lounge area was very nice and comfortable to sit on.All in all this cottage needs a complete refurbishment because it could be lovely.All in all we would rate this at no more than 3 star rating."

David - verified booking

"This is lovely house in an excellent location and good local restaurants.We were disappointed with the house though. When you pay premium prices you expect a premium property. For example the dishwasher was broken, we couldn't get the electric induction hob to work and couldn't find instructions. It was marketed as sleeping eight but only had 5 cereal bowels and a mixture of crockery odds and ends. There were too few saucepans. One of the patio chairs had a bolt missing and was potentially unsafe. Several lights didnt work despite changing the bulbs, (not something you should have to do when you arrive). The kitchen table was too small for anything other than two people, the logburner had not been cleaned out and there were cobwebs here and there. Then you are told that to use the hot tub will cost you £150! Clearly the owner doesn't want you to use it.If these issues are addressed we would stay again but until they are we couldn't recommend it. This post has been made with the full knowledge of English Country Cottages."

Mr Marriott - verified booking

"The cottage was not as expected. On arrival the premises had obviously been neglected. On using the bathroom the toilet seat was loose, the shower handle was not secure and both the bath and sink had leeks in the U bends. In the kitchen was a fitted refrigerator which was not working correctly and failed to keep the food fresh. There was a further refrigerator in the hall, but this was also very poor. There was no information in respect of either the property or places to visit and there was little communication from the owner. On speaking with the owner when we left the property a day early, we became aware that the property had in fact been sold the previous day so it was obvious that this was the reason that the property had been allowed to get into the state we found it as they appeared to have lost interest as they were expecting to leave the premises and were not interested in keeping it in good repair. A very disappointing holiday!"