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Barforth Hall Parlour

(Ref. 927831)

Gainford near Barnard Castle, Yorkshire Dales - North Show on map

3.9

Sykes rating

  • 2 Guests

  • 1 Bedroom

  • 1 Bathroom

  • Pets Yes

Features

  • Off road parking
  • Ground floor bedroom
  • Garden / Patio
  • Cot available
  • Highchair available
  • Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing
Cleanliness
Comfort
Facilities and Maintenance
  • All reviews
  • cottage (8)
  • all (7)
  • lovely (7)
  • stay (6)
  • much (6)
  • bed (6)

21 Customer Reviews

  • "Very basic, I had to go and buy a pan as only one small pan in cupboard, no potato peeler, no tin opener,no cleaning materials at all nothing to clean the toilet."

    Never saw one person to speak to all week.very disappointing. Sorry.

    Reviewed by Greta3.1Sep 2023

  • "It's a loverly location."

    Perfect if you want to get away from the hussle and bustle of life. The scenery is outstanding, especially the abandoned chapel as you drive down the lane.

    Reviewed by Paul5.0Sep 2023

  • "Second stay here and enjoyed it as much as the first if you like staying in the countryside it is ideal."

    Reviewed by Joan5.0Oct 2022

  • "Very enjoyable stay lovely quiet place to go for a quiet vacation ,it is on a working farm so expect it to be country, at the price would recommend it to people wanting a country break and very dog friendly."

    Reviewed by Joan4.4Sep 2022

  • "The words 'delightful' and 'idyllic' are not words I would use to describe this accommodation."

    I stayed at Barforth Hall Parlour for a week whilst working in the area. My welcome to the cottage was being told by the owner on my day of arrival that check in was from 4pm and to bring my own towels, however this was rectified following my request that I was arriving at 3pm and did not have towels with me. Sadly on arrival I found the accommodation and facilities to be inadequate, basic, gloomy, dated, shabby and depressing. I usually stay in Sykes' accommodation whilst working in the UK so have sampled many different types of accommodation but this one falls far short of the standard expected. Desperately in need of a major make-over and improvements, it gives the impression that the owners just can't be bothered but are happy to take payment for offering sub-standard accommodation. I had to prop the fridge up using DVDs as it was leaning so much all the contents ended up at one side. Basic essentials of holiday accommodation were missing - oven gloves, hairdryer, iron, sweeping brush and pan, washing machine either in the accommodation or nearby, kitchen roll and only one toilet roll provided for the week and a half used bottle of washing up liquid. There was a washing line in the small courtyard but only 6 clothes pegs to use. There was a problem with the cold water which ran out which from reading other reviews, seems to be a recurring problem but the owner did rectify when advised. On the plus side the bed was comfortable, it was quiet and the internet worked well, although I lost my mobile signal as soon as I arrived at the cottage which was a problem. Sadly not somewhere I will return to and I could not recommend to anyone else.

    I’m pleased you had a comfortable, quiet stay. I have always taken great pride in my customer service and introduce myself when guests ring. I have been asking guests by email to please bring towels if possible whilst the laundry are trying to recruit new staff. If this isn’t possible I make sure we supply them. I had informed the guest that towels would be provided and 3 pm check in was no problem I pulled the fridge out when the guest left to find broken dvds. I will ask my husband to re adjust the legs to ensure the fridge isn’t leaning. There is an oven glove plus a box of new pegs in one of the top drawers. We have had 2 water problems recently. Firstly a couple of weeks ago the very hot days caused a burst pipe. This was resolved in a few hours- all guests kept informed and very understanding. The second problem was during the guest’s stay. I received an email from the guest last week saying her cold water was off. I rang for help and had the problem resolved within an hour and a half. There had been a power cut that had tripped the water filtration system the guest was informed immediately. We have recently had some lovely feedback from guests. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Gillian2.2Jul 2022

  • "Lovely cottage with all facilities."

    Ideal location, we went to Richmond, Barnard castle and Aysgarth Falls .Weather very kind to us .Really enjoyed the open space and seeing the horses, goats and alpaca every day . Great time.

    Reviewed by David5.0Apr 2022

  • "Shower room and toilet needs a refurb, intermittent hot and cold water in shower."

    Basic cleaning tools not available I.e Hoover or dust pan and brush. Unfortunately we had noisy neighbour's. No footpaths or walks unless you drive a fairway.

    Reviewed by Steve2.8Apr 2022

  • "We really enjoyed our holiday in this lovely quaint cottage everything you needed for a lovely break away the farm itself is so picturesque we read up about the Barforth and the church and horse Bridge."

    Which was very interesting . The animals on the farm where so cute and very friendly it was a delight to stay somewhere so peaceful and quiet . I actually slept very well the bed was so comfy and I very rarely sleep much when I'm away( I have fibromyalgia and arthritis ) we just loved everything about this beautiful peaceful place thank you so much for allowing us to stay we will be visiting again ❤️

    Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. I’m pleased you had a good break. Regards Paula and Jason x Property Owner

    Reviewed by Janine5.0Mar 2022

  • "Although the cottage was clean it was devoid of anything else."

    no cleaning materials, no hoover only a mop and bucket. no hairdryer. no information on local places to visit. no information on utilities and disposal of rubbish. Is this what to expect, are the owners of these holiday lets using covid as an excuse to do nothing but take the money.

    Reviewed by Marie3.1Sep 2021

  • "Very poor accessibility to cottage, this cottage had NOT been deep cleaned, really dirty and smelly, half used handwash and washing up liquid left, handwash had been watered down."

    Stains on bed frame, bed frame legs broken. Kettle dirty and leaked boiling water all over, luckily we didn't get scalded. Drawing pin on sofa, sat on it!! Complained to owner, she didn't seem bothered about rectifying our complaints. Stated that shop and pub approx 1 mile away, they are not, shop is 3 miles and pub 4 miles away. Would not go back.

    Thank you for you latest email, I've taken a look at it and made some changes, please could you review the following and confirm if you are happy with it? ** Thank you for getting in touch and leaving feedback for your stay at Barforth Hall Parlour. I was sorry to hear you had such issues, when i was contacted by Sykes shortly after you arrived I immediately returned to see if i could help rectify any issues you had. To which i was not made to feel welcome and decided to leave after i had felt threatened when one of your party tried to push me out of the door. Sykes have confirmed that you did not contact them after i attended the property and no further issues were raised. The entrance is as pictured on the listing so i am sorry this was not suitable for yourselves, we try and make sure everything is as visible as possible so our guests know what they are getting when booking with us. We follow a very strict cleaning protocol and make sure the cottage is in the best condition for our guests. We've since been to the property and checked the kettle, which is working fine, along with the bed frame, which is clean and not broken. I hope next time you book a holiday cottage it is one more suitable for yourselves and please note, I would of been happy to come in and help had i not been abruptly spoken to at the property and almost pushed out of the door. I noticed a couple of days later that you decided to stay at the property for the full week so i hope you did manage to settle in and have a nice time at Bartforth Hall after a long and stressful journey. The Owner. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Diane1.3Aug 2021

  • "Great location, great surroundings."

    Reviewed by Jayendra4.7Jul 2021

  • "The pictures do not do this property justice, it is far bigger than it appears ..."

    The pictures do not do this property justice, it is far bigger than it appears to be in the listed photos and was immaculate inside loved our stay there and would certainly consider returning in the future

    Reviewed by Steven5.0Oct 2020

  • "This is the worst place I have ever stayed."

    Unclean, bedding ripped and didn’t fit the bed properly. Water pressure is none existent. Lots of Beetles, flys and spiders within the property because the property is not sealed. If ur bigger than a women’s size 14 you will not fit in the very small shower. Nearest Take-Away is 20 minute drive because you are in the middle of the country. You do not get any welcome pack no milk, butter, bread, tea, coffee. All you get is half a toilet roll. I was asked to drive my rubbish half a mile down the track to the bins. These cottages have people every week yet there are very few recent reviews which should tell you something. The reviews that have been left say how nice the owners are and that’s because there are so many problems that you will see them often.

    Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear your comments as you have been staying at the property for some time and these issues haven't been raised. The comments you have made are not typical of our guests who leave some lovely reviews for us. The shower at the property is a standard size. The water pressure in the area is not great but we haven't had any other complaints about this from other Customers. The bedding isn't ripped and was purchased when lock down started in March. Due to no washing machine being available at the site, we took the laundry to the launderette. We are based in the countryside. There are nearby pubs which are a ten minute drive & serve takeaway Welcome packs are not provided since the pandemic started. This is typical of many owners to prevent transmission however we do leave a toilet roll in case anyone has forgotten this on their way We have had to make some changes due to Covid 19 and ask Customers to deposit their own rubbish in the bins at the start of the farm road which is passed by Customers as they enter and leave the site. This again is to prevent transmission and protect our maintenance team from transmission Property Owner

    Reviewed by Sarah1.6Jul 2020

  • "We were uncomfortable at the Parlour, the lounge/bedroom area is very small with not a lot of space."

    I've lived in a studio apartment for a few years & the Parlour was nowhere near as good. The fire didn't work when we arrived, we were given a portable one until new batteries were fitted the following day. The bed was very uncomfortable with a hard ridge right down the middle so neither of us slept well at all. The sofa not good either, uncomfortable after a while when either watching tv or reading. In the small shower there's nowhere for shampoo/shower gel, & not enough room to bend over to pick them off the base. On the Tuesday we ran out of cold water because the people next door ran off all our cold water, nothing we were warned about at any time, it was sorted out when we went out for the day. The directions we were given were useless, we drove round for over an hour without finding the place, after a few tries we managed to speak to someone who gave us a different post code that worked. The roads have no name boards, & Barforth Parlour didnt have any boards out either. It was so bad we actually left early, on Wednesday instead of Saturday, & it would have been earlier had it not been bonfire night on the Tuesday as we wanted somewhere quiet for our dog who is terrified of fireworks.

    Reviewed by Kadi2.5Nov 2019

  • "A lovely location if - like us - you like the countryside and getting away from it all."

    The cottage is on a working farm and we loved having an inquisitive llama in the field opposite the front door! The cottage has a very comfy bed/living room combined and there’s a separate kitchen and shower room so more spacious than expected. The kitchen might benefit from a few more utensils but fine for cooking easy dishes. Water was always hot but pressure was a bit low. A great base for exploring the lovely towns and countryside. We did have a problem with WiFi but the owners were very quick in coming to help. Overall we had a lovely stay and I’d happily return as we felt our 6 night stay was too short.

    Reviewed by Sarah4.4Oct 2019

  • "Lovely accommodation, much bigger than we expected."

    Had everything we needed.

    Reviewed by Alison5.0Sep 2019

  • "My only complaint is that it was stated that the local village of Gainford was within one mile and accessible via a bridge, however this information is incorrect as the bridge in question has been closed by the local authority and it is not possible to walk into the village as suggested."

    This information needs to be corrected.

    Reviewed by Roger3.8Mar 2019

  • "The parlour was much bigger than expected in room sizing and we were plesently surprised with what there was to offer."

    The animals around the cottage were lovely and there were lots of good places to explore via the public footpaths nearby. It's a great base for people who want a variety of trips out. I would highly recommend and look forward to coming back in the furure

    Reviewed by Christopher5.0Feb 2019

  • "Greeting on arrival would have been beneficial"

    Reviewed by Diane4.4Sep 2018

  • "A much needed lovely break We had to go to Newcastle one day."

    .that had been the purpose of the trip but thoroughly enjoyed coming back to the peace and quiet of the parlour. Next day we visited Barnard Castle and caught the Christmas market at Richmond. Monday on the way home we visited Leyburn Just such a lovely varied area..so much to see. We appreciated being able to take our dog with us . With such ease and no fuss. The parlour had everything we needed..it was comfortable.....minimalist Bookings, direcations, welcome by owner and Sykes Cottages was straightforward to the point. .non stressful..just what we needed

    Reviewed by Elizabeth4.6Dec 2017

  • "Fab location set on a farm, surrounded by animals, great walks, very rural, cottage had everything that was needed."

    Reviewed by Susan4.8Feb 2017

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Summary

  • All ground floor
  • Studio accommodation with one king-size double bed, dining area and sitting area
  • Shower room with shower, basin and WC
  • Kitchen.
  • Electric central heating
  • Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, TV with Freeview, DVD, WiFi, selection of books, games and DVDs
  • Fuel and power inc. in rent
  • Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
  • Cot and highchair on request
  • Off road parking for 1 car
  • Patio area with table and chairs
  • One well-behaved pet welcome
  • Sorry, no smoking
  • Shop and pub 1 mile
  • Note: There are riding stables next to the cottage
  • Note: Access to the property is via a one-mile narrow track, which is a bit rough in places, but isnt pot holed or rutted
  • Charging of electric vehicles is not permitted
  • 1.8 mile to Winston village -pub on a bridle path and 3miles to Eppleby shop and Tea rooms tarmac lane

The property

A delightful ground floor, stone-built terraced cottage, this idyllic retreat has a studio-style living area with a king-size double bed and sitting area combined.

A modern shower room and small kitchen complete the layout to provide guests with everything they need.

Outside, a private patio is situated overlooking the meadowland, a great place to sit and relax watch the horses.

A wonderful retreat for setting up base and enjoying this unspoilt area.

Note: This property can be booked with Refs. 915731, 927830, 919938 1058221 together they sleep 27.

Barforth Hall Cottages

Eppleby 2.9 miles. These charming cottages are set in a beautiful rural location in the grounds of Barforth Hall, six miles from the village of Gainford and eight miles from Barnard Castle. They form part of a group of former farm buildings and provide an excellent base for touring this unspoilt and historic area. Featuring a variety of accommodation, these ground floor cottages provide wonderful holiday homes for couples, families and groups of friends who want to relax and discover County Durham and the Yorkshire Dales. The cottages are an ideal base for animal lovers as there are horses in stables next door, and just across the entrance is a small paddock, which is home to a family of alpacas. Footpaths spread off in every direction straight from the door, including a lovely trail which meanders along next to the river, or you can pop to the pretty village of Gainford, home to a shop and pub. There are plenty of opportunities for cycling, hiking and touring in this beautifully scenic area, with Hamsterley Forest, the deer park at nearby Raby Castle, or you can discover the waterfalls at High Force and Cauldron Snout. The market town of Barnard Castle, with cobbled streets and the Bowes Museum, is within reach, plus a short drive brings you into the heart of Durham, with its majestic cathedral standing high above the River Wear. These lovely cottages provide well-equipped accommodation in a wonderful countryside location.

View on map

About the location

GAINFORD

Barnard Castle 8 miles; Darlington 8 miles; Richmond 13 miles.

Gainford is a pretty village in Teesdale, standing on the River Tees at the boundary with Yorkshire. The village offers a scattering of Georgian houses set on an unspoilt village green, as well as a newsagents/general store, fish and chip shop and a pub, and is close to spectacular waterfalls, sweeping moorlands and magnificent castles. There is also one Michelin starred restaurant within easy reach of the village, giving the opportunity to dine out in luxury. Ancient market towns dot the area and the historic town of Barnard Castle lies within easy reach, boasting castle remains overlooking the town, as well as the impressive Bowes Museum. Built as an impressive French-style chateau, the museum houses a magnificent collection of fine and decorative art. Other places of interest close to Gainford are the ruins of Egglestone Abbey and Rokeby Hall, High Force, Cauldron’s Snout, Derwent Reservoir, and Hexham with its stately abbey, as well as the magnificent cathedral city of Durham. A little further afield the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North York Moors, Lake District, Northumberland National Park and the coastal towns of Whitby and Saltburn are all within easy driving distance.

Note: There is no car charging allowed at the property.

Note: It may be possible to arrange matching changeover days for this property and the others in the group, if they are being booked together. Please contact Sykes for more information.

This property offers the following short breaks:

  • Winter
  • Off-season
  • Last minute