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"Excellent property for large groups."
The cottage was very spacious, clean and well presented. We loved the large garden and the games room is a great touch. The only problem we had was the shower in the downstairs en suite being too hot too use but as there is plenty of bathrooms this wasn't a major issue, but the owner will need to look at this. We have a great stay and I would recommend it to others.
Reviewed by BethMay 2022
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"We loved staying in this property."
The rooms were very clean and were a good size for a large group meaning everyone could sit together in the living room and dining room, plus there were also plenty of bathrooms for a big group. The garden is spacious and very sunny, and it's gated so feels nicely private too
Reviewed by JoannaMay 2022
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"Lovely cottage, would benefit from larger patio area, fantastic size garden, slight issues with hot water."
Also would prefer some plastic cups & plates for the young children. We all had a great time.
Reviewed by AnneApr 2022
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"We’ve just returned from a fabulous break at this cottage."
There were 13 of us celebrating a special birthday and plenty of room for us all to comfortably stay. The garden is huge and I can imagine this being fabulous in the summer as there was plenty of outside seating etc. Both the cottage and annex were really well equipped, extremely clean and we appreciated little touches like tea, coffee and milk which were very welcome until the Tesco shop arrived! We did have an issue with some of the radiators not working but both Sykes and the owner were great and this was quickly dealt with. It’s worth using the phone box opposite the property as guide (especially in the dark) and there was a handy manual to help us navigate the TV etc.
I was badly let down at the last minute by another letting company but I cannot recommend Sykes or this property highly enough. Thank you again for a wonderful stay!
Reviewed by EmmaJan 2022
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"We had a fantastic week at this property, with 14 of us plus 2 dogs sharing it for an early family Christmas get together."
Ages ranged from 20 months to 74 years and everyone was catered for here. The youngsters loved the games room and the dogs loved the large, secure garden. We found everything we needed to cook a full Christmas dinner and were impressed with the range of pots, pans and crockery available. The dining room was perfect and there was a high chair provided for the little one. All the rooms were comfortable and there was plenty of space, seating, bathrooms and showers for everyone.
The only room for improvement we found was in terms of the heating, particularly in the annex which had underfloor heating. It would be nice to have a simpler, controllable system which you can adjust more easily. Having said that, it was pretty cold while we were there so we can’t complain we were too hot!
All in all, a great place for a large get together and we would certainly stay again.
Reviewed by John & KateDec 2021
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"West View Cottage."
Beautiful big house and perfect for a large family or group of friends.
We booked for an early birthday celebration and it was ideal.
Great kitchen, with a table so you don't feel isolated if you're cooking.
Two ovens, but need more shelving racks.
Dishwasher but no rinse aid or salt so everything comes out dirty. Tried contacting Sykes twice on the Saturday and got a message on the Sunday day about tablets, which wasn't what I contacted them about.
Complimentary milk, sugar, tea, coffee sachets. Plus washing up liquid, 2 tea towels, sponge, cloth and dishwasher tablets.
Water pressure is rubbish and we had no hot water from Sunday lunch and still none before we left Monday morning. So trying to wash up using numerous kettles of water when you've made a full on Christmas dinner and no working dishwasher wasn't fun, plus no baths or showers for anyone.
2 huge fridges and small freezer, loads of cupboards. Lots of pots, pans, plates, cutlery etc most utensils but no tin opener.
Dining room is huge and great for all eating together.
Highchair available too which was perfect for our toddler.
Living room is big, sofas need bolting together to stop them separating. Huge TV has sky and netflix. Drawers have jigsaw puzzles. A curtain to 'close' over the hallway/living room would be great as in the evening you get a draft when sitting on the sofa. Blankets would be of been a good touch too.
Games room is great for pool, snooker, darts and poker. Plus a basket with a few games. Definitely ideal for older children/teens and adults.
Utilty room (we never used) had a washing machine and tumble dryer.
Downstairs bedroom with wet room ensuite was great, but tight with a travel cot (our issue not the cottage).
Bedrooms upstairs all seemed good sizes. All beds made and come with 2 towels each, a small bath towel and hand towel. Bath sheets would have been better, so you can go to/from if wanting to return to your room without changing.
Heating - DO NOT TOUCH IT!!!!!! The Friday night when we arrived was boiling so turned down heating, evening was then chilly, Saturday morning was freezing, turned up heating and took 6 hours to go up 1 degree. But late afternoon it was warm and comfortable.
Water - no idea how to work it, there was no instructions, but from Sunday midday we had no hot water at all. So no one could shower or bath. We couldn't wash up properly and had to keep boiling the kettle for hot water.
All toilets/bathrooms had 1 toilet roll. Spares would have been good or to be informed to take your own.
The annex was lovely, single bed needs to be moved away from wall to sleep otherwise you get a draft. No TV, conservatory area was really cold, but has doors to close off.
Underfloor heating was lovely.
Garden was huge and also wraps around the house.
Book says about garden games but we never found any. The slide was good, but unfortunately the trampoline was out of service due to previous guests in the summer slashing it (according to the book), which was a shame as kids would have loved it, especially as it was ground level.
Parking... the gates open towards you, and lots of space once through but tight to turn around.
We stayed at the house all weekend and was lovely not driving anywhere, a few went for walks and we went along to the village park (20min walk), which was good to get out for some fresh air even though the park was a little run down the kids loved it.
Would be great if there was a radio or similar in the kitchen and dining room for background music.
Overall we had a great weekend away and the house was perfect for getting together.
Just a shame about the dishwasher and no hot water.
Thank you for your kind comments, I agree it is a beautiful and spacious home, & we are very proud of it. Also, thank you for acknowledging that we do provide complimentary milk, sugar, tea, coffee, washing up liquid, tea towels, sponge, dish cloth & dishwasher tablets, plus (of course) towels and bedding (with the beds made up). These things are not always provided at self-catering accommodation, so thanks again for mentioning it.
If I may, I would like to address your other comments:
OVEN RACKS: 2 single ovens with 2 racks each. i.e. 4 racks in total. This is fairly standard but I will see if I can find a third for each oven.
DISHWASHER: As mentioned we provide complimentary dishwasher tablets which are classed as ‘All-in-One’ so rinse aid & salt should not be needed. However, we have now added these and put the dishwasher through a clean cycle. We believe it is working ok now.
SHOWERS: There are 5 showers in the property & 3 of these are electric showers that would ALWAYS yield hot water. Only 2 out of the 5 would run cold if the tank hot water runs out.
HOT WATER: Apologies with regard to this, the hot water is heated twice a day (2pm & 2am) and we acknowledge this may not be sufficient for a group of up to 14. We have now changed the setting to heat on demand, in addition to the 2am/2pm settings.
HEATING: Instructions are present next to the thermostat and in the brochure, so unsure why a comment was made that there are no instructions. We have a big sign saying DO NOT TOUCH parts of the thermostat and ONLY to use the up/down buttons if really necessary, this is so it is not accidently turned off. As an Air-Source Heat Pump, the settings are not intuitive and the heating and hot water have been turned off by guests accidently more than once. We provide 6 electric heaters as backup in case guests need a boost of heat.
TOWELS: We provide 2 towels per person (28 in total), both are fluffy and soft. The hand towel is white & the bath towel is a colour that coordinates with the bedding & décor of the bedrooms. We have had quite a few positive remarks about the bedding & towels, so it was disappointing to read this. If the bath towels were upgraded to bath sheets it would increase the amount of washing, time between lets and costs. More washing is also not good for the environment. I will ask for a comment to be added to Sykes web site that the larger of the two towels is a standard size bath towel. Property Owner
Reviewed by MelindaNov 2021
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"We loved staying at this cottage it was amazing."
The only gripes were beds were far too soft so no one slept well couches were too springy needed one more foot rest and to be velcro together. On plus side games room, dining room, kitchen were all amazing. Owners sorted a little issue super fast and were amazingly friendly. We would love to come back
Thank you for saying our cottage is amazing; it is lovely to read that, and you would be very welcome to return. Thank you also for your kind comments on the games room, dining room & kitchen too! I am sorry you found the beds too soft; they are of mid level support because we are catering for so many different comfort levels, but apologies that this was not the best for you. Ditto with the sofa; some guests enjoy a nice big squashy sofa, but I appreciate it might not be to everyone’s taste. Property Owner
Reviewed by LisaNov 2021
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"Please be aware of the neighbours who like to complain about everything and anything."
I note that you gave the cottage 100% in your feedback so I am hoping the neighbours did not spoil your enjoyment too much. The cottage & its boundaries are several metres from the neighbouring properties, and the garden extends back well away from the neighbours houses (by approximately 150 metres), so it is hard to believe there could be significant disturbance. We have since put up CCTV so we can keep track of when there are real issues & when these may be unreasonable. Property Owner
Reviewed by SusanJul 2021
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"Lovely cottage, well presented."
We loved the big garden, for cricket and water fights! We loved the annex for grandma and granddad to get a lie in! (Although permanently on heating was a bit hard on warmer days and nights)
One small thing in these difficult times is maybe to supply hand soap at more of the sinks
Reviewed by AngelaJul 2021
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"The garden was wonderful - we had great weather and the children were able to play outside on the trampoline and large grassy area."
However, it would have been helpful if there had ben at least a couple of dishwasher tablets to get us started, a kitchen roll and more than one dishtowel for 12 people. Alternatively warn visitors that they shield bring such items. There were no instructions for the TV.
Reviewed by BryanMay 2021
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"Ideal peaceful setting for a family holiday."
Loved spending quality time together in beautiful surroundings. Lovely house, lovely garden.
Reviewed by SusanOct 2020
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"Even better than description - perfect place and perfect setting - just wow!"
Reviewed by GaynorSep 2020
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"Lovely house."
The owners should promote more the superb gated back garden/field. Children and adults had hours of fun playing sport and generally being outside in a safe environment. One highlight was stargazing spotting numerous shooting stars and satellites.2 minor negatives games room light too low spot light for darts board would be good and a short cue for pools table. Family had a great holiday good weather helped.
Reviewed by MichaelAug 2020
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"As a group of 12 adults the property was ideal and was far better than our expectations."
It easily accommodated 12 people and looked like it had only recently been renovated. Good quality towels, bedding and toiletries were provided and it was spotlessly clean. The grounds opened up into a large area and this was great for outdoor games. It had an electrically operated gated driveway and ample parking for 6+ cars. Communication with the owner was very good and we have no hesitation in recommending West View Cottage
Reviewed by StephenJul 2020
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"The property was excellent and accommodated us all very well."
I think the description on the web site could be improved as the property far exceeds the description.
No mention of Netflix, sky Q, trampoline, games or football net
Reviewed by MaxineMar 2020
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"We had a very good time, nice clean house, well worth for the price"
Reviewed by Seyed MohamedFeb 2020