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"A beautiful place, and nice and clean."
Thank you for your feedback! We're happy to hear you loved the cottage and our 5* cleanliness! Property Owner
Reviewed by JennieApr 2022
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"We had a fantastic holiday in a lovely part of the world."
The Smithy was roomy, comfy beds with crisp white linen, well equipped. We took our dog Lucy (who is in a pram as she can’t walk) as the cottage is dog friendly and she loved it too. Local people were all very friendly. The Fox pub did excellent meals and more reasonable than Stow on the Wold. We will definitely be back. The barn is the only downfall, this should be repaired or demolished. This being said it would not put us off returning. Excellent holiday 10/10
Thank you for your lovely feedback. We are so glad to see you and Lucy had a great stay and look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Property Owner
Reviewed by RobertApr 2022
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"It should be noted that the bath is accessed through the attic bedroom."
I would not recommend it for young children as the windows are easy to open and do not have locks. None of the bedroom doors can be fully closed, as the modern cottage style doors have warped and the latches do not close. The first floor beds are comfortable. The plumbing, heating and hot water system works very well. The kitchen is well stocked but has no food storage cupboard apart from where the hoover, ironing board etc are kept. The chairs in the kitchen need rubber feet as they make a terrible noise on the stone floor. There is no coffee table in the sitting room on which to put drinks or play games. There is parking space for two cars only, due to the fencing around the dilapidated barn.
Thank you for leaving feedback on your stay at The Smithy. We hope you enjoyed your stay! Your suggestions for improvement are much appreciated and have been forwarded to the property management team. Property Owner
Reviewed by LoisMar 2022
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"A lovely property with plenty of space that fully met our needs."
Nice village and surrounding walks and amenities. Only let down was the derelict building and surround railings. Otherwise a a great place to stay. Thank you
Thank you very much for your feedback on your stay at The Smithy. We are sorry that you felt the building next door impacted your time there. Unfortunately we are unable to do much about this at the moment but we are very much looking into how to improve this in the future. Property Owner
Reviewed by EdwardJan 2022
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"We have been before and it was disappointing that more had not been done to make the garden more secure for the dog."
Also, a shame that more cannot be done about the old barn. However, these are problems that we were aware of and prepared to live with. What was not acceptable was the later check-in time of 6pm to find that the property was less clean than the first time we booked. There were sticky marks on the kitchen floor from previous spillages, which we wiped to find the cloth was black with dirt and the skirting boards were very dusty. We also found, on striping our own beds, that some of the bedding and protectors were stained. It is interesting to note that, although assured in the welcome folder that mattress and pillow protectors are washed between bookings, it was requested that these were left on even though it was requested that we strip the beds. The biggest disappointment still, was that the bed in the upper bedroom was broken. This was only discovered when sleeping on it and it became more like a hammock in the middle of the night. We attempted to fix the problem, which turned out to be loose base supports, but again they moved in the middle of the night. The people sleeping in that bed were leaving a day early so at that point there was little point in calling in maintenance. Either way, it should not have been left in this state for someone to sleep on, surely this would have been known about when the bed was changed last time? It was also noted, on attempting to fix the bed, that underneath was a pile of disused wood and again more dust and dirt. I have photographs if anyone would like them as evidence of the poor state of maintenance. Sadly, we will not be returning next year. It is such a shame these issues have let down what is otherwise a beautiful property that is well equipped and in a lovely location, if only it was cared for properly.
Many thanks for your feedback for The Smithy,
The barn is listed and as such we are very limited to how this is treated, we are looking into various options, due to COVID this has been delayed.
We do apologise about the bed, unfortunately we were not made aware of the situation before, we are looking in to how we can support underneath the mattress to avoid this in future.
In terms of the cleanliness we can only apologise that is was not to an acceptable standard. Housekeeping have been spoken to and a deep clean has been put in place to ensure future guests do not have the same experience. Property Owner
Reviewed by DeborahDec 2021
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"We hired the cottage for a mini Christmas break."
2 adults, 3 children.
The cottage was plenty big enough for all of us. (Although the living room is probably the 'coziest' for space of an evening)
It was clean and warm with everything we could need and we would definitely stay again! The welcome gift was thoughtful and essentials in the fridge and cupboards etc were very gratefully received - Thank you!!
It was a perfect location we used it as our base and then explored Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, The Slaughters, Bibury and Blenheim Palace, it was such a beautiful break.
Practical things that I'm sure other reviews mention, yes the barn right next to the property isn't pretty, but they are open and honest about it, it's seen in the pictures and if you can just look past it, it shouldn't detract from how great everything else is.
Some light bulbs didn't work, some kitchen pieces had a few minor breaks, all of which would probably be rectified if the owners were aware I have no doubt.
The only negative comment I have regarding my whole stay was the mattress in the attic room. It is a memory foam mattress and I'm not sure if it has been damaged, or the slats underneath to support are damaged? But I spent my nights sleeping, feeling like I was falling into a definite dip.
By the end I had two pillows over the area to level me out, but if this is a permanent issue I can see it would agitate many guests!
It is a beautiful home in a gorgeous location!
Many thanks for your feedback for The Smithy, we are so happy to hear that you had such a lovely Christmas break.
The barn is listed and as such we are very limited to how this is treated, we are looking into various options, due to COVID this has been delayed.
We do apologise about the bed, the slats have now been replaced and refitted and a new mattress purchased. Property Owner
Reviewed by JacquelineDec 2021
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"The Smithy is a very nice property in an excellent location, being handy for visiting the nearby villages of Stow on the Wold and Moreton in Marsh."
Other places of interest are within easy travelling reach or alternatively the countryside has numerous routes for walkers to explore.
The property itself is spacious, comfortable and well equipped. We would certainly consider returning at some point in the future.
Thank you for your feedback. We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay and would love to welcome you back any time in the future. Property Owner
Reviewed by MichaelOct 2021
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"The property was generally clean and well presented."
It is situated in a lovely village. Overall we had a good time. We note the roof on the adjacent barn has collapsed, which is different to the image to advertise the property. This provides a negative impression on arrival. The 6pm check-in is not ideal, almost all other cottages we have booked have a 3pm check-in time. You should consider changing this. On arrival there were a number of issues with certain facilities. For example the downstairs toilet flush was broken. This was repaired very quickly. Additionally, the downstairs toilet seat would benefit from changing, the left hand runner for the upper shelf in the dishwasher needs replacing and one of the under cupboard light bulbs in the kitchen needs replacing. I replaced another bulb in the hall. Finally there were only 3 teaspoons and 3 dessert spoons amoungst the kitchen cutlery.
Reviewed by ZygmuntAug 2021
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"The property is really only for 4 people, the bed in the top bedroom was not fix for purpose."
It was basically on the floor due to the roof height and had no springs and had big dips in the mattress. The table in the kitchen is really only suitable for 4 people to sit 6 two of you have to have your legs wrapped around the table legs. It should have been noted that parking was only sufficient for 2 cars given the fencing off of the falling down barn. It was a good job we only took 2 cars! The condition of the equipment in the kitchen was barely acceptable. The dish washer had in parts the plastic missing off the runners and was rusting. The top running bas broken and could only be part pulled out without it falling off. The grill on the cooker only half the side worked. Given the size of the garden. I would expected a BBQ to be provided. Given the amount of money we paid for the cottage I expected a better standard and was disappointed as it was for a special occasion of our daughters 30th birthday.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a feedback, we are so sorry you had issues during your stay and I'll make sure your concerns are forwarded to the owner. Property Owner
Reviewed by PeterAug 2021
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"We really enjoyed our stay in The Smithy, the cottage was clean, comfortable & quaint with lots of original features."
The garden was big enough for games & exercising the dog. Just be aware if you have a dog they can get through the garden gate if they are liable to explore. Plenty of wildlife to see over the garden wall, Deer, Foxes & Rabbits were seen every day. There are plenty of good walks by the cottage & village, and trips out we enjoyed were the Falconry Centre, Toddington to Cheltenham racecourse steam railway, Cotswold Beer Company tour & the Arboretum.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a feedback, we are delighted you enjoyed your stay inside and out, looking forward to welcoming you again soon. Property Owner
Reviewed by TheresaJul 2021
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"Beautiful tranquil setting."
A very relaxing weekend away with friends.
Thank you for taking the time to feedback on your stay at The Smithy. I'm so pleased to hear that you were able to enjoy a lovely trip with your friends! We'd love to have you back again in the future. Property Owner
Reviewed by LucyJul 2021
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"Lovely cottage great garden ideal base for exploring."
Definitely as the description states the top bedroom is not for the young, old or unsteady on their feet!
Reviewed by JillSep 2020
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"Lovely property, very clean and comfortable, in a good location."
Reviewed by AAug 2020
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"We did have a lovely time in the Cotswolds."
However, whilst the cottage is beautiful we felt it wasn't as clean as it might have been. It's an old building and one would expect a certain amount of spiders etc but there were a lot of spiders everywhere and some small insects (have a look in the roof window in the utility room) and we came home with bites.
Because of Covit we had planned to eat in apart from one lunch we booked at "The Potting shed'. We arranged a delivery of our food for the 4 days from Ocado, to arrive on friday night. We put everything in the fridge but by the time we came to use the chicken pieces and prawns on saturday they were off. Th fridge did not seem able to cope with the volume of food. It was a little small for food for 4 people for 4 days.(And of course there could have been 6 of us) We had to throw the chicken and prawns out and we also had a large chicken for sunday lunch which had to be thrown out. I did contact the mobile number we had and a second table top fridge was delivered but it was too late. We lost over £25 worth of food.
Many thanks for your feedback we have taken onboard your comments. We apologise that the fridge was not able to cope with the volume of food and we will arrange a refund of £25 for your lost of food. Manor Cottages. Property Owner
Reviewed by RoisinAug 2020
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"Beautiful period cottage in peaceful surroundings."
Comfy beds and especially appreciated the laundry room.
Many thanks for your feedback. Glad to hear you had such a lovely time. Property Owner
Reviewed by AngelaFeb 2020
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"Some lights in kitchen not working."
light in lounge uplighter not working. otherwise all ok. Disappointed that you could not return our i pad charger we left behind without charging us £15, I would have gladly paid postage which would be £4 - £5 .
Thank you for your feedback, sorry the lights weren't working as expected, we have now address these issues. We were more than happy to return your charger, we charge a set fee of £15 as this covers everything included in returning the item. Property Owner
Reviewed by MargaretFeb 2020
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"We couldn’t find a hair dryer but otherwise the property was very well equipped and very cosy."
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Reviewed by StephanieFeb 2020
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"The Smithy is lovely and cosy, we had a wonderful stay there and it certainly met our expectations."
The only thing we thought it could benefit from is a user manual for the cooker , either that or a new cooker as the oven on occasion would just switch itself off and we couldn’t work out whether it was us or the cooker.
Aside from that it’s an idyllic place to stay, the beds are very comfortable and everywhere was spotless and we would definitely stay again.
We are pleased to hear you had a wonderful stay at The Smithy. We will look into replacing the cooker manual, we apologise that there was not one there for your stay. We hope to welcome you back in the future. Manor Cottages. Property Owner
Reviewed by ChrisJan 2020
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"Thanks for a brilliant stay at The Smithy, Broadwell."
The property was clean, well presented and equipped. There was ample space for our group of 6 adults and a dog. The house has a great open plan kitchen/dinning space which was very well equipped. We enjoyed being able to share cooking duties while the rest of the group were able to relax at the dinning table in the same space, making our evenings a great social time. Once meals were done we were all able to relax comfortably in the lounge which had a good selection of games, TV and wireless speaker for music. Being winter we could not use the garden but would imagine the patio outside would be fantastic in summer. There is a pub within walking distance that does good food. Stow is a 5 minute car ride away or walking distance if you fancy a stroll. There is a footpath just outside the village that leads there. We would not hesitate to stay here again.
Reviewed by LeeJan 2020
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"A lovely old cottage that has been beautifully renovated."
Comfortable, clean and warm. All that was missing was tea towels, dishcloths and dishwasher tablets. Perhaps an oversight? Either way it did not spoil a lovely few days here.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your comments on The Smithy. We apologise that there were items missing and was an oversight. We have raised this with House Keeping to avoid in the future. We are glad you had a lovely few days. Manor Cottages. Property Owner
Reviewed by DeborahDec 2019
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"Best location location anybody could ever wish for, the Cotswolds is a beautiful part of the country and the residents are really friendly and welcoming."
The cottage is beyond words it’s is just superb, a proper old building and renovated to high standards without loosing its character. It’s so good we have booked it again.
Thank you for your lovely comments on The Smithy Cottage and we look forward to welcoming you again soon. Property Owner
Reviewed by KevinNov 2019
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"We very much enjoyed our stay and appreciated the fast response to a maintenance problem outside
A few things that could be added."
A large casserole, roasting tin, walk book/map and guest book for visitors comments.
We like to cook so it was a good job I'd brought my own large casserole. The absence of some kind of roasting tin was a bit annoying. There were 3 Yorkshire pudding tins however!!!!
There were a few sheets with walks on and one very tatty one with a corner missing. We actually did all the reccomended walks on this and really enjoyed them but would be good to have a new copy, together with an OS map of the area.
We always find it useful to look at previous guests comments and ideas of places to visit and eat at so I feel that would be a good addition.
Also, we failed to get any of the free standing lights in the lounge working.
However, over all we had a lovely time in a cosy, well equipped cottage (on the whole) cottage. We also enjoyed the Sunday roast at the Fox in Broadwell
Thank you for your efficiency in various reminder emails.
Many thanks for your feedback and we welcome your comments. We have ordered a new casserole dish and roasting tins. All guest reviews can be seen on our website, we find this an efficient way for people to see feedback before they arrive at the property. Property Owner
Reviewed by LesleyOct 2019
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"You state that there is ample parking."
We had 2 cars and they only just fitted next to the house. One was so tight to the house only the driver's car door could open.
The house didn't feel particularly clean. There were dusty cobwebs all through the house so had clearly been there for a while.
The walls were all scuffed and marked. They clearly hadn't been painted in a long while.
Behind the sink in the first floor bathroom was black and not clean.
There was no rubber mat in the first floor bathroom. The shower floor was extremely slippy! We had to share the one from the second floor bathroom.
There was a stone in the kitchen floor which was really sunken at one end. We all tripped on it more than once as it was just inside the door. It seriously needs looked at!
Reviewed by KimJul 2019
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"I booked the cottage to celebrate my 60th birthday with my family, it was located in a lovely quiet position in the village which made us feel that we were in the middle of nowhere."
The pub was only 2 minutes walk away, the food was excellent and all the staff very friendly My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. We will be back
Reviewed by SonjaJul 2019
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"Lovely cottage and location."
The kitchen with the window seat was lovely for breakfast in the glorious sunshine. Great that the Fox pub is so close to pop in for a drink. We loved our stay.
Reviewed by CatherineMay 2019
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"We have already corresponded about the appearance of the house so will not go over it again."
Suffice to say that the appearance of the property is totally misrepresented.
In the information pack, on arrival, it states that the heating and hot water have been set for the comfort of the guests - BOTH TURNED OFF! Very old house with stone floors so absolutetly freezing and holes in the old front door (yes really) which don't help!
Main bathroom shower impossible to use as no separate control for temperature and water velocity. To obtain even warm water, the velocity so extreme as to be unbearable - someone should try it to see that this is not an exaggeration!
Minor point - torches (which might be useful) by the front door are dead.
Reviewed by IanMay 2019
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"The Smithy is a lovely property and we enjoyed our stay."
There are just two minor points I would like to mention, the shower screen is too short and the water can very easily go all over the floor. We turned the tap on in the sink at the same time as running the shower which helped. The other point is, that when arriving in darkness, it is easy to miss the property as there is very little outside lighting. As I say these are minor points and would not stop me from returning to the Smithy.
Reviewed by JanMay 2019
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"A beautiful cottage in a very peaceful Cotswold village."
We absolutely loved our stay, lots of utilities and kitchen supplies, very clean throughout. The only comment I would make is that some drawer furniture or dressing table would have benefited the bedroom in the converted loft space, somewhere to put smaller clothes that didn't need hanging up.
Reviewed by ClaireMar 2019
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"Excellent cottage in a a great rural village location."
The property is well equipped, well maintained and comfortable although we couldn't get the main oven to work! If The Smithy is representative of the quality of Manor Cottages' portfolio of properties in other similar locations I would certainly book again.
Reviewed by NeilFeb 2019
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"We absolutely loved the cottage, the village is pretty and the location of the cottage is perfect, lovely countryside views and very peaceful."
The cottage is cosy and warm and very well equipped.
We really appreciated the fresh Christmas tree which had been very tastefully decorated, thank you.
We would say the kitchen table could do with being larger as not really big enough for 6 adults.
Would definitely recommend this cottage.
Reviewed by DianeDec 2018
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"We were very impressed with the Smithy, it was very comfortable, cosy and just the right size for the four of us."
Everything you want in a holiday cottage, plenty of crockery, cutlery and utensils.
Would definitely recommend the Smithy as a must stay in the Cotswolds, location ideal for visiting all the major Cotswolds areas. If you don’t want to cook, I can recommend the Fox pub, for good food at a reasonable price and just a short walk from the cottage.
It was a lovely touch to have a pint of milk and a sponge cake their for us upon arrival, went down a treat after a long journey.
My friends would definitely like to visit again.
Thanks for a lovely stay.
Reviewed by LindaSep 2018
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"Perfect location to explore north Cotswolds."
Enjoyed the traditional charm the property had.\
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Mr Ramsden
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"Beautiful cottage, comfortable, well equipped, lovely setting."
Mrs White
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"Beautiful cottage in a lovely little village."
With stow on the wold only 2 miles away its a perfect location just to escape.
Mrs Harris Bristow
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"Beautiful peaceful spot, with rural outlook from the lovely enclosed garden & a footpath just next to the cottage for dog walks."
We were attending my nephew's wedding in the village, so it's proximity to Moreton-in-Marsh station was very useful for family members joining us for the weekend.
Mrs Corcoran
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"Very nice location with a great garden."
Very relaxing place.
Turato
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"Lovely cottage, privacy, enough space, very english, good temperature in the house, good facilities (bathroom, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer), and the great surroundings, the fields that we good walk into, and the playing ground nearby for the kids to use the swing and play football."
Ms Bakker, May 2017.
Bakker