The Clarence

We arrived around the same time as storm Austen so this house was perfect for 7 + 2 dogs.

We did manage to park 2 cars was a bit tight but could be done. Would have liked to have use of a mop and hoover but never found them. Beds were comfortable so overall very happy with the property.

Lovely house in a quiet location.

Excellent facilities and cleanliness. Only slight drawback is parking which is very tight for 2 cars. Address details are a bit confusing as 2 addresses and postcodes given but with very careful reading, we were a le to get to the right place

The Clarence is a grand impressive house standing in a select terrace of four similar properties.

There are lovely views from the front over distant hills and a little of the town (we couldn't see the palace by the way, suspect trees obscure that view). At the back, where the entrance is, its altogether less impressive. The style and decor inside is very tasteful and makes it a pleasant place to be. Theres plenty of space for everyone to do their thing. The kitchen and dining room tends to be the focus; we enjoyed cooking together and playing board games over the cheese course at the long dining table. We didn't use the family room much, just one evening. The choice of low metal stools for seating is odd, and uncomfortable! The lounge/drawing room at the front is a great place to relax, good for reading or writing. By the way, I'd consider providing some coasters to protect the lovely polished table! The bedrooms are lovely, the shower and bathroom facilities very good. The box room is very small - we used it for storage. The room at the back has no real view, but the en suite and dressing room are very useful. We did encounter a few snags, (no chopping board, blocked sink) but the maintenance team were excellent, attending promptly when we needed them to and giving friendly advice on things to do in the area, places to eat etc. We also reported an issue with the dishwasher, broken door seal, which looked as if it had leaked in the past and was becoming difficult to open and close - hopefully this has been fixed now. Another thing to be aware of is the parking; there is room for one medium sized car outside the back door, and very limited space for manoeuvring - we did use the garage a few times but it was so difficult to get in and out, especially in, that we gave up and parked the larger car on the road round the corner. The position and directions to the Clarence could be much clearer in the property description; it reads as if it is close to the Auckland palace, whereas actually its about 20 minutes walk away, on the other side of town. We had problems finding it and had to ring Sykes for help - the directions send you to Auckland tower which is totally wrong. Aside from the palace complex and market square, the town is rather run down and not the best to be walking through at night after a meal. Although the long garden at the front is lovely to look over, it was very badly in need of some attention - overgrown brambles obscured the pathway down, wisteria had grown over the doorway, the whole garden needed pruning, cutting back, dead heading and a good tidy up. The patio and outdoor furniture, just one picnic table, wasn't really useable as it is so far away from the house.