Fiddlesticks Cottage

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Features

Sleeps 4 people
2 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
Pets allowed

Off road parking
Smoke-free
Pub/shop < 1 mile
Dishwasher
Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing

Cleanliness

Comfort

Facilities

* Based on a combined average customer score over the last 3 months

10 Customer Review(s)

“Fiddlesticks cottage was in a great location for dog walks, town and pub.”

The cottage was really nice and comfortable and we had a great holiday. We felt we had the best of both worlds; a real getaway and easy access to all the places we want... more
The cottage was really nice and comfortable and we had a great holiday. We felt we had the best of both worlds; a real getaway and easy access to all the places we wanted to visit. This was my first visit to Dorset and definitely won't be the last!

Mrs Galvin, June 2019
“We enjoyed our 5 days at Fiddlesticks.”

It was a perfect location to visit our son with a good kitchen, living room and bedrooms/bathrooms. The neighbours were chatty and helpful. Plus when we trouble with ... more
It was a perfect location to visit our son with a good kitchen, living room and bedrooms/bathrooms. The neighbours were chatty and helpful. Plus when we trouble with the door lock one day, the handy man was there quickly to resolve. We also really liked Beaminster and the surrounding area. We cooked every breakfast, most lunches and several dinners at the cottage, and had no trouble, except maybe the need to get spices, even pepper and salt, and cooking oil. We also did laundry one day successfully using the machines in the outside laundry room above the deck, and thankfully washing detergent was provided. The TV worked well, and we found the books on the area interesting and useful. The beds were comfortable and the linen and towels were clean. There was plenty of hot water and pressure in the bathrooms. We do have a couple of suggestions though...first, we had to purchase shampoo, conditioner and bathroom bar soap, since we are not fans of the bathroom-gel-used-for-everything soap, and would suggest you at least let people know what to expect. We also purchased some spices for cooking, even salt and pepper, which seemed unreasonable. A minor issue was a new deck umbrella provided that did not fit the tables on the deck. Also we were told there was a parking stall for the cottage, but it is very small, difficult to navigate and the neighbour in front has a 3 ft wide access allotment that makes it pretty well impossible to use the stall. Thankfully one of the ladies on the street allowed us to park in front of her place, and I think kept others from parking there while we were in residence.

Mrs Birch, May 2019
“Absolutely fantastic cottage.”

We usually stay in rural locations but this was above expectations - extremely quiet and yet easy walking to town. Everything provided in cottage and all to a high stan... more
We usually stay in rural locations but this was above expectations - extremely quiet and yet easy walking to town. Everything provided in cottage and all to a high standard. Parking is not an issue as loads of off street parking. The summer house is a real sun trap. Walking from the cottage is great, turn left from cottage and just keep walking along lane into fields for miles. Our dog loved it.

Mrs Wickens, May 2019
“A wonderful cottage in a beautiful location, only negative is their are no recycling facilities although s recycling bin is provided in the cottage, just s small bin for all waste outside, garden is in need of some attention but overall s good holiday.”

Mrs Birch, April 2019

***Owner Response*** We're pleased you enjoyed your holiday and thank you for your comments about recycling. The 3-compartment bin continues to be in the kitchen and we have reintroduced outside recycling bins again, where waste is collected by the housekeeper. We have also put clearer guidance in the House Information File so holidaymakers should not find the situation confusing. Thank you again. Sykes owner relations
“This cottage and location is very much as described,; close to amenities but also with great walking straight from the door.”

Beaminster and the area surrounding it are relatively unspoilt, quiet and glorious Dorset countryside with farms, woods, valleys and hills.. Cottage has had a recent t... more
Beaminster and the area surrounding it are relatively unspoilt, quiet and glorious Dorset countryside with farms, woods, valleys and hills.. Cottage has had a recent thorough make over and is little gem.

Mr Ling, March 2019
“Very comfortable and clean and brilliant location with pubs and restaurants and good shops all in very short walking distance.”

The only thing we thought was appalling was the absence of any recycling facilities whatsoever. That may well be entirely the fault of the council rather than you or th... more
The only thing we thought was appalling was the absence of any recycling facilities whatsoever. That may well be entirely the fault of the council rather than you or the owner but it's the first cottage we've stayed in where nothing whatsoever could be recycled. Given that there is no recycling, one dustbin for potentially four people is not enough.We took our (many!) bottles home and recycled them there.

Mr Hamilton, December 2018
“Really pleased we stumbled across this cottage for our short break, lovely cosy lounge, kitchen well equipped, whole cottage really clean.”

Great location close to centre of quaint town with local shops, good pubs and restaurants. Definitely be back.

Mr Freeston, October 2018
“The cottage was well furnished and decorated and impeccably clean.”

The bed and pillows were really comfortable and the shower was good. Unfortunately the heat wasn't working properly when we arrived on Saturday - it was not on in the e... more
The bed and pillows were really comfortable and the shower was good. Unfortunately the heat wasn't working properly when we arrived on Saturday - it was not on in the evenings although it came on OK in the mornings. We had to wait 2 days until Monday to get it fixed. Apparently the number listed was for an agent on leave and it was only when the office was open on Monday that the phone was picked up. We called Monday morning and they sent someone round on Monday late afternoon. He told us there had been problems with the heat before. Another disappointment was that the kitchen, while very well stocked with utensils, had very little in the way of supplies - just salt and pepper and a few tea bags and instant coffee sachets. I'm not sure whether that's normal for the UK, but its a pain coming from abroad to in effect have to stock up with kitchen basics like oil and vinegar.***OWNER RESPONSE*** ''Thank you for your feedback following your recent stay at Fiddlesticks Cottage. We are sorry to hear about your difficulties with the heating, especially as the boiler and controller were replaced less than a year ago. Although the type of controller is quite typical of those in UK properties, we will introduce a simple user guide for guests to adjust the heating to their wishes. As the cottage is a self-catering property we only provide a few essentials to get you going for the week, we are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with this. We are glad you were comfortable for your stay and thank you for your comments''

Ms Meiri, October 2018
“The cottage is lovely, beautifully decorated and well equipped.”

It boasts a lovely location in a quiet residential street, and is perfect for visiting this beautiful part of Dorset. However the listing on your website suggests th... more
It boasts a lovely location in a quiet residential street, and is perfect for visiting this beautiful part of Dorset. However the listing on your website suggests there is off street parking, which is simply not the case. While the smallest of small cars (eg a Smart car or a Fiat 500) could possibly park on the hard standing in front of the cottage, a regular family sized car would never be able to, most especially when there is a car parked on the roadside opposite. Interestingly, speaking to the local neighbours, they all commented how difficult parking would be and that all guests have to park in the road. It is clearly a source of frustration for them as well, especially for one lady whose car was stuck at the garage for 3 weeks having been hit by one of the Fiddlesticks guests. Personally, I think you would be better to describe the cottage as not having parking, as it sets the expectation for a potential guest, more accurately. The cleanliness of the property could perhaps be improved as well. We were left with no bathroom cleaning equipment which was disappointing, so had to go out to purchase this, including a strong limescale cleaner which my mother spent some time cleaning the bathroom basin, to remove the built up limescale residue. I should say that the property was not dirty, but perhaps not as clean as it could have been. A steam clean of the floors would be beneficial, as would the nooks and krannies. The bin in the kitchen would also benefit from a deep steam clean especially around the press button opening mechanism. Likewise, we were only left with 5 dishwasher tablets. As we were staying for 7 days, we had to go and purchase more tablets, which we have left at the cottage for other guests. Also, there were insufficient bin bags. It’s not a big issue but rather an annoyance especially as we had to buy other cleaning products. In other cottages we have stayed in, there has always been a plentiful supply of these sorts of items. Unfortunately there were a number of defective lightbulbs in the kitchen, with no spares available to replace them. Of the 7 lights in the kitchen, only 3 were working. I suspect the cleaning team have not noticed the issue as they don’t need to turn the lights on, but perhaps they could include this in their checks and replace where necessary, in future. None of the items are big issues in isolation and certainly did not stop us enjoying our holiday very much. Perhaps a little attention to detail on the finer points could help make ours (and others) stay, even better. ***Owners Response*** Thank you for taking the time to complete your feedback following your recent stay at Fiddlesticks Cottage. We’ve spoken with the owners about your comments and they have asked we respond with the following: Although we agree the parking area is fairly small we do mention this in the property description on line to ensure guests are made aware that the parking space is more suited for a smaller car. We are not able to confirm if 1 of our visitors caused damage to our neighbours car, it's not something we have been notified of by her. Thank you for letting us know about the limescale in the bathroom, yours is the first report of any potential problem and we will ensure it is investigated. As a self catering property we do only provide enough household supplies to start your holiday off. The kitchen spot lights are LED and work on 2 switches, 1 of which works 4 spots and the other 3, all were working fine after our recent stay, we wonder if you had possibly not located both switches? Despite the issues raised, overall we are pleased you enjoyed your holiday

Ms Leete, September 2018
“Great cottage - felt like home for a week.”

Mr Crosbie, August 2018
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The property

In the thriving little Dorset town of Beaminster is this pretty, detached, 19th cent.

cottage.

Stone built, and gorgeous inside, Fiddlesticks cottage comprises an attractive sitting room with a smart fireplace and electric wood burner style fire, a sunny kitchen with dining area and a little outhouse-cum-sunroom with a comfy sofa, good for steamy cuppas on cool days.

On the first floor are two bedrooms – a double with a king-size bed and a very roomy twin with pretty village view to the hills.

To the rear you have a sweet, enclosed paved sitting area with table and chairs.

From the cottage you can stroll through lovely wooded valley to neighbouring Netherbury, where the original ‘River Cottage’ is located.

An easy drive takes you to the lively market town of Bridport and to West Bay (TV's Broadchurch) on Dorset's stunning Jurassic Coast, whilst Lyme Regis, Dorchester and Weymouth are all easily accessible.

With lots to see and do nearby, Fiddlesticks is a comfortable cottage for all seasons.

Summary

Two bedrooms: 1 x king-size double, 1x twin
Sitting room with fireplace and electric wood burning stove style fire
Kitchen with dining area
Sunroom
Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC
Ground floor shower-room with shower, basin and WC.
Central heating with electric fires
Microwave, fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, TV with Blu-ray, DVD, WiFi, Fuel and power inc. in rent
Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
Off road parking for one small car
One well-behaved dog welcome, Sorry no smoking
Pub less than 1 mile from property
Note: This property does not accept children under 7.

Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £100.

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About the location

BEAMINSTER

Bridport 6 miles; Crewkerne 7 miles; Lyme Regis 15 miles.

The attractive country town of Beaminster nestles beneath the rolling West Dorset downland within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Around its square is the Conservation Area which boasts over 200 Grade II listed buildings, many of which are built from mellow hamstone. This thriving rural community offers a good selection of shops, inns and restaurants, whilst each summer hosts a popular music and arts festival. The local area abounds in a network of footpaths, one leads to the village of Netherbury, the site of the original River Cottage TV programme. An easy drive takes you to the lively market town of Bridport and to West Bay (TV's Broadchurch) on Dorset's stunning Jurassic Coast, whilst Lyme Regis, Dorchester and Weymouth are all easily accessible. A charming Dorset country town set in a most attractive rural setting.

Region Information

Note: This property does not accept children under 7.
Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £100

This property offers the following short breaks:

Winter
Off-season
Last minute
Christmas

Fiddlesticks Cottage

Beaminster, Dorset (Ref. 976064)

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