The Courthouse

This is our third stay at The Courthouse and unfortunately not our best.

The house is just starting to feel tired and as though it needs some things replacing and a really deep clean. The rugs are so dirty and worn and the curtains in the second bedroom, opposite the bathroom, are torn and catch on the window handle each morning when you open them. Let’s not talk about the amount of dust that appears when they are moved either! Our slippers were black on the soles by the end of our stay and, when I wiped the wooden floor up in bedrooms, the cloth was filthy afterwards. When we arrived this time and went upstairs, there was just a smell of unwashed clothes/bedding. Although the bedding on all beds was clean, when I stripped the beds at the end of our stay, as requested, it became obvious that the smell was coming from the pillows and duvets which were yellow with age and in the case of one duvet, covered in large brown stains! The pillows smelt disgusting. There is a lamp in the living room near the patio doors that is a fire and health hazard. It has been taped back together in two places with thick, black tape round the wire and parts of the cable have the wires exposed. It would literally cost £15/20 for a new lamp from Ikea and this hazard would be eliminated. We had to rewash all the crockery and glasses before we used them as they all looked grubby. On a positive note, the kitchen is well equipped and had everything we needed. On cold evenings the heating was great and the house was cosy. We enjoyed sitting out in the garden in the sun and it was neat and tidy with some lovely plants which attract the bees. Overall we enjoyed our stay, who couldn’t in such a beautiful part of the country but please, please spend some money on this beautiful property and give it a bit of a spruce up. We would love to return and see Version 2.0 of The Courthouse.

An excellent break with nothing but praise for our accomodation and location.

Lovely. The Veteran Wood behind the Water plant is ideal for the morning dog walk. The Springhead has the classic look of the welcoming pub and the Sunday evening carvery was a great way to end our stay. All in all, a very successful holiday in all respects.

Lovely location , ample parking .

Accommodation was great . On the downside no towels provided although to be far to the owners they did supply some the next day, in the description apparently it does say to bring your own towels so don’t assume you’ll always get them. Also the check-in time was quite late and although I didn’t expect a hamper or anything, a pint of milk would’ve been much appreciated on arrival.Not a criticism more of a suggestion. Great pub next door and pretty village.

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this beautiful village.

The setting is glorious, with rolling countryside around and a beautiful stone, thatched village with stream running through. Quiet and picturesque. The village pub is excellent for food. The Courthouse is spacious, comfortable, stylish - a treat to stay in such a beautiful building. Great enclosed garden for the dogs to potter in, with lovely seating area in the sunshine on the deck. Patio doors open out from the living room. The house had everything we needed ( except maybe a colander?! Or perhaps we just didn't find it!) Comfortable spacious bedrooms. A quiet, peaceful setting just a few miles from all the fun on Weymouth beach. Fabulous dog walking from the house in every direction.

Overall a great property in a lovely location.

Spacious rooms. Lovely small garden. Few things weren't working. Hot tap upstairs dripping. Dvd player doesnt work. Downlight not working in kitchen above work surface. Self lighter not working on gas hob- unsafe. Some of living room chairs need updating. Definitely needs blackout blinds upstairs -very bright from 4am in 2 of the bedrooms. One of the large beds very creaky.

A lovely holiday property in a quaint Dorset village close to the excellent local pub.

Very peaceful countryside surroundings. Three very good sized bedrooms, especially the main and twin rooms. Lovely enclosed garden with undercover sunny veranda. Communication with the owners through the Sykes app was excellent. A bit of a shame to have a late check-in (5pm) and prompt checkout (10am), especially being asked to empty bins and strip beds etc as per the property notes. Would definitely stay again.

Second stay this year here and very happy with property.

An earlier book in of at least 4.00 PM would be much better and supplying towels like most other dream cottages we have stayed in would be really good.

All good and comfortable.

We had an issue with the kettle which Dream Cottages replaced the same day thank you.

We keep coming back because we love it.

Broken downstairs toilet seat.

Dead animal smell in the ensuite, and mould over ceiling and walls, reduced to using just 1 toilet out of the 3. Dirty glasses, cups, and cookware put away in the cupboards. Dog excrement in the garden and a full poo bag in a Bush. Garden furniture(Chairs) 4 of 6 broken and repaired badly, 2 beyond repair and broken. Loose bricks on the step edges from patio area to garden. Outdoor light (mains) not working and has been this way in all our visits, 4 since Christmas. Log surrounds of the raised garden literally rotting away and falling off, I refixed 3 in April (our previous visit this year).All of these faults apart from the mouldy and smelly ensuite were communicated within an hour of arrival. The condition of the Courthouse this time was appalling especially as this was high season pricing, I find it hard to report these faults as we have had 3 fantastic stays in this property. The reporting and actions to these issues was poor and we were constantly told that the request for help would be closed unless we had more to say. Closed without any actions no apologies and no local contact unless we remained in the property for someone to rectify the problems, which could not have been done whilst it was being let. We were informed that the owner was told of the situation but no direct contact or apology. Not a good way to treat customers that have paid just about £5000 pound in a year.. Disgusted to a point of not wanting to return.

We had 4 days at the Courthouse and would very happily come back again.

The property is spacious and charming, with lots of history. The location in the centre of Sutton Poyntz is excellent; so close to the pub and duckpond, and with lovely old properties in every direction, including the Mill House across the road, and gorgeous Silver Street behind that. The cottage is very well-equipped and comfortable. Our only minor issue was that the dishwasher didn't clean the dishes. We guessed that this was possibly because it needed to be cleaned out, but it wasn't a problem for us as we were quite happy to wash the dishes in the old-fashioned way. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Courthouse.

Location of the cottage was perfect and it was very spacious for our party of four and two dogs, however, it could do with a bit of tlc.

New more comfortable garden furniture is much needed and also a better shower arrangement in the main bathroom. Overall we loved our stay at The Courthouse and would be happy to return

A comfortable and well equipped house in an excellent location.

Comfortable seats and beds. Secure garden for the dogs and good walks direct from the house either up the hills behind or down to the beach. Slightly disappointed that there was no welcome pack of any sort and it needs to be more explicit in the information that towels are not provided. A 5pm check-in seems unnecessarily late and is somewhat inconvenient.

4 visits in 6 months, will tell you how good this location is.

Yes there are a few issues but this building is around 450 years old. A fantastic base for holidays, off road parking, enclosed dog friendly garden . The hamlet is picture postcard perfect, and the Courthouse is only 150 metres walking from the Springhead pub. Beers food and gin specialists and like 99% of the permanent villagers the welcome recieved is like coming back home.

Been at the property previously so facilities were as I expected.

Village of Sutton Poyntz is lovely, very peaceful. Very close to the Springhead Pub which was very nice, people in the village were really friendly. Property is very spacious, dog friendly and ideally placed for most of Dorset

main bed bathroom taps constantly dripping plus corner shelf needed in shower for soap etc.

windows (3) on first floor need replacing timber sections showing considerable signs of water penetration. Also inner cill in main bedroom needs elements replaced and painted to match. All external timber cladding, facias, and soffits to covered veranda in need of timber treatment to avoid replacement. other aspects- two tub chairs in lounge need their base cushions repacked or replacement of these items, otherwise furniture and fittings of very good quality, especially in the kitchen. Robert Bruce A.R.I.B.A. Chartered Architect

The courthouse was a lovely old house in a lovely old village.

Very comfortable and s short walk to the pub. The shop took about 15 mins to walk to but well worth the walk.

We throughly enjoyed our stay at The Courthouse.

The house is ideally located for those with dogs that want to have access to great walking routes and a short drive to the beach. The accommodation was very clean considering pets are allowed. There’s an ideal garden to allow you let your pets outside knowing they are safe. The rooms are spacious and plenty of toilets/washing facilities. Parking is ideal and there are two shops not too far away. The local pub is very nice and the staff were very friendly and excellent at their job. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in and around Weymouth. We dined one evening in Catch and it was absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend a stay at The Courthouse.

What a lovely house we did not want to go home .

we would definitely go back there. we couldn't find a fault with the house it was so relaxing the only thing I would say is we wish there had of been better garden furniture..we had 2 ladys in there late 70s so comfortable furniture would of been great..but it didn't stop us having a wonderful time...and the village is so pretty..the pub was lovely food was gr8 ...its a short ride to shops and Weymouth town...what a great holiday we had thank you

We had a fabulous week at The Courthouse and look forward to booking there again next year.

The property is well equipped and made a great base for our week’s activities. The location is peaceful but has easy access for rural walks, bus journeys or a short car journey into town.

The Courthouse is lovely and so is the village of Sutton Poyntz.

The house is well appointed and all the rooms are spacious. There is a veranda overlooking the garden which provides excellent weather protection and has nice patio furniture for dining outdoors. A quiet location and also very close to a duck pond and pub which serves good food and does not cause any problems.

Garden furniture needs updating table very unstable.

Kitchen needs updating cutlery is poor not a sharp knife available making food prep difficult. Island hob and hood very awkward to use

The property was perfect for us.

The facilities were great and good to have 2 comfortable King Size beds! Very lovely village with lots of walks nearby . Very convenient to have a pub just up the road. Very lovely garden and safe for the dog. Definitely recommend for a relaxing holiday in beautiful Dorset.

This is our 4th time staying here.

Lovely property, fantastic for our digs. Great walks Last time we visited the property, it was not overly clean. I advised this and noticed a considerable difference on our last stay. Will be booking again for next year !

Great place to stay in such a unique village.

Accommodation was very nice, not immaculate on cleanliness, but it is dog friendly and overall its to be expected. Really roomy, plenty of loos for a full house, and bags of easy parking outside your front door. Outside space very nice, superb for a Summer visit. Overall, a great place to stay, and would certainty recommend the location. My second stay in this particular spot and I'll be returning again this year. Thanks for the arrival treats also left by the owners. One particular observation for Sykes, is why don't you have an email address for correspondence.

Lovely sunny cottage, great position & private pet friendly garden.

Disappointed with cleanliness, it really needs a good deep clean (floors, cupboards, rugs, bath) kitchen utensils & cookware really grubby. The lounge really smelt of dogs & had a lot of dog hair around. Remember to bring tea towels & bathroom towels. It would be helpful to write how to use TV down, took lots of frustration to solve it & we are text too! In saying all the above, once we had cleaned & aired the house, we enjoyed our stay.

The property is amazing, so spacious and a lovely peaceful feel throughout the property.

The garden is such a lovely suntrap, private and secure. The beds are really comfortable, the best sleep I can remember!! The village is beautiful too with lovely walks all around. We had a personal issue (not connected to the property whatsoever) and the owners were amazingly supportive with their help. It was much appreciated. An ideal holiday home and location.

We had a lovely week, it was so nice to have a secure garden for our little dog, a pub/restaurant on the doorstep, some great country walks and right by the coast.

The facilities were all that we could need, can’t thank the owners enough for making a family get together a memorable one.

-pots & pans and some cutlery & utensils etc were dirty and required washing before use.

-not vacuumed in lounge & bedroom from use of previous occupants. -large rug in lounge was ‘rouched up’ and a trip hazard for younger/elderly people, stains on carpet. -not happy with the general cleanliness of the property e.g. cobwebs in lounge, kitchen. -vent in the downstairs loo banging/rattling/noisy during the night and woke us up (when you’re unfamiliar with the problem it’s worrying but once you’re aware of what it is - it’s annoying). - I wouldn’t recommend the cottage or return for a visit/holiday. On a plus side - bedding was clean - Sutton Poyntz is a lovely village in beautiful Dorset.

The house was clean but there were a lot of cobwebs and didn't look like the cleaner had been very thorough.

When we were paying a lot of money we expected the house to be spotless, as were other properties we have stayed in.

On the whole the property was excellent - been on holiday cottages for 30 odd years - you got to remember it’s a holiday cottage no cottage is going to be 100% - what got us is the oven stop working and the company who is in charge was fantastic in sorting out a temporary oven and replacing the broke oven was amazing - got to remember things do brake, I would stay again.

Another wonderful holiday in The Courthouse thank you so much.

There was everything provided that we needed in a very comfortable, clean and spacious cottage with its own parking next to the cottage (a real bonus these days) in a stunning village with little river running through it, a local pub which does food too and and within easy access to numerous beautiful beaches, beauty spots and Weymouth itself and we highly recommend staying here.

We loved our stay in the Courthouse.

It was comfortable, spacious (the pictures do not do it justice) and safe for children. Any issues we had were soon addressed by the owner… thank you Eric. Yes, it could do with a deep clean and some redecorating but this property delivered in bucket loads for comfort and being able to relax with little people. And Sutton Poyntz is an idyll. A real gem in the crown of Dorset.

Very comfortable,well located cottage.

Had a lovely overall stay there. Cleanliness could have been improved in kitchen and bathrooms.Would have given 5 stars if this had been the case .

Like other reviewers, we were disappointed by The Courthouse.

We have stayed in many self-catering cottages over the years, always opting for the more expensive ones, and usually getting what we paid for. The Courthouse is generally shabby and tired in appearance. we had to hoover the carpet when we arrived, after our grandson rolled on it and came up covered in dog hair. A large table lamp had broken off at the base and been propped up so that the slightest knock would dislodge it, leaving sharp edges that would have been dangerous to a child. Similarly, there were paracetamol tablets in a child-height drawer in the kitchen. The kitchen extractor fan was filthy, and the glassware and crockery were smeary, probably because of the dirty hinges and seals in the dishwasher - we washed ours by hand during our visit. The garden furniture included a table that was too rickety to use comfortably for eating, and one of the reclining chairs was broken (missing hinge). Luckily we noticed that before our heavily pregnant daughter-in-law sat in it. There is a sunken bin at the bottom of the garden for dog waste, but it is half full of dried faeces because no one has put any of the required fluid in to dissolve it, so we didn't add to it. It just seems that no one seems to check anything, or do any of the minor jobs that are needed to keep a rental in good condition (like oiling the bedroom door hinges). Although we eventually managed to turn the front door key (you have to lift the door fairly forcibly to get it to engage), someone even older and frailer than us would have struggled. This is a nice cottage in a lovely location, but it needs a lot of attention to justify the price.

Very good.

We had just 4people and it had lots of space, inside and out.

We had a wonderful stay at the Courthouse.

Beautifully clean, well equipped, with very comfortable beds. The good quality cotton bed linen was lovely too, great to snuggle up in after a long day of walks on the local beaches & countryside with our two collies. Perfect bath (there is an over bath shower) or separate powerful shower which is en-suite to the master bedroom. Large comfy lounge (3 seater, 2 seater & two chairs) overlooking a fully enclosed garden which our two loved. Ample parking space for our car. Nice neighbours, they have dogs & whilst friendly kept themselves to themselves. The cottage is just a 2min stroll from The Springhead pub which is nestled away & clientele were lovely, good varied drinks, food menu & pizza oven outside. Lots of great walks for every type of walker. Close to Osmington Mills, Lulworth Cove/Durdle Door & Weymouth, Portland Bill. For avid readers there’s a red telephone box in the village packed with lots of good exchange books. All round excellent cottage & location. Yes, take your own towels as Sykes advises & if your visit is during or following a soggy week or two I’d imagine it is incredibly hard to clean the cottage if they’ve had a mindless family staying & not managing their dogs/tidying up after themselves, as would be anywhere. The decor & detail at this property showed me the owners & their cleaner care greatly for those that stay. I’ve always liked the All Blacks motto, ‘Sweep the Shed’.

We were informed by sykes that towels were provided but on arrival there were none except I small hand towel in downstairs toilet.

We therefore had to buy 6 bath towels. Also whole property needs a good clean.

Read the email I sent to you regarding the filthy state of The Courthouse, Sutton Poyntz!

Do you ever check properties?

Very comfortable and roomy house.

Well equipped. Garden was fully secure so could let the dogs out without worrying. A thoroughly enjoyable stay in a lovely property.

Beautiful place and a lovely location, everything is easily accessible

We had a wonderful holiday in a spacious and comfortable cottage which is very well equipped and has a lovely enclosed garden.

Cottage is situated in Sutton Poyntz and there are lots of beautiful walks in stunning Doraet countryside. We will definitely return...thank you!!

Excellent property in an excellent location.

Lovely and roomy with all the facilities you can ask for. The only negative would be the lack of a overhead or seperate shower in the main bathroom.

We have stayed at The Courthouse before and we absolutely love the location and the space and comfort the accommodation has to offer.

My only criticism is that the property is in need of some redecoration and the cleanliness of the property has some room for improvement BUT we absolutely loved our experience once again and are looking forward to a return trip in September!! The property is in an ideal location, with adequate parking and a wonderful enclosed garden which is perfect for dogs.

Poor internet connection.

This is a lovely cottage in a fabulous village.

There are many walks you can do from the village or it is a great base for days out. The village is really dog friendly with a great pub/eatery central only 4 minutes walk from the Courthouse. There is another pub shop and chippy about 1/2 mile away. Facilities in the courthouse are really good. We ate out and also cooked quite a few meals. Everything you could need in the kitchen. Lovely garden which the dogs enjoyed investigating and all secure for them. Would defo recommend here

This property was spotlessly clean and sanitised.

The beds very comfortable and there is everything you could need for a wonderful holiday. Every room is spacious and light. The location is perfect, great pub in village for meals and lovely walks. Very dog friendly and a very safe garden for them, also neighbours in the courtyard are dog lovers and friendly. Have booked for next year as soon as we got home.

Cottage was spacious and well equipped with ample parking.

Was a bit disappointed after reading previous reviews that certain things hadn't been fixed, especially given the downtime time due to COVID? Think the cottage could, at some point, do with a deep clean. Whist it it a dog friendly cottage the lounge greets you with quite a 'damp'dog' odour. The garden is secure and gets the sun most of the day. All that said we have just re-booked for next year as it fulfilled our expectations and needs. Thanks :-)

The Courthouse is a comfortable, well maintained property in the lovey village of Sutton Poyntz.

It is well situated for visiting the surrounding area and Weymouth is within a short distance. We enjoyed the break and would certainly recommend this property.

Key safe ridiculously fiddly and necessitates standing on wet lawn to use.

Front door almost impossible to open from inside as was sticking and no knob to pull on. Decor in 3rd bedroom (where I ended up) frankly horrible. Though cottage superficially clean,there were cobwebs around windows and a deep clean would be beneficial. Overall,a bit of an update - especially in kitchen and third bedroom would be nice. Hope this does not sound overly picky,but we did pay quite a lot (understandable at Christmas). Despite these comments,we did find the cottage spacious,warm and comfortable and would return.

Delightful cottage with all the facilities you would need.

Lovely enclosed garden for dogs with the added bonus of a doggy loo! Very well located within easy distance of Weymouth and very near Lulworth Cove, Corfe and Swanage. The local pub serves very good food and beers and is 50m from the cottage. Lots of other lovely pubs and walks nearby. A great family cottage!

Lovely cottage well equipped, comfy beds and sofas .

Fabulous village, and pub But it needed a thorough deep clean oven ,under beds ect. .It wasn’t cheap and I expected a higher standard

A good family sized accommodation in lovely location good sized bedrooms but property in need of updating, tired looking furniture and stained carpets and rugs.

Found it difficult to use ensuite shower at same time as family bathroom, due to water pressure. Could not really use oven as needed deep clean. Enclosed garden was good but had to clean up dog poo on arrival as we had a young child with us. In general property in need of updating and deep clean, if this was carried out property would be ideal.

We have stayed here for many years but have noticed that everything is looking very tired and outdated now even though the price goes up every year.

The property could really do with re decorating, carpets on the stairs or repaired due to very creaky steps. Door latches make it impossible to open or close doors quietly at night and taps won’t fully turn off in the main bathroom. The lounge carpet is very stained but as this is a dog friendly property and the carpets are cream that can’t be helped. Very kind gift of a bottle of wine is greeting you on arrival but white wine would be better as red is not as popular. Washer/tumble dryer is a god send and kitchen is well equipped. Although knifes are exceptionally blunt for preparing food. Upstairs is comfortable and linen is provided free as some other properties do charge.

We love the cottage & it was really well stocked for cooking & games.

.. we had a wonderful time! My only room for improvement would be a more thorough clean- it felt a little lacking in sparkle! Otherwise a delight!

I would thoroughly recommend The Courthouse as a cosy yet spacious accommodation.

With a beautiful walled garden. Dog friendly which is a huge bonus. Friendly people and within easy distance of lots of fun things. Portland Bill, climbing, monkey world, Weymouth, coastal walks, skateboarding and body boarding in the sea. It’s a brilliant holiday destination.

the extractor in en suite didn't work flush handle in cloakroom needs tightening, works but very loose Otherwise a very well and thoughtfully equipped property.

We all had a very relaxed and enjoyable holiday and are looking forward to being able to stay at The Courthouse again very soon.

Lovely cottage, pretty village and nice, dog-friendly pub with very good food, just a short walk away. Wanted for nothing and even had good mobile and wi-fi signals! Will be going back. Stayed September/October 2015

Very comfortable house set in a lovely Dorset village. Close to some public footpaths for walking, ideal for the dogs. Very minor issue, kitchen radiator was not completely functioning could get chilly in the evening. Spring head pub very close nice lunchtime meals following a long walk with dogs, dogs welcome in the bar area. Stayed October 2015

Excellent location fantastic property ideal for the dogs. Would certainly book the same cottage again and with The Springhead Pub just a minutes walk away who could ask for anything better!!! Stayed November 2015

Lovely, well equipped property. Very comfortable and a relaxing space - Stayed August 2016

Lovely accommodation in a very nice village with a good pub selling excellent food. Stayed November 2016

Very comfortable property, good location! Stayed December 2016

Beautiful property in a lovely location. Stayed May 2017

Beautiful accommodation, clean comfortable in a beautiful location and of a very high standard the owners had thought of everything. we have recommended this to some friends of ours. Stayed May 2017

Lovely cottage with a nice homley feel. Ideal setting, quiet, everything there you needed. Would stay again. Stayed July 2017

Really enjoyed our stay at the courthouse we would consider going again, lovely village and location, many thanks From all of us. Will recommend it to our friends.

Lovely property in a beautiful location, hopefully will be going back soon. Stayed May 2018

Comfortable place to stay in good location. Well equipped. Stayed July 2018.