Golford Cottage

We had a lovely time exploring the area, which was absolutely beautiful, and the glorious weather during our stay made it all the more special.

The garden was wonderfully spacious too, giving the children plenty of room to run about. We also appreciated the thoughtful welcome from the owners — a chocolate fudge cake and a bottle of wine on the table, along with eggs and milk in the fridge, which was a really charming touch. That said, there were a few aspects of the accommodation itself that we felt could do with some attention. Cleanliness was the main area of concern. There was quite a lot of dog hair on the sofas — and whilst one would expect the odd hair in a pet-friendly cottage, it was fairly widespread across the rugs, stairs and cushions. The soft furnishings also carried a noticeable dog smell, which meant we tended to avoid the living area for much of our stay. There was also some dust beneath the furniture, suggesting it may have been a little while since the property had a thorough clean. The Wi-Fi was rather unreliable, which proved frustrating when trying to plan day trips, particularly as mobile data coverage in the area is also quite limited. On a few occasions, even a simple Google search took several minutes to load. We noticed a broken wine glass in the kitchen cupboard, and the downstairs bathroom had some staining throughout. A few of the dining chairs had noticeably wobbly legs, which felt a little unsafe. The mattress in the bedroom next to the stairs had springs coming through, making it uncomfortable and not really suitable for sleeping on. The bedside lamp on the left side of that room also wasn't plugged in, as there didn't appear to be a nearby socket. The garden bench has unfortunately collapsed — we did notice this had been mentioned in a previous review from around a year ago, so it may be worth prioritising as a repair. Lastly, the curtains in most of the bedrooms as well as the living room hadn't been taken up, leaving them pooling on the floor, which gave the rooms a slightly untidy feel. We genuinely liked the location and had some wonderful days out, and with a bit of care and attention to the above, this could be a really lovely place to stay.

Wonderful place!

11 of us including 5 children spent a week at Golford Cottage and we loved it. It's really spacious, inside and out, thoughtfully kitted out with a large table in the kitchen and an even larger table in the dining room, as well as a utility room for all the coats and shoes, an additional sink, a washing machine and a dryer. The bedrooms are very comfortable and beautiful. There is an outdoor seating area and a large garden. We loved it and would absolutely book it again!

Perfect cottage easily fit 4 bigs dogs, 8 adults and a 7 month old.

It had plenty of space we never felt on top of each other the kitchen was well equipped and the beds were comfy! We were greeted with a bottle of wine/juice and a cake which was a really thoughtful touch! The drive was secure and we managed to fit four big cars on it although we had read it only had space for 3. We have already discussed as a group about returning as it was so lovely and a perfect location for dog walks and relaxing.

A large property with just about everything we could have wanted.

Clean and tidy with lots of facilities. Clear instructions and good guest book with lots of extra information about the area. A very minor thing is that a few extra bits of cutlery would be useful. Very responsive and helpful owners. Great value.

A beautiful and comfortable stay.

The cottage had everything we could of needed from comfortable beds to slow cooker We are very happy with this property and will most definitely return again next year

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Golford Cottage over the Christmas period.

Being a winter stay, the indoor space was the most important for us and the property is very spacious so we never felt under each other’s feet (even with 2 dogs running around!) The road is close by to the property and the main impact of this is that walks starting from the house aren’t really possible but with Hemsted Forest so close it is an easy shuttle drive to lots of walking space to stretch your legs (whether 2 or 4 legged) Overall the cottage is well catered for most needs and has retained its family home feeling that makes it welcoming. Would recommend to those seeking a spacious and comfortable getaway location

Our stay at this beautiful cottage was truly enjoyable.

The property is full of character and charm, and it was exceptionally well-stocked with everything we could possibly need. Every detail had been thoughtfully considered, making our stay both comfortable and convenient. While a few areas could benefit from a little TLC, this is entirely understandable given the property’s age and historic nature. Overall, it’s a wonderful place that offers both comfort and authenticity — we would be delighted to return.

We just loved the house!

! So nice, spacious and decorated so lovely!! It was everything we hoped for in an English cottage!

Comfortable accommodation for large groups and plenty of space both inside and out to not feel overcrowded.

Everything was clean, yes there were some cobwebs but it is a country cottage near farm, , we had no problem with cleanliness. Good supply of cookware and crockery, would benefit from some cooking utensils as there wasn't any. The staircase could be challenging for less mobile so luckily there is a bedroom downstairs. Although there's a sign saying no dogs upstairs, they can't read so perhaps a stairgate would be useful, we barricaded with our suitcases! Garden is great for the children and dogs and once gate is locked very secure. It is near the road (you don't get that from the photos) which is quite busy and there is no path to follow if you wanted to walk into village. The cars are quite speedy along there. Owner kept us up to date and was quick to respond to questions. Phone reception can be sporadic. Have only given 4 stars because of the stairgate issue and because I had to buy some cooking utensils, scissors and bottle opener. Overall, happy to recommend.

Three generations of our family had a great time in a well positioned property for visiting lots of interesting castles gardens steam train rides and the coastline.

Golford cottage allowed us to spread out and enjoy a peaceful time and the facilities were good. The secure garden was great for our dog and the books and games a bonus. The welcome pack was a nice suprise too thanks. We did leave a note for the owners of a few things to improve things which was not a complaint, but hopefully helpful.

The groundfloor space was perfect, especially for my four grandsons (2-9) and the library of games, puzzles and books proved a great attraction.

A spacious garden too. Lovely sharp kitchen knives but just one chopping board, the wooden breadboard. There were several other shortcomings which I've emailed the owner, the worst of which was the TV not being connected to aerial or dish, therefore reliant on poor broadband. The buffering was extremely frustrating - if you could get a programme in the first place. A good base for visiting the many attractions in this delightful county.

We booked to stay as a family get together.

We were 8 adults and 3 under 5’s. We were travelling from The Netherlands and South West Wales. Booking was straightforward snd app was well put together. After a long journey (7hrs) we arrived to find the house had not been prepared snd cleaned for us. The owner was easily contactable snd very apologetic and paid for us to eat out in a local pub whilst she arranged to clean and prep the cottage. The owner said she wasn’t aware of our booking despite us booking via Sykes many months ago. The cottage was not very clean as had lots of cobwebs and thick dust in places, even on the shelf in one of the bathrooms, hence cleaning not being done very well. There was also a strong smell of dogs. There was lots of broken worn furniture inside the cottage and outside in the garden. There was a Bee nest in the ground by patio area. Knowing this would have helped us avoid letting our 3 under 5’s play in that area. There was also a wasp nest in the shed where patio cushions were kept right next to the patio and seating area. A guy came during the week to treat them. It would have been helpful to be advised by owners to take caution in this area. The cottage is an old cottage with lots of potential to offer guests a comfortable stay in a beautiful area. However, it was tired, and gave the impression that not a lot of effort was put into making this a safe, comfortable and child friendly holiday home. Just sitting on the chairs by the table was a worry as a lot of the chairs legs were wobbly with the chair barely holding together. There was info on tourist and local attractions left and a bottle of wine and cake which was a nice inviting touch. This holiday cottage has a lot of potential if it’s given some TLC, and cleaning standards were improved. Communication between Sykes needs to be looked at as arriving when nobody is expecting you was not the bestest of starts. There was 1 key available snd a side patio door that even when locked could be easily opened which made us worry about leaving our belongings there whilst out as the cottage was not secure.

Delightful detached cottage, with welcoming feel and extremely comfortable.

This is a brilliant cottage for a large family get together along with their dogs. Very well laid out and with many thoughtful touches. Really appreciated the cake and bottle of wine! Very secure garden and generous parking. Highly recommended.

We had the most fabulous time in this beautiful house.

Enough space to escape from the family when needed but also great communal areas for us to share. The garden was an added bonus in the sunshine. Superb!

Cottage did not meet our expectations as was presented on Sykes website - These were the issues we found.

1. Rats living under Kitchen had been there for some time - playing in garden all week - we had to keep doors shut for fear of them coming into cottage 2. Very poor condition of ground outside - broken steps leading into property - dilapidated outbuildings -rotten wooden sleepers 3. Food recycling bin eaten through by Rats 4. Very dirty House - we had to clean fridge and hoover stairs and landing on arrival, pull cord in downstairs bathroom was Black (was replaced) sealant around sink black, under the bin draw Ants and dirt 5. 3 Beds broken - 2 fixed, one not fixable - broken dining room chairs (legs) other broken furniture 6. Ants on Kitchen Table and around house 7. Mould on Tiles in Showers 8. Random cables hanging out of walls 9. Broken Cold Tap in downstairs toilet 10. Broken flooring around downstairs 11. Very Thick cobwebs in Velux more like nests (removed one) Whilst some of these issues were fixed - pull cord a few blinds fixed - And pest control came in - The rats were still there when we left - Additionally we kept spotting things as the week went on. Furthermore we had to make multiple contacts to Owners & Sykes (both friendly) which is not what you want to be doing on Holiday - This was the only Holiday we are having as a whole family this year - Whilst we dont very rarely leave bad reviews such was the condition and neglect that this property was in other potential customers should know what they are getting in comparison to the actual listing. We requested compensation but none was forthcoming.

We had a lovely family time in the cottage !

The owners are lovely people which went above and beyond to make sure we had a good time. Definitely recommend them

We had a lovely time at the property.

A few items for attention were passed onto the property owner. The extra touches of a good amount of toilet paper, soaps, and welcome bread, grapes and wine, tea, coffee, sugar etc was extremely welcoming. The location, parking, kitchen utensils and electrical items. Enough for any meal type. Highly recommend The Great House for food it’s about 10 min drive. Thank you for a memorable stay.

A lovely, spacious cottage with a cozy fireplace and a beautiful garden.

It has everything you need to relax and enjoy quiet time away from the busy city. Highly recommend!"