Blease Garth

We had a wonderful stay in Blease Garth.

Well equipped and clean. We moved from the double bed to the two single beds as the double bed was too uncomfortable for us. Very soft mattress and lumpy duvet. Apart from this, it is a lovely cottage and would stay again.

We had a wonderful stay at Blease Garth cottage!

It was well equipped, nicely presented, comfortable and peaceful. The only gripe we had was that the garden/borders at the front could have done with a de-weeding and cutting as it looked a little scruffy from the outside. We could have also done with a sieve. These were only very minor things, overall, we thoroughly loved the house and area and will definitely be coming back!

Thanks for such a lovely stay.

It was clean and cosy with the added plus of a garden and dogs (well behaved) aloud. A generous treat on arrival. Great location. We will most definitely return for next year. My only criticism would be that the front and garden could do with a little tlc to brighten it up again! Thanks.

Such a lovely little cottage and in a great location it’s was perfect for our break away.

Had everything we needed and more. Shall defiantly be booking here again when we come to visit the Lake District.

Lovely little cottage in a great location.

Inside was a very pleasant surprise after first impressions on pulling up outside (just needs bit of a tidy up/spruce up). We loved the quirkiness and features. Clean and very comfy. Shame no welcome pack (a bit of milk, tea, coffee, etc would have been appreciated). Garden nice, with fab views. We kept our dog on a long line in the garden as she was super interested in new smells and the goats just over the wall, which she could have jumped. If your dog is happy to pootle in garden it looked reasonably secure. Shame about the dirty dog bowls left outside. Uneven floors, low beams, downstairs bathroom not an issue for us. Would stay again.

We love staying in Blease Garth.

Fantastic location and rustic charm. The garden is great for the dog. It has been lovely sitting outside morning or evening with views of the fells. The house is warm and the wood stove for colder evenings is an added bonus. Pubs and cafe within 5 minutes walk The only slight downside is that the loo is downstairs by the front door so night time visits to the loo run the risk of disturbing the dog in her crate.

As we were travelling up to The Lakes on the Saturday for our week’s stay at Blease Garth, we received a phone call from the housekeeper informing us that the heating was broken and there would be a heating engineer coming on the Monday to fix it.

He wasn’t able to fix it however and we were left with two small oil heaters that were insufficient. The bathroom was Baltic. The heat pump kept coming on, even through the night, which was very noisy and disturbing, but obviously with no heat to the radiators. Sykes were quick to respond to my complaint email and contacted the owner. It was disappointing as it was otherwise a great cottage in a fabulous location. Other recent reviews mention issues with the heating so the problems should have been addressed. We were there with insufficient heating and actually left a day early.

On arrival the property was very cold.

The 2 ground floor radiators were warmish at the bottom but cold over the rest of their surface so I bled them and both were completely full of air. This is not something that occurs overnight. This did not really solve the cold problem though. The next morning (New Year's Eve) we contacted Lakelovers and they arranged for a heating engineer to come out who got the system working. Even so the cottage was never properly warm. The kitchen which has a stone flag floor has no radiator in it and the bathroom which does was always cold and very uncomfortable. We used the wood burner frequently to top up the temperature. My wife looked back over previous reviews and there are a number of cold complaints which appear to have been ignored with the exception of the addition of a couple of inadequate electric radiators. On the door way of the bathroom there is a split in the wood at elbow level of about 30cm which tapered to a point. As this stuck out a bit I had to tape it over as both of us caught our arms on it. The kitchen utensils are very poor to the degree where most are unusable as the handles just bend as soon as any pressure from trying to stir or flip food is applied. There is however quite a good set of sharp knives which is very unusual. The quilt on the double bed reaches the side of the bed, just, with no one in it. As soon as there are bodies in the bed it is way to small. We ended up using one of the quilts from the single beds as well. Again this has been raised in previous reviews. Overall the cottage smacks of penny pinching and at £1000 for the week that is unacceptable. It is a shame because it is a nice quaint place and I am sure the garden would be a great place to enjoy sunny evenings in the summer. The location is also excellent. Kudos to Lakelovers for getting someone out to look at the central heating on New Year's Eve.

Delightful cosy cottage, equipt with all we needed and a lovely garden for the dogs to have a run around.

Lovely wood burner for extra coziness. 2 nice pubs within walking distance. perfect relaxing break.

We had a great stay here, loved the quirkiness of the cottage and it was in a perfect location.

The only issues we had were that the bathroom was very cold and the central heating makes a lot of noise when it comes on.

It is a beautiful picturesque home though them beams are low and treacherous

Our second stay in this Lovely cottage.

Excellent with our dog as stone floors. And an enclosed garden helps too Feels very rustic in an authentic way. The only downside is that the loo is downstairs in the middle of the night if needed. Will definitely be back again

A very homely and dog friendly with a excellent size garden, will book blease Garth again next year when we return

Wonderful cottage in fabulous location!

Well equipped kitchen, lovely large garden and most importantly VERY comfortable beds and pillows!! We had a great week and were spoilt for choice with walks and activities! Would highly recommend Blease Garth as a base for a perfect Lakes District holiday!

Blease Garth was the perfect cosy cottage for our mini-moon in the Lakes.

It was quirky and characterful but perfect for people who don’t mind low ceilings and uneven floors. The place was spotless and more than equipped for our stay - the listing says there’s no dishwasher so we were surprised to find there was one when we got there! Even in July, the log burner came in a treat to help warm us up and dry our clothes after rainy days. The garden is huge and completely enclosed which kept our dog safe and the little sunroom was perfect for a coffee in the morning. You’re a maximum of 5 mins away from Keswick and close by to many of best sights in the Lakes like Blencathra, Skiddaw and Helvellyn (a personal favourite!). We would absolutely return to Blease Garth, it was perfect!

We absolutely loved this little cottage.

It’s so homely and comfortable, and perfectly placed for walking the fells and the pub!!! The cottage has a few quirks which add to its charm, and although the low doorway is clearly signed, it took me a bang on the head to pay more attention

Thoroughly lovely, quaint little cottage.

Don't know how I missed that the bathroom was located downstairs!? My mistake and whilst it didn't spoil our weekends stay, it did make it a little uncomfortable for me in particular.......I tend to visit the bathroom at least twice during the night and am used to my very close ensuite. However, if you can cope with that, this is a wonderful little cottage. We didn't move our car the entire weekend and walked directly from the doorstep, which we loved.

Had an amazing stay.

Cottage was very comfortable. Everything i needed was in place. Very handily placed for the Threkeld to Keswick footpath as well for the Blencathra and Mungrisedale fells. I recommend the Village Hall cafe for snacks and drinks and the Horse and Farrier pub for meals and a pint. Thoroughly enjoyed my stay!

The property owner is well aware of our feedback and refused to do anything.

The cottage as a whole was lovely and perfectly situated. We were unhappy with the size of the bedding on the double bed, it only just lined up with the mattress without anyone being in the bed, but we put the 2 singles together in the other room to make a double and used the single quilts instead. Some of the sheets and duvet covers had brown stains on. The kitchen table was dirty and sticky on the leaf joins and the area above the cooker was full of sticky cobwebs. To top it off the neighbouring property was going through a full refurbishment, so being woken up at 8am by a hammer drill which felt like it was coming through the bedroom wall was not what we expected or wanted when trying to have a relaxing restful holiday. The area of Threlkeld was perfect for us and the local pubs and community cafe were lovely. But I wouldn’t return to this property again!

We had a lovely short stay at the cottage which was everything we wanted.

A beautiful view for my morning cuppa in the conservatory which was nice and toasty with the heater on. It was a great base to explore the area...and then chill out by the log fire in the evening. And the local pub was divine too. We would happily go back again. Thanks for a great stay.

A lovely cosy cottage, well equipped, comfortable bed and sofas.

A traditional period cottage but with all mod cons. Great location in this lovely village, splendid views, good sized secure garden. Nice modern bathroom (toilet seat could do with some attention). The icing on the cake would have been a starter basket of logs for the first night. All in all one of the best cottages we have stayed in, definitely recommended.

We had a nice stay but found the heating system lacking.

Also the path in front of the door is not very good and could cause an accident.

Very nice old worldly cottage with good enclosed garden for dog.

Parking ideal for one car. Eating in village 5 minute walk to two pubs, very good standard of food. Only 3 miles into Keswick.. The only downside to cottage was ( please mind your head when entering conservatory). I saw the sign but then forgot to duck and saw stars. So, may I suggest you stick a sponge strip on both sides of the walls. Been to threlkeld 3 times and shall be booking same cottage again. Hope this is helpful. From Patrick and Diana.

We absolutely loved staying at Blease Garth cottage.

Facilities were great, and the conservatory and garden (with lovely views) were a great addition. It was really cosy and perfectly placed for walking and exploring the Lakes.

Nice place, great location.

We had a lovely holiday and we really liked the cottage; the Wainwright books on the bookcase were a bonus, and the beds were really comfy. A few minor complaints: there was bagged-up dog poo on the path outside the conservatory when we arrived. Also the glasses and plates were a mish mash and not very accessible. Main gripe is the arrival time of 4pm and vacation time of 10am; what happened to being able to arrive and leave at 12? The cottage wasn't cheap but this made it feel overpriced.

Beds very basic and small.

A lot of the crockery was chipped. Minimum amount of glasses/plates. Door to sunroom worryingly small and bedroom furniture and overall look of bedrooms very basic. Lovely garden and views won’t stay again though. Disappointing

The house was extremely well equipped and spacious for up to 4 adults.

The conservatory offers an amazing view over the hills and provides a warmer alternative to outside if needed. We were able to enjoy 5 days of glorious weather which always makes the Lakes an amazing place, but even on the more dreary, cooler days the house was a haven. Thank you for all the TLC you have put into it.

We love the cottage, it is very homely with good quality fittings and equipment.

The shower was excellent and easy to use. We would stay here again. The village of Threlkeld is amazing, quiet yet has a vibrant village hall which is used for events and an excellent coffee shop. The only downsides for myself recently having a total knee replacement was the staircase, no hand rail and the steps were of various sizes. After a while I just went up on all fours which made the ascent easy. Coming downstairs was a greater problem especially with the cut away step, part way down but near the top. It was OK when I got used to it. However exiting the staircase into the kitchen caused problems throughout. The exit doorway is low so one has to stoop and with no rail it is a difficult manoeuvre. I never managed to complete this without difficulty. The door from the kitchen to the sun room is only 5 feet 2 inches in height. I am 5 feet 10 inches tall so a stoop every time I went into the sun room. This taught me to stoop whilst using any doorway. From then on no problems. In fact it was quite quaint. The toilet has no grab rail and is unsuitable for anyone with mobility problems as I found out. The bannister rail at the top of the stairs is quite low and does not meet current height regulations. It would therefore be possible for someone to fall into the stair well. This was not a problem for use as I pointed out the low rail. The outside dustbin is a hidden problem. When I removed the liner for waste collection I saw that the bin appeared to be half full of used dog poo bags. They had been there for a very long time. Needless to say I did not investigate further and just placed the new liner into the bin. These comments about the cottage are from the view of someone who has reduced mobility at present only having the knee replacement 10 weeks ago. Many of my problems were a problem to others in my party and I am sure that as my mobility improves I would not have any concerns.

The cottage & garden were lovely, the only issue was the stairs,they were very steep & narrow & would be much safer with a hand rail,it would be easy for anyone to fall.

What a brilliant cottage.

It was perfect for the three of us and our 2 dogs. It has been very well refurbished in a way which has kept the charm of the old cottage while modernising the essentials like bathroom and kitchen equipment. What a great bonus to have the secure garden. We loved sitting in the lean-to conservatory with the door open and a coffee in hand, looking out over the hills and hearing nothing but birdsong. Ideal location with walks from the doorstep and two really good pubs. We will return.

A lovely cottage in a fabulous area for exploring the region.

There was also a lovely welcome pack including biscuits and a bottle of wine, which was much appreciated.

Blease Garth was a perfect rustic cottage with a warm welcome for us in a great setting with easy access to the fells.

The beds were comfortable and all the facilities led to a cosy stay. Local pubs and the village hall/cafe all in walking distance added to an amazing week. Thank you.

A truly wonderful Lakeland cottage in a beautiful location at the foot of Blencathra and close to Keswick with all amenities.

The cottage has been tastefully decorated retaining traditional features with a modern twist. We found the cottage extremely comfortable and would have loved to have stayed longer. The village of Threkeld is ideally situated for exploring the Northern Lakes and has several very good pubs for food close by. We would highly recommend.

Excellent location and well appointed cottage.

Would benefit from some form of heating in hallway/porch as it’s cold going to the bathroom. Otherwise, couldn’t fault and enjoyed having an open fire and beds very comfortable.

Lovely little cottage, tucked away in with beautiful scenery.

We enjoyed looking out to the animals in the other gardens and the huge mountains around us. Fabulous local area, nice welcome package but it was wine and I am sober so would’ve been nice if the package didn’t include alcohol and was more local treats. Nice biscuits left for us. Unfortunately we found that the house was falling to bits, the dining chairs were uncomfortable and broken, the towel rail fell off, the beds were very uncomfortable and we struggled to sleep well. The living room was lovely though, and the books were a great addition. In the conservatory a large box was in the way with pipes in, and from arrival til departure 2 huge bin bags from previous guests were outside our door so we didn’t appreciate that. There was also no bin bags left for us. My partner fell down the stairs as the carpet is not steady. Would be nice if they replaced the chairs, the mattress, the towel rail, tidied up the garden a bit & made sure the previous guests waste was gone before we arrived and not there on the doorstep when we got there. Other than that we liked it but feel we overpaid for the stay at £1.2k for a week for 2 people for the quality of the place.

What’s not to love about a Blease Garth cottage?

Beautiful views, a quaint little cottage with all the amenities you need and in a very convenient location for accessing some of the most beautiful parts of the Lake District. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and were very sad to leave. We would not hesitate to book this place again.

Lovely cottage with a wonderful location.

Really enjoyed having the books, games and outdoor space. Very detailed information book and lovely goodies on arrival a nice touch. Grass was very long and would be better if cut and beds slightly uncomfortable but overall a wonderful stay

The cottage and the setting are wonderful, unfortunately a few things let it down.

First of all was the cleanliness, overall it was okay but some things weren't so great. For instance baking trays were greasy and the throws and blankets did not appear to have been laundered. Then there were facilities, there was no ironing board or iron. Electrical extension leads ran off other electrical extension leads in one bedroom and a huge box of some kind of pipes had been left in the garden room making half of it unusable. Lastly were the instructions. Having instructions on how things work is great. Having reams of instructions which contradict themselves, such as when the rubbish is collected or what to do with used towels, are not helpful. Also, instructions which suggest that if you don't follow the (incorrect) instructions you are in some way being disrespectful to the village are not the way to welcome visitors. We will come back to the Lake District, we will come back to Threlkeld, but we will not return to Blease Garth.

Lovely little cottage.

Very clean and beautiful views . Great base for walking. Struggled with 4 people and one toilet. On arrival rubbish was all over the front of the cottage. However we loved the cottage. We found the oven and hob a bit of a challenge to use. Threlkeld is a favourite place of ours been several times. Thankyou

Lovely traditional cottage.

Quite simply but everything needed for a weeks stay. Great garden. Perfect for our Airedale Terrier. Friendly neighbours! The highlight tho’ was the location which was at the foot of Blencathra, one of the most magnificent and accessible of the hills in the Lakes. Definitely recommend.

Would be really helpful to provide a means of making decent coffee: either a pod machine or at least a cafetiere.

Complimentary biscuits and wine a nice touch.

Lovely little cottage, ideal base for exploring The Lakes….

Previous holiday maker noted household waste on drive from ripped sack……still there when we arrived….hubby cleared up!!! Be advised this is an old cottage with very low ceilings and doorways…..6ft + and a sore head at least once is inevitable!!! Loved our stay and will definitely stay again

Fantastic cottage comfortable beds beautiful shower room spotless throughout loved log burner the conservatory where we sat in the morning with a coffee heating was great we noticed a new cooker and dishwasher although we ate out so didn’t use them excellent cottage and I only have one suggestion .

on arrival the previous occupant had as requested placed their rubbish back at bottom of drive but by Saturday as it was still there animals had torn the bag open and the contents strewn all around the number given by Sykes was not available we managed to ring maintenance it the mess was still there on the day we left.perhaps a bin would be better

There was issues with the heating system when we arrived, however the plumber had been contacted and resolved the issue as a matter of urgency on Saturday, and returned to fix the problem on Monday, this didn’t detract from the quality of the holiday.

A very cosy comfortable cottage, everything you need has been thought of. Great base for exploring the Lake District Really enjoyed our stay in Blease Garth. Would definitely return if visiting the Lakes in the future

Stunning cottage in an excellent location, village coffee shop at the end of the road and only 10mins from Keswick.

However it was very cold and snowy when we arrived, there seemed to be no way to turn the heating up and nothing left to start a fire with. As we arrived late in the evening we had to wait until the next day to get kindling. If this had been made clearer we would have brought kindling with us. Also dogs were not allowed upstairs or on furniture, while this is understandable our dog is allowed at home and so was very confused! This also would have been nice to know beforehand. Otherwise lovely cottage that I'm sure is great in the summer!

Quaint and beautiful cottage in an absolutely perfect location.

The property was spotless on arrival and considering this is an 1800’s cottage, we were surprised how large it felt. The small noise from the heat pump when firing took a little bit of getting used to, and maybe some insulation around it, might benefit the light sleeper. This in no way detracted from the experience and we said that this is now the ‘go to’ cottage for staying in the northern lakes. The village is great, the horse and farrier pub was fantastic with the dogs, the coffee shop was another pleasant surprise. If you want high ceilings, characterless and modern then go somewhere else. If you want warm, cosy, quirky, well equipped where the owners have truly thought about what you need, then this is the cottage for you. It certainly will be for us, we’ll be coming back for sure!!!!

Perfect Lakeland cottage, bursting with character and charm.

Lovely facilities, warm and cosy. Didn’t bang my head once! Great location. We rebooked immediately

Blease Garth is the most adorable little cottage.

Beautifully presented and full of character and charm it was everything we hoped for on our stay. Very warm and cozy with a lovely log burner and the kitchen had absolutely everything we could have possibly needed as a family of 4. At 6ft 5inches it was for me (as expected for a period Cottage) difficult to stand up straight anywhere but my only criticism would be the bed in the main bedroom is tiny and has a frame so sleeping was not very comfortable. Understandably a larger bed wouldn't fit the room however a bed without a frame would have been a much better option. The shower was lovely, hot and powerful and everything was clean well thought out. The garden is a great size and very tidy with lovely views of the hills. We had a couple of very enjoyable meals at the Horse and Farrier pub a short walk down the road and would definitely recommend visiting them (take a torch for the way back in the dark) All in all a lovely break in wonderful surroundings.

Outside appearance poor.

No gardener for at least 2 months. Lawn, front weeds etc .House cold. Air source !!!!!!! radiators would not turn up. Log burner great but had to provide own logs which we didnt know about until read notes on arrival .Heat pump very noisy all night .Every half hour thump and swish. Needs insulation in the upstairs cupboard. Great new bathroom but downstairs. Down very narrow stairs with no rope or rail. Plenty of hot water. Comfy furniture .Quirky but heating needs sorting out before gets any colder. I have put all this in a note left for owner/cleaner.

Really comfortable cottage in the centre of the village.

Amazing views and the updates to the bathroom are done well. The only issue we had was operating the heating which didn't seem to come on at times. The grass could have done with a cut as it was quite long but this did not have any affect on our stay. We will definitely be back

Lovely, characterful old cottage.

Threkeld is a nice village in a superb location close to the Northern Fells. Lovely cottage garden- it was nice to sit in the sun room after a day’s hiking to look out at it and the views beyond. Regular bunny visitor too! We felt at home straight away. Due to the structure of this old property taller people (over 5 foot 2!) will find they have to stoop a lot to get through low doorways. Ceiling also low on one side of double bedroom. Have to be careful to avoid banged heads!

There was no indication of the low ceilings and doorways in the pictures or description, and the lack of a handrail on the stairs caused some apprehension with the older members of our party.

Otherwise a very pleasant property with everything needed to allow a comfortable holiday.

Blease Garth.

On pulling up at the " cottage" we thought we had arrived at a brick outhouse, a weed ridden first impression of what became known as the ' hobbit house. Amazing what good camera lighting and wide angled lenses can do for a place as nothing looked the same as on the website. Makes it look light and airy but the opposite is true. Dark and gloomy and very poor lighting. One small halogen light and a floor lamp. Beamed ceilings are mentioned but not how low they were. One of us is 6ft 4 ins and the other 5ft 2 ins. Both of us had to stoop to miss things, even my wife could touch the ceilings. Came home with a hunched back from stooping all of the time. The door to the glass lean to was only 5ft 2ins by 22 inches and banged heads were the order of the day. The staircase was very steep and had no handrail. A definite contravention of building regs there and should be addressed as a matter of urgency as you have to go on hands and knees to get up safely. Doors do not close properly with one bedroom door looking as if it had been chewed by a demented hamster. Towel rail in bathroom covered in rust so could not put towels on it. Called a period cottage it is very disappointing at over £200 per night. On the plus side the back garden was lovely and safe enough to let our two small Papillon dogs roam. Plenty of hot water and the bed was comfortable. Lastly check out time was supposed to be 10am but on entry the first thing noticed was an order to vacate by 9.30am and to take our rubbish with us. We left the night before. David

We had a fabulous week at Blease Garth but that really is due to just being in the lakes.

We have stayed in the lakes for the last 30 years. This cottage needs to be listed as small with very small doorways etc. Kitchen very well equipped but the place needs a little bit of decorating (paint peeling off walls/woodwork etc is not a good look on a rental property). The conservatory does add a lovely touch and is a great place to sit and reflect on the walks we had done whilst over looking the lovely garden.

We had a very nice and relaxing stay at Blease Garth and will be rebooking.

I agree with other guests that the main bedroom should be swapped with the twin room (may be consider bunk beds or small double bed) and make it the bigger bedroom but this would not put me off staying again. Found it very well equipped and the conservatory and garden were a fabulous bonus.

Lovely old world cottage which was very warm and cozy.

Great location and scenery. A few tweaks would make it superb: the boiler would fire up in the early hours waking me up as its in the smaller bedroom with the double bed. I did try turning thermostat down all the time but it made no difference. You cannot run a bath, not even a small one, the water goes cold. This should be in the listing. It would make sense to have the larger bedroom as a master with superking zip lock beds and the smaller room as a small twin. As it is the small double bed is too tiny, I couldn't imagine 2 adults sharing it. Plus if only 2 people were staying it would solve the boiler noise problem!

We enjoyed our stay, but that was more to do with what we did than the cottage, it needs some serious investment, it could be lovely.

There was no starter pack of logs, just an empty bag, rusty fittings in the bathroom, not enough hot water for a bath, had to boil kettle! Only one wine glass! No control over heating. Didn't really like having gas bottles changed while we were out as they have to go through the cottage to do that. Previous complaints not listened to, ie plastic bags stuffed above doorway. No dinner trays, minor but irritating, we knew no washing machine but again irritating, the whole place needs to be overhauled. Beds though were comfy, conservatory should be rebuilt. I say again we enjoyed our stay overall but it was our least favourite cottage since we have been coming to the lakes.

Had a lovely week at Blease Garth.

Cottage was perfect and in a beautiful spot. Especially liked the sun room. Beds comfy, kitchen well equipped. Shower was powerful and large secure garden. Have no complaints at all. Threlkeld is a lovely village, with walks straight from the front door. Both high and low level. Would definitely recommend this cottage to others.

Lovely cottage.

Close enough to Keswick - about an hour walk or a 10 minute bus which stops a couple of minute walk from the property. Very clean & well equipped. Lovely big enclosed garden which was great for dogs. Would highly recommend.

A charming and quaint cottage in a wonderful little village.

We love Threlkeld. We found Blease Garth very clean for dog friendly accommodation, although guests need to be aware that the floors are uneven (both upstairs and down) and some doors are very small so require some ducking and stooping, this really adds to the charm but is not great for you back and posture. The property does need an outside light on the front as we did tend to go out every evening and walking on the path and drive was precarious at night. Also a small key ring on the house key would be useful as I did worry that I would lose the key, even when leaving the key on the window sill in the porch at night - easily lost without a key ring. Finally the double bed would be better to not have a footboard: when you have to get out of bed in the night from the side nearest the window and sidestep round, there were many times I caught my pyjama shorts. Also a bed without a footboard would make the room look bigger. Overall we had a nice stay and thought the cottage was very charming.

The cottage was exactly what we were looking for - a traditional cosy Lakeland cottage in a great location with stunning views.

We loved the log burner and the dog loved the garden. We hope to come back soon, thank you.

The cottage is in a great position in Threlkeld, close to amazing walks, 2 good pubs and only 5 minutes drive to Keswick.

The cottage is a very old building so it is ‘rustic’, but we like it. There are a couple of maintenance issues that would improve the cottage- bathroom- the bath side panel needs painting and there a couple of areas of damp but the shower is lovely and hot. The heating is a little temperamental but we managed fine. We spent all of our time in the lovely garden room, there is a portable heater so was lovely and toasty. The garden is fabulous but front and back needs a couple of hours attention. Overall, we would recommend.

The cottage was warm and comfortable with a well equipped kitchen.

However, we found several issues and had to contact the property management company and Sykes. The boiler kept coming on throughout the night and disturbed our first 2 nights sleep. A plumber was sent who then explained how to override the system - information in the cottage said not to do this but it was the only way to get sleep! The garden was overgrown and littered with dog mess. It was clear that the grass had not been cut or the garden maintained for many weeks. Information in the cottage stated the gardener visited each Friday!!! We found an area above the entrance door to the kitchen was stuffed full of old carrier bags. We presume as insulation but not safe. There was black mould growing on the wall in the bathroom, the towel rail base was rusty, there was a broken tile at the bath and mould around the edges. The sink and bath plug had broken chains. The wardrobe in the twin room smelled strongly of damp and we could not store our clothes in it. There is no outside light and the entrance to the cottage is quite tricky with different levels, slabs and steps all which were uneven. The entry was also covered in weeds and overgrown grass.

The boiler appeared to be continuously firing up for most of the day and night.

This is both incredibly energy wasteful and with the location of the boiler in the bedroom it meant sleep was often disturbed.

My husband is 6ft 3inch.

It had mentioned some low beams in the details. However it was not just the odd beam he had to duck. He could not walk across either the lounge or the kitchen (which was most of the downstairs) without ducking. (Lucky he is easy going or this would have spoilt our holiday!) The details should make it clear that this property is not appropriate for someone of my husband's height. It would also be helpful to mention the footends on all of the beds which were also a problem for anyone tall. I am 5ft 6inch and only had to duck for the entrance to the conservatory. Apart from issues with the low ceilings the property was great, lovely views from the garden, tranquil setting and great location. One other point-the drive is only suitable for 2 small cars rather than for 2 cars as described.

it would be a good idea if you put a sponge or similar on the low door into the conservatory.

despite the warning we kept bumping our heads the cleaner should check that the batteries were working on things like the clock