Railway Cottage

37 Customer Reviews

• "Loved the house and location."

  Much nicer than my house! Any grumbles? Not really as it was perfect for me and my son. Found the TV and heating controls a bit of a challenge but maybe just me! And a bowl in the sink plus a dishcloth would be handy (fortunately I always take these myself after previous experience!) All in all a fabulous house and I would recommend to anyone unless they needed parking for two cars. Thanks, Jeff

  Reviewed by Jeff4.7★Jul 2025

• "We had a super week every thing was spot on would go back again and would recommend it to anyone"

  Reviewed by Helen5.0★Jun 2025

• "Secluded, spacious, well equipped and one of the cleanest properties we have ever stayed in!"

  Reviewed by Peter5.0★Jun 2025

• "Beautifully appointed, clean and very warm cottage."

  Thank you for helping to make a wonderful holiday, during which we celebrated my 70th and our son's 23rd. We chose Railway Cottage for its location, price and because, from the slightly negative reviews, it didn't sound too pristine (and didn't require a deposit). As it turned out it seemed that the owner had responded to the complaints with a complete refit. I have a slight problem with the environmental cost of disposal of the old fittings and resources used for the new, and also of heating the open plan layout, but as far as staying there goes it was very pleasant. There were lots of nice touches like tasteful art prints of local scenes. We didn't discover the 'manual' setting of the thermostat till the end of the week, which would have allowed us to set the heating a little cooler, and turn it off when we lit the wood burner. The woodshed was well stocked. The owner was friendly and helpful on the phone and by email. The cottage is perfect if you like cycling and want to travel by train (as we did). Folding bikes are safer on 'Wales and West' as large bikes are sometimes refused if the rather inadequate cycle space is full. The cottage is very near the station, a few minutes ride to the beach, and near the start of the Mawddach Estuary ex-railway cycle path, https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/mawddach-trail-dolgellau/ which runs between the estuary sands and waters on one side and (probably) primeval woodland. There is more similar woodland in the Cadair Idris foothills, which can also be accessed just along the road from the cottage. It is possible to walk all the way from the cottage to the summit, with views back over the estuary from the ridge, which are especially good as the sun gets nearer to setting over the water on the way back. We have not quite done this walk in one go yet, as it takes a bit of reconnoitring to find the best route and to avoid the forestry plantations with fallen trees. It would be quite a long day out (email and715@gmail.com for advice). We like Fairbourne beach, with sand dunes and rock pools, and a river where my sister and I used to like catching dabs under our feet as children. I had a very brief and bracing dip most days. The cottage is at the end of a small driveway that serves the terrace. I guess the access drive used to be at the other side of the house, between it and the railway, and was subsequently converted into gardens for the houses, leaving access only by what looks like the back garden. A small local train goes past on its way up and back down the coast every two hours. Thankfully the garden did still have a few small weeds in it (didn't look sprayed|), and would have been a nice place to sit out had we not been out all day exploring the area. The handsome chicken and goose did wander around on the lane, but I didn't see them in our garden.

  Reviewed by Andrew5.0★Mar 2025

• "First impression of the property was very disappointing."

  Garden areas, both front and back, were full of weeds (some growing up the doors) and the doors to the outbuildings were rotten and falling off. The cottage was large with a modern kitchen and bathroom and overall clean and well equipped. However, the decor was very shabby (some disrepair appeared to have arisen from a longstanding damp problem) and the carpet unacceptably stained. Despite the listing stating that this was a no smoking property, there was a very strong smell of stale cigarette smoke which was extremely unpleasant. We also thought that there was a 'doggy' smell, despite it having a no dog policy also. Due to these issues, we spent as little time as possible in the property and ate out. We didn't have any hot water on the first morning so there was no alternative but to have cold showers. My husband rang the landlord and left a message to advise him of the problem. In fairness, he came back quite quickly and said he would try to get a heating engineer out. As we didn't know if this would be possible or how long it would take, it resulted in my husband clearing out a lot of rubbish from one of the outbuildings to access the boiler so he could re-pressure it. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't been capable of doing this. It is a shame that we experienced these issues, as it wouldn't take much effort to resolve all of them relatively quickly. The cottage is well positioned for access to the beach, shops, pub, cafe, chip shop, bus stop and train station. In fact, our car wasn't used for the whole week as the public transport was so convenient, cheap and reliable.

  Reviewed by Diane3.4★Jul 2024

• "Really nice cottage."

  Not that easy to find, I had to call the owner to find it. It's not where it is on Google maps. Nice furnishings, comfy beds and sofa. Well equipped kitchen. Plenty of cutlery, pans, cheese grater, bottle and tin opener. Everything you need. Nice fairly new bathroom. It could do with a lick of paint to spruce it up a bit. But it's still very nice. Nice back and front gardens. Trainline at the back of the house. The trainline is only used by 1 train going up and down the coast. It comes by around 10 times throughout the day, but it does disturb you at all. TV is a smart TV so access to all channels. Also has a dvd player. There are also some local chickens and a goose belonging to one of the neighbours. And horses round the back of the terraced houses, we only saw them once towards the end of the week.

  Reviewed by Gillian4.7★Jun 2024

• "Lovely cottage, clean & tidy."

  Would benefit for having some coat hooks instead of using the backs of dining room chairs.

  Reviewed by Clare5.0★Jun 2024

• "It’s a really generously sized cottage with lovely large bedrooms with super comfy beds and the linen and towels smelled amazing, it was so comfy that my friend and I slept so well and had the most chillaxed week."

  The bathroom is huge with new facilities and there’s a super comfy sofa and tv to chill in the evening. There’s a good sized garden front and back of the property that are absolute sun traps and we enjoyed sitting with a glass of vino after a day out. It’s a lovely home and in a great location for easy access to Barmouth.

  Reviewed by Nadine5.0★Jun 2024

• "We thought it was value for the money paid."

  The house and gardens need serious TLC. Kitchen, bathroom were fine and it was a very warm house. Beds comfortable. Log fire a nice touch. It was a lot bigger than l thought it would be.

  Reviewed by David3.8★Mar 2024

• "We had a great weekend stay at Railway Cottage, Fairbourne."

  The welcome gift of wine, bread and milk was much appreciated. Cottage was very clean, comfortable and well equipped. We did think the cottage needed some t l c and we did find that the front bedroom window is locked and could not be opened. Cottage is in a good location for visiting the surrounding area and attractions.

  Reviewed by Lynn5.0★Oct 2023

• "Great property although a little bit rough around the edges."

  Every home comfort you could wish for. All in all a very nice and enjoyable stay and would recommend to all.

  Reviewed by Sheree4.4★Sep 2023

• "Kitchen was very well stocked with plenty of cleaning products, cooking equipment and essentials."

  Beds were comfortable and linen and towels were very clean and fresh. Felt that the carpets were a bit old and perhaps the property needs decorating as looks a bit tired. All in all a lovely cosy cottage, warm and inviting in a lovely quiet location.

  Reviewed by Kathryn4.7★Jul 2023

• "A nice cottage in a quiet location."

  Easy to find thanks to the detailed directions from the owner. A good base for exploring the area, such as Barmouth, Harlech and the Centre for Alternative Technology. We would recommend the Mermaid fish and chips in Barmouth and the George III restaurant.

  Reviewed by Helen4.1★Jul 2023

• "We had a lovely stay in this spacious cottage which had all the facilities and amenities we needed."

  It was an excellent base for our many excursions, and we particularly enjoyed seeing the little train pass the bottom of the garden.

  Reviewed by Laura3.8★Apr 2023

• "The house was bigger than we had expected, and the welcome pack was a lovely touch."

  The location was good, only a short walk from local amenities. The local beach was great for walks and we enjoyed the local steam railway. While Fairbourne is a small place there was enough for the few days we were there. The facilities in the house were great, some storage space in the kitchen would be a good idea. The house just felt unloved. We appreciate it's a holiday rental, but it would benefit from some updating and redecoration, and some more homely touches. It also felt a little damp and smelt so at times. I agree that the driveway is full of holes too. This feels like a more negative feedback that we wanted to give, as overall we had a lovely break.

  Reviewed by Ruth3.1★Apr 2023

• "We loved the cottage so much."

  We would definitely stay again and recommend it. It was such a great location, it was clean and spacious. Would be good to have a little more storage area in the kitchen. Thank you so much for having us.

  Reviewed by Kate5.0★Aug 2022

• "Very nice cozy cottage, plenty of room, plenty of equipment ie cooking, plates,cup etc, nice welcome pack."

  All in all a very enjoyable stay if visiting this area again would firstly check availability of this cottage

  Reviewed by Stephen5.0★Jul 2022

• "We had a fantastic week in Railway Cottage."

  It has everything you need! There is so much to do in the area; great walks, mawddach trail, the beach and 9-hole golf. The beds were extremely comfortable. There is a new bbq which we made use of. The owner was very helpful with any questions.

  Reviewed by Rhys5.0★Jul 2022

• "The cottage has had a really lovely upgrade since we last visited and was so cosy and relaxing."

  The kitchen looked fantastic and had everything we needed. The added WiFi was also a welcome addition. The only snag was the bathroom door needing a new lock on it. Other than that, we can’t wait to come back and visit again.

  Reviewed by Tracey5.0★Apr 2022

• "The WiFi trial worked well."

  Had a comfortable stay. Nice cottage feel however the property needs maintenance. Peeling wallpaper and damp Could do with another separate toilet.

  Reviewed by Saieeda3.8★Sep 2021

• "The cottage was fine, BUT the driveway to it was appalling."

  The cottage is situated at the end of a shared private driveway and this was mainly a gravel track with some very deep craters and ruts, some of which grounded the car out, which was made even worse when they filled with water,as it was then impossible to pick out the shallow ones. Non of this was helped when Welsh water turned up one day ( un-announced),to fit a water meter to the property ( water turned off, and hole dug effectively cutting off all access for us.) When they left, the drive was even worse! If you have a 4x4 then fine , normal car , take great care , sports car , forget it and park at the main road end.

  Reviewed by Margaret3.8★Sep 2021

• "The cottage was bigger than expected and the beds incredibly confortable."

  We loved the location; a bit out of Fairbourne with two small lovely gardens back and front. Our 3 year old loved watching the regular trains go past at the bottom of the garden. The only bug bears we had was the lack of dishes for cooking. There were loads of pots and pans but no pie or lasagne dishes. A mixing bowl and some more wine glasses would be great too. Also the check in and out times were a bit early and late (in at 5pm and out at 9am) so you only get 6 days. I dont think any cottage will take 9 hours to clean, even during COVID. Kindly the owner offered for us to check in a bit early but it wasnt possible to check out later. The complimentary wine, bread and milk was a lovely touch. Thank you.

  Reviewed by Sonya4.7★Jun 2021

• "Lovely cottage, very well equipped."

  The area is very peaceful with just a 10 minute walk to the beach. There is a train line at the rear of the cottage but the train passes very infrequently & didn’t really bother us. Overall I would definitely recommend this cottage.

  Reviewed by Helen5.0★May 2021

• "Not quite sure if I'm reviewing Sykes or the actual cottage here!"

  I had a bad experience with Sykes as they cancelled a previous booking with ten days notice and informed me by an automatically generated email, without explanation or information on what was happening with the money I had paid. I had to call them but couldn't get through but they did return my call. Still, I thought they handled the situation extremely poorly. As for Railway Cottage (the alternative booking we made), it was fab! Communication with the owners was excellent and I wouldn't hesitate to book again. I don't think the pictures on the website do the cottage justice as we found the whole place to be bigger and brighter than is shown online. Excellent facilities, great location and no problems at all with anything. The gardens front and back were a real bonus and the beds were very comfortable. The owners are obviously renewing things bit by bit (brand new kitchen, I think) but we loved it as is.

  Reviewed by Harriet4.4★Apr 2021

• "Nice cottage, car parking was a bit tight"

  Reviewed by Arthur5.0★Sep 2020

• "The owner was very helpful when I phoned him about the keycode."

  We were able to borrow a cot, high chair and stair gate at the property without extra charge. Usually we have found that these items are costly extras. The property was very clean and tidy and they have made it as safe as possible during the present climate leaving extra cleaning products for our use. They also left us a bottle of wine, some bread and milk on our arrival.

  Reviewed by Carol5.0★Sep 2020

• "Loved the cottage, it was clean and comfortable with everything we needed."

  Good location. It was very quiet which we loved. The trains didn't bother us as they ran infrequently. Loved watching the birds and chickens wandering about. The cockerel was a nice alarm clock. The welcome pack was a pleasant surprise and the owners were very helpful when I contacted them with a couple of queries. We had a relaxing week with plenty of walks and I would recommend this cottage

  Reviewed by Julie5.0★Sep 2020

• "A really well equipped cottage which is spacious and easily accommodated 5 adults."

  great location for exploring Snowdonia and surrounding area. the beach is lovely and very close but would recommend driving the very short distance, especially if you have young children as the walk is initially along a main road with no footpath

  Reviewed by Andrew5.0★Aug 2020

• "This charming cottage provided a comfortable, private and clean space for our family of 5 adults on a week's 'staycation' in the first week of August this summer."

  Set away from the main road, it was quiet yet close enough to the beach in Fairbourne for short local walks and longer walks and cycling to Barmouth located on the other side of the estuary. The back garden provided ideal shelter to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine. We had real feeling of being at the seaside and close to countryside and the breathtaking scenery around us. Communication with the owners was excellent and we felt very welcome. One thing to bear in mind - there is no public footpath to access Fairbourne on foot through the fields as there is a train track that runs behind the Railway Cottage (the very few trains that pass during the day did not disturb our peace whatsoever). So if walking to Fairbourne, this involves a very short walk of approx 150 m along the edge of the main road until the turning off to Fairbourne and the paved path is reached. By car, it takes a couple of minutes and there is free parking around Fairbourne.

  Reviewed by Margo4.4★Aug 2020

• "Although this was great location, the cottage itself was a disappointment."

  Garden neglected, when entering gate often had to sidestep chicken poo. Inside there are several areas with black mould, bathroom floor didn’t feel completely safe. Peeling wallpaper, chipped crockery, cleanliness left a lot to be desired. There was no floor brush or vacuum cleaner. While I enjoyed my holiday, I would not book there again.

  Reviewed by Mary2.8★Aug 2019

• "Railway cottage is comfortable and nicely located but lacks care and attention."

  I was attracted by the gardens but both front and back were neglected. We were greeted with dog excrement at the side of the path, which appeared quite fresh. There were brambles growing out of bushes a very full dustbin which looked as though it had not been emptied for a long time and had the wrong rubbish in it. This smelt and was attracting flies.The sheds at the side of the garden were full and quite honestly could be a fire hazard. The kitchen is well past it's sell by date, with a very old fridge and cooker. Sadly there is not ice box in the fridge and we were looking forward to having a few nice iced drinks, which wa straight out of the window. The cooker plugs in to a dual socket Just above the rear hot plate. It is not a protected cable and I don't think it is safe. A number of light bulbs need replacing and the light at the foot of the stairs does n

  Reviewed by Jayne2.5★Jul 2019

• "The cottage was lovely and spacious, warm and homely."

  The facilities were excellent and the cottage provided everything anyone might need. We would definitely book again in the future.

  Reviewed by Tracey5.0★Apr 2019

• "Only one complaint and that is the inaccurate information about the internet."

  Yes there is access to the internet but only if you pay for each device to have access. At £30 for over two weeks per device it is excessive.

  Reviewed by John3.4★Jul 2018

• "On arriving at the cottage, the outside area at the front looked dismal , there were chickens roaming about ."

  ... the chickens themselves not a problem but the chickens mess up the garden path was a problem .....sitting outside would not have been pleasant ...however there was another outside space at the back of the cottage that was pleasant .the inside of the cottage was lovely ..bedding was immaculate and fresh overall cottage interior lovely outside just needs an overall

  Reviewed by Susan3.8★Jul 2018

• "The outside was a let down as not clean and tidy the beds were uncomfortable no freezer does not mention in the ads there is a train very near and the neighbors have chickens etc as my friend is allergic."

  Reviewed by Margaret2.8★May 2018

• "We've had a great stay at No 2 Railway Cottages, a clean, well equiped home with plenty of room for us 4 (2 adult & 2 children)."

  The veiws are ace. The house has a great heating system and additional wood burner. I'd recommend it to anyone we will defiantly be coming back . The owners Mike & Amy where very helpful to us also. Some reviews stated concerns about car parking we had no such problem there is a driveway at the front of the house that belongs to the house .. no worries there .. 10/10

  Reviewed by Kent5.0★Feb 2018

• "Nice cottage, very clean, but the outside parking & gardens let the cottage down."

  Reviewed by Pam4.4★Sep 2017

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