Cygnus Boathouse

We had an absolutely wonderful week at Cygnus Boathouse.

The location is truly idyllic. The bird life is profuse and it was super to sit out and just listen to all the calls. All the property facilities were as described and worked. We can recommend Fairhaven Gardens cafe for great breakfasts to start the day and is a lovely garden. Lovely local walks and boat tours. If you can get to Great Yarmouth, try to visit the Time&Tide Museum. It is fantastic.

Both me and my wife, had a great time.

The views from inside the house were breathtaking and this made the holiday a great experience. The house is close to many beautifully areas to visit in a short driving distance including close-by villages and community managed local pub with great English traditional food and atmosphere. The house is also close to great walks in the local country site and the Broads riverbank that we explored daily . For us, the house had all the facilities that we needed as we love traditional places with some antique furniture and external balcony looking directly onto the Broads lake and the lake wildlife. Some suggestions for further improvement: To install a large sign at the gate entrance with the full name of Cygnus Boathouse, When we arrived we could not see the small and faded sign on the gate and next door property is also called Boathouse and has a lager Boathouse sign on the entrance gate that confused us and we had to ask for help from your contact name and number ( Stephen), to come onsite to give us access to Cygnus Boat house . Stephen was brilliant and helped us. Some more instruction inside, on how to turn some of the lights on especially the stairs light and the external light. To protect the furniture we purchased some placemats from the local charity shop. The above suggestion are minor compared to the great time that me and my Wife had . We are planning to return again sometime later in the summer. Thank you Francesco

Regarding recent stay at the boat house south Walsham .

. very disappointed .. interior slightly improved since previous stay .. septic tank leaks and stinks .. kitchen sink waste pours directly out of the back of the lodge to the ground .. very over ground .. moorings are loose rotting and dangerous .. the area for fishing was completely covered in water making it impossible to fish safely .. hence we left property early .. lots of improvement and maintenance needed to make this a save place to stay and fish .. will not be returning to this boat house

We love staying in this quirky but basic accommodation.

The description you give is accurate and we know that this type of accommodation does not appeal to all people as it is dated and a bit shabby, but that suits us fine. We love the views and access to the water, as well as to the local quiet lane network. The drainage from the shower needs some attention as there is some foul water back-up at times.

Worth the money just for the views.

Everything as advertised. Yes, it could do with a makeover but it is as described and would probably cost a lot more if modernised. Fishing was very good and location was excellent for visiting local attractions and coast.

The views are stunning from the balcony, inside basic and needs improvement chairs are not comfortable and Wi-Fi is not good, balcony chairs one is split at the back near top which caught my wife’s top and tore it ,waste pipe from kitchen leaks from under the bathroom and a terrible smell appears when you shower, we were going to hire a day boat for a couple of days but the moorings look unsafe because the bank needs repairing it is eroding and when I fished from there at high tide you end up in inch’s of water, also the foliage needs cutting back all around the property especially when you drive in,it’s in a great location but needs some TLC.

The location was very good and the view over the water was amazing.

the boathouse could do with a make over the chairs were uncomfortable, the bottom board on the steps was very slippery when wet such a marvellous location let down by the condition of the interior.

The position/views are amazing.

But the property is in urgent need of major refurbishment. The bathroom is old and unhygienic. The parking is very difficult, if you have a large car or SUV, almost impossible. The septic tank smells constantly. The access path is dangerous. Such a shame to allow a potentially lovely property to deteriorate in this manner.

Great view but the rest of the property is in desperate need of a make over.

The wallpaper is coming off and as been held on with packing tape. The garden is in a shocking state. I think you should check the property?

My mum said if you have nothing nice to say, Say nothing, But I say people pay good money to stay in that pit.

Garden flooded .

Meaning you couldn't fish for parts of the day . When you could there was puddles you had to wade through. Parking was a nightmare getting in and out of drive . I won't take two vehicles again. House rocks a bit when windy. Apart from that it was fine .

Sewage pipes under the bathroom leak.

This relates to the sink in the kitchen and shower. The waste pipes are not connected together properly therefore there is an awful smell when leaving the property and walking past the pipes. When standing in the shower the smell from the drain that comes up is awful (bleach it first - this helps). Wifi did not work despite typing in the code numerous times. The location you could not fault and the wildlife is amazing. We will not be returning.

The view you wake up is absolutely amazing.

We had a lovely time.Sure we will be back again.

Had a fantastic stay here, the location and views from the boat house are amazing.

We had a canoe with us so being able to launch from the garden was a huge bonus and the fishing from the garden is pretty good too. The facilities are basic but this seemed clear from the description and other reviews. The decor and fixture are dated but functional and we felt quite safe and comfortable. The front lawn does get a little damp on higher tides, so be prepared and also take your own garden seats. Foot access to the accommodation was always dry. The only issue we had was with the shower, which gave off an unpleasant smell as soon as you stepped onto the shower tray. Overall we really enjoyed our stay and would be return again as long as the prices don't get too high.

Love this little gem of a place, beautiful location and quirky comfortable property with everything you need for a real break from life, perfect for paddle boarding or any water based adventure or for just sitting on the balcony watching the boats and making friends with the swallows and ducks !

We are already planning when we can come back.

The description of this property on the website needs to be more accurate in terms of the amenities provided.

We left a day early due to this inaccuracy and would like to implore the owner, as many have before us, to give this property the love and attention that it so rightly deserves. A beautiful location let down by miminal care and attention. The whole building felt unsafe, there is significant movement when the other person walks around. Please do right by this building and for future visitors.

My second stay which was a delightful as my first a year ago.

Good to see the Boathouse had been refreshed and upgraded as so important. Comfortable, clean and would suggest that the balcony area been cleaned down regularly between visits as the wildlife are very active. Wonderful views, peaceful, and the Birds are varied species and are confident to be close by- totally delightful.

No ventilation in room - fan did not work (had to buy one - due to hot weather)!

Oven and microwave could do with a clean. Freezer could do with de-frosting. Toilet u-bend held together with tape - leaked a couple of times! Smell comes from shower waste. Stained carpet - waste bin disgusting. Inside could do with a deep clean. Outside floods, so could not sit outside!. Staircase very dangerous, due to woodworm on some treads. Whole place could do with modernisation as it has great views of the Broads.

It was nice place this is our second time we have been but needs a bit of work painting new carpets new cooker garden furniture nothing seems to have changed from our first visit we had to buy a new fan as the fan that was there is broken and we left it there because it was very hot but we had a nice week if the owner want to sell let me know we be interested

This was our third visit to Cygnus Boathouse and hopefully not our last, we absolutely love its old charm and uniqueness perfect for us.

Yes it does need a bit of TLC but who would'nt at that age !!! Our only gripe would be about the bed and bedding , it is very uncomfortable! we had to put the spare blanket and quilt on top of the mattress which helped a little but not ideal. Maybe time for a new one ! Garden furniture would be a lovely addition , we did actually take our own as we knew from previous visits none available. Sykes need to update the description, no pubs or takeaway in the village not a problem for us but could see why it could be an issue for others.

Idyllic rustic Charming comfortable boathouse, wonderful views, great stay for me whom usually visits the broads on the boats, this experience has been a revelation as to enjoy the Broads by land.

Lovely environment, a known area to me and would love to stay there again. Thank you for sharing this property

Lot of clutter in the boathouse with most of the storage space taken up by the owners property locked in cupboards.

Only 3 draw chest of draws available for 2 guests and a small clothes rack with coat hangers not suitable for trousers. No working WiFi. The view however is spectacular, Kitchen & Bathroom adequate (bring your own soap etc). Despite shortcomings we enjoyed our stay.

Perfect location.

Inside and the structure of the boat house needs slot of TLC.

It basically needs knocking down .

One drop of rain and we would have left there and then but we looked on it as a survival/camping trip.

Worst holiday I have ever had only stayed 1 night but I have already told you this .

I asked you for a refund but you said the owner was not willing to give one only 3 days at some other time . The owner as phoned me and said you did (Sykes ) not ask for a refund so she is going to give me a refund now that she knows I want one . If this is how you treat your costumers it’s a wonder you have any .

The boathouse was very comfortable.

Everything that I needed was supplied. Beautiful views over the broad. Peaceful and quiet.

Outstanding views, the property need some urgent work, foul smell from shower drain when in the shower, drain pipe under sink is leaking.

The heater spur socket is broken. The property garden and path floods once a day at high tide, you need to bring boots, it also has some foul water in it next to the path at the back of the property. The local shop as described does not exist and both pubs in South Walsham are closed down. The bed and linen can do with an upgrade. It's a shame because the location and views from the property are Outstanding, for that alone I would return. Access and turning for a large vehicle could be tricky.

It's everything it says.

The pictures you see is what you get.The view is a amazing.Fishing very good. So peaceful you can't help but chill out.We have been four times now.and will go again..It's a little treasure.

Have contacted you with a detailed complaint regarding the property and awaiting a resonse

Ideally suited to a couple.

Well worth the views and peace. Would return.

The boathouse is a delightful survivor from a bygone age , the position overlooking the Broad is beautiful and very secluded .

Yes there is a slight smell from the septic tank and the facilities are basic and a little jaded , but this in keeping with the era in which it was conceived and built and provides a very welcome retreat from contemporary ideas of a waterside bolt hole .Perhaps it should occupy a special category of ‘ Heritage’ holiday property that doesn't conform to modern ideas and standards. I hope it remains available and hopefully at the fair rental price that we paid .

There was a smell of drains in the bathroom.

Nothing disturbing but other people might make a fuss.

Wonderful location

Stayed here from 19/10/19 lovely quiet location views across the mere wonderful.

Accommodation bed nice and comfortable, cooking facilities fine for basic dishes. Garden gets water logged on high tide so Fishing was restricted, putting a raised walkway from parking, down side of boathouse and front of garden would be a big improvement. Overall I enjoyed my stay. JohnB

The bathroom is bordering on unhygienic due to the smell from the cesspit when the shower is running.

Your feet also get wet if you stand near the drain in the shower even before it starts running. The stairs up to the boathouse need some attention. The boards at the entrance to the drive are very slippery on walking across them. Having said all that, it is a boathouse but overpriced particularly at this time of year. I imagine in the Summer it can be so much better although reading the comments in the guestbook it would appear that the shower is always the same ???

Lovely surroundings and area wildlife and fishing excellent ,boathouse needs refurbishing very tired looking stairs need work /repairs bathroom outdated smell coming up from cess pit in shower pipe in general place needs work done on it .

Shame as a perfect location

The location is perfect for a peaceful and relaxing break

The fishing and view were very good.

As for the accommodation it needs a lot of TLC.

Holiday was very enjoyable and very relaxing

Location awesome superb fishing would come again very peaceful break unfortunately the bed was appallingly uncomfortable sorting this out would go a long way to improving this place

On the whole,description in brochure was adequate,but the accommodation left a lot to be desired.

The bed was very uncomfortable,as were the armchairs. The soft furnishings,cushions etc.were worn out & threadbare to the point of having large holes in them. The kitchen area was unsatisfactory as regards work space,& the cooker inappropriately positioned. Carpet had large holes,concealed by rugs. Entrance stairway,whilst no doubt meeting building regs,was rough & ready at best,& gave the impression of being unfinished,with one side open to the water & steep. Very awkward to unlock top door,from the stairs,if holding anything. The outer entrance door is a very poor fit & blows open in wind,& rattles constantly. There is no garden furniture at all,which negates the admittedly lovely view of the broad. Not withstanding the foregoing,the property is in a beautiful position & is capable of being a perfect holiday let,but badly needs renovation,& a lot of TLC. Certainly not a property to which we shall be returning.

Hi was at the boat house last year, Had a wonderful time, So decided that we would have two weeks this year, which we have just returned home from, wonderful again, If you fish do so at night as bream fishing is a dream, Corn, Worm, meat, cage feeder bread crumb, We will be back.

Thank you. Will.

Cygnus Boathouse is ideally located for exploring the Broads and wider Norfolk area.

It's position allows glorious views of south walsham broad, however, theses are somewhat obscured by the branches of a large willow tree on the right. Whilst Cygnus was clean, I wouldn't describe it as comfortable, the sofabed is the most uncomfortable thing we have ever slept on. We had to buy airbeds to be able to sleep without feeling every spring in the, very thin, mattress. The furnishings and facilities are tired and shabby, the whole place could do with a complete update and refurbishment, the shower needs some mould treatment to remove the black from round the bottom. The parking area should be for two cars, however, half the area is taken up by a boat, meaning you can't turn your car round. This makes entering and leaving very difficult as there is insufficient space behind the entrance to reverse straight out without encroaching on someone's drive, which there are strict instructions not to do We enjoyed the area but wouldn't return to Cygnus Boathouse as it was not to the standard we expect of a holiday let.

We had 2 weeks of glorious weather in a beautiful area and for that we enjoyed our holiday.

The fishing was brilliant catching bream early morning, roach, rud and perch. ( some outside storage would have been appreciated for fishing gear). Walks and boating excellent. We know the area well and had seen the boathouse from the outside so we did not expect luxury accommodation and was prepared to accept it for what it was --a boathouse with fantastic views from the French window and balcony. There were lots of good reviews in the visitors book and for many people that's their prerogative. .However, for us there were some issues within the boathouse that were not up to a good standard. + Although generally clean including all the bed linen and cutlery -( frying pans needed replacing.) + The carpet was old and well worn . Some of the soft furnishings eg cushions were worn and torn. * The shower unit was in need of retiling. +The sofa bed for us was just ok. The mattress by no means of good quality. + We appreciated and respected the quaintness and age of all the furniture but storage for guests was limited to a rickety clothes rail to hang our clothes and one rickety chest of drawers (all other storage was locked presumably for the personal possessions of the owner) + To use the cooking and catering facilities in the cramped kitchen area needed a bit of planning and initiative!!! To use the table top cooker you could not use both the oven and 2 hobs at the same time. However I did manage( with a bit of juggling) to cook several nice meals. The bottom shelf in the fridge door was broken/missing so unable to store anything other than small bottles without laying them down on shelves. + The balcony was in need of some attention. + There was an unpleasant smell from the cesspit We probably wouldn't have even filled in this review and would have overlooked all the negatives if it wasn't for the following- + We arrived on the sat and noticed the venetian blind did not pull e up properly ( ?cord broken) and by the Mon the blind had broken altogether and wouldn't pull up at all. We reported it to steven. (Sykes agent) who came over the next day at (9.am). Good we thought -- he was unable to fix himself---. Thurs- someone came to repair. Had to get some parts ( new string!!!!!!)-going to do it fri -did not come -- - then Mon --did not come. Eventually Tuesday it was repaired Hooray. We were 8 days unable to pull up the blind and enjoy the views, unable to walk out on to balcony without steadily manoeuvring around the blind and unable to enjoy any breeze that come our way in the heat wave. Steven did bring us a fan on the Sunday morning. We were very patient and tried no to let this spoil our holiday but since coming home I have been reflecting on the 2 week stay and paying over £900 mainly for the position and views to have it spoilt for over half that time .

Accommodation 'rustic' and a bit basic, location and views from balcony superb.

I would book again.

Clean comfortable but ever so slightly tired.

Could do with an update particularly the balcony area. However nothing to stop us booking again.

Wonderful holiday in a super boathouse on the South Walsham Broad.

Lovely views. If you like watching wildlife, it is in abundance. Would definitely revisit.

sofa bed could do with updating

Overall pleasant stay.

The sofa bed was the tricky bit. We couldn’t fold it throughout our stay. Not very comfortable if you have a bad back.