Cowlings

Lovely, cosy cottage with lots of character.

Spacious master bedroom with brilliant views. Great location for exploring the dales and an excellent pub a very short walk away.

When we entered the property we were surprised to find so many stone steps.

No mention of these on the review, they were challenging. The kitchen was a little tired and needed some attention. The cottage was warm and comfortable. Good shower room and Wi-Fi. Beautiful views from the rear. Parking was a little difficult and no room for 2 cars. Table and chairs at the rear of the property was different from the pictures.

Delightful cottage, very comfortable with all necessary amenities.

Fabulous views. Ideal base for Swaledale with plenty of excellent walks. Great pub less than 5 min walk away. The rear garden was more open plan than we had understood from the property info, and so the dog couldn’t really be loose in it.

Cowlings is a lovely cottage in a super location.

Great views and a wonderful home away from home. The 'steep stairs' that are mentioned in many reviews are not steep at all and they were of no issue to enjoying the Cottage, just very typical of many Dales stone Cottages. The host Carol was very helpful and replied to all questions promptly. Thank you and would love to stay again :>)

We had an excellent stay with amazing views of the Yorkshire countryside.

Highly recommended with a pub only a stones throw away that does great food and the village of Reeth a few miles down the road.

Love the cottage, would definitely book again.

A wonderful stone cottage, beautifully restored.

Breathtaking location overlooking the valley. We were made very welcome by the host.

We enjoyed our stay at Cowlings last week, especially the fine views -- although unfortunately it was never really warm enough to sit outside!

The stairs with their uneven stone steps and getting to the bathroom at night were a bit of a challenge but we managed OK; however, we do think that the stairs and bathroom access should be mentioned in the property descriptions, as it could be a severe problem for some people. About Sykes: The one failing in their otherwise good service is the lack of detail about which floors the bedrooms and bathrooms are on.

Excellent stay.

The owners were very helpful.

Cowlings is a lovely cottage with nice period features and is well equipped.

The cottage has great views over the valley and there are some nice walks in the vicinity. All in all we had a great stay.

I have to tell you that we will not be using Sykes again as it is clear you are no longer inspecting cottages before advertising them.

Our last two bookings had disadvantages which were not mentioned: both had difficult access for which a 4-wheel drive would be advisable. The bathroom plumbing in our earlier booking (Fishguard) was inadequate and the stone staircases in Cowlings were difficult for someone of 78 who had recently had a hip replacement. We would not have chosen either property if we had been better informed.

As seasoned self-caterers we have to note that unfortunately this cottage was disappointing.

Great location - we know the area well - but there had clearly been little if any cleaning done for months - even the husband highlighted this so it must have been bad! Until there is a significant improvement we would suggest alternative accommodation.

This is a fabulous, cosy cottage in beautiful surroundings.

Extremely well equipped with everything we needed for the two of us. Lovely comfy sofas, plenty of storage in the main bedroom and beautiful views across the Swale. Swaledale is so lovely and there are fabulous walks almost on the doorstep. The Red Lion at Gunnerside and the Punchbowl in Low Row both serve delicious food. Only downsides were a couple of lights out in sitting room (we couldn’t find any replacement bulbs) and the shower temperature control didn’t work (reported but not resolved while we were there). The sitting room was quite dark and could do with some better lights for reading by. There are steep stone steps inside the cottage so it’s not suitable if stairs are difficult for you. Some instructions for the oven and hob would have been helpful. Overall though a great cottage, we would happily stay again and would recommend to others. Even with storm Babet raging outside we were warm and comfortable.

Very nice property, clean and well equipped.

Great views, walks from the door and a lovely pub a few minutes' walk away. Friendly owner too.

Lovely owner, super property.

We had a fabulous week in the Dales and will definitely book Cowlings again. The view from the cottage is absolutely gorgeous and the cottage itself is cosy, comfy and fully equipped. Totally relaxing with no noise or light pollution giving dark skies that are spectacular on a clear night. The location gives easy access to lots of amazing walks and waterfalls to visit, (and to the fish & chip van round on Friday night). The cottage has a Saturday changeover, which suits us much much better than the usual Friday. Points to note - take slippers with you as the stairs are stone steps and it would be easy to scratch bare heels. Also there is now a Firestick and no DVD player, so property details need updating.

You saved our holiday!

We had to move mid holiday from another unrelated cottage and we selected this one at short notice (through no thanks to sykes). So pleased we did, the location is amazing, we have been staying in Yorkshire for over 15 years and hands down these were the best views ever, choosing at such short notice it took us by surprise. We loved the uppy down layout and so much space. Pet lambs wandering about looking for their next bottle was so cute. Would stay again. Goes without saying in this location super walks from the door step in every direction.

This is our second time here this year.

Beautiful property set in a beautiful location.

Lovely cottage inside and out stunning views only thing I would mention is the garden isn't enclosed is shared open terraces between 3 cottages wasnt a problem though as enjoyed being out in the garden whilst the dogs were out.

Would definitely recommend this cottage.

What a beautiful stay we had here at the cowlings.

We had a very warm welcome in this beautiful flat and enjoyed the whole week here in the yorkeshiredales. We highly recommends this place. We would love to come back soon. Dirk and Susanne from Salzburg, Austria

Excellent host

Comfortable, well-equipped cottage in a beautiful location.

It was great for walking our dog, particularly as Carol and Patrick let us cross their property to access the public path by the River Swale without walking along the road. Only slight negative is that we would have appreciated information on how to operate things in the cottage and on local shops, supermarkets, cafes, pubs and restaurants.

We were a party of five, 3 adults and 2 boys.

The boys thought the cottage was a big adventure with the different levels to the rooms and the great views from the main bedroom and living room overlooking the sheep and lambs in the fields. The cottage was super comfortable and well appointed. We had a great time, had good weather and would recommend. We are really grateful to Carol and her family for making us welcome.

Thank you Carol and Patrick, we absolutely loved staying here, the location and views were beautiful and the cottage itself was cosy and very well equipped.

As a family of 5 we had plenty of room and everything we needed. We were sad to say goodbye to the views and the sheep and lambs that were just at the end of the garden. We would definitely like to come back one day!

We have just returned from a week at Cowlings and already can't wait to go back.

I absolutely loved it. No need to get in the car once as hours of walks are on your doorstep and the local pub does amazing food. The cottage is really cosy (and that does not mean small) and warm and we didn't want for anything. The owner lives a couple of doors down so was on hand to help us with anything.

Our arrival was during a power cut with snow and ice everywhere thanks to Storm Arwen.

Thankfully our property owners were fantastic, getting the cottage warmed up and transiting our gear from our distantly parked car. The cottage is quirky, very comfortable and well equipped with great views. The village is quiet, friendly and has a pub serving well priced quality food.

We enjoyed a lovely 2 week stay in November in this very comfortable, cosy and well equipped cottage with fabulous walks straight from the back door.

The views from the cottage are simply stunning and the owners were extremely helpful and friendly. Excellent pub with great food 5 mins walk away. We will return.

The garden needs to be secure to be able to keep either pet or children in the garden safe.

Without the chance of rooming into the next door garden or even jumping of the low level wall down into the meadow below which is about 10ft drop. The description of the staircase needs to be made more of a point and ensure the bathroom is self also not on the same level as any of the rooms

Came home today and wish we could have stayed for another week.

Lovely cottage with great views. Perfect owners friendly and helpful and not to far away if we needed anything. Would we go back? Of course we will.

We had a wonderful stay in this beautiful and comfortable cottage.

It is in a great setting and perfect for exploring the Swaledale area. We would definitely stay here again.

The house was lovely and the situation of the property was perfect.

We were able to take our dog for wonderful walks on Carol and Patrick’s land then onto the public footpath which meant we didn’t have to go on the road with her. Our boys also loved it being able to dabble in the river at the end of the garden and being able to play football in the field. Carol was also very helpful with local information about the area. The local pub The Punch Bowl serves excellent food with friendly service and dog friendly. We really look forward to going back and having our morning cuppa with that stunning view.

We ve had a wonderful family break here at Cowlings allowing us to get back to nature.

The cottage was just what we were after, clean , well equipped, quaint and lots of character. The views are breathtaking! The owners are amazing so friendly and accommodating, nothing is a problem. We didn’t feel like just visitors. There’s lots to see and do around whether lovely walks on foot from the cottage or jumping in the car to visit local villages or even Richmond which is only 30 minutes away. We miss it already , we ll be back !

On site support from owners was excellent and we will return at some time next year

Cottage was lovely.

Met the owner - very welcoming and provided some great recommendations for places to eat, and somewhere to store my bike (many thanks!). Couple of inaccuracies on the listing, which looking a previous feedback seem to have been already reported to Sykes but not corrected in the description. 1) There isn't a shower over a bath - it's a cubicle which is fine. (2) There's a radio/CD/1st gen iPod dock but I'm pretty sure it's not Bluetooth. (3) There's an impression the property is on 2 floors (eg., on 1st floor...) - it's more like 3 levels with steep stone stairs (fine for us but if unsteady on feet or little ones could be a problem. Other minor points would be to considering an upgrade to the TV - the HDMI port doesn't seem seem compatible with Firestick or similar. Finally the property is down a farm track - wasn't a problem for us but might be if you had a different vehicle - worth a mention in the description?

The cottage was excellent and very well equipped.

Everything you could possibly want in a cottage . Owners very helpful . Views to die for . Would definitely go back .

The location is amazing.

Stunning views, south facing garden, peaceful (apart from the lambs) and a pub 2 mins walk away. The cottage was warm, clean and comfortable, with everything we could possibly need. The rooms were larger than we expected, which was a bonus in a cottage. Beds and sofas were good quality. Excellent shower. The stairs do take getting used to, but I've seen steeper! Enough room to park 2 cars outside. The WiFi was good too!

Really had a great time with some beautiful walks and bike rides.

Real icing though for this cottage is the view from the living room and especially the patio - absolutely epic, 10/10!

Listing describes the cottage as having a bath, there is NO BATH!

Description of layout is misleading, refers to bedrooms and bathroom as being on 1st floor, when every single room is on a different level. These issues have been mentioned before in previous reviews but not addressed.

We had a lovely time in the cottage, but I am a fit 84 year old and feel it would be helpful for others if the steep stone stairs were mentioned in case elderly or toddlers need to negotiate them.

The cottage is well equipped and meets most people’s needs and is in a beautiful location.

The cottage was a lovely setting, quiet, warm and comfortable with good parking.

There are two issues though that you need to address that explain why the listing was partly inaccurate and the cottage did not meet our expectations. 1) The bathroom only had a shower, no bath as listed in the description 2) I had hoped to book a property where the bedroom and bathroom/toilet were on the same floor, ie no stairs between them. While i was using your website before booking i was frustrated that often this information was not included in the particulars. I identified a few properties which interested me and telephoned your office to ask for more details. I was told that Cowlings had the bedroom and bathroom on the first floor. This was wrong. There are 2 sets of stairs between them, of steep stone steps. Firstly 10 steps down from the bedroom to a landing area, then up again 4 steep stone steps to the bathroom which is situated on its own, a sort of mezzanine by the front door. There was a hand rail for the majority of the steps but we both needed to take extra care during night time visits to the bathroom. I understand that cottages can have unusual arrangements but i was misled by the staff in the office wh0 advised me according to the description that they had of the property. I would suggest that information about the layout of properties should be standard on all property descriptions.

Absolutely beautiful cottage and definitely exceeded our expectations; perfect for a family getaway.

Lots of nice little touches that make all the difference; pub within walking distance and very close by to the Swale Trail cycling route. Decent size village (Reeth) with an excellent bakery (Two Dales) just 3 miles away. Excellent cycling centre with cafe (excellent food), covered outdoor seating area and bike repair/hire (Dales Bike Centre) and on the edge of Reeth. Great base overall for exploring the beautiful Swaledale and the mid and northern and mid-part of the Dales overall.

Fantastic views.

Cosy cottage. One of the best we have stayed in. Recommend.

Easiest way to provide feedback is to ask yourself the question "would I return to this property?

" I have no hesitation in replying "yes!" I visited this property in January for the sole purpose of locking myself away to study. So I will stay in 'academic mode'. POSITIVES: the owner was very easily accessible and very helpful, eg. the back door could not be opened on arrival. By the Monday someone arrived to fix the problem. The property was clean and tidy throughout, homely with all necessary facilities provided*. Before booking I had specifically asked if a reliable wifi connection was available for my studies. This was most certainly the case (other properties have previously given pre-booking assurances which on arrival have failed to meet the promises given), so I would add that the owner is not only friendly but honest and very reliable. The location was perfect for a feeling of isolation whilst also being very close to excellent walks and nearby facilities (Barnard Castle, Reeth, Wensleydale for the yearly pilgrimage to the Cheese Factory!). The views from the cottage were stunning. CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK: *I don't feel the following is the fault of the owner but perhaps lies with whoever carries out the housekeeping; there was only 1 bin bag provided for the kitchen bin to last an entire week (I had to steal a small one from the bathroom bin); the starter pack for the fire was inadequate - no initial logs provided, only enough kindling for 2 fires - this wasn't a problem for me as I took my own logs and kindling. (A note for anyone staying in/near Reeth - good sized/reasonably priced bags of logs or kindling used to be available at the garage in Reeth. This garage has now closed and the nearest other supply is Reeth Post Office which is more expensive and smaller bags). The back door wasn't broken - the housekeeper had left the wrong key in the door! The bedroom window was broken and could not be opened (I believe someone else has stated this) - perhaps not an issue in winter but it did mean I couldn't air the room. All of this is just nit-picking with the exception of the dog poo on the back lawn. I will definately be making a return visit in the future. I have been visiting Swaledale since 2007 and stayed in several cottages in the area. I certainly have no hesitations in recommending this property. It's a real gem.

You'd struggle to beat the view from Cowlings.

Simply stunning. The house was wonderfully cosy during our very chilly November stay. However it is misleading to say the bathroom and bedrooms are on the 1st floor. Technically they are but you have to go down ten very uneven stone stairs from the bedroom and then back up a further five steps to reach the bathroom. Far from idea for anyone with dodgy knees or young children in the middle of the night! A very steep step into the house was very slippery in the rain. My husband slipped twice and the door mat was useless at preventing wet muddy footprints coming into the hall.... however we loved our stay.

Cottage was super.

Views from the cottage were fantastic. A lovely place to wind down and get away from hustle and bustle. We would recommend.