Barforth Hall Dairy

Description needs to be updated.

This cottage needs a lot of love and care, it's very tired. Many potholes on approach even though it states there are none. 3 out of 5 electric heaters do not work. The log burner leaks smoke out of the back and the glass which is broken. Although there were some logs provided, the wood supplied in the wood shed which we were told to use is chip board, laminated chip board and MDF all of which could be a health hazard. The cottage is not worth the value paid it needs severe updating. We had really been looking forward to our stay but sadly the condition of the property ruined it for us. Properties should be inspected to make sure they match the advertised description. This property has false advertising.

The property does no longer look like the images on Sykes website!

! The rugs look and feel like they have not been hoovered and look unclean. General dirt on sockets in the kitchen area. Fire place has been patched up compared to the online photo. Bbq area is not usable and damaged. Kitchen wear and crockery unclean. Cooker run down and rusty. Most items within the property are run down, uninviting and not representative to the images on your site. The property did not feel like and welcoming property like we were expecting to stay in for our short break.

There was a general lack of maintenance which was a shame because it has the potential to be lovely.

The walks from the door were not possible as the bridges over the river are closed/not accessible. But it’s wonderfully quiet and the surrounding area is stunning, with lots of great walking a short drive away. The back garden was secure, which was great for the dog. Would we return? To the area, yes. To this property, no.

The cottage was beautiful and in the perfect location for quiet walks with my dog.

The owners could not have been more accommodating, there were issues with the water during our stay but we were kept well informed of any disruptions so this did not cause any issues for us at all. I highly recommend this cottage and will likely return in the future, thank you!

Absolutely loved our stay at the dairy, it's a beautiful cottage, plenty of space, lovely secure garden and everything we needed for our stay was provided, all within a beautiful location but would be nice for a little map of walking directions to the village or where we were allowed to walk on the property.

Will definitely be booking again

We absolutely loved our stay here, the kids loved seeing the animals and petting the horses.

We took our dog and it’s really helpful that the garden is secure so we could just let him run around without worrying about him escaping. We read some bad reviews before setting off and were slightly worried, but provided you are not expecting a luxury five star accommodation you will not be disappointed. If you expect a welcome hamper and flowers on arrival book somewhere else and pay considerably more. The cottage is warm and clean, and there’s no issue with hot water as long as you put the boost on. Regarding the hot tub, yes it takes maybe a couple of hours to heat up but just keep the wood topped up to keep the fire going strong and it’ll be ready before you know it. Most importantly the kids had a great time and they want to go back!

The property is practical and fairly reasonably priced.

The bathroom and bedroom was very clean however the cutlery/kitchen utensils were dirty and required washing before we could use it. The hot tub was not maintained properly resulting in some pieces of wood that were falling off the top/wood that was beginning to crumble. No hand towels were provided in the bathrooms. For a small amount of input, the cottage would feel a lot more comfortable. The wood stove was great and lots of wood was provided for this and the hot tub. The cooker/microwave/fridge was clean however basic. The information book is tatty with outdated information (incorrect TV/microwave manual) and we struggled to get hot water despite using the boost button. The setting is extremely peaceful and relaxing.

Mixed reviews on this stay.

Facilities are rather basic in terms of shower/bathroom. There was no hot water on our last morning and the hot tub is very worn out and not so appealing. Simple things like the ‘cottage guide’ folder could be updated as it’s tatty and old. Which straight away doesn’t give you a clean and well kept feel. The location of the cottage is really out in the middle of no where as the surrounding roads and footpaths all seemed to be blocked off….? We stayed for Christmas and a Christmas tree was provided, however it wasn’t very festive, it was just an old artificial tree with few odd baubles, it’s the little things like this that could of made the stay more welcoming. The chocolates left by the owners were appreciated and they did provide plenty of wood to keep the fire burning through the cold days. This property is rustic and can be cosy at the same time, it just needs a little more love and thought… or to be honest about ‘what you see is what you get’ by updating the information/pictures.

The property is in much need of a refresh, it clearly has not had any money invested in it for some time, and the work that has been done is of very poor quality.

The cooker, microwave is in desperately need to be changed and modernised, and the Fridge Freeze for the size of the cottage is way to small. In our opinion the owner has scrimped in every area in this cottage right down to the kitchen chopping board, which was a cheap plastic sheet and not a board of any sort. The bathroom was very big, but the shower was small and very poor in terms of water pressure and quality of the facility. My wife and I have been to many many holiday cottages over the years and this is the only one we have ever visited without some form of welcome pack on arrival, even if it was some tea bags and coffee to be available after a long journey, or to show appreciation for your business (Nothing) I find it unbelievable that Sykes have rated this cottage to be 4 star, as it clearly is far from a 4 star cottage, I have stayed in 3 star cottages that were of a much higher quality than this one. Yes it is in a beautiful area, but accommodation is also part of the holiday, which in this case was very poor. I would not recommend this cottage to any other holiday makers.

The cottage was in a lovely location however on arrival we were very disappointed with the hot tub there was a leak and the water was very dirty the cottage felt damp and smelled musty throughout we only used 1 of the bedrooms which was the better of the two but even that felt and smelled of damp.

There were no markings on the cooker knobs so it was difficult to use the oven, we took food with us which froze overnight in the fridge. I felt the overall cleanliness of the cottage was poor there were door handles falling off cobwebs on every light fitting and generally very tired looking given the price we paid for 1 week I expected the cottage to at least be clean and aired we have stayed in much better for less money, I would recommend Skyes inspect the properties they are advertising. The location was perfect and a great base for sightseeing and walking

Really enjoyed our break away.

Our toddler loved the horses and goats in nearby fields. Having unenclosed garden for our dog was ideal. Really great rustic cottage. Cons: -No hot water one day, did work out we needed to use the booster. -Spent 5 hours heating hot tub up, made it up 10 degrees but needed another 10 degrees to be comfortable to sit in. -No walk to local pub that didn't involve dangerous walk on lanes, so drove everywhere.

Barforth Hall Dairy - Not Clean, Not COVID Compliant, Not Able to Stay We booked Barforth Hall Dairy for a week long stay but had to leave after 36 hours due to a failed “Additional Clean”.

We highlighted issues to Sykes & the owner 1 hour after arrival - the place was not clean and therefore not safe for a family visit during a time of COVID -19 restrictions. the water and substances in the kettle upon our arrival (please see Appendix 4)  The dried in food evident on dining plates, making these not safe for use on our arrival (Appendix 5)  The sticky substance covering on the work surface in the kitchen  The dirty condition of the utensils intending for cooking, which contained several cobwebs. The owner does not dispute that these were present in Barforth Hall Dairy at the point of our arrival and after the second clean on 3.7.21 but said the photos ‘had been taken to look bad’. The fact that there were cobwebs on cooking utensils hanging above the sink after 2 supposed cleans WAS bad. It was certainly bad for our family - Cooking utensils being cleaned and safe to use for our arrival is a basic expectation in hospitality. In addition to the missed cobwebs during the “Adfitional Clean” we were still left with  Dead insects in kitchen  Remnants of food still present on dining plates  Removal / replacement of bath mats which appeared to have been utilised by previous guests  Removal / replacement of toilet roll which had evidently been used by previous guests  Food crumbs / debris in drawers of freezer Furthermore the situation was exacerbated when the cleaner who carried out the “additional clean” used our towels and did not use separate sponges etc . COVID-19 guidance states that towels and sponges should not be shared – the towels we brought from home and the dish sponge left for us at Barforth Hall Dairy were both soiled during the second clean, meaning they were no longer in a condition to be safely used by our family. We binned our towels at the property when we left early on the Sunday morning. The owner offered us £50 to make up for the issues but thinks it’s acceptable to keep the £759 paid for a holiday we couldn’t have - we had to leave 6 days early! We are now taking this further which is completely new territory for us. Check out the reviews of Barforth Hall - they’re the same owner & frighteningly similar to our experience. I wish we had - we wouldn’t have made a booking. This place was not clean, not COVID compliant and as a result we did not have a holiday.

Beautiful setting relaxing clean comfortable So peaceful loved it

We are city people who love being outdoors so to stay at Barmouth Dairy was a great change of scene for us and we had great weather.

A great place for a family get away.

We were looking for a relaxing couple of days and we ended up wanting to stay longer!

The location is fantastic, nestled into the countryside on a working farm with horses in view of the hot-tub and out the front along with the Alpacas! We had no issues finding the cottages, the Sykes instructions (as Paula advised) were great, anyone struggling can use the "What3Words" Navigation of ///stencil.racetrack.marshes to get to the front door. Easy to contact the owners, I missed Paula on the phone but we managed to email, and her responsiveness was superfast ( I asked for some extra logs and they were there before we even got back to the cottage ) The Hot tub is simple to use and once heated up once only needs an hour or so each day to get up to full heat, everything needed is provided. We took some plastic "glasses" and it's so relaxing sitting in the hot tub with a drink and just watching the sunset with the horses in view. Locations wise - perfect of Barnard Castle, Bowes Museum, Raby Castle etc are within easy reach by Car and there are a multitude of excellent walks (especially along the river) to get some fresh air and enjoy the English Countryside. The cottage is exactly that, a cottage on a farm. It is not clinically clean - and there are some cobwebs etc but that's to be expected. The kitchen is a good size and has almost everything needed to cook a decent meal in (we made Carbonara & Pasta from scratch and all we were missing as a grater (so we got pre-grated cheese!) The lounge is very comfortable with a good size TV if thats needed. The wood burner makes the room cosy and warm in the evenings (when you can drag yourself out of the hot-tub) Bedrooms were roomy and well fitted out, the 4 poster was great! Comfortable and spacious with pristine bed linen. We had absolutely no issues with either the heating or the hot water (shower was lukewarm - but wasn't an issue) Bath was hot. All in all a fantastic place to stay and get away from it all. Responsive owners, well-equiped cottage in a great location!

Lovely cosy clean accommodation with plenty of space.

Spectacular views to the front and rear of the property. The wood fired hot tub took about 4 to 5hrs to warm up from it being totally cold to getting to the acquired temperature we wanted - we expected this and it therefore wasn't a problem, infact it was still warm enough the following morning to enjoy. There was plenty of wood provided for it but if there hadn't have been, a quick call to the owner would have rectified it. No problem with hot water in the accommodation and no problem with flies as previously mentioned in other reviews. The accommodation had everything you would need for a break. The owners were friendly and were on hand if required. The farm is huge with lots of livestock. The accommodation has an enclosed rear garden which was secure for our dog to wander in and out. Beautiful walks are available from the doorstep. There was even an opportunity for our daughter to help feed the baby lambs/goats. We would definitely visit again.

The views were breathtaking and the animals were so people friendly.

A real country getaway.

The smell from arrival in the cottage was foisty.

We were told to arrive at 4pm as it was getting deep clean so found no point in complaining due to the place already being deep cleaned before we got there. The amount of flies was unbearable, there seemed to be more inside than out with the animals. We were constantly spraying fly spray and one of the days we stayed we didn’t open a window but they seemed to come in droves. I would of thought there was a nest somewhere in the place it was that bad. You couldn’t butter a slice of toast without a fly or 10 nose diving at it, it seemed as if they attacked you in bed and made the stay uncomfortable. Sad because the cottage could have been a lovely stay but the place just appears to be unloved. The hot tub once it got going was and stayed hot and was enjoyable. We came home 2 days early because we just couldn’t bear the smell and amount of flies any longer.

There are a lot of positives to this little lodge, the location is great for access to local landmarks and days out and very quiet.

The lodge itself had some positives, good size, comfy beds owners responded very quickly to a bulb that wasnt working. There were a few negatives though, a lot of flies but you can see they tried to remedy this in the kitchen with an electric flie zapper. The outside area had a lot of broken solar lamps, and the hot tub had seen better days with the lip of it rotting. Wifi worked in one room, but wasnt a huge issue. Hot water booster must be used to ensure you have hot water

We enjoyed a lovely relaxing week at the Dairy.

Perfect place for a family break. Enjoyed good walks straight from the front door. Location is also perfect for exploring both the Dales and the Moors. The owners were very friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The wood fired hot tub was a nice bonus to relax in after a long day walking once you had mastered the fire. Hope to return one day soon!

Lovely quaint cottage.

Loved the kitchen! Owners couldnt be more accomodating Brilliant to take the kids for the walks. Plenty of animals around too. X brilliant staycation. Would stay again.

owners of the farm where lovely even invited my son to help feed the animals any questions we had they was happy to help wonderful hidden gem as tucked away from everyone and lots to do locally

Hi we stayed at Barforth cottsge 3 nights for my birthday.

Beautiful area and views from window. But very disappointed with our stay VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND IN THE DARK THE ENTRY TO COTTAGE. very cold. Dusty everywhere, Doors to front and back are very dated unkempt , draught blowing through large gaps, windows mostly single glazed paintwork peeling off . Coffee table is unstable, needs better lighting in living room. No hot water for our stay, had to use a bowl to wash in as no sink.plug in bathroom. could not shower cold water, plus bottom of door on shower was grimy and black. KITCHEN SINK GROUTING VERY GRUBBY put me off washing up. Towels were left but very used and old. Beds were old hard mattresses, looked grubby bedding. Whole cottage was very cold, I slept in my clothes. rugs on floors were grubby. Walls in living room really need a good decorating, so grubby. We could not see to park and no sign to say or light outside cottage. Felt very let down all round, shocked as we have stayed with Sykes few times England and Loch Lomond Last Sept. all places were immaculate and warm and presented very well some had provisions as extras. At £315 for 3 nights, I feel really unhappy about our stay at Barforth hall dairy. Needs a visit for inspection asap. Feel like asking for a refund. Let the lady know, all I got back .. was Thankyou for feedback. ?

we all had a great time the kitchen utensils was not enough for us a we was there for a full week .

with four adult's and one child . not enough baking trays no cheese grater / and measuring jug / no large wine glasses only very small one's which only held a mouth full other then no complaints at all and we will defo come back

Just a beautiful quiet weekend break much needed and my 9 yr old loved the animals perfect x

It took us two days to find the cottage welcome/instructions pack,which meant that for the first evening and 2days after we endured lukewarm showers.

The kitchen was set out OK, however the range of cooking utensils were below par (either broke, not of a decent standard, insufficient amounts, or just not fit for purpose) and not cleaned to an expected standard. Secondary heating system (electric wall panels) did not make any difference to the overall room temperatures. Both bedrooms felt very cold, to the point that clothes felt not only cold, but also damp; on the subject of clothing, there was insufficient bedroom clothes storage! Single bed room had a small chest of draws and the double bedroom has only a hanging wardrobe. If it were summer and for an active family group this may have been acceptable but for a family with disabilities) over Christmas, most definitely NOT!

I would recommend this cottage to anyone that wants a relaxing, carefree break.

The cottage is exactly as described, the hot tub does take a while to get hot but is worth the wait and the cost of logs, the cottage is clean and very well equipped. The owners are so friendly and helpful nothing was a bother. The area is amazing although we only live 40 minutes away it felt like we could have been anywhere- the views are wonderful. We had a lovely walk to the river. It was lovely to wake up, open the curtains and be greeted by the llamas. My little girl loved going to say hello to the animals at regular intervals. I would recommend taking as many provisions as you think you will need as you really the car to get to the nearest shop, plus we just didn't want to leave the cozyness of the cottage, watching the animals, playing board games and even good Wi-Fi to stay connected to the outside world when we chose to . All in all a fabulous cottage with others nearby if you wanted to have a larger group holiday. Can't wait to go back again.

Enjoyed our break away.

The Cottage met our family needs, the kitchen was well equipped and we enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub. The boys loved the open space to run about and play and felt safe, they made friends with Jess the dog on the farm.

This could be a lovely cottage as it is in a rural location on a working farm.

Be prepared to drive at least 4 miles to the nearest village though as this may be classed as Gainford but the bridge to Gainford is permanently closed and blocked off even for pedestrian use causing this massive detour. Unfortunately it is also let down by a lack of thought in its interior. The decor and furniture are haphazard like cheap charity shop rejects and little thought has been given to supply of kitchen equipment. For example we had to buy a tin opener and scissors! There was also an iron, but no ironing board and a washing machine but nowhere to dry clothes! There are many more foibles such as this but the main thing to be aware of is the listing of a hot tub. There is a Scandanavian style wooden hot tub but it took us 5 hours to heat to a lukewarm temperature. This was five hours of continually stoking it with the chipboard furniture offcuts that are supplied. You cannot leave it as it burns the fuel so quickly. It looks good but is totally ineffective - don't be fooled. You also have to pay for wood used as it is not included. We have stayed in many properties marketed by Sykes but this has been the poorest to date. We will also be contacting Sykes direct with this information.

It was a lovely area, everyone we spoke to around was so polite and kind, had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend and go back again!

We have had a lovely time in a beautiful tranquil place to wake and see horse running around outside your window was a great way to wake.

Great for pets with lots of options for nice walks straight outside your door the owners are on hand and very helpful with any advise you may need Overhaul we shall deff go back again

Lovely weekend at a beautiful location celebrating with friends.

was a lovely cottage.

the hot tub took a while to heat on the first day but then was great. lovely walks close by too. And owners were very friendly. only put we wouldn't stay again as we like to go to a different place each time

The house is very tired looking and the accommodation was very basic, the table "cloth" was plastic, not very clean and didn't even fit the table, the cutlery etc wasn't properly washed, the furniture in the living room was too big and made it difficult to walk around, the fire in the living room was ineffectual.

At no time did we feel cosy, the house did not even have a pleasant atmosphere. Worse of all was the hot tub which took 4 - 5 hours to heat up & that was only with constant attention and then didn't stay warm more than 10 minutes. There wasn't enough wood to try and have heat the tub for the 2 nights we were there, additional wood was £15!! The only positives were the welcome easter egg and pint of milk in the fridge. At £150 a night it is not massively overpriced

Beautiful cottage , the owners were fantastic and were always at hand if we needed them and were very friendly Hot tub was amazing at night , the cottage was a lot more spacious than we expected and was cleaned to a very high standard Had to email paula on

A gorgeous cottage set in the backdrop of lush green countryside.

We adored feeding the animals outside the cottage, the little Pygmy goats were our favourite. The hot tub was so relaxing and it was a superb way to see in the new year. The host was excellent, nothing was too much trouble. We all had a wonderful 5 days and would return in a heartbeat.

Beautiful surroundings.

Lovely cottage. Had to wash most cutlery & crockery as some not clean. Had a great Xmas there though.

Beautiful setting, beautiful cottage, helpful owners

What a fabulous find this cottage is!

Very well decorated, clean, spacious and very comfortable!! It is on a working farm, and we loved being surrounded by animals - the llamas in particular put a smile on our face every day!! We had read the information about this cottage before we arrived, so we were prepared for the eco wood-fired hot tub to require 3-4hrs to heat up, and that there would be flies around (it is a farm after all), and so we took these things in our stride! We will definitely return! Sitting in the hot tub every night, watching the sunset after a day out exploring County Durham is an experience I would love to repeat. The only down side was that the WiFi is RUBBISH and not worth bothering with as it seems to be shared between all the cottages. We were the only people there at the time of our stay but it was still very poor. But that’s my only gripe! FIVE STARS

This cottage is a lovely little get away and a nice break.

You are a bit out of the way of everything which is perfect if you love walking. There are Alpacas, Lambs and goats on the farm. The cottage itself was very spacious and homely. We had a slight problem getting the hot tub to warm up but eventually got it going after chucking a lot of firewood on it and was perfect to watch the sunset in. The owners are 2 mins away and are great at communications and helping you out with anything you need. Thank you!

Absolutely loved our stay here!

Just didn’t realise at the time of booking how remote these cottages are! A car and good walking boots are a must! The owners were extremely helpful and made sure we had enough wood for the log burner; it was great to have been playing in the snow to then going inside and sitting in front of the fire with a hot chocolate! A lovely relaxing holiday and we can’t wait to return!

The cottage itself was absolutely gorgeous in a stunning countryside and we had the best time - the owners Paula and Jason were so helpful and kind!

Would definitely recommend to others and will probably be back ourselves!

It was brilliant as a ex soldier it was nice to get away for some good family time

A really lovely relaxed holiday and we had great fun stoking the wood fired stove of the hot tub

I loved it.

It was perfect for our needs , had everything we wanted and the peace and space we needed to have a reunion of very old friends. Hot tub and amazing sunsets just added the extra we needed to make it totally perfect. Thanks so much

The owners were nearby and very friendly and helpful.

Was a great location , owners were very helpful would highly recommend

Beautiful setting, extremely peaceful and scenic.

Arrived to be met by the owner showed us all the facilities and gave a presentation on how everything works .

Midway through holiday called for assistance and within minutes they were there my wife myself could not speak any more highly of our stay ,the owners/management and the cleanliness of there establishment we 100% will be booking again

wow.

what a place to have a holiday, everything was just perfect with very friendly staff, I would strongly recommend this cottage to anyone who wants to get away from it all and relax.