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"Nice cottage central location no real noise from railway an enjoyable stay"
Reviewed by VictorJun 2022
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"We had a great time at the cottage its a great central location to not just pickering but most of the attractions."
Will definitely revisit when the trains are running.
Reviewed by MatthewMar 2022
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"Very nice cottage, clean, comfortable, all amenities what you need."
Great location for all pubs, restaurants, and good access to Whitby and Scarborough.
Third time visit to Pickering and second stay at Hogwarts Cottage and we would definitely go back
Reviewed by ThomasMar 2022
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"Everything you need for a weekend touring round."
Parking was ok but probably difficult in the summer months.
Reviewed by MichaelFeb 2022
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"Cottage is in a great location & ideal for a weekend."
However, there were a number of small niggles, which are easy to address - no bin liners in the kitchen bin or details of where to empty bins/recycling, no freezer (useful for ice packs - particularly in summer) & additional crockery/cutlery would be useful. Some basic Christmas decorations would also have been a nice touch as would a parking permit.
Reviewed by LouisaDec 2021
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"Good value an exellant location ."
This is the 2nd time we stayed here in the last 5 months [here in july] , all facilitys and nice and warm .
Will come again but not in winter; we left on sunday because of the snow .
Will come again.
Reviewed by RhydianNov 2021
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"Warm and cosy cottage in the centre of Pickering."
handy for Whitby Scarborough and York we had a lovely week and enjoyed the steam trains. Beds were comfortable We bought a weekly parking permit from " Big Bear Bikes (£5 a day per car) as parking outside is very limited between 8AM and 6PM
Reviewed by MichelleOct 2021
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"The cottage was comfortable and a great location."
The property is in need of a bit of TLC. Saucepans and frying pan needs replacing and more cutlery etc is needed.carpets could do with a good clean does oven and extractor fan.garden needs a tidy up shaver point and bathroom fan not still working which was noted in 2018 if these little things were rectified would be a great cottage .
Reviewed by JudySep 2021
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"Brilliant help and information."
Cottage was lovely and the location was fantastic
Thank you
Reviewed by PhilipJul 2021
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"We arrived at the cottage to find it dirty and unfit to stay in."
Our first night was spent cleaning the cottage and buying crockery and utensils as the ones provided were unusable. The hoover was that dirty it had to be cleaned before we could use it. We had to purchase disinfectant spray to clean. We also had to purchase two blow up mattresses to sleep on as the beds were stained and too dirty and fit for a dog. We have taken many pictures which we can provide you with. I do not recommend anyone book this cottage ever and pity the ones who have already booked!!
Reviewed by MichaelJul 2021
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"Very comfortable cottage, excellent location couldn’t ask for anything more."
Great Local Pub,The Station Hotel, owner’s and staff very good, and excellent takeout food, also Spice 4 U is a excellent Indian Restaurant.
Reviewed by ThomasMay 2021
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"Parking a short walk away - we parked at Big Bear Bikes -not expensive for the week ."
Street parking limited time. Some very minor niggles - no spare light bulbs for example. Discussed with owner - so hopefully all will be sorted now
Reviewed by WilliamApr 2021
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"The cottage is very handy for walking into Pickering and the shops."
The heritage railway was not open when we were there but i can imagine when it does open Pickering could be very busy so parking would be a problem. Lots of very nice shops in Pickering , good market on a Monday, plus a couple of great butchers.
The cottage suited our needs for a weeks break during these covid times, allowing us to get away but keep safe.
If I'm honest the cottage could easily be improved for its guests by leaving a small information brochure about the operations of the facilities it had. ie cooker, washing m/c, central heating, wifi password etc. We couldn't find this information.
Also the bathroom could use a hand towel rail next to the sink and toilet roll holder. Having said that it was very clean and comfy and plenty of room in the kitchen.
Do go and visit the raptor/ owl sanctuary " National centre for birds of prey" in Helmsley well worth a visit , great flying shows and very friendly/ informative staff. Very covid safe as all outside and plenty of picnic areas.
Visited a couple of English Heritage sites locally but had to put an app on my phone to book a place online first as you cannot just turn up.
If you wish to visit the Pickering area this cottage was ideal.
Reviewed by DerekApr 2021
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"We booked Hogwarts last
Minute to get away before another lockdown."
The reviews we read were very mixed but please don’t hesitate to book.
Due to covid-19 the cottage on arrival was immaculate with bleach still in the air.
We have a vulnerable child and was very statisfied with the cleanliness.
The beds were really comfy
With brand new pillows!!
Yes the shower and bath not the most powerful but just have a little patience, after all your on holiday so relax!
Thank you for a lovely stay
Reviewed by LyndseyOct 2020
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"Cottage was comfortable, clean with working appliances in good order."
Parking can be problematical and a parking permit included in the price would be a great advantage.
This area is excellent for visiting the moors and surrounding towns/cities. Plenty of leaflets left in the cottage showing surrounding events/sites to visit and of course the steam railway.
Reviewed by PeterSep 2020
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"Lovely cottage in a great place."
On a main road but not too noisy . Facilities were good enough for a short stay. Only points for improvements were that it could be a bit cleaner ie work surfaces still had pizza or something stuck to it and had to clean oven before using it.
There was also no bins to be found outside ? So had to leave recycling in a bag.
Small things though. Overall would book again
Reviewed by StuartSep 2020
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"The property is quite tired and would benefit from some TLC."
Good position fir steam railway.no hairdryer lack of places to set down a drink in lounge.bathroom needs updating,
Reviewed by KateSep 2020
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"Hogwarts cottage is lovely but needs huge improvement."
Shower, you need to run around to get wet!
Bath, not enough hot water for even a shallow bath!
Beds, Needs new mattress ( had to sleep in single beds and still not comfortable.
Sofas again uncomfortable.
FLOORS! Are in need of urgent repair, my wife was uncomfortable and scared walking on the top stairs as they are actually broken!
No toilet roll holder.
No towel rail.
Mirror light broke.
Backyard a mess.
Needs a light outside front door.
No coffee tables.
No facilities for emptying bin.
Reviewed by KennethSep 2020
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"It would be helpful stating the situation about the parking."
I have paid out £40 in parking charges (£25 for a parking ticket and £15 for a long stay car park). I was told by the car park lady that the cottages either side of us have a parking permit. This would be really useful as you can only park 6pm-8am opposite the house and if you get a space.
The knives need a really good sharpen in the kitchen.
Everything else very comfortable and lovely.
Reviewed by HannahAug 2020
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"Lovely little place, perfect for a short break in the Moors (especially if you like steam trains)."
Reviewed by AlanJul 2020
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"Lovely accommodation so convenient for shops and coffee shops."
Reviewed by BernardMar 2020
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"Lovely cosy cottage, well located for various attractions/day trips in the area, as well as amenities within Pickering."
Worth noting that the steam railway doesn't run year round (perhaps the dates it runs could be added to the description, since being opposite the railway is plugged as a bit of a selling point for the cottage) - we booked a Feb half term stay, and were disappointed to find that we weren't able to take a trip on the railway as trains don't start running until April.
Reviewed by SamanthaFeb 2020
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"Great location."
Lovely and clean, information pack for cottage needed.
Reviewed by DaleJan 2020
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"Great location for us."
The railway right opposite was wonderful and a Sunday trip to Whitby on the steam train was excellent. There are plenty of places to eat and drink where we were made welcome with the dog.
Even though it said parking available outside on a 1st come first served basis this is not quite accurate. You can only park here during the day for 1 hour maximum. We parked on the railway about a 10 min walk from the cottage and it was £5 for 24 hours.
Reviewed by PaulDec 2019
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"Really nice, warm and cosy place to stay, would certainly stay here again."
Reviewed by SteveNov 2019
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"Lovely cottage opposite the railway station."
Clean, comfortable and well placed. Pickering a lovely town.
Parking terrible though. Parked up by the Castle, free and safe. 5 mins walk away.
Reviewed by AntonyNov 2019
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"Lovely cottage in a great location!"
Would highly recommend.
Reviewed by EleriOct 2019
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"The cottage is in a good location and has the potential to be excellent."
. It was cosy and the welcome pack was a nice touch. It would have been good to know what to do with our rubbish as we didn't like it sitting in the kitchen for five days. Also found the bed quite uncomfortable.
Reviewed by ElizabethOct 2019
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"Nice holiday cottage, children’s beds fine, but we both slept very badly and got nasty back pain as the main bed was awful."
Would stay again if there was a better bed.
Reviewed by GillianSep 2019
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"A warm and comfortable cottage in the middle of Pickering, we were delighted on our stay."
As I'm interested in heritage railways this is ideally situated for enjoying the NYMR. The beds are comfortable and the general facilities are excellent. We would stay there again without any hesitation
Reviewed by CrispinSep 2019
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"Everything was great, only suggestion s not complaints is permit parking would be good and would make us return, also no outdoor bin for rubbish."
Reviewed by LouiseAug 2019
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"No freezer only a fridge no toilet roll holder,when in the lounge only one coffee table available to put drinks on,very basic cottage ,not the usual sykes cottages we are used to."
Reviewed by RichardAug 2019
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"The cottage had very basic facilities eg only one side table in the lounge, no freezer compartment in the fridge, no hairdryer available, no loo roll holder or towel rail to hang a wet towel
We booked this cottage because of its excellent location but were disappointed to find that the free parking that was advertised by hotels."
Com did not exist.
On the two occasions we called the female owner we were answered by a gentleman called Ricky.
Reviewed by LeslieJul 2019
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"The cottage was very comfortable and close to a lot of places we planned to visit."
We really enjoyed using the train and even visited the station for cakes and coffees before leaving for home. We had a very good meal at The Black Swan during our stay. There are plenty of shops very close by for all our needs. We would certainly like to use the cottage again in the future. We found the parking reasonably easy opposite the cottage too.
Reviewed by LindaJul 2019
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"The cottage could do with a general upgrade,when we arrived the cooker wasn’t working ,there was no information as to where the dustbins were so we couldn’t put the rubbish out,could do with some new utensils ,saucepans etc."
The floors had lots off dips in them as if the floorboards needed attention.There was no toilet roll holder,also the fan didn’t seem to work.we opened the window at the top of the stairs but had to close it quick as it was dropping down at one side, the vacuum cleaner smelt disgusting so could not use it.Could do with another coffee table.For the price it was for the week I would have expected better.I wonder if they are ever inspected by Sykes because reading previous reviews other people have said similar.Pickering is a great place with the railway and all the surrounding countryside and we have stayed before in another cottage but will not stay in this one again.
Reviewed by LesleyJun 2019
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"COTTAGE COULD DO WITH A LITTLE TLC,FAN & LIGHT OVER MIRROR IN BATHROOM NOT WORKING,TOILET ROLL HOLDER HANGING OFF THE WALL."
THE REAR GARDEN IS A LOVELY SUN TRAP BUT IS BECOMING OVERGROWN.THERE WAS NO INFORMATION AS TO WHERE THE DUSTBINS WERE LOCATED.
A LOT OF MY COMMENTS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN MENTIONED IN EARLIER VISITORS COMMENTS IN THE VISITOR`S BOOK BUT THEY HAD BEEN CLEARLY OVERLOOKED.
WITH A MINIMAL SPEND THIS COULD BE A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO STAY
Reviewed by JohnMay 2019
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"The cottage was in a prime location and was very clean and comfortable."
The welcome pack we received was very much appreciated. It was within easy travelling distance to all the places we visited. There was plenty of amenities in the town of Pickering itself and we especially enjoyed the Black Swan pub were we ate on a couple of occasions, the food was really good. The only criticism we had was the lack of information about parking.
Reviewed by KittApr 2019
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"Great location ."
Cottage difficult to find in dark . A sign on door would help .
Reviewed by MargaretNov 2018
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"Lovely cottage, great location."
We really liked being able to see the trains from the window, noise was not an issue from trains - more quarry traffic in early hours that was an issue if windows were open. Loved the fire in the living room, very cosy and homely - just what we wanted for a relaxing romantic getaway. Decor was not overdone and suited the feel of the cottage, furnishings were comfy, we really liked the sofas to sit and watch TV in the evenings. Didn't do much cooking so can't comment on kitchen amenities, although it would have been good to have some oven gloves. During the course of the week there was a lack of hot water, although this wasn't a massive issue it was inconvenient at times for washing up (as there was no dishwasher) and having a bath. We felt it was unnecessary to be queried on our age (early 20's) as we had stated at the time of booking that there were only going to be two of us staying so there would be no wild parties. Would be happy to stay there again as we really enjoyed our time there and love Yorkshire, much nicer to have a home to stay in and have our own space, than being in a hotel.
Reviewed by TomOct 2018
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"The cottage was in a wonderful position close to shops, cafes, restaurants and the steam railway."
A good welcome pack of essentials was provided. Although the cottage was comfortable with good central heating for the chilly mornings and evenings it does require a little TLC particularly with some of the decor, bedding, towels and saucepans. A grill pan is really needed.
Reviewed by DavidSep 2018
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"Could not access property until 4."
30 as there had been a water leak. Parking opposite is limited to one hour between 8am and 6pm and this is not stated in the property details. It therefore cost us £11.00 over 3 days in the long stay car park and proved very difficult. Most of the items mentioned in a previous review had been rectified and the property is comfortable and very convenient for Pickering and the railway. In general I feel the property needs a spruce up and a deep clean. The parking issues need to be pointed out in the property description as they are misleading and can cause anxiety.
Reviewed by AngelaAug 2018
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"The settees in the room the springs had gone esp in the brown sofa."
Couldnt sit on it at all. The shower trickled out and was terrible even to get soap off your body. The bath towels were worn out and off white grey as old. There was a hole in the wall where the toilet roll holder used to be and the toilet rolls were just left on the top of the toilet tank. The beds had winter duvets on and fsr too warm and no alternatives in cupboards. Had to buy a thin duvey ourselves. In need of desperate tlc to get back to a good standard!!
Reviewed by RuthJul 2018
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"The cottage needs a good update, the cooker didn't work and cooking equipment was dirty, the whole cottage needs a lot of work doing to it."
Upstairs floor is very squeaky,soft and broken in places, mattress in main bedroom needs replacing as you can feel all the springs. The handle on the toilet doesn't work properly and there is also a lot of damp in the dining room. Could also do with more glasses as this was a cottage for 4 and only had 3 glasses. Cottage advertises and has pictures with out door space and table and chairs. No table or chairs available just a small square at rear of property. there is a comments book at the property and all the comments say the same as us, the owner obviously doesn't read these because they date back to 2016. Location was brilliant apart from the fact that parking was a big issue and this should be made very clear when booking this cottage.
The cottage is in a great place and could be brilliant if the issues are addressed, but as it stands it is being falsely advertised and needs to be changed, I'm not surprised that all the comments in the book said they would not recommend and would not return to this property
regards
Mrs K Fletcher
Reviewed by AmandaMay 2018
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"We stayed in this cottage last year and although in need of some updating it was clean."
This year I was appalled at the overall cleanliness and especially the mould in the cupboard of the dining room. The doors of the cupboard did not shut so we had to wedge a chair against the cupboard for the week. I suffer from asthma which and mould is a serious irritant. My asthma during our weeks stay was the worst it has been in five years. Most of the kitchen crockery and cooking equipment had to be washed before we could use it and the floors were dirty. The mattress on the double bed was the most uncomfortable mattress we have ever had the misfortune to sleep (or not as was the case) on. After one night we moved into the room with two single beds and put our young daughter in the double. It needs to be replaced.
We will never be booking this cottage again and have taken numerous photos which we will be adding to our trip advisor review to warn others who are thinking of booking.
Reviewed by EllieMar 2018
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"It was lovely,cosy,welcoming,very content with everything,took grandkids and a little dog,will definately go againx"
Reviewed by AnneFeb 2018
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"We enjoyed our stay at Hogwarts Cottage in Pickering."
The cottage afforded clean, cosy, lovely and warm and very comfortable accommodation. We loved the proximity to the town, all the amenities and access to very local walks. Locals friendly and welcoming. Only. Minor disadvantages were lack of freezer facility to store frozen food and parking at the cottage, although both of these were easy to overcome once we were aware. Would recommend Hogwarts. 8 out 10 in all.
Reviewed by GailDec 2017
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"Great location pickering is so beautiful everyone was so friendly."
Loved it x
Reviewed by BeverleyMay 2017
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"Loved our stay at the Hogwarts Cottage."
We will certainly be returning.
Reviewed by KatieFeb 2017
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"Poor lighting in kitchen could use some hooks behind bathroom door"
Reviewed by DerekDec 2016
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"Pros -It was a lovely cottage, clearly very popular."
It had everything we needed and though we only spent a short time there it was an oasis of calm - even with the steam trains across the road, which of course we loved too. The beds were very comfy, the shower bliss, and the kitchen well equipped. We had our lunch in the sun on the back patio, eating yummy pork pies from the bakery a few doors away. There was even a Costa on the street corner! We bought flowerings from the nursery shop next door and found the market town shops round the corner totally dog friendly - never known anywhere quite so dog friendly, and the cottage was too. The sofa's and big TV were perfect for an evening in after a day on the moor at Levisham watching the steam trains. I'm sorry we didn't write this in your guest book, but I'm sure you are not short of happy visitors. It is a very pretty, bright and well appointed little cottage.
Cons - not much wrong at all just the light carpets were a bit stained here and there, but I suppose it's late in the season and there's probably not been much chance to shampoo them yet. Car parking was our only issue, because we didn't get to sleep-in since the car had to be moved by 9am every morning and no return permitted within 2 hours. Not sure everyone adhered to this, but it would be ideal if there was a parking disk or similar arrangement available for parking near the cottage.
Many thanks!
Reviewed by MichelaSep 2016