Laurel Cottage

37 Customer Reviews

• "I’ll start by saying the property was clean and everything worked however all the beds had broken springs so they were extremely uncomfortable with dips / divets in them… We actually left 2 days before we were meant to because of the discomfort it caused our backs and the lack of sleep."

  It’s also worth noting that there are ALOT of dogs kept either next door or in the field behind the property that bark or howl all day and night, whilst not an issue with the property itself, you cannot ‘relax’ in the property for a quiet relaxing day in. Also an elderly gentleman came to take the bins out, knocked on the front and back doors and all the windows - with a young breast feeding mother in the property, some warning of his visits would have been polite as she felt she couldn’t feed or pump with privacy

  Reviewed by Oliver3.1★Mar 2023

• "Lovely cottage but very close to main road so there is road noise even at night."

  Front door and main bedroom door do not close properly and beef looking at. Has all the amenities you could want and very comfortable property.

  Reviewed by Tracy4.7★Feb 2023

• "Wonderful place."

  Perfect in every way. We had two very minor issues that were solved without delay and in a friendly manner. We hope to return.

  Thank you for your kind comments. We always try to resolve any concerns as quickly as possible. We look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner

  Reviewed by David5.0★Nov 2022

• "The cottage was lovely."

  The outside space didn’t match the photos, the large green space is privately owned. All day and night the sound of the baskavilles penetrated the house, so much so our dog did not settle. We left early after our dog was attacked by the dog belonging to the owner of the hounds,. My dog is an assistant dog and she got nasty bite wounds. Why was the dogs not mentioned in the description

  Reviewed by Julie Ann3.1★Sep 2022

• "The cottage is clean with good amenities, however the noise from the busy road and breeder's dog kennels is intrusive and persists night and day."

  The garden is small and poorly maintained, there are no views for any ground floor room due to a high fence to the rear and the elevated road to the front. Unfortunately the location of this cottage is compromised and we can’t recommend this option.

  Reviewed by Kevin2.8★Aug 2022

• "One problem with oven but the owners sorted and we’re easy to contact."

  Very comfy beds. And added bonus during a heat wave, as long as the conservatory door was closed, this house stayed very cool all day in 30 degree heat!

  Reviewed by Matthew4.7★Aug 2022

• "Fantastic home from home."

  Everything catered for. Really comfy beds, gorgeous location. Would definitely book to stay again

  We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay and really appreciate your kind comments. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Darren5.0★Jul 2022

• "Home is well equipped, clean and spacious."

  It was nicely decorated and the conservatory was the favorite room by far. The area is very pretty and the views of the field and sunsets are gorgeous. Unfortunately we were unable to leave the windows open at night due to the sound of racing cars on the road out front and the barking, howling dogs out back. Please consider adding parking instructions into your pink info binder for guest reference and/or add a sign where the parking space for the unit is located. Guests make mistakes and no one intentionally wants to cause any trouble when on holiday.

  Reviewed by Karin3.4★Jun 2022

• "Amazing as always."

  It's always nice to know we have a safe space when planning our next adventure. The owners are always quick to reply and fix any problems that come up. It's our home away from home.

  So glad you had another lovely holiday. You are always very welcome. Thanks to you and everyone who take the time to make lovely comments. They are always much appreciated. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Allan5.0★Apr 2022

• "A very welcoming property, and lovely to sit in the conservatory of a sunny afternoon."

  Perfect base for exploring Co Durham and Northumberland too.

  Reviewed by Simon5.0★Mar 2022

• "A very comfortable house, well equipped."

  Lovely walks in the area and plenty of places to visit further afield.

  Reviewed by Hilary5.0★Feb 2022

• "Our favourite place to stay."

  We got engaged at this house :)

  Reviewed by Alan5.0★Oct 2021

• "The cottage was as described."

  The only real drawback was the busy road it was on. There no noticeable noise disturbance but if you wanted to cross the road it could be difficult at times. The location was good and central for many places and the village itself up the slight hill opposite was very pretty. The only other small issue was that there were several light bulbs not working when we were there.

  Reviewed by Donald4.4★Aug 2021

• "Good location of the cottage, easy reach of many things to do."

  The main road was the downside and the size of the back garden. You couldn't really see a view from the conservatory and there is a right of passage through the back garden to next door which was being used by workmen. The cottage itself was comfortable and met our needs.

  The garden backs onto a field which has a fence around it. We planted the hedge to obscure the fence and to give privacy to the conservatory. The views can be seen when standing and the sunsets are amazing from any position. Access to the neighbours is for essential maintenance work only and has occurred recently (the first time in nearly 20 years) as the new elderly neighbour has had a small conservatory built, which is now complete. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Graeme4.1★Aug 2021

• "Just enjoyed a lovely stay at Laurel Cottage with the family."

  It is ideally situated, just a few miles west of Durham and close to local amenities in both Consett and Lanchester. Very cosy and spacious, with the added benefit of the conservatory and a secure garden for our dog. Andrew

  Reviewed by Andrew5.0★Jun 2021

• "A great place to stay."

  Really well placed for a range of surrounding days out and activities. Cottage was really clean and well looked after. Lots of useful little touches, and the dog was welcomed.

  Reviewed by A5.0★May 2021

• "The large double bedroom needs a better more sturdy bed and better quality matteress."

  This was the only thing we felt that was not up to the quality of the rest of the house. We were unable to get the Freeview channels to work on the TV in the living room but the TV in the conservatory worked fine. There was a water bottle with cigarette butts in left outside in the garden beside the bench which just needed cleaned away before our arrival. Our family enjoyed a weekend getogether at the cottage and would happly return again

  Reviewed by Paul4.4★May 2021

• "Had a really safe time - especially during these "COVID" times."

  will keep this place on my list

  Reviewed by Roy4.7★Sep 2020

• "The cottage was excellent value for money in a great location to explore the north east."

  The road noise didn’t affect us, the previous reviews are a little unfair it is clear it’s on a road and I think the price reflects this. It was furnished to a high standard, with lots of space to relax for us and the dog.

  Reviewed by Jayne5.0★Aug 2020

• "This will be a mixed review."

  The positive aspects first. Laurel cottage is lovely, spotlessly clean and roomy with everything you could need for a relaxing holiday. The 'cherry on the cake' is the lovely conservatory which with it's sunny aspect quickly becomes your 'room of choice.The cottage is set in beautiful 'rolling' countryside with expansive views especially from the upstairs windows. Within a 30 min drive are the areas of Weadale and the North Pennines AONB, very scenic and fantastic walking country but expect plenty of 'uphill' walking. Don't despair there are many flatter walks especially if you stay close to the river Wear. Now the negatives (all out of control of the owners, I add) The busy, fast A691 between Durham and Consett runs past the cottage, there are no speed restrictions on this stretch of road. We were lucky to have warm weather that necessitated having the bedroom windows open, It was too noisy for us, we moved into the rear bedroom (two single beds) but unfortunately it made little difference so we shut the windows and suffered hot bedrooms. I do appreciate many guests may be used to traffic noise, we are not, I think it reasonable that potential guests should know. Neighbours in the terraced row of cottages are seemingly dog breeders. At the rear of the conservatory is a field with a very large building/kennel complex which obviously contains many ? dogs. The dogs will occasionally 'kick off' daytime or nightime, it can sound like something from the 'hounds of the baskervilles' Let me say, we are dog lovers and took our beagle Sadie with us. Dogs bark ! we understand that, what disturbed us more was the snarling, bellowing, very loud male voice we heard a few times. From the words issued we are pretty sure this was directed at dogs (as opposed to someones wife/partner) In truth we sympathised with the dogs. Maybe a little googling using words like 'Consett dog breeder' 'dogs and puppies for sale' are in order here ? Someone also uses a loud (Very Loud) piercing whistle in an attempt (we think) to quieten the dogs 'baying' This happens many times a day and while it seems to work (for a while) we found the dog 'baying' preferable. In summary, lovely cottage but remember Phil and Kirsty's mantra ? Location, Location, Location.

  Reviewed by Roy4.4★Jul 2020

• "We had a wonderful time just resting before going back on the frontline of covid 19 ."

  The only thing that let it down was the noise of the dogs out the back

  Reviewed by Karina3.8★Mar 2020

• "Very well appointed with everything one would need."

  a first class holiday let

  Reviewed by David5.0★Mar 2020

• "There was a very busy, fast speed, main road and the house was very noisy."

  We were unable to have our bedroom window open due to traffic noises. The parking directions provided by the owner were poor and misleading, thankfully a neighbour assisted us with this! The cottage backed onto kennels NOT MENTIONED IN THE LISTINGS. The dogs here barked continuosly day and night, disturbing our dog and my children's sleep. They were aggressive sounding and frightened my youngest. The owners were also heard shouting and antagonising the dogs. The next door neighbours were stripping walls and moving furniture every night from 10pm until 2-3 am. If we had been fully informed of these problems, we would never have stayed here. Noticed in visitor book, other guests have had same issues.

  We are sorry that your stay at Laurel cottage was not as enjoyable as it should have been. Since your visit we have had triple glazing installed in the bedrooms to help those sensitive to noise. The road is only busy at peak times going in and out of Durham for work, but also serves as an excellent access point for anyone using Laurel cottage as a central base to visit all of the wonderful attractions in the area. We are a dog friendly property and the neighbours dogs can be loud during feeding and exercise times, but this is natural for animals and only sporadic during the day. I have spent many years at Laurel cottage and have never experienced prolonged barking at night time. The property next door has been empty for some years and unfortunately you must have stayed during the short period when it was being renovated (unbeknown to us). If you had informed us of the disturbance we would have contacted the builders and asked them to stop at a reasonable time in the evening. The parking instructions were very clear as we tell all guests not to park outside the front door but on the top in the parking space or alongside the gable end. Communication is key and we are always on the end of the phone and also have family nearby if anyone has any questions. Thank you for taking the time to send in your feedback. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Katie3.4★Jul 2019

• "This was a lovely cottage with everything we could possibly need."

  There was even a lovely message from the owners on the comments book making themselves available should we (or any other guests) need them.

  Reviewed by Dean5.0★Jul 2019

• "The property is well positioned for access to local visitor attractions."

  It is spacious and functional with all the facilities of ones home, dishwasher, freezer, washing machine, wifi, etc. There is a suggestion that the property is contract cleaned as it lacks the individual attention to detail of an owner. Some small practical things are missing such as floor cloth & dish washer tablets. The bed linen is appropriate to winter rather than seasonal. It is important that potential clients should not imagine this as a country property as it sits on a busy main road however there are views over the hedge and from the conservatory the sunset was magic. Overall it works well as a base for sightseeing the area.

  Reviewed by Colin3.8★Jul 2019

• "The cottage was very good indeed."

  It was clean and well appointed and all the linen and towels etc were of a good quality. Our assessment of the accommodation was entirely positive but the only negative was that no one came to cut the grass in the 3 fairly rainy weeks we were there and it grew to such proportions that we were unable to enjoy the small garden. The road past the cottage was quite noisy but that did not bother us. The dogs being bred behind the house also were relatively no problem.

  Reviewed by Geoff4.7★Jun 2019

• "The house is very clean and comfy and is situated where you are well placed to visiting many of the different areas up there."

  The problem comes from outside the house, it’s on a very busy road but it is quiet at nighttime so the traffic doesn’t keep you awake, also the neighbours own a lot of the land at the back of the house and they have made part of it into kennels where they are breeding dogs. It gets noisy at times because they are working out there most of the time, especially in the evenings and they tend to shout a lot, which unfortunately takes away from the lovely retreat Laurel cottage could be.

  Reviewed by Marilyn3.8★Apr 2019

• "The cottage is comfortable and clean."

  The location wasn't ideal. The front bedrooms are close to a busy main road, and the back bedroom is disturbed by the neighbour's noisy dogs who make their presence known through the night. It's a shame, as otherwise, the cottage was lovely.

  Reviewed by Andie4.4★Feb 2019

• "This is a beautifully presented cottage, perfect as a base for all the exploring to be done in the North East."

  Delightful views and perfectly located for Durham, Newcastle, North Pennines and of course lovely Lanchester. Will definitely be back. Thank you very much.

  Reviewed by Liz5.0★May 2018

• "The holiday cottage was perfect."

  The location to places to visit was excellent. My only grumble is the car parking space is a bit muddy. Had to make sure everyone took there shoes off entering the cottage.

  Reviewed by Kathleen5.0★Apr 2018

• "The cottage was clean and well-equipped."

  The location was chosen for convenience for a family funeral rather than a holiday. It was rural, but definitely not peaceful. It was right next to a busy main road, and the field to the rear of the property housed several kennels of large dogs, including rottweilers, which were very noisy with barking and howling at any time of day and night. The owners also whistled and shouted a lot at them, as well as operating a very noisy remote controlled buggy in the field several times during our stay. The description mentions enjoying a lovely view from the garden / conservatory - this can't be seen from a seated position; the only view is of the hedge a few feet away. All in all, I would not recommend this cottage for anyone looking for a quiet break in the countryside.

  Reviewed by Heather3.3★Feb 2018

• "A lovely cottage, well-equipped and spotlessly clean."

  There was plenty of room for the family to spread out. We chose this cottage because we wanted to visit Beamish, which is only 7 miles away. It is also very convenient for Durham. The views across the fields to the rear of the cottage were made even more picturesque because it snowed during our visit.

  Reviewed by Karen4.8★Feb 2018

• "The cottage is brilliantly situated for exploring County Durham and North Yorkshire."

  It was spotlessly clean and the best equipped we have ever stayed in.

  Reviewed by Richard5.0★Aug 2017

• "Beautiful clean spacious cottage."

  Everything we needed was there. Good location for exploring the area.

  Reviewed by Aileen5.0★Jun 2017

• "Great cottage in a great location"

  Reviewed by Yvonne5.0★May 2017

• "The cottage was absolutely fabulous - the welcome pack was a very nice added extra - the cottage having everything you could possible need ."

  A really high end cottage with added comfort .

  Reviewed by Lesley5.0★Sep 2016

• "The cottage was very clean and well presented and Ian made access very easy which was important to us as we had to travel so far to Iveston and were not sure what our arrival time would be."

  Everything we could possibly need was in the cottage (including extra towels and bedding if needed) and the welcome pack was an unexpected extra - great when you arrive late in the day. There are also two televisions, WiFi and lots of board games to keep everyone amused if the weather is bad. Easy access to the supermarkets at Consett, and the Pavillion Restaurant across the road from the Laurels do a superb discounted takeaway meal (should be promoted more, a tad expensive but ideal for a first night meal). Plenty of brochures but we chose the Laurels for easy access to Beamish which is a great day out and also spent a day at Gragside NT for another great day, but pride of place unexpectedly went to the Hartlepool Maritime Museum and the Trincomalee, a super day out for all the family, excellent value for money with free parking and really friendly and knowledgable staff, the highlight of our short break. Sorry we did not have time to put an entry in the visitor book, please pass on our thanks to the owner for providing a lovely cottage for our short stay.

  Reviewed by Andrew4.8★Sep 2016

• There are no reviews featuring this term Show all reviews