Avocet Cottage

26 Customer Reviews

• "The cottage was well situated and convenient for where we wanted to visit and was also quiet, in spite of the closeness to the road, which we knew about when we booked."

  . It was comfortable and tidy however some of the cleanliness wasn’t what we would have expected. There was dust on some items - pictures in the bedroom and skirting boards and the side of the wardrobe and the ledge on the mirror in the main bedroom, also paw marks on the side of the units in the kitchen near the back door - which I wiped off - and also on the back door. The loft hatch was open in the twin bedroom at the front which we closed - I don’t know if this had blown open with the high winds, in the twin bedroom at the back the rubbish bin hadn’t been emptied. The garden was fine although there were to 2 poo bags in the basket by the back door, left by someone else and also some cigarette ends which wasn’t nice, and there was a smallish gap in the fence which a small dog could have got through to the river. We understand that the cottage allows dogs and expect some wear and tear, but would have expected the professional cleaners to take this into account when attending. Maybe a check up by the owners every so often would be a good idea.

  We are very surprised by your review as you did not contact us during your stay to advise us of any of the issues you have now raised and to allow us to deal with them. In February this year the kitchen in Avocet was replaced and has all new integrated appliances as well as replacement of the small electrical items. The bathroom and cloakroom fittings were all replaced and both were re tiled. The fittings in both are high end and were expensive. In addition we have replaced some of the single mattresses with Hypnos brand expensive mattresses. That is in addition to our annual purchase of quality bedding and towels by Christy, Dorma, Sheridan and other high end brands. Sadly you do not mention any of this in your review. Our cottages are very popular and book up quickly so we are not able to stay in them ourselves during busy school holidays and peak season but we do stay in them out of season and ensure that any necessary work is done and items replaced. We also visit our cottages regularly at other times though can’t do this every week due to the distance involved. If guests report any issues during their stay we always deal with them straight away. Thank you for letting us know about the small gap in the fence. We will have this checked. We will also speak to our cleaners about the issues you have raised regarding the cleaning. If these had been raised with us when you arrived at the cottage we would have asked our cleaners to go back and deal with them then. We do expect our cleaners to carry out a thorough clean and are sorry if this did not happen prior to your stay. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jayne3.1★Apr 2024

• "We first visited Avocet Cottage in January 2024 and absolutely loved it."

  It was perfect in every way and, in our opinion, could not really be improved upon. We returned 9 weeks later to find it had been given a fantastic upgrade of a new kitchen, with all new white goods and all electrical products are brand new and fabulous, also new upstairs bathroom and downstairs cloakroom. The beds all had new Hypnos mattresses which were super comfortable for a great nights sleep. We didn’t think you could improve on perfection but this has been achieved!! The Cottage was spotlessly clean and so well redecorated, it was a wonderful sight to see when we walked in. The amount of logs, provided free of charge, for the log burner is quite unbelievable. This Cottage simply provides you with everything you may need for your stay and so much more. The garden is fully secure and great for anyone with dogs. It also has lovely garden furniture to sit at for your meals & drinks in the sunshine. We will be back again soon to this beautiful place and cannot wait. Thankyou Peter & Janet for making yet another holiday so memorable. Kindest regards, Stu, Pip, Hugo & Storm

  Thank you for your lovely review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay. We will look forward to your return. Best wishes Peter and Janet Property Owner

  Reviewed by Stuart5.0★Mar 2024

• "Lovely cosy cottage."

  Thank you.

  Thank you for your review. We are pleased to hear that you liked our cottage and hope that you had a lovely holiday in Northumberland. Janet and Peter Property Owner

  Reviewed by Meg5.0★Mar 2024

• "I have stayed in lots of cottages and this one was great."

  Clear that the owners care with fresh flowers, good utensils, welcome packs etc. Prior to booking we saw a terrible review which the owners responded to very calmly. Happy to say that review was totally ludicrous and in my opinion should be removed.... The only thing I think is that the addition of a Smart TV with Freeview and streaming services would be nice. I do not mean the owners paying the subscriptions btw! We commonly bring our passwords and watch on smart TVs using our subscriptions and clear these details on departure. We got around this by plugging in a laptop to the TV using the spare HDMI, but I totally accept this is a minor thing. Just advice to keep the cottage (which has 40Mbps internet typically) up to date.

  Thank you for your lovely review and your very helpful comments. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your holiday in our cottage. Peter and Janet Property Owner

  Reviewed by John5.0★Feb 2024

• "Avocet Cottage, for us, is simply perfect."

  It was everything we needed and so much more. The log burner was an amazing feature and really complemented the cottage. We loved Avocet Cottage so much that we have already booked another 4 visits. Thank you Peter and Janet for making our much needed holiday so special.

  Thank you for your lovely review and we look forward to you returning later in the year. We are having upgrades in February which we hope you will like and will make your next holiday with us even better! Property Owner

  Reviewed by Stuart4.7★Jan 2024

• "Lovely property very comfortable, especially with our four dogs."

  Our first cottage holiday with our dogs. Lovely place. Dissappointed that previous guests hadn't bothered to pick up their dog poo from back garden but not everyone are responsible dog owners or recyclers- lots of glass bottles in bin! Property lovely for guests with dogs. Hope to re-book for next year.

  Reviewed by Karen4.4★Oct 2023

• "This is a lovely property and great location."

  We had 2 cars so parking was a bit of a faff but we managed. I found opening and locking the outside door into the kitchen quite tricky but my friends managed it. There's a couple of non-working lightbulbs - one is outside above the door into the garden, the other is at the foot of the stairs in the little office space. The kitchen welcome pack was very handy and the level of cleanliness was great. The shower was good and the beds were very comfy. The view of the 'small' bay and birds from the bedrooms was magnificent.

  Reviewed by Abigail3.8★Oct 2023

• "Fantastic cottage in a great location."

  Everything we needed for a stay with our 2 young children and dog. It was very clean and well equipt. Perfect stay.

  Reviewed by Helen5.0★Sep 2023

• "The property was totally misrepresented."

  It was located next to the main road on a bridge forming the garden boundary with a sewage treatment plant opposite which smelt. The cottage was in desperate need of refurbishment plus it was dirty everywhere from skid marks on the duvet to filthy mugs and filthy carpets. I was even bitten in bed. The towel holders fell off the bathroom wall, the front door lock was almost impossible to open with the key. The grass had not been cut. The electrics in the kitchen were unsafe with plugs becoming very hot. The bathroom was difficult to air as the sash window was hard to open then impossible to close . I could go on but I'm sure you are getting a feel for what was wrong. Perhaps regular checks on properties could improve matters? It most certainly was not worth the rental and we are deeply upset that our holiday base was so disappointing.

  We welcome feedback from our guests and an opportunity to respond to any issues raised by them. Unfortunately we have to say that none of the issues raised in this review were brought to our attention during their stay, so we had no opportunity of addressing them. We employ a respected team of professional cleaners who have told us that they found no evidence of the issues of cleanliness referred to and who would have returned to have dealt with any issues if they had been raised. The house had a full PAT electrical inspection in February and no faults were found. The house is an attractive period cottage with many original features and quality furniture and fittings and the photos on the website mirror closely what guests will find on their stay. We have a garden designed by a professional landscape gardener and it is maintained by a professional gardener every two weeks. The cottage is located on Budle Bay, which is part of English Heritage’s protected coastline and a renowned bird sanctuary. The road which runs alongside our cottage is a B road (the main road is the A1 two miles away) and is the heritage scenic coast road which runs through the small hamlet of Waren Mill and on to Bamburgh. There is no sewage works opposite our cottage but a small treatment plant for the hamlet which is totally underground and concealed to fit in with the SSI status of the bay. We nor any other guests have ever noticed any smells from it. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jane1.6★Sep 2023

• "Beautiful traditional old English cottage, which had a home from home feel."

  Was spacious , a nicely laid out property and big lovely garden to sit out in with comfortable table and chairs for 6 people. Beds very comfortable, shower good , downstairs extra toilet and wash basin useful. Lovely farmhouse style kitchen with plenty room for food prep and large dining table for 6. Good size fridge/ freezer. Beautiful big open fire in living room . Cosy cottage style windows throughout. Situated in great area, round corner from Budle Bay, beautiful sunsets ! Please note : DVD broken and Elec hob switching itself off intermittently . Will definitely book again for summertime! Thank you

  Reviewed by Katherine4.7★Aug 2023

• "The cottage was in a lovely and convenient location."

  It was spacious and had a secure, but untidy, garden. The moss growing on the path at the side of the house was slippy and therefore potentially dangerous. The kitchen was well equipped. Whilst the cottage was generally comfortable it was run down and not very clean. We would not stay here again.

  We are sorry to hear that you have had a few concerns during your stay at our cottage and disappointed that you did not contact us so that we could resolve them for you. Our gardener comes to the garden every two weeks and neither he nor the previous guests have alerted us to the problem of the moss. Now we are aware we have informed him about the issue. We take health and safety issues very seriously. We use professional cleaners and they maintain a high standard of cleaning which is generally commented on positively by our guests. If we had been alerted to any cleaning issues by yourselves they would have returned to deal with them. As you can see from the photos on the website the cottage is a beautiful period property and is furnished with high quality solid wood furniture appropriate for a property of this style and age. We only buy good quality furnishings, bedding and towels from Marks and Spencer, John Lewis etc. Bedding and towels were replaced earlier this year. If you did have genuine concerns or complaints, as advised by Sykes and also by ourselves in the information provided in the cottage, you should have notified us immediately (possibly with photos) to have given us the opportunity to deal with them. Peter and Janet Property Owner

  Reviewed by Joanna2.2★Aug 2023

• "We had a great stay at Avocet, well equipped and comfortable and the fact that the garden was enclosed for the dogs was an additional benefit."

  Nothing more to add, it was a great week, great location and very comfortable, thank you.

  Reviewed by Ian3.8★Jun 2023

• "Lovely spacious holiday let, well equipped and it a beautiful area for local ..."

  Lovely spacious holiday let, well equipped and it a beautiful area for local beaches and attractions a relaxing place to stay

  Reviewed by Anne4.4★May 2023

• "This is our second stay in Waren Mill but the first at Avocet Cottage."

  Great place to stay and the garden was perfect for the dog.

  Reviewed by Joanne5.0★May 2023

• "Absolutely loved Avocet cottage."

  The cottage was spotlessly clean. I especially appreciated how well-equipped the kitchen was and the dog proof garden was wonderful. The only downside was the shower which could do with a little TLC (low output, kept falling on our heads!) but overall we had a thoroughly enjoyable stay. Thank you.

  Reviewed by Emma5.0★Apr 2023

• "Outside Lights not working ."

  Light bulbs missing from some fittings.

  Thank you for telling us. Broken bulbs have been replaced in the outside light and bed side lamps. We always have a stock of replacement bulbs in a drawer in the kitchen should this happen again. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Edward M4.4★Jan 2023

• "Well equipped cottage in a fantastic location."

  The cottage had a lot of character and plenty of room. We loved the large garden which was enclosed so the dogs had plenty of space to run around when we weren't walking. A fantastic place which I would recommend.

  Aug 2021

• "Our second stay and we love this homely, spacious, comfortable and well appointed cottage."

  The garden is delightful and the location superb.

  May 2021

• "Warm and Cosy cottage perfectly positioned to enjoy the Northumberland coast."

  Would recommend.

  Dec 2019

• "Charming cottage, very warm, welcoming feeling as you enter cottage, we felt at home as soon as we arrived."

  The owner has thought of everything that you need for your stay. Great location, many beaches within 5 minute drive away, Bamburgh beach fantastic for the dogs. Would we stay again? Definitely!

  Dec 2019

• "Spacious , well equipped property providing ideal touring base for the area ."

  Jul 2019

• "Spacious kitchen and sitting room, good to have storage space and downstairs toilet."

  Plenty of hot water. Pretty, secure garden to sit/eat out plus bbq.

  Jul 2019

• "Great cottage."

  Plenty of space, homely and warm. Well located for walks from the door or trips to local attractions.

  Apr 2019

• "Wonderful setting, very warm and well equipped."

  Very peaceful and really good value for money.

  Nov 2018

• "This cottage is perfect for a family holiday."

  It is very well equipped and in a quiet spot on the bay but near to beautiful beaches and countryside - perfect for families with children and dogs - the property has an enclosed secure garden. Comfortable beds and loads of towels and hot water.

  Jun 2018

• "Spacious cottage with tidy enclosed garden."

  Very good for our dogs. Very handy for Bamburgh beach and castle.

  May 2018

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