Field House

A CLEAN, PRACTICAL BASE FOR FAMILY VISITS AND SIGHTSEEING Having recently completed our second stay at Field House, it remains a highly functional and remarkably clean property.

The house sits directly on a busy main road in Swanwick; however, traffic noise is not really noticeable inside. A major advantage of the location is having a pub right across the street and a public bus stop positioned at the base of the driveway. For anyone looking to explore the area, it serves as a highly convenient launching pad for Derbyshire's main attractions and the Peak District, though our primary purpose was simply visiting family and friends. The mature garden is lovely to look at, featuring a small summer house equipped with two chairs and a table. A great improvement since our last visit is that outdoor seating is now provided on the terrace. However, guests bringing pets or toddlers should be fully aware that the entire garden is completely open to the driveway and the main road. Supervision is mandatory outside. Inside, the layout matches the online photos well, though it features a few physical quirks. The stairs leading up to the bedrooms are quite steep, and there is a significant step down to navigate when using the ground floor toilet. Upstairs, the bathroom is functional, and the electric shower provides a reliable, steady stream of hot water. The bedroom right next to the shower room features a very comfortable mattress. Downstairs, both living areas offer plenty of comfort, and having a smart TV in each room is a great layout for groups. Since our last visit, the owner has taken feedback on board and resolved a few maintenance issues: the conservatory roof has been repaired, and both the iron and the frying pans have been replaced. While the property itself was clean, the outsourced cleaning contractors made some notable oversights on this turnaround. The cooker extractor hood was very greasy upon arrival and we cleaned it the best we could. Furthermore, we were greeted by a large pile of dirty sheets and towels left forgotten in the middle of the conservatory, which I had to bundle into a bin bag myself before the owner arranged for their collection the following day. It is also worth noting for long-distance travellers that there is no formal welcome pack; arrival provisions are minimal, consisting only of an open packet of filter coffee, some tea bags, and salt and pepper, with no sugar provided. Anyone arriving late or after a long journey will need to ensure they bring their own initial supplies. Regarding minor kitchen inventory details, although there is a ladle and a long-handled big spoon, proper serving spoons are still missing, and a single trivet isn't quite enough for family cooking. The dishwasher, washing machine, and main large fridge-freezer are located out in the rear conservatory rather than the kitchen proper, which requires a bit of back-and-forth walking but is better than nothing. Ultimately, these are manageable details for a holiday home that is exceptionally clean, reliable, and comfortable. The owner is highly communicative, genuinely responds to guest feedback to improve standards, and maintains an excellent property that we would happily recommend.

Very comfortable and homely.

Reminded me of my parents house when they were old. Its nice to be able to keep the memory and it makes this property stand out. Well maintained with modern facilities and very comfy beds. Only one lounge had a tv although this was not a problem. Marked down only because the kitchen floor was dirty and there was dog mess in the garden. A welcome pack would have been appreciated and summer duvets.

Field House is situated on a busy main road in Swanwick.

There is a pub across the road, and a bus stop at the bottom of the drive. Although the conservatory roof leaks (owner informed via her plumber), the house is in general well maintained and features a charming, mature garden. The magnolia, among other shrubs and trees were in full bloom during our stay which made the garden even more enjoyable. We didn’t use the summer house, which only has two chairs and a small table in it. Unfortunately, the patio at the back of the house is not furnished, it would have been nice to have a table and chairs. There is sufficient space at the top of the narrow drive to turn your car round so that you don’t have to back out onto the busy main road. It’s important to note that the garden is unsecured, with direct access to the main road; therefore, it is unsafe for dogs or small children to be outside without supervision. The house itself is pleasant and the photos on the website are realistic. The stairs to the first floor are steep and there is also a deep step down to the ground floor toilet. The upstairs bathroom is functional and has an electric-powered shower providing constant hot water for the shower. We used the bedroom next to the shower room and found the bed comfortable. The house was clean, although we didn’t appreciate having to empty the dishwasher upon arrival or finding an unwashed frying pan and a casserole dish in a cupboard. The kitchen is functional although the lack of serving spoons and a trivet was sorely noted. The two small frying pans have seen better days. The dishwasher is in the conservatory at the back of the kitchen which is not very practical but better than none. The conservatory also has a large fridge freezer (in addition to the smaller fridge in the kitchen) and a washing machine. The iron has seen better days. It leaks, has something stuck to the bottom and lime scale comes out when switched on. We did not use it for fear of ruining our clothes. Both lounges were very comfortable, each with a smart TV which we appreciated. We were overall very pleased with the house but found the heating and hot water unsatisfactory. The house was cold when we got up, we had no hot water after lunch right through to very late afternoon. We had to use the boost function to keep the house warm. We contacted the owner about the heating who responded very quickly, informing us that the heating is on for 1 hour in the morning and from 5pm for 5 hrs. The hot water heats up when the heating is on. The owner kindly increased the heating for a couple more hours in the morning, but we still had to use the boost function from time to time otherwise we were cold or didn’t have hot water to wash our hands or to wash pots and pans by hand so had to boil the kettle. In summary, this is a nice holiday home to rent. It is clean, functional, and comfortable. The only downside for us was the heating. It would have been much better to leave the central heating running all day at a set temperature on the thermostat rather than letting the house go cold and having to use the boost function which is less efficient and probably more costly. Despite our frustration over the heating, we would not hesitate in renting this house again and found the owner very responsive to queries/issues that needed solving.