Burnham Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Maritza - Verified booking

  It grieves me to write this, but the cottage was filthy.

  I don’t mind old or worn. A new chair can sit just as comfortably as an old chair, but when it comes to hygiene, only one way will do. The house needs a decent spring clean and the contents needs to be reviewed. Many of the dining room chairs were very rickety and could break at any moment. Other specific issues: - Main bathroom’s bath had soap scum ring all around the bath with 3 short black curly hair in it. - The two yellow cups in the main bathroom was covered in toothpaste as well as the sink. - The taps in both bathroom sinks had toothpaste splatter. - In the kitchen behind the breadtin next to the Aga, was a piece of food, looked like a small tomato that was shrivelling up. - Whomever unpacked the dishwasher last must have had greasy/oily hands, as the “clean” plates in the cupboard had greasy fingerprints all over them. - The en-suite bathroom window’s curtain is covered in black mold. - The table covering in the dining room had a streak of what looked like egg yolk running down the side of it. - Many of the dishes in the top right hand drawer next to the electric cooktop, has cracks in them (the red one, one of the blue spotty ones and many other small ones.) We did not use these, in case they broke. - We could not get any of the radiators upstairs to turn on, no matter how high we turned the heat. - Neither of the towel bars in the bathrooms ever switched on. - We were not cold upstairs as thankfully the floorboards had so many gaps the heat from down stairs made its way up. - The fridge is dirty with bits of food remains sprinkled throughout. - The master bedroom’s bed lost one of its slats when my husband sat down to tie his shoes. - The bed in one of the kids’ rooms (pink room with only one bed) also dropped a slat. We got there early and the housekeeper was very kind to allow us in as she was finishing the kitchen floor. She made us a cup of tea and it certainly was much appreciated. We would love to stay at this cottage again. Great location! It is spacious and the woods out back a real treat for the kids, but alas it needs some major cleaning and a good overall in its contents. Not sure if all Sykes’ cottages are in this state. Rented twice from Classic Cottages before and their cottages were spotless (so it can be done).

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• Simon - Verified booking

  Simply, this is a beautiful property.

  Finished to a very high standard. With a spectacular view outside in a quiet a peaceful area. The surroundings really are quite lovely. The bedrooms, beds, linens and towels are all excellent quality. The carpeting in the hallways and bedrooms was lush. Everything (almost) is comfortable and the hosts should be commended for presenting such a genuinely great building to stay in. Bathrooms (3 toilets not the advertised 2) and showers were really great. Well lit and furnished. Water pressure was high and enjoyable. The WiFi worked great throughout. The heating was top notch. The television while a little on the small size for the living room was a smart TV so streaming services were available. The kitchen was very well equipped, enough to make any sort of meal for even a large group as there are settings for many. Though could use a whisk and some larger drinking glasses. Cooking in it was a pleasure. An instant boil tap means no kettle in sight, it was a great addition. We did have some gripes however, but will point out that this could just be personal preferences but felt necessary to mention... The property is right next to another building. Like almost attached. The pictures do a good job of not showing that. You share a driveway and a car port. We did see the inhabitants several times and they did seem to be peeking once or twice. The building is surrounded by active security cameras, which is great for security but can also give you a slightly uneasy feeling that you're being checked in on by the owners. Inside there are quite a lot of signs and labels telling you not to do something. Every bedroom has a big door to the outside. These all have labels on saying not to open unless it's an emergency. 2 of the rooms have no windows other than this big glass door so it seems a bit restricting. Also one in the living room has that same label. Ugly sheets ruin the look of the kitchen detailing rules to follow and procedures for waste disposal. These things combined to take down the comfort level. Made it seem like you were being watched. Also the giant, very comfy sofa is a recliner. But the controls have been taped up and the power cables removed thus removing that function which is an odd choice. Could also use some pillows.

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• David - Verified booking

  The owner Mandy welcomed us on arrival and was always on hand if needed.

  A few suggestions were offered of places to visit and we also used the information provided in the welcome folder. We were able to book tickets for a steam day on the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway and everyone was delighted that Mandy was in the garden waving when we steamed past. The property was spotlessly clean and plenty large enough for 6 guests. We did struggle for fridge space on occasion, however put some of the items in the freezer and just cooked from frozen or remembered to defrost. The doors and some of the beams are low, but for a property originally built around 1600 it’s to be expected, you don’t tend to bump your head twice. The kitchen was clean and we didn’t generally want for anything that wasn’t there apart from some scales, the cast iron ones sufficed but we’re very heavy to move. We used the wood burning stove on the first evening. Our elderly parents were in the ground floor bedroom with ensuite but found that once the living room and dining room were up to temperature the heating went off and this bedroom was cooler than the rest of the house. It needed a bit of balancing act with the heating to ensure the radiator was on just before they went to bed and got up in the morning. There was no welcome pack on arrival so ensure you take essentials. Princes Risborough is only just up the road by car and has a large M&S Simply Food, Tesco Superstore etc. Our two dogs enjoyed the large enclosed rear garden, unfortunately however whilst the weather was kind it was not warm enough to spend a great deal of time outside. There is a vacuum cleaner in the cupboard which was handy with a border collie, and so many properties don’t provide one. We had a great week, found plenty to do, however book restaurants early. We found the Black Goo Cafe and Tap Room in Thame, the cakes are amazing and the portions enormous. We had takeaway and we’re still eating the slices 3 days later. My only comment is that we had two cars and it’s unlikely that you’d be able to park a 3rd on the driveway without blocking in the owners vehicle. We had a great week, and even visited Bicester Shopping Village where we haven’t been for nearly 25 years and would suggest getting there early.

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• Juliet - Verified booking

  Bakehouse Farm is a real gem.

  We came for a family wedding and had been told by my sister who lives nearby, to book it as it looked lovely and has great walks from the doorstep. After driving our hire car from Luton airport with my partner and 2 elderly relatives all thinking they knew better than google maps, it was a great relief to leave the car and relax into such a beautiful old house in a village, all of which seems to have been untouched by time. This house is full of lovely, ancient and unspoilt features and has a very special welcoming atmosphere. It's also amazingly clean, especially given all its little nooks and shelves. Mandy had kindly called me a day or two beforehand to explain the things we needed to know. When we arrived (an hour later than I'd advised her) she gave us a warm welcome, showed us into the house and then left us to recover from the journey. She had provided good written information about the house and recommended the village pub just a short stroll away. As we walked there in the evening sunshine, we passed under a railway bridge just as there was a hoot from the steam engine above. The barman gave us another warm welcome. The pub is just as beautiful and full of character as the house, with tables on the green, and cosy inglenooky tables inside. The food was delicious. The surrounding countryside is very green with lots of hedges full of birds singing and other wildlife, pretty fields, woodland and some hills - well worth staying here for a proper length of holiday. Mandy left us in peace but was on-hand next-door to help us with any questions and came over very quickly to help us when we were too dopey to turn on the hob. We spent a lot of time drinking coffee and laughing in the sunshine at the garden table and we may have pinched some maple leaves and forget-me-nots to adorn our wedding hats - sorry Mandy - and thank you for a perfect stay at Bakehouse Farm - we just wished it had been for longer!

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• George - Verified booking

  This was a very welcoming property and the great space downstairs was prefect for our large family gathering.

  The kitchen was very well equipped and made it easy to cater for some large meals. The garden room was delightful and the range of games stacked on the shelves a real bonus. The weather was not brilliant, so we did not really take advantage of the huge garden but this would have been a real attraction in drier conditions. There was plenty of space for badminton or any outdoor games but you would need to take those yourself. The little summer house was a nice touch to store bikes or games but was in need of a bit of a tidy. The milk and butter in the fridge was a welcome gift and the provision of dish washer and washing tablets also appreciated. We found fitting a stair gate a little tricky due to the narrow stairs. We had a toddler and a crawler, so they needed watching at all times on the steps down to the garden room and around the hot Arga but there were plenty of us to keep a watch out so that was not too much of a problem. The toddler loved the fact that there were so many books in the bedroom with the two singe beds. This was a lovely room for little ones. One criticism, the bathroom really could benefit from a deep clean. The sink was harboring mold around the open rim and the floor at the side of the bath, between bath and sink, had been missed in the clean, I think. The plane glass in the bathroom window was also a bit disconcerting. Its a difficult place for a curtain or blind for sure but maybe frosted glass would help with privacy? Although the property is not overlooked at the back by housing, there were people walking in the woods at the back, so we felt a bit more privacy when in the house would have been appropriate. We very much enjoyed our stay overall. The area is beautiful and the house is in a lovely, quiet and rural location. The bird life in the garden was a joy too.

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