Christmas Cottages in Northumberland

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Charlotte and James - Verified booking

  Sykes cottages were great service.

  The cottage we felt to be overpriced for what it was. For a family of 5 with 3 teenage children the bathroom and toilet facilities were vastly inadequate. In the details it offers it as a cottage for 6! The bathroom is tiny, no separate toilet and the fixtures and fittings old and inadequate. Nowhere to hang towels or put toothbrushes. The towels were very small. The cooker is very small for cooking for 6 and very dated. Outside it would’ve been nice to have had cushions for the chairs as they were often wet or damp. A parasol on the outdoor table would’ve been nice too. On the plus side, we were very grateful to have had our shopping taken delivery of and unpacked. Bike storage was excellent. The house keeper was wonderful, very friendly. She kindly offered us a mid week clean and thankfully brought fluffy larger towels and bathrobes for us. This would’ve been nice from the outset, considering they were available. The beds were very comfortable and the bed linen luxurious. It was a great cottage for exploring the local area. The owners have given access to numerous walking trails which was very good. The children could safely explore on foot or bikes without having to negotiate busy roads. It felt very private and very beautiful surroundings.

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• Justin - Verified booking

  Lovely cottage and location with very spacious property.

  Well equipped kitchen and large bedrooms and sitting room with helpful folder on local attractions and facilities on site. As part of an old manor estate, there were some signs of aged plaster and decor that ought to be addressed over time. On the minus side the biggest issue was that in a cold March - it was not a warm propert. Whilst it did have central heating in all the rooms the radiator valves were preset and could not be changed so no independent control of the hearing. Unfortunately a few of the radiators including the main bedroom and lounge were in need of bleeding or degunging as the heat did not pass through them leaving the rooms cold. Whilst there was a lovely wood burning stove in the dining kitchen there was only one armchair in this room so this was the only independent source of heat. Also the free sat to or box in the lounge was not working so could not be used. Both unfortunately took away on the comfort and expectations score from what otherwise was a great cottage.

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• Victoria - Verified booking

  We had a wonderful week here.

  The cottage are grade 2 listed converted stables so don’t expect a square box with double glazing. Yes it was a tad cold till heating kicked in, yes there are bits that have seen better days but undertaking any work in a listed building is not a quick or simple job. So if you want all mod cons and square edges this may not be for you. If you love rustic charm, character and the most fabulous setting anywhere then don’t hesitate y to book. The owners and Susan the housekeeper were lovely and sorted a couple issues out for us with no fuss or quibble. The woodlands around are great and if you have dogs they will love it. There is also a little resident flock of Guinea Fowl which we have never come across before and they are such charming birds and very quirky. Bellingham is a great village with really really good food and the residents are genuinely nice and friendly. Nothing to not like. ❤️

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• Barbara - Verified booking

  Couldn't ask for a better location - straight out of the house and onto the river and beach for glorious walks enjoying the views and nature.

  The house has good-sized bedrooms, the lounge is very comfortable with the sun streaming into it every morning, and the central heating was efficient. We were surprised to see the open fire has gone, as it's still mentioned in the description, but there's an electric fire instead which (though less romantic) was probably a good deal easier to light and warm the lounge through. The beds were comfy, the kitchen had everything we needed, and there was even a bed provided for the dogs. It's a bit of a pain that dogs aren't allowed upstairs, as our two are used to sleeping with us and weren't very impressed at being kept downstairs, but I can understand that the owners don't want to risk muddy paws on furnishings. All in all, we found it good value for money and loved it!

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• John - Verified booking

  The Reformed Church is a lovely property, with a massive open plan kitchen / living room - perfect for families.

  The beds are very comfortable, the lack of curtains or blinds in the two smaller bedrooms meant the teenagers where up earlier than usual - maybe a choice of quilt would be nice (Summer/Winter) but that’s being picky. We did have a problem with the boiler but we called the agent and he came round straightaway and arranged for an engineer to fix it - very straightforward and didn’t impact our stay. The only downside was there was no shower, but the bath and shower head worked very well. The location is fabulous - a 15 minute walk to the beach - close to many sites and castles by car, you can walk to Dunstanburgh Castle easily along the Coastal Path. Highly recommend the house and area.

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