Dog Friendly Cottages in Kielder

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Joanna - Verified booking

  Could be lovely - but needs a lot of attention.

  The worst was the VERY dangerous electric towel rail – this is hot to burning levels – I burned my hand twice hanging up towels and when I caught my elbow on it while getting out of the bath and it immediately blistered and burned through layers of skin casing a nasty burn which is still painful 5 days on. There are no rails in the bath or wall and it is quite a high bath - so nothing to get hold of when getting in and out and I’m a fit adult. This would be really dangerous for children, anyone elderly or disabled – the rail is a real health and safety issue heating to the temperature of an iron and was not even labelled with a warning sign as dangerous as very hot. When we arrived at 4.30 (check in was from 4.00) the wooden floors and tiled entrance had recently been mopped and were very wet meaning that both humans and dogs were slipping a lot until they were eventually dried. We couldn't use the drive for parking as a large ATV was parked there for the duration of our stay so we had to park on the road – meaning we had to carry all the luggage and load dogs directly onto the road in the rain. Parking area was very overgrown so passenger had to get out into thorns. Dustbins are left out at the front of the cottage - adding to the general dilapidated appearance. The upstairs floor looked derelict – even worse state than downstairs. The photos must be old that were used in the advert as it didn’t live up to expectations. Random clutter left in corners and behind the washer – which had been poorly fitted so that the doors didn’t close. Needs a thorough update, decorate inside and out and a deep clean. Paint on windows cracked inside and out. Light switches, plug sockets, table mats, chopping board all needed cleaning. Curtains in sitting room and hall were grubby on the bottoms and dusty with cobwebs. Damp on bedroom wall. Fuse boxes all exposed – need boxing in. Only one loo roll for 4 nights and 3 dishwasher tablets seems rather mean. The garden is a jungle and not dog proof. Nettles and thorny roses everywhere, full of weeds and overgrown shrubs, junk and dying planters. Such a shame as it could be a lovely place to sit out. View from kitchen was onto a mass of nettles. So – whilst it was in a beautiful location with walks close by, I would not recommend it until plenty of TLC has been lavished on it. Photos available. Bit of a long list - but it wasn't cheap and we expected better.

  Read more less >

• Steve - Verified booking

  There's now a mobile signal for both voice and data at the cottage!

  This was on the 3 network. No signal yet on EE. I got 7mps down on data compared with 4mps on wi-fi, the latter being rock steady. Voice calls on mobile were nice and clear, although we mainly used wi-fi calling. We've stayed at dozens of cottages over the years and this was undoubtedly the best. It's extremely spacious to say the least. We won't stay anywhere that doesn't have a bath and a 3 seater settee. This has both. We consider these essential when we've been on our feet all day. The L-shaped sofa is particularly comfortable. The king size bed was too firm for our tastes, but most guests would probably love it. We slept in the twin room and found these beds nice and comfortable. The kitchen is extremely well equipped to say the least, and we appreciated the dishwasher. The only slight downside is the lighting, especially in the kitchen. The cottage is isolated, but the 2 mile single track road is tarmacked. It's about 15 minutes from the small town of Bellingham in the direction of Kielder Water. As a result stargazing here is exceptional with the bonus of a south facing rear garden. On the 2 clear nights we had I recorded a sky brightness of 21.4mag/arcsecondsquared even with the Milky Way overhead. Highly recommended.

  Read more less >

• David - Verified booking

  If you have got as far as reading this then you are interested in renting Shepherds Burn, don't look for other properties in the area this one is just great.

  Hiking, cycling, a base to start exploring from or just chilling out watching the wildlife then look no further book it. You'll find the cottage a couple of miles down a tarmac track which means no passing traffic, except the very infrequent farm or forestry vehicles (and I mean very infrequent). The cottage itself is beautifully maintained with everything you need for your stay and a large dog proof garden (how many times have I heard that phrase only to be disappointed - but not here) There are many tracks/bridleways through the forest that you can explore from the doorstep or a short drive takes you to Kielder reservoir and longer to every village and small town to the coast. The nearest village is Bellingham which is well stocked for your shopping needs, do look in the Country Store, possibly the most well stocked shop in Northumberland. From where I live we have the dubious joys of commuting up the appalling road work/accident filled A1 even that won't stop me going returning, to quote Mr A Schwarzenegger "I'll be back" A great cottage, in a great location rented from lovely people.

  Read more less >

• Alice - Verified booking

  Stonecrop The location is great and the cottage has potential, but desperately needs attention.

  Off road parking was unavailable throughout my stay due to an all terrain vehicle which never moved - far from ideal when unpacking and packing the car. I felt compelled to do a high dust throughout to remove the thick cobwebs. There is a large damp patch spanning the full height of the wall in the corner of the bedroom - I opened windows and even bought a plug in air freshener in an attempt to combat the smell of damp in the bedroom which can also be found on the bedding, and now all my clothes. The garden is overgrown, to the extent I supervised my dogs as felt they might get lost, or trapped, in the mass of weeds, roots, plants and bushes. This is the first I have felt the need to include negative comments in all my years of renting holiday cottages - given this was not a cheap booking, I expected higher standards given the cost.

  Read more less >

• Lauren - Verified booking

  We had a great stay at The Hollow.

  Easy to find, lovely location setting, beautifully decorated, well equipped, very comfortable beds and sofa, powerful shower and netflix for the kids. Lovely having a garden & fire pit. Our kids enjoyed roasting marshmallows talking to the sheep. Great pub within walking distance serving delicious & well priced food. We visited Sycamore gap (inspired by the picture in the bedroom!), Alnwick & Newcastle. Loads to do nearby and some great walks. The scenery is stunning and everyone so friendly and helpful. The owners were very informative and helpful to. One small suggestion would be a lamp in the living room for the evening so the bright lights are not required. We really loved the cottage as a family and will be recommending! Thanks so much for letting us stay!

  Read more less >