New Year Breaks In The United Kingdom

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Frank - Verified booking

  An incredible place, even as a solo traveller!I absolutely loved my stay at The Pheasant, I have been daydreaming about it since I left! I stayed for two nights as a solo traveller on a delightfully sunny February weekend.The accommodation itself was very cosy, the bedding was incredibly soft and comfortable and it was a battle with myself to get up and out so as not to waste the day away in it! I am a keen birdwatcher and was delighted by the number of birds on the property alone, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Linnets, Green Finches, to name a few. I even heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming nearby. Sadly didn't catch any hoots of owls come nightfall, but I was blessed by an uninterrupted view of the stars, and some planets too! It gets completely dark out and thanks to the nearby observatory is a protected dark sky, so stargazers will be thrilled.The facilities (bathroom, cooking, and cleaning) were plentiful, and I wasn't left wanting for anything. The handheld vacuum under the sink came in very handy, too. I paid extra for the hot tub and was very glad for it. It takes a little while to warm up, and I hadn't fed it enough wood (but Julie was incredibly helpful over text when I asked for help). It stayed warm over night and was still usable the next morning. I also used the chiminea. There is a very affectionate cat, Brian, who visited, and we hung out on the deck owing to his ban from the hut. He's very playful and will happily hunt a stick for you.The local area was lovely for both long and short walks, with some horse traffic. The area is quite agriculture-heavy and there are some larger farms within a 20-minute walk radius so keep an eye out for machinery on the roads. The local village of Great Ellingham is very pretty, and I ate lunch at The Crown which has some good vegetarian options. Do also pop into the medieval church nearby to see some original paintings.The hut was warm and the Alexa was very useful for music and was easily heard from the deck.I don't drive and got a taxi from the centre of Norwich for £28.50 each way. The location was easy to find and well signposted, and the directions in the visitor pack and confirmation email were clear and easy to follow. Walking to local amenities wasn't a problem especially with the sunny weather.Overall, I would highly recommend The Pheasant to anyone who's considering it. It might have been a bit of a squeeze for a couple, but certainly not uncomfortably so. Do also spend the extra money to have the hot tub access, it was very dreamy under the stars. I am very much considering coming back!

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• Kelly - Verified booking

  Arriving to an absolutley freezing accommodation after a 4.

  5 HR drive was certainly not welcoming. It took ages( hours in fact) for the pod to warm up and made the first impression not that great. At 2.30pm maybe just start to heat it up, I get not heating all day but for an hour before you arrive would have made a big difference. The pod is stunning looking and the view was beautiful, however I feel a few tweaks would make it fantastic all year round. Kitchen/ sitting area The big glass door was really hard to open, very hard to slide at the start for my husband, so possibly needs looking at. We didn't use the hot tub so can't comment on that. I loved the huge selection of coffee & teas which was a nice touch and ample recycling bins. There was no where to put our food apart from fridge items, no shelf and limited space on the sides. A little shelf above the bins would work and move the picture above the sofa to look at would improve the blank wall as well. I found the heater quite tricky to use - turn on and temp up down did not really work how it should. It's almost delayed in action so better instructons would be helpful. This area has no blind, so the morning light does come in. Bedroom Sitting on the chairs was nice but a little table to place a drink would be fab as it would make that better than reaching the the floor for drinks. Most TV channels didn't work ( we tried a few times) just kept saying no signal but thankfully the TV had Netflix so we watched that. Raising the blind in the morning to look out on to the lake was a highlight of this trip. The bed/ mattress was soft but the divets in it were uncomfortable to us. The pillows were also soft but I guess this a preference thing. Bedside tables were rustic and charming but I could only just fit my phone on it with a glass for bed. Bathroom The toilet door was clunky and creaky and banged shut, the toilet has a constant trickle and this was annoying at night and the toilet area never got warm in all our time there. Free robes and slippers were a nice touch. What I loved Ample coffees, privacy, peace, birds, llamas, the view and relaxing. This feels like a summer house and so in winter gives a very different holiday, I'd love to come in summer as I think sitting outside enjoying summer days and nights would be completely different. A beautiful pod with some great features. We were worried that staying in the lake view might mean other people walking round but no one bothered us and the view was beautiful ❤️ I would return here as all my gripes are minor things and didn't ruin our stay in any way.

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• Petra - Verified booking

  Ill start by saying even with the the best of stays i never write reviews however i booked this accommodation as a late birthday / anniversary surprise.

  The photos before going looked great and fitted in well with our requirements as I always book similar accomodation. Most weekends away start and finish the same way, great to be away but can't wait to be home. However I can't remember ever feeling so relaxed coming home and looking forward to booking again. The location is perfect, so tranquil. Aberaeron was only 15 minutes away and was a great afternoon out with a fab lunch at The Hive We did visit the local pub, The Llanina Arms on the second day which was nice and may be walkable in the summer. With only 2 accommodation types on site we had the quiet and privacy we wanted. The Rusty Boathouse was spotless with all amenities we would want and need. Coffee maker with coffees and tea. Snacks of crisps and waffles. Fully equipped kitchen with all extras (didn't need to use my own cleaning products, foil, kitchen roll). The bed was amazingly comfy and the shower and washroom area didn't disappoint. The quality finish of this accommodation was perfect. Wifi was available and we had no issues with the signal at all, fully connected at all times. Whilst there was a portable heater and a wall mounted heater/ air conditioning unit available in the kitchen/ lounge are we had no reason to use this. The heater in the bedroom was powerful enough to heat the whole unit. We did need to turn it off half way though the evening as even though it was 1 degree outside the accommodation retained heat. The outside area was amazing and so relaxing. Spent a few hours in the tub watching the resident ducks and cat. I would not hesitate to stay again. If quality, relaxing time is what you need then this is the perfect stay. Totally outstanding and it takes a lot to impress me enough to write a review.

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• Danny - Verified booking

  Our stay at Orchard Retreat was simply perfect, The owners were incredibly accommodating from the moment we arrived, we were given a lengthy and detailed tour accompanied with some brilliant recommendations, we felt so at ease right away.

  The cabin itself had everything you could need for a cosy getaway, the interior is so well done and everything was of a very high quality. The hot tub was the Piece De Resistance, it was such an easy setup and the fact it maintained a constant temperature meant we could get in whenever we liked, the speakers made it even more wonderful once you were sat inside, we used the hot tub 2 or 3 times a day when we were there. The views out over the fields and the surrounding trees made the perfect backdrop to sit and gaze out into. Every morning we were able to sit and watch the Large birds flying around and one morning we even saw the farmer herding the sheep. The fire pit was so good to have on the chilly mornings and evenings, the firelighters provided worked a treat and our firewood was replenished when we asked. The hosts answered our calls and questions whenever we had anything we needed to know and were incredibly friendly during our entire stay. Their 4 legged friends were also a delight. In terms of places to go and things to do, you certainly won't run out, the local farm shop is juts a 10 minute drive and the produce in there was to die for! We went for a lovely long walk on our last day and visited the 13th century church on the recommendations of our host. It was a brilliant and picturesque walk with so many good photo opportunities. We really couldn't have asked for a better stay and will most certainly be visiting again!

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• Lectron - Verified booking

  Absolute bliss in beautiful surroundings!

  Just returned from a 7 night stay at The Rusty Boathouse. Absolutely beautiful accommodation, modern decor and everything you would need for a lovely stay. The hot tub was amazing, fire pit fabulous and lovely outside recliner chairs to relax in. The Boathouse has all modern features, electric blinds, air con for both hot and cold heating, TV, superb internet connection, comfy bed, fabulous power shower and complimentary robes and slippers. Nice touches on arrival, snacks, range of teas and coffees and espresso coffee machine. There wasn’t anything missing. Lovely comfy sofa, bar stools, micro, toaster and more. The scenery is stunning. The sound of the birds, the ripples on the pond and the adorable alpacas in the nearby field. Fabulous, welcoming hosts who were nearby for any issues but who also left you to complete privacy. If you want to relax, de-stress and chill this is the place to be! Nearby shop and pub and lovely farm shop and bistro nearby. This is really a countryside treat, you will not be disappointed. If we could give it 6 out of 5 we would. The owners have done a fab job on this site and we wish them all the best for the future. Well done and thank you for an amazing stay!

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