Guests say
Low Shipley Cottage receives high praise for its spaciousness, cleanliness, and stunning rural views. Guests consistently highlight the peaceful setting, well-equipped interiors, and the relaxing hot tub as standout features. The owners are frequently described as friendly and helpful, with many thoughtful touches enhancing the stay. While a few guests mention minor maintenance issues and the access road being bumpy, the overall experience is overwhelmingly positive, making it a popular choice for a tranquil countryside retreat.
The majority of reviews describe the cottage as spotless, very clean, and well-maintained. Only one or two reviews mention cleanliness concerns, making this a consistently strong point.
Guests love the peaceful, rural setting with beautiful views and great walking opportunities. The remote location and access road are noted, but most find the scenery and tranquillity well worth it.
The cottage is frequently described as spacious, cosy, and comfortable, with particular praise for the beds and living areas. A few minor comments about pillows and privacy, but overall comfort is highly rated.
Facilities such as the hot tub, kitchen, and amenities are generally well-received. Some guests mention minor maintenance issues (e.g., kitchen wear, hot tub heating, loose fittings), but these do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
Many guests mention thoughtful touches such as welcome gifts (Prosecco, chocolates, flowers), stocked essentials, and helpful hosts. Please note that such gifts are not guaranteed for every stay.
About this property
Barnard Castle 5.5 miles. An outstanding, stone-built barn conversion in a courtyard setting, situated midway between Barnard Castle and the pretty village of Middleton-in-Teesdale. Superbly set in stunning countryside, this Barnard Castle cottage would suit anyone wanting peace and tranquillity yet within easy reach of a network of wonderful footpaths tracing the upper reaches of the Tees valley waterfalls. Boasting first-class accommodation, this spacious cottage offers two charming bedrooms which benefit from their very own TVs and en-suite facilities where you can unwind in a soothing bubble bath before stepping out onto the toasty underfloor heating. Spend your evenings in the homely sitting room, admiring the elegant leather furnishings, exposed beams, oak doors and a feature stone fireplace with a woodburning stove - a welcoming space to relax after an enjoyable day out exploring the countryside.
Outside is a small private patio, ideal for alfresco dining, accompanied by a crisp glass of wine during a warm summer’s day. Take a relaxing dip in the hot tub whilst enjoying panoramic views of beautiful unspoilt countryside or simply enjoy the extensive shared lawns. A short walk across the fields from this Barnard Castle cottage brings you to the delightful small village of Cotherstone with two local inns serving real ales and good food. From the doorstep of this Barnard Castle cottage, a network of scenic walks and trails can be enjoyed whilst a short drive brings you to the popular, historic market town of Barnard Castle with a host of antique shops, tea rooms and independent shops.
Be sure to visit the waterfront at the foot of the castle and take a hike further upstream to High Force and Cauldron Snout. Nearby adventure awaits at The Bowes Museum and Raby Castle with the splendid grounds and deer park, whilst the Teesdale and Pennine way offer the perfect day out for ramblers and hikers alike, alongside amazing views. Other local attractions to keep you busy during your trip include the Low Force and High Force waterfalls, Egglestone Abbey, the Deepdale Nature Reserve, and the sensational North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Yorkshire Dales National Park await further afield.
Explore Barnard Castle during a memorable trip to Low Shipley Cottage.
Barnard Castle is a market town in Teesdale, situated within unspoilt countryside. The town is on the site of a Roman ford, which crosses the river, plus the medieval ruins of the castle and the cobble streets, yards, and back lanes are well worth seeing. From the town, there is excellent walking with The Pennine and Teesdale Ways, River Tees and the waterfalls at High Force all nearby.
Accommodation
All ground floor.
Two double bedrooms with TV and en-suite bath, shower over, basin and WC.
Cloakroom with basin and WC.
Kitchen/diner.
Utility.
Sitting room with woodburning stove
Oil central heating, underfloor heating and woodburning stove.
Electric oven, ceramic hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, 3 x TVs with Freeview, DVD, radio, WiFi, selection of books, games and DVDs.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Sorry, no smoking.
Travel cot and highchair available on request.
Off-road parking for two cars.
Bike storage.
Large shared lawns to rear and small private patio with furniture, hot tub and barbecue.
One well-behaved dog welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shop 4.9 miles, pub 4 miles.
Note: This property is accessed via 1.5 mile unmade road
Nearby points of interest
- Barnard Castle
- Bowes Museum
Reviews (121)
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Gavin
Needs some TLC. It's a nice little cottage but general maintenance and dated features let it down. The owner couldn't have been nicer. Fired up the hot tub for us Friday and Saturday night. Was accommodating when asked if we could have a slightly later check out (no one due in after us). Choccies and a bottle of fizz on arrival was lovely touch too. However, there are a lot of things which MUST improve here for me to recommend. These are as follows: Bathroom door which doesn't shut nevermind lock, very dated and tired kitchen needs updated (without a carpet on the floor please - no right in a kitchen especially when pets are allowed). TV in the living room is very old and too small for the size of the room. If you intend to stay in, that needs to be far better. Under floor heating just seemed to stop working in one of the en-suites half way through stay. One of the mirror light bulbs was out. Things like that are annoying and should always be checked between rentals. It's small but screams a lack of attention to detail. Also, if you're there for a short stay, you don't want to have to run back and forth to the owner about things like that. The hot tub has a leak which after a while means the water level drops below the top jets rendering bubbles a no-go. Little feature shelves have been created in the bedrooms but clearly haven't been finished. Bare screws, no lighting, no ornaments or plants in them. It just looks like an idea got started and then left... It devalues the overall experience. To the owners: You have a lovely little place here but it's just a bit unloved and half-baked. With some attention it will be great
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Angela
People crossing over the rear garden, there would be NO privacy and enjoyment of using the hot tub. The sofa smelt disgusting and stained. The showers werenât working properly and when I then had to have a bath the water was only luke warm as there was a further issue with the boiler not working. There was a broken toilet roll holder and a broken drawer in the kitchen. The owners didnât introduce themselves and were frankly quite rude when they were asked about food takeaways not being available, we had only just arrived and it was getting late and were very hungry, we had to go back out up the long extremely unkept road to get food. Our experience was so bad that weâd packed up and headed home within the first 24 hours. The owners clearly not interested as they made no contact to ask why we had left or if we were coming back. Absolutely disgraceful way to run a business and they should spend some money upgrading their property.
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Megan
It was spotless and the owner had the hot tub running so it was ready for when we got there. The views from the hot tub/garden area are simply breathtaking. The cottage had everything we needed, from teas and coffees, to board games and dvds. It was perfect for my pup too, the garden isnât completely closed in so we kept him on the lead outside. We went to the rose and crown for food and it was delicious, I would recommend booking as it was quite busy. The hosts were so friendly and were available if we needed anything. Would definitely stay here again!