School Holidays 2017 Cottages In Symonds Yat

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Catherine - Verified booking

  This is the worse place that I've ever stayed.

  I had such an awful, uncomfortable time and I came away from the property ill. The electric storage heaters don't give off enough heat. I guess they expect you to use the gas heater (not advertised), which we were forced to do, however, I have asthma so after just 2 uses of the fire, I had the start of an irritation on my chest that developed into a chest infection. Also, the fire is temperamental. It's not fun trying to light a faulty gas fire. There are no instructions in the property. We had to google to find out how to use the grill on the oven. There were no games, just jigsaw puzzles. The DVD's are just thrillers...? I notice that in May 2023 they had feedback about a faulty shower yet they have clearly done nothing about it as the shower is either boiling hot or freezing cold. The bed was so uncomfortable that I really didn't sleep. My husband slept a little but he found the bed very small. The place was very dirty. I find it a bit cheeky that they request £20 per dog when they don't clean anything. There were so many cobwebs, surfaces were dusty, stains on the sofa, the knobs on the cooker were dirty, there was a lot of dirt behind the sofa when we pulled it out, the bin was dirty and there was a stain on the mattress protector!! I was not made aware before travel of opening hours of the hosting house so we had no access to cooked breakfast, cream tea etc. Combined with the cold, chest irritation and lack of sleep; I became so ill by the third day that I cried my eyes out and wanted to go home. We had to stay because it was Christmas and because we had paid so much money. I tried to have a bath but being a larger lady, I couldn't because they have a bath that becomes narrow for some reason!! They couldn't just have a standard bath for us fatties! We also felt extremely uncomfortable to say anything to the owners with it being the time of year. To top it off, they were closed way after opening on the day we were leaving when we were trying to get hold of them to pay the outstanding money owed.

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• Kate - Verified booking

  The place is very nice and comfy and a stone's throw from the walking paths.

  It was clean and we were left some biscuits and a pint of milk, which was lovely.There is everything you need including dishwasher tablets, laundry tabs, washing up liquid, hand sanitiser and anti-bac wipes. The stairs are quite creaky so walk on the edges if you are trying not to wake anyone up ! Unfortunately the front door did not lock from the inside which we reported to Sykes Cottages but hadn't been fixed by the time we left (to be honest we didn't report it until our second day as we couldn't get hold of them !! Their telephone number is 01244 352059 which I searched for as it doesn't appear anywhere on their website). A couple of things you need to know, which are nothing to do with the owner of the cottage, are the ferry run by the Saracens Head is NOT RUNNING (as at 07.08.20) due to the floods they had in Feb which damaged it. This means to walk to the other side of the river is a brisk 45-50 minute walk. Also the road, which other people have mentioned, is extremely narrow (we thought it was a footpath !) and you need to be quite a confident driver to get down it. There are a couple of places where you need to turn your wing mirrors in and some of the passing places are actually where cars park so you cannot pull in there. It is a two way road and luckily we didn't meet anyone coming the other way, but something to bear in mind. The above is not moaning about the place, I just thought it would be useful for people to know about the ferry and narrow road. We would happily stay here again

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• Jennifer - Verified booking

  “The cottage is lovely; it is quaint, but well equipped, comfortable and homely.

  Despite the fact that most of the other cottages were occupied by other holiday makers, and, indeed, some residents; the whole area was really natural and quiet and “away from it all”; the calm, quiet location was perfect for a much needed break.” The area around the cottages was clean, tidy and well kept. In fact the whole area was a pleasure to meander around. There were numerous walks and/or mountain bike routes and plenty of opportunities to canoe hire and paddle down the river; something we thoroughly enjoyed. A walk to the “Ferrie Inn” on the west bank of the Wye was pleasant and easy and a trip across to the east bank to “The Saracens” by ferry was an optional experience too. We noted other review comments about the narrow byeway access which we found to be grossly exaggerated; yes it is somewhat unusual to find such narrow roads these days and to some drivers they may find them “a bit tricky”. However, there are still a number of tourist areas in various parts of the UK (such as parts of the West Country, The Lake District and also parts of Scotland for example) where access is no better than here but to be honest if you enjoy getting off the beaten track then this is an ideal location so do not let the reviews put you off. We would happily go back again despite the narrow road access.

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• Hayley - Verified booking

  The cottage is in the most perfect position in Symonds Yat.

  With the most beautiful scenery you could wish for. Lots of walks just off your door step along the riverside. There is no need to go anywhere else. The cottage itself was fully equipped, clean and spacious, with a nice small garden at the back. Lovely landscape gardens at the front too. The drive in was a bit tight, hence why we left the car at the cottage for the whole week of our stay. But well worth the drive, as you don't need to leave, its too beautiful! The Saracens Head Pub is just across the river via hand ferry, and a lovely pub just down the way called Ye Old Ferrie Inn, which was our stopping point every day after long walks. We hired a Canadian Canoe locally, who took us up to Ross-on-Wye, and we paddled 14 miles back to Symonds Yat. It was great fun, with beautiful views on the way. Yat Rock is a must for awesome views of the river and Valley, and where the peregrines nest. And the Seven Sisters too, if you can find them are worth the trek with gorgeous views of the winding river and Biblins Campsite. Symonds Yat is the best place Ive been to, and definitely my favourite holiday Ive ever had! We shall return! Thank you for our lovely stay.

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• Rachel - Verified booking

  This cottage is in a fabulous location in order to explore the area of Symonds Yat East and West.

  The ferry across was not operational due to flood damage a few months ago, so there was no option but to drive out. Herein lies the biggest drawback from staying in the cottage. The main access road to the cottages has been closed for 2 years awaiting resolution to some works dispute. Although it does state in the listing there is only a narrow byway to navigate, I think this should be more prominent so a proper informed decision can be made. I only spotted this after booking and was unable to cancel. I'm a driving instructor and even I found it the most anxiety- provoking drive. Mirrors need to be pulled in. My car just about got through but problems come if a car is coming the other way. There are very few passing places and you have to be confident in reversing into these. I would return to the cottage for another holiday, but only when the proper access road has reopened. Once out, there are some amazing walks and views. A must is to climb up the path from The Saracens pub to Yats Rock where views across the valley are spectacular. Lots of lovely walks around the area.

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