Holiday Cottages In The United Kingdom

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Susan - Verified booking

  Despite reassurance from Sykes that issues raised in Dec by another customer would have been resolved they have not.

  1 Dinning chairs are still not fixed and dangerous. Not ideal when we were trying to eat together. 2 Heating element in cooker is missing a clip and hangs down dangerously resting on the rails. Cooker is dirty and smells when heated up. I'm cross that it was dirty and dangerous as we had planned to enjoy the house and eat in each day as we are all foodies and love to cook. 3 The right hand front gas ring control knob is faulty meaning that it does not always completely switch off but feels like you have turned it off when in fact it is still on very low. This happened twice on our stay. Had the gas blown out (and it is close to a door and window so the breeze from either could have blown it out) on either occasion we could have been gassed or caused an explosion. (We were a party of four home economists and retired head of the Technical dept a cooker manufacturer - so hardly idiots when it comes to cookers but experts when it comes to safety!). 4 Coffee machine was disgusting, mouldy and certainly a health hazard - despite bringing beans we all decided our holiday was not for cleaning out and disinfecting the coffee machine, we did however clean out the dishwasher filter! So again could not enjoy the facility of the coffee machine either. Because of the chairs, cooker and coffee machine issue we ate out rather than cooking at the house as planned. I am cross that this was the case and that these issues had not be dealt with despite being raised 6 months ago and a reassurance from Sykes. Additional annoyance was 2 wobbly toilet seats, lack of lock on downstairs loo and presence of a mouse (coming in and out of a now blocked hole by radiator pipes in kitchen and presumably helping himself from the bin as the lid does not shut. House was beautifully furnished and otherwise clean but lack of maintenance renders the kitchen dangerous and useless.

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• Nigel - Verified booking

  We first visited this property 2.

  5 years ago, and apart from a loose toilet seat in the family bathroom, it was in very good condition. The location is brilliant, in easy walking distance of Bakewell. It has high quality fixtures and fittings in the bathrooms and kitchen, and the beds are comfortable. Accommodation is spacious. Unfortunately, it is now suffering from a serious lack of maintenance, resulting in the following problems: The side door was not locked on arrival. None of the females in my party were strong enough to lift it and lock it. The kitchen tap dripped constantly. A sign said it was due to be remedied in June, but, clearly nothing had been done. The electricity tripped many times a day. One of the light switches in the living room had a notice (June) saying do not use, and that it would be fixed the following week. Power was off when we arrived and the freezer was full of water. Downstairs toilet door would not shut and toilet seat was loose. Family bathroom seat still loose. This toilet was also flushing slightly, all the time. Master bedroom window wouldn't shut, and held in place by card. Several pieces of crockery chipped. Many windows dirty with cobwebs as well. Paint on skirtings in en-suite and downstairs toilet flaking (presumably through previous water damage. WE would consider renting again, but only if the faults were rectified.

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• Janet - Verified booking

  This is a lovely cottage in a perfect location.

  Five minutes walk to Brockhole, a few minutes drive to Windermere/Bowness or Ambleside. Ample room for six people with a lovely open plan layout downstairs. Our grandchildren are paddle boarders and we found a lovely spot at Middleground along the Bowness road which has a car park with toilets and is a short walk down to the lakeside, or if you’re lucky, a lay-by just before the car park which has access to the lake if you’re able to carry equipment a bit further. Just a couple of things missing which is why I’ve only given a 4 for some questions. The outside light is not working and, as there is a step up to the door, can be quite dangerous for younger children (and sometimes adults too). We couldn’t find a kitchen sink plug anywhere so it was difficult to clean grill and grill pan. The information folder told us there were details in a basket by the front door about refuse and estate rules but there was nothing in the basket other than fire instructions. Might I also suggest a casserole dish. We ate in almost every night and we did manage but it would have been much easier to have one. And yes the downstairs en-suite needs updating (previous reviewer) but it was spotlessly clean. Please don’t let any of this put you off staying here. It really is a lovely place and we will definitely stay her again.

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• Danny - Verified booking

  The property itself was lovely, with very comfortable beds and great bathrooms.

  The kitchen was very well equipped and generally we had a pleasant stay. However, there was a considerable number of maintenance issues that were very surprising, given the emphasis on quality and luxury in the write-up on the website: 1. The built in Miele coffee machine had not been cleaned or maintained for a long time - some of the interior parts were filthy 2. The door of one of the kitchen cupboards was hanging off only one hinge and could not be properly closed. 3. Several light bulbs were not working 4. The downstairs toilet door could not be shut or locked 5. Exterior light above the outdoor area was not working 6. Two of the dining chairs were broken - one dangerously so 7. There were no instructions on how to turn on the towel rails in the bathrooms. One afternoon, the owner of the property turned up and knocked on the door. He had not called or messaged to say that he was going to call round. He did not say hello, or introduce himself. He walked in, saying that his cleaners had told him that there were some bulbs needing replacement, but he had not brought the right bulbs to replace all of the missing ones. This all seemed rather strange and intrusive - it felt like he was checking up on us. He never returned to replace the other bulbs.

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• Philip - Verified booking

  The property was equipped to a good standard with one exception; the sofas.

  Generally, the property is in need a some proper maintenance to correct the following: 1. Heating doesn't work in the main bedroom and ensuite. 2. Light bulbs need checking throughout the property and bathroom mirror lights need replacing. 3. Hall thermostat needs checking, batteries probably need replacing. 4. The sofas are looking very tired and are not suitable for 8 people. It was difficult enough for 4 people but 8 would be impossible. 5. There was no central information file, which is usual in this type of rental. 6 The cooker controls need attention. The ring igniter seems to have a will of its own and the cooker heat dial is a joke. I can't understand why nothing has been done about the sofas as so many people have complained about them. I also don't understand why the keysafe access number is not released when the full rental amount is paid. The idea of ringing a contact number to obtain the code is probably fine, if someone answers the phone but I had to wait outside the property for over an hour making several phone calls to sort things out. I was not very happy after a five hour drive!

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