Christmas Cottages in Norfolk

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Belinda - Verified booking

  We arrived at the cottage, parked on the very small forecourt (I have a Skoda fabia but it still protruded onto the pavement.

  After we unloaded the car we made a drink using our own tea and milk as there wasn't any at the property as promised. Sat in the one usable seating area in the garden which was uncomfortable (no cushions) overshadowed by an elder dropping berries so a bit messy to sit on and next to a fuel tank that smelt strongly of fuel/oil Immediately the dogs next door began barking and jumping at the fence which disturbed our dog to the point that he didn't want to be in the garden, this was almost continuous. Later on I used the oven to reheat some meatballs and sauce that I had prepared but couldn't find an oven glove. I couldn't find a cloth to wipe the side either, or a dishwasher tablet but luckily I had brought some with me. Once in bed (which was very comfortable) we could clearly hear the neighbours conversation and shouting through the bedroom walls. At 7 am on the Sunday morning loud banging from the neighbours woke us all up, this went on for about 10 minutes. Over breakfast we unanimously decided that we would all rather be at home than in that cottage. My opinion of the property is that it is not a holiday cottage, there weren't any nice views out of the windows or from the garden, you faced the back door and the boiler from the seating area . It was incredibly basic in furnishings and kitchenware, badly maintained with broken/loose tiles as you stepped out the shower, loose/drooping shower rail upstairs. The garden was neglected and uncared for with overgrown grass and bushes, a green mossy chair and concrete seats (covered in elder berries. We packed the car, locked the door and drove home. I have rented many cottages over the years and this is the first time I have given a bad review. The cottage is more suited for long term rental and is certainly not, in my opinion, condusive to a relaxing holiday. I would strongly recommend street viewing the property before booking it. We booked the cottage for a week and stayed for approximately 18 hours, notified the caretaker that we had left by phone call and spent the remainder of our holiday at home.

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• Mr Harrison - Verified booking

  We enjoyed a lovely two-week stay at Swallows Barn over the Christmas and New Year period. The house is cosy and warm, comfortable (the beds were delightfully so!), decorated to a high standard and has almost everything guests would need for their stay. We particularly enjoyed the roaring fire on a cold winter day, but the house is luxuriously warm even without, with underfloor heating throughout. The kitchen is a little on the small side, but we had no problems rustling up Christmas dinner on the big day. The quiet, rural location of the cottage suited us perfectly and I can imagine having the outdoor space, front and back, would be a real bonus in the summer months. The house is very well located for a number of local places of interest. We enjoyed visits to Wells-next-the-Sea and Cromer, and Brancaster and Holkham beaches are unmissable. Our only recommendations would be better lighting leading up to the property, as we arrived in darkness and it was very hard to find our way in pitch black, a clothes airer for laundry, as we had nowhere to hang wet clothes straight from the machine, and our only real disappointment was the owners/managing agents refusing to decorate the house over the festive period, not something we've experiences on the many occasions we've booked to go away for Christmas. Even a simple, inexpensive artificial tree would have been nice, so that the children had somewhere to place their presents. Would highly recommend Swallows Barn and would happily stay again (maybe just not over Christmas!!!).

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• Ean - Verified booking

  Lovely area.

  Very flat so do expect blustery days. Cottage is well fitted out and stocked, but sadly no microwave oven so no quick snacks. We used the log burner only on our first day . We could not see the flames due to build up of soot on the inside of the glass door. We both noticed a faint smell of wood smoke in the kitchen in the evening's during the week we presumed this from adjacent property but this did not detract from our stay but should be looked at. As there's no TV aerial fitted so you need to rely on Wifi to watch any program's but using your own account. Unfortunately you lose the benefits of wifi at around tea time when village usage exceeds wifi capacity. The main point we would reiterate from the write up is the bedroom access stairs. The access upstairs to the bedroom and raised bath are definitely not for the old or infirm. The down stairs bedroom which is built in an insulated wooden extension was cold even with the heating on on frosty nights . There is only enough room to just to walk around the bed so there's is no room for hanging space for clothes. The rear garden needed attention and maintenace but it was early in the season. A visitor book leave helpful comments would have been nice addition. None of the above really detracted from our holiday and not enough to contact the owners durning our break. Hope this is helpful. Regards Ean

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• Grant - Verified booking

  We booked this property at the last minute and somewhat spontaneously when my wife found it.

  It looked fantastic in the pictures and was even better in the flesh. Although it may not look large from the outside it is very extensive and has some really nice features. There were only three of us and the dog most of the time although the in-laws came for a few days too. There is plenty of space and rooms for everyone to have a bit of private time or to come together as you want. It is equipped with everything you may need and the owners couldn't be nicer or more accommodating. Personally I loved the courtyard for a spot of afternoon reading whilst watch the fish, but be warned it is a sun trap ! Our son loved the hot tub, which was lovely and big enough for all of us without feeling like we were sitting on top of each other - who needs a pool when you just want to relx in the water ? I cannot recommend the property enough, it is immaculate, tastefully furnished and immensely welcoming - you felt at home and comfortable as you walk through the door....I miss the courtyard already and we only left this morning !

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• Carmela - Verified booking

  My friends & I go away every year and we all agreed this was the best cottage to date.

  The house is beautiful and ticks all our key cottage boxes; hot tub (huge), real fire, close to country pubs (a short drive) country walks & ample sofas (the amount of places that don’t have enough sofas for the number of people they sleep is madness). It’s also dog friendly, there’s multiple bathrooms/toilets, even a mini garden with a beautiful fish pond (great for a morning coffee) in addition to the main. It’s quiet and we slept like logs. The main garden was also great for star gazing given little light pollution in the area (also great from the hot tub with a glass of fizz). Parking was also great as we have 4 cars which all easily fit on the guest drive. Whilst slightly tricky to find, once there it’s easy. The owners Michelle & Stephen are lovely and were quick to respond when we had a query, they couldn’t be any more helpful, plus provided welcome fizz & milk. We loved our weekend and have discussed returning, it was perfect.

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