Holiday Cottages in Northumberland

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Amanda - Verified booking

  We had a mixed experience booking Dovecote Cottage.

  The cottage itself was as described and it is nice and roomy, but we feel there were many omissions and inaccuracies in the listing and information provided. We had to contact Sykes even before setting off from home as the 'get in' instructions said we needed to phone one of the two numbers provided a minimum of 48hrs before the booking. I did this and got someone who said they were staff at the hotel and that the cottage had 'some sort of automated system' but were completely vague and they explained they didn't have anything to do with the cottage. Sykes checked with the owner and said the booking information would be corrected and that I would receive a text with details on the day of the booking. There was no pub as described, with-in 0.1 mile. The hotel next door was never open during our stay - as far as we could tell. Directly opposite the cottage is a 'ruined grand hall/hotel', next door to this and just in front of the cottage is a 'workers yard' where work starts noisily at 8am everyday with utility vehicles driven back and forth in front of the cottage. Behind the cottage is a small holiday camp of lodges (not mentioned at all in the listing and somewhere we would not have chosen to stay) with lots of noise from children and groups in hot-tubs. On arrival we phoned the other two members in our party and told them not to bother coming - we knew they wouldn't have been happy with the location. Finally, we had an unfortunate 2 hours, starting at 2am in the morning, with the smoke alarm sounding every 10mins. This was positioned at the top of the stairs on a 10 to 12 foot high ceiling. We tried everything we could to turn it off (there was no guidance in the handbook, and no ladders etc at the property). Ultimately we ended up phoning the owners at 3.30am who, after suggesting we find something to stand on, agreed to come to the cottage with ladders. Unfortunately the issue couldn't be resolved and with our consent the owner had to disconnect the alarm. We realise that this is just one of those things - but it had a massive impact on the enjoyment of the previous evening and the following day was a write-off as we didn't get to bed until 4.30am. As noted in the other comments, the cottage is nice and roomy and excellent value (priced competitively) however, it's the omissions; carefully chosen photo's and lack of attention to detail (no numbers on the oven dial, standard double beds not king size, no log burner starting kit (take starter, kindling and logs), no shoe tray (take bags or mat to put shoes in/on), poor shower pressure (choose the button at 3 o'clock), and no comments book for feeding anything back discretely) that made us feel like we hadn't had the best experience. On a positive, we did see lots of wild life; red squirrels, birds and deer in the grounds, and the cottage was warm and comfy.

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• Lucy - Verified booking

  Really fabulous property.

  We were in the area for a wedding at le petit chateau. Had to contact the owner a few times prior to arrival and communication was always prompt. The cottage was not only in a perfect location for the wedding but in such a beautiful location itself. We explored the surrounding estate having a picnic at the near by lake one afternoon and really enjoyed the extra touch of binoculars in the property which allowed for some brilliant star gazing on the 2 clear evenings we had. Fabulous facilities within the property and it’s always great to have a full size fridge/freezer although my favourite room was the bathroom, it was just incredible. The beds were extremely comfortable and all 3 of us got incredible nights sleep! Absolutely fabulous couldn’t fault the property or its location at all. Would recommend to anyone who is looking to explore the nearby area, we drove to the Scottish Borders, had a day trip to Bamburgh beach and spent a day exploring Beamish, knowing we could get home to the perfect cosy property!

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• Helen - Verified booking

  Lovely comfortable stay, we had heavy rain so log burner was welcome.

  Nice roomy house/cottage fairly clean,could be better, cushions on the sofa could be cleaner, carpet edges dusty in bedroom no ventilation for shower steam will cause future problems. Bedroom door know drops off. Plenty cleaning supplies,and we got a food delivery no problem. Loved watching the wildlife out of the kitchen window and after stocking up the supply of bird food saw many birds we don't get back home delightful with a cuppa tea. Walks around the area very nice. Nxt door didn't open for the public so local pub in village 2 mile away. The mill was great for Sunday lunch and nice cakes and scones dog friendly too. Cottage warmed up quickly and kept it's heat in. Would like the surroundings to be resurrected to former splendor but the area was quiet and peaceful even tho lodges were in close proximity with outdoor hot tubs. Would return again.

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• Sandra - Verified booking

  We had a lovely stay at Edendale.

  The owner had left a lovely welcome pack, which was very much appreciated. The beds were comfortable with crisp, clean linen. Clean towels were also provided. The 3/4 for maintenance and cleanliness, related to a constantly dripping kitchen tap and windows that needing cleaning, as did the glass canopy in the back courtyard. Sadly, the ‘kerb appeal’ was lacking as the front entrance needed sweeping and cleaning. We appreciated the property was on a main road, but it’s these details that are relevant we feel. Having said the above, we would certainly rebook the accommodation should we ever visit the area again. It was very convenient for travelling to tourist attractions, and the village had all one needed, i.e butchers, convenience store, bakery and two pubs; both of which served food. S&D

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• Alison - Verified booking

  Lovely cottage in the grounds of the hotel.

  The cottage was very clean, well appointed and bright and airy. The beds were comfortable and rooms quiet. The second bedroom is quite small so more suitable for children. The lounge was comfortable and the kitchen beautifully appointed. It was good having an upright fan for warmer days. There is a gravel area outside with a table bench. We liked that the hotels lovely lawned beer garden just a stroll away. We ate three times in the hotel. The food is very good and there was a special board most days. The staff are all very friendly and always made us feel very welcome. It is also just a short walk into Wooler where there are several hotels and restaurants. Milans Italian is great. Fish and chip shop and lovely shops. All in all an excellent base to explore Northumberland, would recommend.

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