6/10 Okay
Jenny P.
2 Sept 2019
Liked: Cleanliness
A quiet week in the middle of nowhere bound by rules
We were a family of five and were well accommodated in this converted barn. It is pretty much as advertised and mostly well equipped. In general, the indoor furnishings and fittings are adequate but very basic and the lounge area is like a waiting room. Outdoor is much better but is uncared for which is a real shame because it could have been beautiful. There is haphazard planting, most of which was dried out and dead and the pool area decking needing weeding - we did it ourselves after getting stung by nettles getting into the pool.
With regards to the area, there is very little to do nearby which worked for us because we wanted a quiet week and the weather was great so the pool and table tennis kept us all occupied enough.
We loved being joined by the cats at dinner time and although the book of rules said not to feed them, we did give them bits of chicken and fish (sorry Doug and Jane) and we made temporary friends.
The biggest downside to this place is the welcome book of rules. We are regular travellers and the last cottage owner gave us a five star guest rating. I suppose there may be a variation in guests’ standards to manage but I think the owners could reflect on the tone of the book and the very long list of do and don’ts - what sun cream to use, how to use the towels, how long to leave the pool ‘open’, how much rubbish is ok to leave on the last day etc with an accompanying list of fines that will be deducted from your deposit if the rules are broken. Two of our boys stayed up very late one night drinking in the garden and the next night we were asked not to leave the outside light on, we were also not allowed to enter Doug’s shed and under no circumstances to forget to dispose of rubbish - there’s a written reminder on the noticeboard and we got a verbal one too during our stay.
Admittedly, we are not folk who are particularly receptive to being told what to do (we think we have good standards home and away) but it is possible that other visitors will welcome being clear about the owners’ expectations. We made a joke of it between ourselves, followed the rules religiously (even bought different sun cream before we used the pool - don’t take P20) and got up extra early on changeover day to leave the property as found. Regrettably we did break one wine glass though. I will await with interest to see whether we passed the owners’ test and the extent of fines that are applied 😉.
Jenny P.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2019