The Smithy

Superficially the accommodation seemed very pleasant

A major complaint was that the bathroom sink did not drain properly, which was very inconvenient and frustrating. The bathroom shower plug was also filled with hair and at some point in the future is likely to flood if it is not cleared soon. I tried contacting Sykes Cottages and eventually received an email to which I did respond but heard nothing more. Because we spent every day away from the accommodation we mostly did not have any internet connection. Other complaints include the overall cleanliness of the accommodation. Crumbs and a pair of headphones were discovered between cushions, and on moving a sofa it was clear that the floor had not been swept for a long time. In the twin bedroom there was a sticky patch on the floor. One would have expected a cleaner to have cleaned more thoroughly and reported anything that was not working, so I can only assume that no cleaner is employed between occupancies. That in itself raises the question as to whether the bedding is changed; the beds had been made by someone but we cannot be sure whether or when the sheets were last changed! The furniture seemed old and tired, particularly an office chair and a footstool. The chair in particular was so shabby that it was not something anyone wanted to sit on. Also, many of the strip blinds were missing and we found these in various kitchen drawers. I did take a few photos of the interior to verify my account.

The smithy was a lovely cottage spotlessly clean and well located. The owner was excetional and replied to any queries quickly one of the best examples of customer service ive had in a long time.

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The area is lovely and ideal for a short stay — children will definitely enjoy it.

The house itself has two decent bedrooms, but the third is very small with bunk beds that aren’t really usable. Unfortunately, communication with the host was poor. It was difficult to get in touch, and I had to struggle to obtain important information like the pool instructions and door code. I stayed for 9 days, but no supplies were provided or replenished during the stay. I had to purchase basic bathroom essentials myself. Cleanliness was also disappointing — there was dog hair around the home, and the overall cleanliness felt neglected. The furniture is quite dated, and while the TV worked for DVDs, it didn’t have any channels available. On a positive note, the kitchen was well-equipped. Overall: A nice location, but the lack of communication, poor cleanliness, and lack of basic support made the experience underwhelming.