Guests say
Thornsdale Oast House is a spacious and characterful property, ideal for family and group gatherings. Guests consistently praise its peaceful rural setting, well-equipped kitchen, and ample space both indoors and outdoors, with the games room being a particular highlight. The property is well-suited for children and dogs, and many guests enjoyed the thoughtful touches and welcoming atmosphere. While some mention areas for improvement in cleanliness and maintenance, the majority of reviews reflect a positive and enjoyable stay, with many guests keen to return.
Most guests found the property clean and well-presented, but a few reviews noted issues such as cobwebs, dust, and some areas needing a deeper clean. These concerns were not universal but were detailed by some guests.
The rural location is widely appreciated for its tranquillity and proximity to Rye and local attractions. Some mention the unmade access road as a minor inconvenience, but overall the setting is a highlight.
Guests generally found the house spacious and comfortable, with good beds and plenty of room for relaxation. A few noted draughts, worn furniture, and noise travelling between rooms, but most enjoyed a restful stay.
The property is praised for its well-equipped kitchen, games room, and outdoor space. Some maintenance issues were mentioned, such as leaks and worn decor, but these did not detract significantly from most guests' enjoyment.
Several guests appreciated welcome packs and festive decorations, though it should be noted that such gifts are not guaranteed for every stay. Communication from hosts was generally positive, with prompt responses to minor issues.
About this property
In glorious rural surroundings, pet friendly cottage ideal for larger groups, with footpath across miles of open countryside close by..
Ground Floor:
Living room: 55" Smart TV, DVD Player, Open Fire
Dining room: CD Player
Kitchen: Smart TV, Gas Hob, Electric Range, Microwave, Fridge/Freezer, Dishwasher, Washing Machine, Tumble Dryer
Utility Room:
Games Room: (3 Steps), Pool Table
Bedroom 1: Double (4ft 6in) Bed, Smart TV
Separate Toilet.
First Floor:
Bedroom 2: Double (4ft 6in) Bed
Ensuite: Bath With Shower Over, Toilet
Bedroom 3: Double (4ft 6in) Bed
Bedroom 4: Zip And Link 2 x Single (3ft) Beds
Ensuite: Bath With Shower Over, Toilet
Bedroom 5: Zip And Link 2 x Single (3ft) Beds
Bathroom: Bath With Shower Over, Heated Towel Rail, Toilet.
Oil central heating, electricity, bed linen, towels and Wi-Fi included. Travel cot and highchair. Enclosed Garden with patio and terrace with BBQ and outdoor furniture. Private parking for 5 cars. No smoking. Please note: Pond in grounds.. This attractive detached house set in the owner’s grounds provide spacious holiday accommodation situated at the end of a mile-long lane in glorious rural surroundings. Pet friendly and offering a plethora of walks on the doorstep, the cottage offers good quality linen, towels and super fast fibre broadband and is a superb self catering base. There is a public footpath leading off the owner’s drive providing miles of walks across open countryside.
A trip to picturesque Rye enables visitors to sample local foods at the Wednesday morning farmers market which is held at Strand Quay. By taking a stroll along the cobbled streets, there is also the chance to buy a memento from one of the many independently-owned shops and boutiques, art galleries and potteries - or even start Christmas shopping from the wide selection of goods available! Also worth a visit are Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, Camber Sands and Camber Castle – this area of saltmarsh protects some very special wildlife, and footpaths lead to four birdwatching hides. The picturesque market town of Battle makes for an enjoyable day out, as well as Hastings, the Sealife Centre and Pevensey Castle (where the Romans invaded). The area is also well known for its local vineyards including Chapel Down and Sedlescombe. A trip to Tenterden - often referred to as the Jewel of the Weald - is an alternative and, for garden lovers, Sissinghurst (National Trust) is not to be missed. Further National Trust places to visit include Smallhythe Place, Scotney Castle and Bodiam Castle. Day trips to France are possible with the Channel Tunnel a mere 30-minute drive. An excellent sky venue for astrology, photography, or just wishing on a star. Shops 1½ miles, pub 1 mile.
Free WiFi
There is a water feature/pond on the grounds of this property.
Suitable for up to 2 pets
Reviews (21)
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Julia Phebey
Loved the peace and quiet that the open countryside offered. The oast was approached by a long unmade road which did mean that we had to drive to everything we needed. We had a few small issues but the owner fixed them immediately. I would mention that the acoustics in the house does mean that noise does travel well from room to room (including the bathrooms!) and floor to floor . But we enjoyed our stay and made good use of the games room and the table tennis and the BBQ and the kitchen was very well equipped.
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Confirmed Guest
The oast is a beautiful and characteristic property but it is tired in terms of the decor. Some beds and chairs were over worn and our bath was rusty with a hole at the bottom. There is clear evidence of leaks from the bathroom into the dining room and while we were there it rained heavily and this was coming in through the dining room and running down walls. The lights started to flicker. The owner was apologetic and said they were unwell but we were unable to get hold of them initially and were concerned about safety so we had to contact the holiday provider. When we did hear from the owner the next day, there was little urgency in getting this issue fixed, despite us raising concerns about the lights, we were just told that no more rain was forecast so shouldn’t be a problem moving forward. This was not very reassuring. For this reason we would not visit again which is a shame as it’s ideally located next to several places of interest and would be lovely if some work was done to bring it up to date.
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Matt Fox
This property could be fabulous. It’s in a beautiful location and is generously proportioned. Unfortunately though it needs a lot of money to be spent on it as it’s quite run down in many aspects. Cleanliness is just unacceptable, and we spent the first hour or two hoovering and cleaning the kitchen in particular. The owners ‘surface clean’ - unless you want a real shock don’t move any furniture or anything in the kitchen. There are cobwebs EVERYWHERE, dust EVERYWHERE, the insides of the kitchen cupboards are filthy, there are crumbs and dust in all the kitchen drawers and the carpets upstairs are stained in every room. Window blinds are frayed or UV damaged and there is very little attention to detail. The entrance porch is filthy - hasn’t been swept for what looks like months, and the outside patio is covered in weeds, with overgrown bushes in the garden. My wife found someone else’s false eyelash stuck to the fleece on her slipper, and a crusty contact lense stuck to the top of one of the bathroom taps. Equipment - little thought in terms of what guests actually need, instead every cupboard in the kitchen is crammed with junk - endless pots, pans, utensils, but most in need of a good clean and over filled to the point there’s nowhere to keep any food etc. Freezer drawers had human hair and general crumbs / deposits in them. Boiler sounds like an RAF Tornado taking off if you’re in the downstairs bedroom so heating needs to go off, so everyone else freezes. In spite of all this we had a good time, but I wouldn’t book here again for the reasons I e mentioned. Appreciate some of this is subjective, so if there’s an option to upload photos once I click through this page, I will, and you can make your own decision.