Cottages That Sleep 8 In Staffordshire

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Pamela - Verified booking

  Arrangements for our arrival were great.

  And a huge cake and a Christmas tree started the holiday off well. We made a couple of adjustments to our planned sleeping arrangements because the second double room was really not a double as the bed could only be accessed from one side. Fortunately there were only six of us (and a dog). The description of the bathroom and shower room were accurate, as in there was a shower over the bath but there was no shower curtain and only one of us was short enough to be able to duck under the shower to use it - very carefully... So mornings involved a bit of negotiation over who spent how long in the toilet - and there were only 6 of us. The bathrooms, and maybe some other areas, could do with a little cheering up. The owner had provided additional roasting tins but cooking a Christmas meal, or any meal, for six was really quite a challenge with the very few saucepans and utensils e.g. no blender, mixer, scales... so quite a lot of juggling and improvising were involved! The map was very helpful to locate us in the area but we couldn't find any information about local amenities (shops, doctor, church, pub...) nor could we find any information or instructions about using the Aga, how to stop the water when the washing machine flooded the utility room because of blocked drains, how to check the 'fuses' when we had a power cut, how to use the coffee machine for which coffee had kindly been left, along with tea bags and sugar... The hot tub was well maintained but was very hot (a necessity I understand), especially as it was indoors but that didn't stop at least one of us using it each day. The beds were clean and fresh and comfortable and there were plenty of towels and tea towels for the 6 of us. The enormous leather sofas were great to sink into in front of the TVs but some instructions would have been helpful because us oldies had to wait for 'young' people to arrive to work that out. (Both TV's had Amazon fire sticks.) Everywhere was lovely and warm when we arrived but soon became too hot for us and although we quickly received advice when I sent a text it would have been lovely to have had some written instructions so that we could have adjusted it without bothering anybody. I would have done an even better job of cleaning before I left if there had been instructions on how to empty the vacuum cleaner and stop it smelling so awful. The dog enjoyed playing in the large garden but everywhere was too wet to explore much and it wasn't possible to walk along the road because there were no pavements. However the map and a bit of initiative soon found walks in Cannock Chase and other places very nearby. So there was plenty we loved and we rose to the challenges and had a good stay and a happy Christmas, but it could have been a little more relaxing and a bit less challenging...

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• Zoe - Verified booking

  Easy to find on sat nav , we were early so went to the fantastic Canal side, farm shop and café for a cup of tea before heading up to the farmhouse.

  Long sweeping drive with plenty of parking space outside and a huge enclosed garden with bbq & furniture - fantastic space and great for our dogs. Teresa had text us earlier in the day with the code to get in and instructions for the hot tub. We got in fine , had a little explore - the photos are accurate and rooms spacious . We did find a few things that caused frustration though - we arrived at 4 o’clock, and the house was freezing - I text Teresa and she called me back just immediately and talked me through switching the boiler on and the house was toasty on Saturdaymorning ! - it would have been nice to switch the heating on for us , even timed for 2pm so that when we came in , it was warm and cosy . We appreciated the milk , cake and generous fruit bowl ! Sadly , there was no welcome back to help us with things like leaving instructions / used linen and towels? what the Wi-Fi code was, instructions for the rubbish and recycling - the kitchen bin also had cardboard and paper left in it? ,The fact that the towels ( plentiful) were located upstairs in a cupboard. We discovered this when we needed to use the downstairs bathroom and weren’t able to dry our hands as no hand towel had been left in the bathroom. A house that sleeps 9 and has a hot tub surely means fizz will be drunk at some point - we were sad to find there are no fizz glasses? Fizz in a wine glass just doesn’t feel right! The fridge in the kitchen is too small! - in the room next to the kitchen - there is a huge chest freezer - our suggestion is to replace that with a large fridge freezer/ American style fridge . Sitting in the lounge - we found the lighting very stark & bright so we moved one of the table lamps from upstairs so we could create a more subtle mood . There are no egg cups , no plug in the kitchen sink , no washing up bowl . The hot tub was great but very full so the bubbles disappeared and it overflowed a little? Fab & beautiful location & very peaceful . Great house but needs some TLC X Just tips to help ! A nice weekend - beautiful location , peaceful , lovely sunrises over the fields Thank you

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• Sian - Verified booking

  I can't recommend this accommodation highly enough.

  The instructions for entry were provided very clearly and 24 hours before we arrived. On arrival, we were welcomed with a bowl of fruit, a cake and some milk, and everything we needed was on hand. The house is lovely, with a huge lawn where dogs can be allowed to run around without fear of them wandering off (as long as you remember to close the main gate first!). There are cattle in the surrounding fields, along with various wildlife, but there was no problem with them - you leave them alone, they leave you alone. Inside, the house is really clean and neat - there's nothing much in the way of ornamentation except for a couple of plants, so no need to worry about little fingers or waggy tails knocking things down and breaking them! The beds were okay, not all that comfy but not terrible either. The sofas were good, and there are two TVs (with Netflix!), so there should be no what-to-watch arguments. :) The hot tub was fab, inside the conservatory so it was under cover when it rained! It gets a bit warm in the conservatory on hot days, but you can leave the doors and windows open and get a nice breeze through. The kitchen is well-stocked with plenty of plates, glasses and cutlery. You have all mod cons to hand - and an Aga! (We didn't try this out, it was very warm while we were there.) One small issue we encountered was that no instructions were provided with regard to bins, so we didn't know what day to put them out or what we were allowed to put in the green bin. The house is easy to find if you follow the instructions, it's just off a main road but you can't really hear the road from the house. It's a very quiet and relaxing location. Highly recommended!

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• Marianne - Verified booking

  This is a nice big house with plenty of parking front and/or back, very clean, and the large garden is definitely dog-escape-proof, which was a definite plus for us with our 2 Red Setters.

  The large kitchen-diner has a wall-mounted tv, there's a fridge-freezer, and the oven/gas-rings and washing-machine were easy to operate, although instructions for the 700w m'wave and the 2 tv's would be useful. The very large tv lounge was cosy for relaxing in the evenings. Upstairs, the wc/shower-room is nearest to the 2 twins, the wc/bathroom with shower over is nearest to the 2 doubles, where the c.h. boiler can be a bit audible at times. The very friendly, helpful and obliging owners Lisa and Dave have left a folder of useful notes for local amenities, dustbin-day, vets, doctors etc, also local restaurants (we recommend The Black Lion in Butterton) and other amenities, and although the house itself is in a "black hole" for mobiles, the wifi works absolutely fine. Leek, Ashbourne, and Ilam Park (NT) are all within 12-15 miles, while Alton Towers is about 20 miles away. There's a nearby Wild Animal park, which we didn't manage to visit this time round. We can also recommend Hartington Village Store, about 15 mins drive away, where the cafe further on through the shop offers the most unbelievable cakes (Sticky Toffee Pudding and Stem Ginger cake...) - so Dieters Beware! All in all, we are pleased to say that this is a good base for exploring the southern end of the Peak district.

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• Alison - Verified booking

  Had a really lovely stay at Beech House over 10 nights.

  Being 4 bedrooms meant we were able ti have a room each! The 4th bedroom is really more for children with L shaped bunks but my sister was happy to have this and have her own room. The large family bathroom was only next door. Having 4 bathrooms was something we’ve not experienced before! We loved all the outside areas to sit - would be nice to return in the summer months to make the most of them. But there 2 conservatories to enjoy in the poorer weather. We were unlucky enough to be there during two very bad thunderstorms which took out the electricity in the whole village. Very grateful to have the emergency lights in the bathrooms and dining area and an emergency torch on the upstairs landing. We did look for candles but I understand there has been a problem with visitors and candles before and hence a reluctance to have them in the house. A couple more torches left in the kitchen may have been of benefit as it is large house. The internet was affected the next night and we were reminded what it was like to play games and talk with no phones or tv etc!! The house has everything you need with space to be on your own if you want it. Great for families, up to 3 couples and 3/4 single people. Thank you for a lovely stay and we wouldn’t hesitate to book again!

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