The Old Stable

Exactly what we were looking for- peace and quiet in an idyllic country setting with lots to do (or not do and relax). The cottage was very unique and comfortable. Everything we needed was there. The property is phenomenal with lots of beautiful outside space. Karen is a fantastic host and went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable. Dougie the dog was also a highlight for us and we loved when he would hang with us in the garden. We traveled here with our 8 month old daughter and we couldnt have felt more welcome and she had so much space to explore inside and out. Absolutely loved our stay, would highly recommend, and will be back ourselves in the future.
Sep 15th, 2021

Jun 30th, 2021

In response to the assertion that there are many positive reviews,Its easy to maintain a 5star review when you openly admit to having negative reviews removed. The website states We are leaving the cottage empty for 48hrs, after deep cleaning, before the next booking., but we were concerned that the visitors book indicates that this policy was not followed throughout June (pictures attached). cottage is set up comfortably and would work well as a base for walking and exploring the local area. Its designed solely for sleeping in, with no comforts downstairs. This isnt a problem if use of the extensive grounds was as advertised; when booking we explained to the owners that we were visiting family nearby who we havent been able to see since Dec 2019. Our whole party couldnt be accommodated at the property (theres an adjoining cottage of a larger size that was booked) but we were assured that we would have use of the gardens as part of our stay. On day 3 of our booking, we invited our family over the spend some time with us. They arrived at 13.15 and we enjoyed eating on the lawn in front of our property (there are additional chairs at the dining table, quoted from the website, incase [sic] you have company but we preferred to enjoy the sunshine. Our party of six adults, two children and a baby then headed to enjoy the tennis courts (indicated by the owners both online and in person as available for use) to spend some time together as a family. Less than 45 minutes later, Karen (the owner) pulled up next to us and exited her vehicle shouting about who she could speak to about us all being present. Seems we had inadvertently created an unusual case of Schrdingers Guest where we were both too visible to Karen (who had been watching [you] all from my windows) and not visible enough as she had been looking for [us] for ages!! Unfortunately this was the most unpleasant encounter weve ever had with a self catering host - she was loudly screaming that she would prefer if we could go to a park to spend time with each other rather than on her grounds. When we let her know that we had been under the assumption she was in agreement with us having family over in the outdoor space, having mentioned this pre and post arrival, she shouted that she wanted us all gone by the time [i] return. She also had an issue with the parking of our vehicles, within the spaces she had indicated we could use. Unfortunately we do have two guests that are registered disabled and therefore require appropriate parking. The two children in our group were in tears and very upset, and were all slightly bewildered by her harassment and verbally abusive attack. We had intended to book again for the whole party for summer 2022, but will instead go to another local venue. We would kindly feedback that the owners may wish to consider more appropriate ways to discuss perceived issues with any guests, for example pulling one of the adults off to the side rather than throwing a screaming fit in front of children and leaving them scared and confused. We requested and were promised a call from the owner to discuss this incident further in 45 minutes, but 18 hours later this call hasnt arrived. [for context; on Day 1 of our stay we arrived at 6.30pm, on Day 2 we left the house at 8.45am and arrived back at 2.30pm before leaving again at 4pm and not returning until 7pm, on Day 3 (day of incident above) we left at 8.20am and returned at 1.15pm] In summary; acceptable place to stay if you intend to only use to sleep and not cross paths with the owner. Mattress on the main bed is lovely, but spoiled by a very creaky bed frame and very old and sad pillows. We changed them for pillows we borrowed from local family in order to get more comfortable. The spiral staircase has a loose board second from the top, so be careful climbing in the dark. Sofa bed for a child is very well set up and comfortable (best to keep it set up as its a bit of a faff to do daily) - just make sure you keep any little ones away from any shouting from the owners.
Jan 4th, 2022

5-star property, hosts, and amenities This was both my girlfriends and I second stay at The Old Stable, and safe to say we love it here! We stayed for 5 nights this September and 5 nights the previous year in July. Karen is a fantastic host who is very welcoming and made us feel very much at home. She goes above and beyond to make sure you enjoy your stay and have all that you need. A special mention also has to go to their very friendly spaniel Dougie! Despite being a family home, both Karen and her husband Phil allow full access to their grounds, gardens, tennis courts, and many other facilities, and are more than happy for you to explore and enjoy it all. The cottage itself is located on very beautiful grounds, with access to miles and miles of country walks and is a great place to stay both for relaxing on the grounds itself or to use as a base if youre out and about exploring the local area. We hope to stay again next year!
May 21st, 2021