“We booked Feb 2nd for 5 nights at a cost of £650.”
00, unfortunately the cottage did not live up to our expectations & doesn't warrant the price tag (or 4 ticks).
The positives regarding the cottage:
It's in a great location & the cottage itself is a nice layout, nice open plan kitchen & new looking utility/boot room.
Not one but 5 TV's to keep everyone entertained & an attractive, contained garden for the dryer months.
The not so good bits:
Our biggest issue was the building work being carried in the attached cottage, it's a full renovation. There is no mention of this when you book & part with your hard earned cash or reflection, in the cost.
The building work started in October & will carry on for a good few months yet.
I now know that the owner & Sykes are fully aware, the owner opposed planning, for obvious reasons. I realise the level of noise will vary throughout the renovation but unfortunately, during our stay, it was very noticeable & greatly impacted our holiday.
We were also disappointed by the general cleanliness & condition of the cottage, it was poor. The cobwebs in the downstairs windows were huge, how anyone could miss them is beyond me.
A lot of our issues are highlighted in previous reviews, so in my opinion, the issues are not being dealt with:
Lack of TLC/carpets/shower/damp patch front room/external bins/curtains/no starter kit for the log burner.
With regards to the bins perhaps a framed notice near the back door would work better. As regular visitors to the area, we generally don't read files. I put the recycling bin out & noticed the black bin was rammed full & very heavy. The next guests would have to deal with it, despite no room for any waste of their own.
The curtains downstairs are tired, they are also full length so hang directly over the only 2 radiators downstairs. We had to sit the curtains on the window ledge so they didn't block the heat.
I contacted Sykes, whilst we were there to let them know our thoughts, we backed this up with photos & a video as requested.
We were offered compensation, from the owner & Northumbrian Coast & Country (who actually manage the property)
which we accepted 'but' our stay was ruined. We left after 3 nights, with hindsight, the compensation only really covered this loss.
I certainly don't want to effect the owners business as he has no control over the building work but I think it's only fair that I leave this honest, factual review.
- Caroline, February 2026