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"Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, we only managed to stay at the barn for three nights."
However, we were very impressed with the general layout, the size of rooms and the way that the accommodation flowed. The beds and bedding were extremely comfortable as was the other furniture. The private garden was.nice and secure for out little dog. They were the ‘pros’.
The ‘cons’, were the odours from the toilets - as previous hirers had commented. We felt that the fridge/freezer was too small - given the relatively remote location. When we were there, on October, it got cold in the evenings but the heating appeared not to be operating, and we had to resort to two electrical panel heaters that we found in the lower bedroom. The log burner had just three small logs with none in the outside store.
Reviewed by William4.4★Oct 2024
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"The shower room toilet hadn't been cleaned !"
!! and had brown run marks from the rim so it had been blocking up before we arrived, it made the place smell dicusting used towel against door to block smell out. Reported it to Skyes. Left early fed up with smell.
The garden although described as being secure wasn't, our dog could have escaped easily through the shrubs.
Bed and settee very comfortable
Reviewed by Adrienne Maria2.2★Sep 2024
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"The gift of scones, jam and cream were a lovely welcome."
Everything was clear and the local information was useful.
Reviewed by Ruth5.0★Sep 2024
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"It's a very nice cottage."
The WiFi is very bad. My husband wanted to work, but could not, because mails could not be send.
The sewage could have some improvement. Sometimes there is a bad smell in the bathroom.
We loved the scones, cream, tea, and jam at arrival. Very welcoming!
Reviewed by Henriette4.4★Jul 2024
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"On arrival, I had to clean the toilet in the shower room as it wasn't clean:(
The rest of the barn was spotless."
As mentioned on other feedback, the garden isn't secure so your pooch can get out as ours did. We had to improvise to block a couple of escape routes.
Larger/better signage to the property would also help and I know it can't be helped but the road to the property is hair-raising!.
On the whole the barn was a lovely, cosy well equipped place to stay.
My big bug was Sykes claiming the garden was fully enclosed and it wasn't then putting a disclaimer on the arrival instructions. This has happened before.
Reviewed by Anna3.4★Jun 2024
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"This was our second stay at Woodpecker's Barn but very disappointing compared with last year."
Firstly, while nobody was to blame, our stay was delayed by 2 days after I fell ill the day before we were due to travel. I contacted the owner to inform them but received no correspondence.
Upon our arrival on Sunday evening we found the gardens to be overgrown, with weeds surrounding the front entrance and broken pots/planters in both the front and rear gardens. This displayed a complete lack of regard for guests in my opinion.
We then discovered we had no hot water or heating and it was very wet and cold for most of the week. I appreciate that things can break down at any time but why was this not checked prior to our arrival? We got by with the log burner (only a few small logs available, though) and by boiling the kettle for hot water but that's not what we paid for. After this had been reported we were advised via a sykes representitive that a new part for the boiler was required and "we could stay at the cottage if we wanted to" (owners response, apparently). No apology from the owner.
The light by the steps to the rear garden was not working, which posed a hazard given the steps were steep and the back door opened outwards.
Inside the cottage it was still beautifully presented and clean. Lovely quiet location with fantastic local services and amenities.
However, due to the woeful and compassionless responses from the owner we won't be returning. Incidentally, they should look to the adjacent Own Barn and Pheasant Barn for examples of how to welcome guests as they are both immaculatey presented.
No visitors' book this time around. Maybe the owners are no longer interested in feedback from their guests. If our experience is anything to go by then it's little wonder.
Reviewed by Karen2.8★May 2024
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"Beautiful property in a peaceful location close to plenty of attractions and places of interest."
We were really impressed by this lovely, well equipped property. Only one very small downside for us was the 2nd bedroom is down a few stairs and quite far from the main bedroom, we have 2 young children (and a baby!) so had to adapt to make this work for us but it was no problem. The weather was pretty bad for us but we really enjoyed how spacious this place was so we could stay inside on a couple of rainy days with lots of space. We didnt use the garden but this was also perfect if the weather was good.
Reviewed by Sammy4.4★Apr 2024
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"The toilet got blocked for 2 days before someone came to fix it."
The garden is not enclosed enough for the dog. The fridge was so small you couldn’t get more than a days food in. Wi-Fi was really really slow and no phone signal. Beds were comfortable and place really clean
Reviewed by Ruth3.1★Mar 2024
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"Lovely cottage with everything we needed."
Spotlessly clean and comfortable. It would benefit from having a new roasting tin and a more substantial outside light so I could see the dogs in the garden at night. Will certainly use Sykes Cottages again, thank you.
Reviewed by Marion5.0★Feb 2024
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"Woodpeckers Barn was perfect for our stay over the Christmas holidays."
I would definitely recommend the barn to family and friends and will probably book it again.
Reviewed by Beverly5.0★Dec 2023
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"Woodpeckers Barn was perfect and the scones, cream and jam were extremely welcome."
The property was delightful and contained everything we needed and more!!!
Overall highly recommended - cosy, comfortable and welcoming.
Reviewed by Sarah5.0★Sep 2023
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"We enjoyed our stay at woodpeckers it’s so quiet and relaxing with plenty of places to walk."
We are thinking of booking next year.
Reviewed by Sandra4.4★Sep 2023
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"Lovely place, bit of a devil to find."
Few negatives, we had very long grass which was cut on a very wet day, therefore, the grass was continually then being brought in, also there is an area in the garden where the dogs can get out so please be aware of this. The roasting tins had seen better days, we used tin foil in them but for the price of a new one could be changed. Also if you are going with a young family the twin room is down some stairs accessed from the living room and would be very detached from the king size room.
Reviewed by Janet3.8★Sep 2023
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"Just a little attention to detail on cleanliness although overall good and the ..."
Just a little attention to detail on cleanliness although overall good and the garden although lovely was left to nature with many unattended weeds which we removed
Reviewed by Janice4.7★Sep 2023
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"The property was lovely , it was very clean and it was an extra treat to be welcomed with fresh flowers and cream tea ."
The garden was also a really good size and quite private . The only negative was the unpleasant smells from the bathrooms and kitchen which other people had commented on in the visitors book. Also the back door leading into the garden was hard to lock and unlock. These issues would not however be enough to stop me booking again but does need attention .
Reviewed by Vicki4.4★Jun 2023
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"We thoroughly enjoyed our one week stay at Woodpeckers Barn."
It is situated in a beautiful, quiet rural location with everything you require.
The photos on the website do not do the cottage justice as it is much more spacious than we anticipated.
Our 2 dogs loved playing outside in the enclosed lawned garden and it was the perfect place to enjoy an evening BBQ.
There are lots of lovely places to visit in the surrounding areas, including Par beach, which is dog friendly and has a great coffee cart near the car park, and Cardinham Woods, which even has a dog wash station for muddy paws following a wet walk, not that we needed it during our stay as the weather was kind to us.
The cider tasting experience at Cornish Orchards in Duloe is a must, as is a meal at The Plough in Duloe.
We had such a fantastic time and have already booked a return visit later this year.
Thank you, Helen, for enabling us to stay at your beautiful cottage.
Reviewed by Karen4.4★May 2023
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"Cottage was just as described with a nice cream tea on arrival."
Comfy and clean. Faulty bedside light in master bedroom. Smells from both bathrooms were a bit unpleasant. Plumbing? Stair light and bathroom on same lighting system which was annoying as could not turn on either alone. Security light from somewhere spooked the dog in her crate in main room. No curtains so had to move crate to bedroom not ideal. All minor issues. We were aware garden not dog proof for small dog but this could easily be rectified. Lastly not one map or local walks of leaflets as the visitor file said could be found in the back. The local shop suggested Duloe Woods for a local walk which was perfect. What a shame these small details were not sorted.
Reviewed by Clare4.4★May 2023
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"Woodpecker Barn was perfect."
2 happy couples and a very happy labrador made ourselves incredibly comfortable. Great facilities in a beautiful setting.
Reviewed by Nic5.0★Apr 2023
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"Lovely quiet location, super comfy beds."
Just right for getting away from it all
Reviewed by Steve5.0★Mar 2023
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"We had a lovely stay at Woodpeckers' Barns."
The beds and pillows were very comfortable. The garden was perfect for our dogs. It was very quiet and restful, good location. The heating and log burner were brilliant and the cottage quickly warmed up and was cosy. There were no facilities for recycling waste, we brought ours home, it would be good if this could be organised. We would have liked a lamp in the lounge and some blinds or curtains, this wasn't a major issue though. All in all, a lovely cottage and a restful holiday. Thank you
Reviewed by Maria4.1★Feb 2023
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"The cottage was lovely and roomy and the enclosed garden was a bonus."
The scones and cream/tea were very welcome after a long journey. It would be useful to know where the instruction leaflets are for appliances, we kept finding them dotted about in different places, maybe put them altogether and state in the cottage file where they are. The bedding was gorgeous, but one of the single duvets rustled like a plastic bag, when we stripped the bedding on the last day, it was actually in a crinkly cover - not sure if that was packaging or protection, the other duvet didn’t have it. Thank you for supplying the baby items, as it turned out, the cot wasn’t needed, but the high-chair was useful. I did phone Sykes about the macerator pump, not realising that it also emptied the bath, so it kept going on it’s own, it would have been useful to have more information about this in the cottage info. file. Also, a little bin for fire ash. We had a lovely stay at a sad time for us (the death of my sister in law), while clearing and sorting her cottage, Woodpecker Barn was lovely and cosy to come back to in the evenings, thank you.
Reviewed by Sharon4.4★Feb 2023
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"The holiday home was lovely unfortunately as said by previous visitors the smell of sewage in the toilet and entrance hall meant we had to keep the front door open to get rid of the very unpleasant smell."
Reviewed by Simon4.7★Jan 2023
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"Lovely home away from home, had everything we needed for a relaxing week away."
Great location to visit local attractions as well as beaches to be able to walk the dog.
Reviewed by Karen4.7★Sep 2022
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"What a lovely place to stay if you want an out of the way location!"
Total peace and tranquillity. The dogs had a lovely garden to run around in, very securely fenced of. The patio with table and chairs was idolised for sitting out during the day or early evening. Perfection. Thank you so much for a wonderful 40th Anniversary break in a perfect place.
Reviewed by Keith5.0★Sep 2022
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"The sewage system is smelly and the floors were not well swept/hoovered."
We appreciated the cream tea and the flowers.
Reviewed by Carla3.8★Aug 2022
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"Well this was a great little find and a beautiful little place to stay."
Hard to find fault with anything really. Towards the end of the stay - we did become aware of a strong smell of damp/wet coming from the main entrance hallway (but bizarrely not the bathroom leading off it). We loved the welcome pack of fresh farm milk and scones. We will be suggesting this location to friends as its a wonderful little retreat.
As a dog friendly property - it was brilliant but felt a notice or document detailing any local fields (as there is a farm right next door) that could have been used to walk the dog would be great and a big help - yes the roads around the place were quiet but still in normal use so the dog couldnt really be walked in a normal off lead manner - we were also trying to avoid using the car too much for dog walks so local free walks would be good to know.
Reviewed by Rob5.0★Aug 2022
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"We had absolutely lovely time here and I’m booking for next year already such a lovely place"
Reviewed by Sophie5.0★Jul 2022
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"Beautiful cottage, well furnished/equipped and comfortable, lovely secure garden for our dog, Bella, near to all amenities."
Would highly recommend
Reviewed by Dawn5.0★Jul 2022
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"Lovely, peaceful stay in a well equipped cottage."
The cottage was clean and well presented with regular changes of towels and linen. Very quiet surroundings, just the place to relax and unwind.
Reviewed by Peter4.4★May 2022
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"This was an absolutely great place to stay."
Close enough to local towns and attractions for lovely days out whilst from being rural enough to benefit from the peace of the countryside.
The house had everything you could think of for your stay. The beds were extremely comfortable and the scones and tea were a nice touch after a long drive. The house booklet gave some great recommendations of where to eat which we probably wouldn’t have found on our own.
Reviewed by Jessica5.0★Apr 2022
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