River Cottage

38 Customer Reviews

• "Lovely property which I would recommend, ideally located for the Hive beach and the coastal path The only negatives would be the rust on the door of the fridge freezer and the loose taps which have been mentioned before, which doesn't give a good first impression."

  Instruction manuals for appliances and local attraction leaflets in a folder would help customers not familiar with the area. Would we stay again - Yes

  Reviewed by Paul4.4★Aug 2024

• "Very good location and picturesque thatched cottage but small and dark with tiny WC and bathroom so not a 4* property."

  The description is not inaccurate but the garden (whilst nice) away from the property makes it very awkward/inadvisable with a dog. Needs a thorough clean.

  Reviewed by Alastair2.5★Jul 2024

• "Cottage was lovely, with everything which you would need there, lovely clean cottage, had a lovely holiday."

  Reviewed by Judith5.0★May 2024

• "The positives: Lovely Village, brilliant walks, nice pubs, great cafe at Hive Beach, and strolling east or west along the beach is great."

  The negatives: unfortunately, the cleanliness was not adequate. We had to wash up almost every item in the kitchen before we could even make a cup of tea. Either the previous occupant had put everything away filthy or nothing had been checked. I wish I could add photographs to this review. The oven had not been cleaned for some considerable time, so using it sent a smell through the property. We also found a pair of somone else's black underpants on the bedroom floor when we arrived. The taps in the kitchen and toilet are loose (noted on a number of other reviews, as has been the cleanliness issue). We also had a problem with the drains, whereby after a shower, the sinks would take some time to drain, so if the dishwasher was operating, its waste water would fill the kitchen sink. (Note that Sykes did offer after a couple of days to visit to rectify the drain issue, but as we had spent time cleaning in the kitchen, we were not keen to have the drains explored until after we left). The garden across the courtyard (through the neighbour's gate where their dog roams) is not suitable for one's late night trip for a dog's ablutions; we used the nearby field instead. Would we stay again? In Burton Bradstock, yes absolutely. In River Cottage? No, absolutely not.

  We were extremely disappointed to receive such severe criticism of our beautiful cottage which you chose to publish. A few points need clarification. Whilst finding underwear in the bedroom is absolutely unacceptable, the cleanliness overall has been very good and we stand by the hard work of our cleaning team. We will alert the cleaners to your comments and request a full clean. Previous criticisms regarding cleanliness have always been aimed at the weary condition of the upstairs carpets. We have rectified this by supplying high quality new carpets throughout the upper floor and the staircase. We stayed at the cottage recently and did not experience dirty kitchenware. As the property is over 300 years old the drainage system reflects this, so occasional issues arise which can be swiftly and easily resolved by a phone call. The wonky taps will be dealt with too. Access to the garden is clearly stated in the property details and should not come as a surprise. Our neighbours are warm, friendly people who are always welcoming to all guests. Their dog Teddy is very sweet natured and poses no threat even if allowed to run around in his own garden. Most guests welcome not only the seclusion that our walled garden offers but also it's peace and tranquillity. We are very saddened that you chose to post such negative comments. Fortunately they are atypical as most guests who visit River Cottage, treasure fondest memories from such a beautiful place. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Paul1.9★Apr 2024

• "The property is perfectly situated and reasonably decorated."

  Beds are very firm which personally I don’t like. The property advertises a garden however what it doesn’t mention is that in order to access the garden you have to go via another property’s shut gate and across their property. We won’t be returning to this property but we would look at another within the area for a return visit.

  Full information as to the access to the garden is given in the property details. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Jennifer2.8★Mar 2024

• "Beautiful cottage."

  Everything we needed was there. Quiet, comfortable and homely

  Reviewed by Ingrid5.0★Dec 2023

• "Great cottage in and good location."

  Very clean and had everything we needed. Nice and cosy for a rainy day. Close to Hive Beach and plenty of dog walks.

  Reviewed by Stephanie5.0★Oct 2023

• "A lovely cottage in a great position."

  Reviewed by Nicholas4.4★Sep 2023

• "When we had an issue the Dream Cottage rep was very helpful and agreed action should be taken."

  The lack of ventilation in the only toilet in a cottage sleeping four we considered to be totally unacceptable. Also we were disappointed with the level of traffic noise which we consider should have been noted in the particulars.

  Reviewed by Barrie2.8★Sep 2023

• "We really enjoyed our stay at River Cottage."

  The cottage is lovely. The kitchen is well equipped and everything is working, the rooms and the bathroom are fine (just remember it is a cottage and therefore ceilings and doorways are low, which is a problem if you are more than 185cm tall). The place is perfectly located in the village to provide access to all amenities (the great pub!) and to the beach (both Hive and Freshwater beaches) and costal path by foot. The parking is also good. The one aspect that was quite disappointing was the garden. The garden is nice and private. However, it was not clear to us that to enter the garden you have to walk through other people's front yard (and go through their gate to the their property). This makes access to the garden somewhat prohibitive and in fact we never used it which is a pity.

  Reviewed by Gabriella3.8★Aug 2023

• "Great location and a generous downstairs layout."

  Having parking at the rear is a big plus and being next to the village park is very handy for the kids. The biggest issue is the cleanliness. It just isn’t good enough. The kettle is filled with limescale, floors didn’t seem to have been mopped. Under beds and furniture definitely isn’t cleaned as we found crumbs and a used deodorant stick. I have stayed at this cottage before and had the same issues. There are some floor boards upstairs that need replacing, goes beyond what can be explained by the age of the property. The agent Dream Cottages need to do much better!!

  Thank you for your feedback. This is very useful to know and we will notify the cleaners at Dream Cottages. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Emma3.1★Jul 2023

• "I really liked this cottage."

  It's very quaint. It was also extremely clean and the kitchen is very well equipped. The beds were very comfortable, although be aware that the second bedroom is quite petite. We didn't really use the garden as it was just as easy to take the dog into the little park that's literally 20 seconds walk away. The location is good, too. It was so great that in 5 or 10 minutes you could be up on the coast path. Also, it was great to have parking by the back door.

  Reviewed by Mhairi4.4★Jun 2023

• "We had a lovely time in the picturesque village of Burton Bradstock."

  The property was very clean and only a short walk from the beach. The local pubs were so popular it was difficult to get a table but we found a wonderful restaurant at a local farm called the Parlour

  Reviewed by Mark4.4★Jun 2023

• "Burton Bradstock is a lovely village and we enjoyed our time there, lots to do and great places to visit close by."

  The River cottage on the whole was a nice place to spend the week there were just a few little niggles. The washing machine was faulty so we could not wash any clothes, the wc has a very lose flush button and the hot water tap spins round. Not big problems but needs to be looked at.

  Delighted you had an enjoyable time. Thank you for your comments. Regarding the washing machine, we have had a look at it and done a successful wash so not sure what the problem was. Dream Cottages will always respond quickly should there be any issues whilst staying at River Cottage. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Richard3.4★May 2023

• "Burton Bradstock is a gorgeous village in a perfect location for us being keen walkers ."

  2 lovely pubs , both serving excellent food . The garage shop and village PO were very handy . Off road parking which is secure and safe behind the cottage and a garden was a real bonus. The coastal bus runs a great service (allows dogs) if you want to travel out further and walk the coastal path back to the village. A few negatives about the cottage , it is very tired inside and truly begs for a lick of paint and a general update , the two downstairs reception rooms are really dark with little natural light . The cottage needs new carpet on the landing and bedrooms as it’s badly marked and grubby. Instruction manuals on how to use appliances like the washing machine , BT sports , microwave etc would have been handy to have left for guests use. On the whole though , it was a great spot and we really enjoyed our holiday and some fantastic weather . Thank you .

  Reviewed by Catherine2.5★Oct 2022

• "Lovely cottage in the heart of the village."

  Very clean, comfortable and well equipped. Only one wardrobe, but there are hooks behind each door, though you may want to bring a few more coathangers. Looking at previous comments we thought the cottage has probably had a bit of a re-furb, because we had absolutely nothing to complain about. You park round the back and enter via a large porch which is very useful for coats, boots, etc and also gives a 'double door' situation which makes it hard for your dog to escape! The garden is lovely, but as everyone will have read from previous comments, access is via the neighbour's courtyard. This wasn't a big problem, but it does mean you obviously can't just open the door and let your dogs out, you have to go with them. We just took our cups of tea over every morning and sat while the dogs did what they needed to, but we were lucky with the weather. If it had been raining every day we probably would be moaning about it! The park next door has a great kids' playground, and also gives access onto a field which is good for giving the dog a run. Hive Beach is an easy 10/15 minute walk away (though to be honest we never walked it, always going to it before or after going somewhere else!). It's a lovely, sandy beach which goes on for miles except at high tide. The two pubs in the village (a couple of minutes walk to either) are excellent. Totally dog friendly and with really good food. Both pubs are full of locals and get very booked up - even out of season we'd recommend booking ahead. The Three Horseshoes is already booked for Sunday lunch up until the end of October! My only gripe (and this has nothing to do with the cottage) is that we spent a fortune on car parks! Hive Beach is National Trust, so if you belong then it's free, otherwise it's £3 for two hours minimum - annoying if you only want half an hour to run the dogs. It was the same in many places. Dorset needs to do something about this.

  Reviewed by Catherine4.7★Sep 2022

• "Lovely property in a lovely setting."

  We had everything we needed. As an avid reader it was lovely to see all the books and did manage to read one during my stay. Was easy to get to the beach and access to public transport was good we had several bus rides into Lyme Regis and Weymouth. Both pubs in the village were dog friendly and we were made to feel welcome. Enjoyed our stay very much.

  Reviewed by Maxine5.0★Sep 2022

• "Lovely cottage, very clean."

  Perfect for the two of us. We had everything we needed thank you.

  Reviewed by Rosemary4.7★Aug 2022

• "The main problem we had was the garden."

  It does not state clearly in the description that the garden is away from the property and is accessed by a courtyard of the adjacent property, meaning we were unable to leave our dog in the garden. If this had been mentioned in the description of this property we would never have booked it. We did in fact read someone else's comments about this and tried to change the booking but were unable to find a suitable alternative. This really does need to be mentioned in the description as people with dogs could find it unsuitable. The other problem we found is that there are in fact 3 bedrooms and only one single wardrobe for 5 people! We ended up having to hang our clothes over door knobs and doors. Not really a suitable arrangement for a weeks holiday.

  Very sorry for your disappointment. However the details on the website clearly state that the garden is accessed across the courtyard and the photos were chosen to ensure there was no confusion. We were confused as to your complaint regarding the cottage not being suitable for 5 people when the cottage only sleeps 4. Property Owner

  Reviewed by Lyn4.4★Jul 2022

• "We had a wonderful week at River Cottage."

  It was perfect for us with our two dogs. Comfortable but lived in. We did encounter quite a few moths in the property that was our only criticism. Garden was nice. Parking space was a real bonus. The cottage is ideally situated in the village and 10-15 minutes walk from the beautiful Hive Beach. We’d stay here again.

  Reviewed by Sue3.8★Jun 2022

• "Lovely area."

  Would definitely go back to burton bradstock. Accommodation was fine for husband myself and the dog, but I think the bedrooms would of caused a problem for the 3 more guests it can accomodate. As previously stated one single wardrobe. We just didn’t unpack, wasn’t a problem for us. Cottage has everything needed. Outside area wasnt a problem, walk dog on a lead over next doors patio (the lady is lovely, friendly and helpful), however the other property Long Barn has as stated in description a small patio area. The people occupying it also had a dog which had the run of the courtyard, so it tried to follow us into our cottage. Luckily the 2 dogs got on together but this may not always be the case. River cottage just needs some TLC, it’s in a prime location with private parking. 2 lovely pubs serving excellent food, 3 horseshoes and the anchor.

  Reviewed by Philip3.1★Jun 2022

• "It was good to be back in Burton Bradstock especially in a cottage in such a convenient location within the village."

  We all loved staying there.

  Reviewed by Joella5.0★Oct 2021

• "I usually post positive reviews for Sykes cottages."

  Unfortunately, it was only in the last few days and as we approached the holiday that we noted some other feedback posts. It should be made very clear that is not possible to use the enclosed garden immediately from the house. We had to put our dog on a lead and then cross the back yard and into another persons back yard to reach the enclosed garden. Not a comfortable arrangement. The garden is not large enough for medium to large dogs - only maybe small dogs. It has no grass areas - important for many dogs. So we were disappointed. Arrived in the dark so could not use the garden for the dog on arrival. Indeed we hardly went into the garden as it was not suitable for dogs the entire week we were there and were not comfortable walking into an area clearly for use of a resident. There is only 1 toilet which is very small. The kitchen is well equipped as other posts show. However, we found the accommodation uncomfortable. But nowhere to hang clothes. Sofas were very uncomfortable. People walking immediately in front of the house and often looking into us as we sat and ate/watched tv/read etc. Noisy traffic immediately close and outside at front. There is an excellent park where dogs can be walked safely which was a godsend. Sadly we were disappointed in the accommodation. However it is in an excellent location to get to beach or get to Bridport or other tourist sites. Sorry we could not be more positive but have up until now enjoyed the Sykes holiday cottages without having to post a negative review.

  Reviewed by Graham2.8★Sep 2021

• "Before going I read some of the past reviews and they did worry me - you don’t want to travel somewhere dirty with a leaky toilet!"

  We were pleasantly surprised that it was really clean and certainly had no issues with a leaky toilet or a furred up kettle not working. The house is smaller than the photos suggest - it’s a wide but quite shallow house, but still plenty of space for a family of four. There’s nothing special about the decor, it’s not a luxury experience but still really clean and looked after - just doesn’t have a wow factor decor wise. The house itself is really lovely, a honey coloured thatched cottage which could be off a postcard. The garden is reached via the neighbours courtyard but she is really friendly and helpful so we had some nice chats on the way through. The garden itself is really nice, a real cottage garden, it’s better than the pics. The location is brilliant with the house. If you bring kids there’s a park virtually next door which has an epic zip wire. My daughter was obsessed. You can be at the beach within a short stroll and if you bring dogs there’s some fantastic walks nearby, again within a minutes walk. People have complained about it being on a busy road, this didn’t bother us, there are almost no vehicles at night - it’s pretty silent - but did hear cars in the morning with the windows open. With the windows closed there was no sound at all. The village is stunning, you couldn’t ask for somewhere more attractive, it won best large village of the year and it’s well deserved as its absolutely idyllic. People are really friendly and the pubs are good. Theres a village farm shop and a petrol station open quite late so it’s well served. Our big tip is to book the Three Horseshoes way in advance if you stay during busy tourist periods, it’s really popular and we could only get one lunchtime booking for the whole week. The food was brilliant, ditto with the Parlour which is probably half an hours walk from the house, it’s meant to be brilliant but there were no spaces for the entire week. The Station Kitchen at West Bay was brilliant too. So all in we had a brilliant holiday and the house was perfectly fine for the week. Would I stay again? We’d probably prefer a house with easier access to the garden with the dog but we’d certainly be more than happy to book again.

  Reviewed by Mark3.8★Jul 2021

• "We had a very pleasant stay at River Cottage, and would definitely recommend it for families wanting to visit this part of Dorset."

  The property was easy to find from the directions, and has a key safe so access was very straightforward. There is parking for two cars behind the cottage in a shared driveway area used by another holiday let on one side, and owner-occupiers on the other side. The private garden, which is a lovely walled and private space, is accessed across this shared drive. This separation between cottage and garden wasn’t initially clear from the photos of the property, but once across the drive and through the garden gate it was secure for our dog. There is a great kids playground in the field next to the property, and two lovely pubs an easy walk into the village. We ate at both and the food was excellent. Slightly further afield, the Hive Beach Cafe is fabulous especially for breakfast, and the Club House also had great food. The cottage is walkable to the beach, but we drove as the kids are small and walk slowly! The carpark at Hive Beach is National Trust, and free to park for members. Hive Beach was very safe when we were there, with a small shore break and no rips or large currents. The kids had a great time (with wetsuits as the water was FREEZING). The cottage itself was very clean and comfortable. The toilet smell mentioned by other reviewers wasn’t a problem for us, so seems to have been resolved. There are blackout blinds on all the bedroom windows, and a hairdryer and nightlight are provided. The linens and towels were in good condition, and some basics were provided including hand soap, a loo roll and some dishwasher tablets. Despite dire covid predictions, the cottage has not been stripped bare of every comfort. The kitchen is well-provisioned, with everything we needed (even a knife sharpener). There are two comfortable sitting rooms, one with an enormous tv and a freeview box that we used to log into our Netflix and BBC accounts. The cottage is let down by the mattresses, which are saggy and not comfortable. The cottage bedrooms get very warm on hotter days unless the windows are open, and the road noise is loud as there is no front garden - we had no problem sleeping through it as it isn’t hugely busy but if you are a light sleeper it may be more of an issue.

  Reviewed by Katherine4.7★Jul 2021

• "The photos of the property are clearly from a while ago and the angle of the shots implied a much larger property."

  The carpets and furnishings were not clean, the carpets are stained. The paint work and decorations are also tired. The location of the garden was inconvenient especially having to cross the neighbours patio to get to it.

  Reviewed by Steve2.8★Jun 2021

• "River Cottage is beside a busy road through the village, and the traffic noise was very intrusive when the windows were opened."

  All 3 bedrooms are on the road side of the cottage, so sleep was difficult when the windows were open. The bedrooms are light and bright, but downstairs is dark. The interior would benefit from updating. There is an attractive garden, which is completely separate from the house, accessed through the neighbour's courtyard. The cottage is 10 mins walk from the sea, and in a good location for exploring the area.

  Reviewed by Jane3.1★Jun 2021

• "We enjoyed being in the centre of the village but hadnt appreciated how busy the main road was, meaning it was impractical to sleep with the windows open."

  And it wasn’t obvious from the description that we would have to pass over neighbours’ property to access the garden. The other negatives included a leaky WC (which is corroded), loose and broken taps (WC and kitchen), one very poor ice tray (for such a generous freezer!), and foam pillows. Most disappointing were the lack of a functioning fire (not apparent from the description) and a nasty smell of animal pee in the living room. But on the positive side, aside of being in a very pretty village, the parking was generous and important, the garden was pretty, the kitchen well-equipped, the dining arrangements practical and we enjoyed constant hot water and good WiFi. Overall, we felt for this price, we could expect just a little more comfort.

  Reviewed by Nick2.8★Apr 2021

• "The cottage is in a great location and we had a very enjoyable stay."

  The kitchen was really well-equipped, one of the best I've encountered. However, I feel that a deep clean is required throughout the whole house, particularly given that we are living in 'Covid times'. The oven was pretty grubby and generally things didn't feel exactly spotless. The bathroom really could do with full refurbishment.

  Reviewed by Helen2.5★Oct 2020

• "When there was a problem with the kettle leaking it was replaced very quickly which we appreciated."

  There was also a smell in the toilet and this was dealt with quickly although I’m not sure it’s entirely sorted. The cottage was entirely adequate to our needs - the kitchen in particular was very well-stocked with equipment - but I wouldn’t say that it exceeded our expectations or was particularly wonderful. It was nice to have the garden.

  Reviewed by Judith3.8★Sep 2020

• "I left a note to the housekeeper to say how much we enjoyed our stay but there were a few areas that needed to be addressed and I believe that these have also been mentioned by other guests: 1 The glass oven door was in a filthy state when we arrived 2 The kettle was leaking all over the work surface 3 The dishwasher needed salt and rinse aid 4 The toilet had an unpleasant odour which indicated it was either leaking or had not been cleaned properly Wouldn’t mind knowing why these little quick fixes hadn’t been looked at?"

  Reviewed by Lesley4.7★Sep 2020

• "Home is in a brilliant location and one of the most well equipped cottages we have ever stayed in."

  It has everything you need and more which was great. It’s a good space and we had a lovely stay here but is let down by a few minor things that could easily be rectified. Small things like the kettle is so scaled it leaks, shower curtain is dingy and old, toilet very wobbly and just needs a deep clean to refresh and bring up to standard.

  Reviewed by James3.8★Aug 2020

• "The cottage, although basically clean in the main areas, would benefit from a thorough 'spring clean' and de-clutter."

  There were too many dusty corners and random nicnacs, an array of unnecessary or broken lamps (and an obviously broken fan) left lying around. There was a cupboard under the stairs with no door which was full of junk together with two drawers full of 'stuff' not needed by a holiday maker in the kitchen. The dishwasher would benefit from a clean and refill of salt and rinse aid (we had to clean out the filter before using it). The cottage could be a really wonderful place to stay if a bit of time was spent dealing with the above and refreshing the furnishings.

  Reviewed by Kerry3.4★Aug 2019

• "River Cottage gave us everything we'd needed from a holiday cottage."

  It is in a great location in the village - near the pubs, near the park, near some beautiful riverside walks and a comfortable stroll away from the beach. Inside it had plenty of comfortable seating for everyone, a very well equipped kitchen, and super comfortable beds. It felt more like home than a holiday cottage. My only suggestion for an improvement would be to have some non slip rugs to go across the entrance as our dog didn't like the tiled floor.....apart from this, everything was perfect. We'll be back !

  Reviewed by Rachel5.0★Jul 2019

• "This is a lovely property in a great location."

  The booking process was easy and arrival information thorough and accurate. I had to contact Dream Cottages twice during my stay, once about a broken toaster that was broken on arrival and once about a missed bin collection. Whilst both of these things were sorted it was annoying that I had to do this at all. The cleaning was just about ok but should of been better for the amount I was paying. The property would benefit from a slight refurb, new bathroom and some paintwork is looking tatty.

  Reviewed by Emma4.1★Jul 2019

• "Lovely location, the village is a gem."

  stunning walks along the coastal path and the surrounding area. Easy walk to Hive Beach, very peaceful and chilled. West Bay undergoing major coastal protection work but you can still get to the fabulous beach by going down past the row of cottages to the left of the town. Its not well signed. Having said all that the start of the holiday was marred by the cleanliness of the cottage. Kitchen was fine but the main bedroom carpet and the cushions on the bed was covered in black dog hair and the lounge carpet hadn't been hoovered either. My other half took the Henry cleaner up but said it wasn't picking up. I dismantled the cleaner only to find it completely blocked with dust and hair. Next hour spent cleaning the place. Gave feedback to Dream Cottages who apologised.

  Reviewed by John3.1★May 2019

• "The cottage is in an ideal location, only minutes from the beach and the Hive Cafe."

  There are 2 nice pubs in the village that serve nice food.

  4.4★May 2019

• "Very pleased."

  excellent base for a holiday in Dorset. The cottage was clean, comfortable and had everything for a relaxing holiday, including off road parking. I would highly recomend River Cottage - stayed July 2017

  Mr Ian GourlayAug 2017

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