-
"The first night of our stay, a most unwelcoming neighbour knocked in the door to tell us to keep the TV turned down if we use it as he can hear it through the walls and he has had to put up with it being used as a holiday let for 7 years now and was ready to take action."
( we had only arrived a 5.30 that same day )
The mattress in the master bedroom was very poor quality and the bedding, whilst clean was very tired. The location was good as we were keen to explore Hadrians wall but I would not book this property again, nor would I recommend it to anyone.
Thank you for the review. I am sorry to hear about the neighbour. This sounds most unusual and we have not encountered such before but obviously this is beyond our control.
The mattress has since been changed and I apologise if this caused some level of discomfort.
Having said the above, however, I'm not sure what could cause us to deserve such a rating or review if everything else was suitable.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Lisa2.5★Aug 2025
-
"Well laid out modern house."
Ideal location for anybody wanting to experience Hadrians Wall and it's surrounding. Gilsland is a lovely village. House is ideal for the local community pub (recommended for beer and food). Shame the village has few amenities and the re-opening of the station would improve matters.
Happy to print above this point. Below is for my wife's benefit rather than print.
*I slept really well (a rarity) but my wife found the mattress in the main bedroom uncomfortable and chose to sleep in one of the single beds.*
Thank you for the kind review and we are glad you enjoyed the stay. Having had another guest mention the mattress, we have since changed it for a new extra cushioned matress and so I do apologise for any discomfort or difficulty sleeping. We look forward to welcoming you again.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Neil4.7★Jun 2025
-
"Lovely clean , smart and comfortable property."
Had a lovely stay no issues
Reviewed by Cheryl5.0★Dec 2024
-
"The end of a block of three, No 11 is a clean, straight-lined modern property of minimal provision."
The garden is but an enclosed patch of uncultivated ground overlooked both sides and the Hadrian's Wall footpath to the rear.
No general instructions are provided at the property in regards to recycling etc.
No coat hangers could be seen, even in the 'cloakroom', so wet coats had to hung on the dinning chairs. Entry to the 'cloakroom', is blocked by the washing machine, which, if wished to used, would be awkward due to its positioning.
A 'L' shaped settee with end recliners, occupies the living area, with wall mounted tv and a BT box.
The folding blind in the living room is troublesome.
Upstairs the main bedroom has a cupboard with no provision for hanging dresses, trouser or shirts, the twin room has a free standing chest of drawers.
The bed tv is not linked to any service, and thus unable to tune any programmes!
Worst of all is the mattress to the main bed. Thin, it provides little or no support, the springs of which, are easily traced through its thin fabric covering. One night was too much for me! The beds in the twin room are little better, indeed I slept on the floor, the final night. It was noted that two air beds, with an inflator, can be found in the unit below the main tv.
Generally the property provides a comfortable holiday let, but the mattresses unfortunately do not give that 'good nights sleep'. It is due to this that I have given it such a poor rating.
Reviewed by James Edward2.8★Sep 2024
-
"This is a lovely house with modern decor."
As mentioned by others, the double bed mattress is very uncomfortable - we moved to the twin beds after one night. There is also no hanging space, toaster or instructions for appliances.
Reviewed by Susan4.4★Sep 2024
-
"Lovely, bright and modern home with easy access to the Hadrians Wall path, literally at the bottom of the garden."
The only criticism is the mattresses need replacing as we felt every spring and coil and didn’t get a good nights sleep. There’s not much in the village of Gilsland, pub that did food closed down and the other pub doesn’t serve food, tea room closed at 3pm and no village shop to get bread and milk etc. So I’d suggest a small welcome basket of tea, coffee and a pint of milk to see you by. We did enjoy our stay though, thank you!
Reviewed by Jane3.8★Aug 2024
-
"Great cottage with lots of home comforts and amenities."
Location was perfect for walking the Wall for day trips away - to both west and east routes.
Short walk from the pub added a handy option too.
The one single request I’d add, is that I’d like to have either a washing line or clothes horse to dry clothes. Apart from that - perfect week :)
Reviewed by Luke5.0★Jun 2024
-
"Brilliant location, Facilities are second to none, Lovely home from home."
Ideal holiday home in a lovely area.
Reviewed by Jonathan4.7★Feb 2024
-
"11, The Forge was a very nice place to stay with everything you could possibly need!"
The weather was not kind to us but the location is excellent - just literally 200m from Hadrians Wall. In summer (and even an average winter) there is so much to see and do within both the immediate vicinity and the slightly expanded vicinity - with Hexham and Brampton within just a few miles by road and Carlisle and Newcastle a little further afield.
History is everywhere you look! I would have no hesitation in recommending 11, The Forge, at any time of the year, but especially in the summer. I found the local people to be warm and friendly and ready to help in any way they could!
Reviewed by Paul5.0★Dec 2023
-
"The facilities and space were great - we were very happy with our cottage choice."
It was clean, comfortable and had everything we needed.
It was far more than simply adequate but not really the 'Sykes 5 Ticks' home that we were expecting - It lacked the finishing touches of a five stars property.
Reviewed by Lucy4.4★Dec 2023
-
"On arrival : rubbish wheelie bin full and overflowing
Pans ..."
On arrival : rubbish wheelie bin full and overflowing
Pans needed cleaning before useable
Switch for heated towel rail hidden behind chest of drawers in adjacent room
Reviewed by Anthony F2.8★Sep 2023
-
"This property was clean and stylish but they offee a super king size bed with a small double duvet set, mattress needs replacing as it has a dip in the middle, (which isn't comfortable)."
The duvet also doesn't shut at the bottom, this is dangerous with a young toddler, who are able to climb inside. This property does have the potential to be amazing with some minor investment like new mattresses, duvet sets, pillows and maybe a rug, coat hangers and cushions in the living room to make it feel more relaxing. Feels more like a man pad than a family cottage.
Reviewed by Justine3.1★Jul 2023
-
"Everything I required during my stay and property advert was on point."
Adam was easy to communicate with and one of the most attentive I’ve experienced booking via Sykes.
A few tweaks needed as discussed and happily recommend this property.
I’d certainly return
Reviewed by Mark4.7★Jul 2023
-
"The cottage is comfortable and in a convenient location."
We have the following points:
On arrival we had difficulty in turning on the electric radiators despite the manual. Some basic written instructions would have been useful.
There were two bags of frozen vegetables on the kitchen unit. One of them was open and liquid had trickled onto the floor leaving a sticky mess.
The crockery is not suitable for use in the dishwasher.
There is no coffee-maker.
The mechanism for releasing the bath water is hanging off and therefore not working. The trim on the shower screen needs cleaning.
We could find no instructions regarding what to do with the recycling so decided to bring it home with us.
The blinds are an issue. Despite the instructions the design is problematic as the fittings are too flimsy for the weight of the fabric.
The lock on the gate to access the bin for placing at the front for collection is very rusty and difficult to use.
The mattress on the double bed is very soft.
Reviewed by Chris3.8★Nov 2022
-
"Needs a grey bin"
Reviewed by Keith3.8★Oct 2022
-
"With a few small additional touches this could be a great property as it is in a fabulous location for exploring Hadrian’s Wall and surrounding area."
Additions that would help would be, in the kitchen, a cafetière or coffee jug and a few more mugs/cups. In the lounge, a couple of cushions for the sofa and maybe a rug on the floor. The tiles are nice but the “shiny” finish did give the sense that the room was “cold”. In the main bedroom another bedside lamp (so there is one on both sides) would be great. In the entrance, a couple of hooks to hang coats would help. We had good weather but had it been wet it’s difficult to see where coats could be hung up to dry.
Finally, if you are going to put your contact number on the information sheet with an “any issues, get in touch” note, it’s a good idea to acknowledge it when someone does.
Reviewed by Andrew2.8★Oct 2022
-
"Lovely comfortable house in very quiet, peaceful and friendly village."
Good location for walking. Good local pub and cafe in village. Everything you need for a good holiday.
Reviewed by Dawn5.0★Aug 2022
-
"Basically a very nice cottage."
Perfectly located for Hadrian's Wall, Vindolanda, etc. The kitchen equipment is good and the cottage is very well furnished and has good appliances. However, I can't quite give more than four stars for one reason - there is nowhere to hang anything. A previous reviewer has commented on the difficulty of hanging wet clothing to dry. This didn't affect us but surely most people expect a hanging wardrobe in a cottage. That would have been a lot more use to us than three large screen televisions. A more minor gripe is that there is nothing to make coffee in - we bought a strainer and used the Pyrex jug. Needs a little bit of development and then will merit an enthusiastic five stars.
Reviewed by David4.4★Nov 2021
-
"As an area for walkers, facilities for drying and hanging wet clothes would be very welcome."
The window blinds were a bit of a nightmare and will be broken on a regular basis.
We were a bit confused about the recycling, separate bins indoors then all in the same bin for collection.
On the plus side this was a warm, comfortable cottage, the above were just niggles, we enjoyed our stay.
Reviewed by Jean5.0★Sep 2021
-
"Beautiful house, clean and well equipped."
Fantastic location for walking and/or driving to various attractions and points of historic interest would highly recommend !
Reviewed by Christina5.0★Aug 2021
-
"Lovely property, spotlessy clean, modern and comfortable."
Great location for walking Hadrians Wall plus lots of other lovely walks from doorstep or short drive away.
Samson Inn opposite for decent pub food, booking essential.
Very peaceful apart from occasional toot from passing train but no traffic noise at all.
Stock up on provisions though as there are no shops in village.
Enjoyed our stay, great p!ace to relax and enjoy the beautiful and interesting surrounding area.
Reviewed by Lonnie5.0★Jul 2021
-
"This cottage is beautiful and literally on the doorstep to hadrians wall and a milecastle."
Grilsland is a village split between Cumbria and northumberland!
Reviewed by Sarah5.0★Jun 2021
-
"72 hrs before arrival I phoned the owners and asked for the two singles to be zip locked together as advertised, was sharply told I should of requested this at booking even though on Sykes site it said to do so 48 hrs before, was told they would see what they could do !"
On arrival found bed had just been pushed together and each had own quilt and only one pillow each. We discovered that the bin in the kitchen had not been emptied and was full of other people’s rubbish. There Are no wardrobes or hooks to hang anything up, and the TVs upstairs only work on BBC iPlayer ITV hub etc. And only two small mirrors in the house one of which is in the bathroom. Also the table is very small and only fits two comfortably. This is the first Sykes cottage that did not meet expectations.
Reviewed by Gary3.1★May 2021
-
"The flat was well equipped & immaculate."
It was spotless & so modern. I would recommend it to anyone!
Reviewed by Rebecca5.0★Apr 2021
-
"If your thinking of booking this property because it looks nice think again!"
Book it its awesome!! Fitted to high speck lovely quiet location and easy access to the A69 and routes Cumbria and Northumberland. We loved our stay at 11 the forge book it and you'll be leaving great feedback just like me!
Reviewed by Julian5.0★Apr 2021
-
There are no reviews featuring this term
Show all reviews