Sycamore Tree Farm

32 Customer Reviews

• "Enjoyed our 3rd visit ."

  I think the outside of the property could do with a bit more maintenance as the window views were blocked by the climbing plant . And maybe if some of the garden trees and bushes were trimmed there would be better views of the hills in front . Also there should be a large supply of logs and coal we usually have to bring our own supply’s , most other cottages have large amounts to use . Apart from that we love the place

  Reviewed by Lee3.1★Aug 2024

• "We, a dutch couple, loved this old English farmhouse so much!"

  It was really perfect in our eyes! We often look to the tv program 'Escape tot country' and it was an experience like that! And the surroundings: so beautiful and quiet! We made many walks and were every time again astonished by the landscape, the farms, the stone walls, the sheep... We enjoyed everything and every moment; a real escape to the country for two onforgettable weeks!

  Reviewed by J.5.0★Jul 2024

• "Had a brilliant holiday here but you must accept the limitations of an old property."

  The one feature that would improve the property would be a shower

  Reviewed by Valerie4.1★Apr 2024

• "We had the most wonderful two week stay at Sycamore Tree Farm."

  It's position is remote, quiet, and amazing views. It's a farmhouse, it's rustic, and it has lots of charm. I had good mobile reception there. It was lovely and warm with adequate heating, comfy beds. However I did notice something was nibbling my apples in the fruit bowl the last couple of days. Possibly mice ? It's a farmhouse so didn't surprise or upset me. But may bother some. Communication was excellent with the key holder and a very nice lady she is too

  Reviewed by Tracey3.8★Sep 2023

• "Property as described and shown on website so knew exactly what to expect and any minor shortcomings made up for by location, setting and ability to have great walks without driving anywhere."

  Loved having access to a proper pantry and brought back happy memories of my grandmother's house. Wonderful array of cookware but cooker is a bit old fashioned. Television doesn't work and would have appreciated being informed of that, so we could have brought a laptop with us instead of having to rely on our iPads. A fixed shower curtain rail would also make having a shower much easier but to be clear, these are minor details/criticisms that wouldn't stop us returning.

  Reviewed by Gill4.4★Sep 2023

• "Summerwatch There is so much animal activity at Sycamore Tree Farm, the presenters of Summerwatch could film there."

  What with the lambs and sheep all over the garden, running past the front porch entrance, the swallows nesting in the porch and the two species of mice running around the living room there was plenty to keep us busy. We thoroughly enjoyed watching the antics of the lambs, we didn’t realise they could be quite so like young children. When we walked up to the road through the fields to take a blue bin bag as requested to the roadside collection point, the lambs tried to get hold of the bag and we pointed our walking sticks at them and shouted ‘no’ and ‘stay’. When this failed we broke into a run with the bag as we didn’t want them to hurt themselves trying to eat our rubbish. Although the grass in the garden had been cut, the lambs spent a lot of effort coming into the garden even though we always kept the gate shut. We couldn’t understand why, but I guess it’s a case of ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’. The house is lovely and warm, the only downside was we couldn’t work out how to get any hot water in the kitchen or bathroom. I think it was the warmth that encouraged the mice to run around the living room even when the lights were all on. We were amazed that they would come out into view like that while we were sitting there talking and reading. We caught one of the larger species, but the others moved too fast to catch, at least when we tried. There was a nest of swallows on a light fitting in the porch which we didn’t notice at first. But it was possible to stand in the hallway of the house with the glass front door closed and watch the swallows fly in and out to feed their chicks. We had no idea they had to make so many trips for such a large part of the day and the chicks could clearly be seen to grow as the week progressed. On the last morning as we were carrying the bags out to the car, the first of the three swallow chicks had left the nest and was on the porch windowsill trying to learn to fly out of the porch and we hope we didn’t cause it too much distress as we left. Sadly the nest will soon be empty again. The WIFI is great and there’s ample lighting to read by; the sofa and armchairs have been replaced and they and the beds are very comfy and there are great walks from the door, including walks by the river. I suggest you bring a torch in case you need to get anything from your car at night, as cars are parked quite a way away, the other side of the gate. We are looking forward to coming again next year, we just hope the mice won’t be there then.

  Reviewed by Patricia3.4★Jul 2023

• "The cottage is in a great location with lovely views easterly over the Eden valley towards High Seat."

  There were plenty of walks possible from the doorstep. The cottage was very peaceful, the nearest main road being about 1/2 a mile away. The hairpin bend in the drive was easily negotiable in my Golf but a car with a longer wheelbase might have difficulties. The WiFi was excellent. It's a shame there isn't a smart TV as that would allow services like Netflix etc. to be used as there is no broadcast TV signal. My main criticism is that the cottage was not very clean. For example the sink and bath had obviously not been cleaned from the previous guests as there were hairs in both. Also the floors in the kitchen and bathroom were dirty. There were lots of cobwebs everywhere. The oven gloves were ripped and unusable.

  Reviewed by Roger3.4★May 2023

• "Absolutely lovely for us, but not for the TV addicts!"

  Absolute silence apart from sheep, birds, babbling beck, and occasional fighter jet down the valley! Perfect walking from cottage, perfect for castles, waterfalls and caves, WiFi excellent if you need digital entertainment, but no mobile signal, no problem haha Excellent place for a stress free holiday, apart from hairpin bend on lane which challenges your driving skills to do it in one..

  Reviewed by Brenda4.7★Mar 2023

• "We had a lovely time at Sycamore Tree Farm!"

  Shirley the housekeeper was so friendly & helpful and phoned us during our stay to check everything was okay at the cottage. The panoramic views were just incredible, as was the peace & seclusion, whilst still being within easy reach of Hawes and Kirkby Stephen. Cottage was clean and cosy with old fashioned charm. WiFi has now been installed at the property, much appreciated by our three teenage girls, and there is a TV with a selection of DVDs. Enjoyed the Settle to Carlisle Railway for a wonderful day out (amazing scenic route). The Black Bull at Nateby served a great Sunday lunch (& dog friendly), would recommend. Thanks for a lovely chilled week - we’d certainly love to return.

  Reviewed by John3.8★Oct 2022

• "Property description says "Grade II listed, stone-built detached farmhouse" but I can't find the listing on the Historic England website."

  The picture of the front of the house is a bit out of date - the virginia creeper has rather taken over and obstructs the view from some of the windows, so it and the rowans round the house could be with trimming back a bit. Also the property description makes no mention of the very tight hairpin bend on the access track - we had a small trailer with us and negotiating the hairpin proved a considerable challenge. If the tree branches to your right on the uphill side at the start of the hairpin were trimmed back a foot or so a 4x4 would stand a chance of getting round the hairpin in one go. That said the peace and isolation is excellent and we'd go again.

  Reviewed by Jools3.1★Sep 2022

• "What a lovely remote cottage."

  Perfect for a week away in the upper Eden valley. This is certainly a characterful property with loads of charm. The living room was warm and cosy especially with the open fire roaring! The place is very close to the Settle/Carlisle railway but the noise was much less than I expected and didn't cause any issues. On a technical note. The wi-fi is being installed but was not working when we stayed, there is however an EE mast in the valley and you can get 4G by the front windows or upstairs. If you don't have an EE sim and your phone supports e-sims you can get an e-sim that runs on the EE network, personally I used an Airalo European Roaming e-sim and that worked fine (note that their UK only sim was, at the time, O2 only and would not work). Would be very happy to stay here again one day.

  Reviewed by Gordon4.7★Jul 2022

• "Needs some investment."

  Size and sound quality of TV dissapointing for 2022. Snug smelt dusty and stagnant. Fridge in pantry a pain. Mosquitoes a nuisance even though had repellant. Good location for walkers and those trying to get away from distractions of modern life, wi fi when operational will improve access to information for planning days out. Not suitable for kids 8+ as no tech.

  Reviewed by Barry3.4★Jun 2022

• "We (and the two collies) had a lovely week at Sycamore cottage."

  A wonderful location and so peaceful, and really far away from any roads or populated areas. We had some family and friends come and join us for a few days throughout the week and hosted some wonderful get togethers. Housekeeper Shirley was very kind, and accommodating. Also, good 4G Service on EE in the area, too. The cottage is close to tons of walking pathways throughout the dales, and easy access to Kirkby Stephen, however we spent two evenings at a local pub down the road, called the Black Bull (great food and great service- also dog friendly). Cottage was really cute, so much character and a wonderful charm, particularly the fireplace in the front room. I would contest Steve's review before this. I found his review very pedantic and if he wanted he should stay in a cottage where all of the hinges matched- he should go to Butlins. You'll never get the character and warmth of a place like this over there.

  Reviewed by Graham5.0★Apr 2022

• "We enjoyed our stay The house was clean and reasonably well equipped."

  WiFi would make a big difference, but we knew there was none when we booked it. We loved the remote location, the beautiful valley and all the lambs. 10 Things that would have made our stay more pleasant - Use of the Rayburn in the kitchen would have made a massive difference to our comfort & enjoyment. The kitchen was cold. - A window on the pantry, cold air blows through the open grating, our use of the pantry blasted cold air into the kitchen. - Thermastat in the immersion heater to ensure hot water (it reaches boiling point so has to be turned off but we weren't told of this so we ran out of hot water on day 2.) - Some gravel around the gate and the parking area, after a night's rain it turned into a sea of mud. Not good for cars or house. - Better lighting in the hallway so we could locate our things, even a brighter bulb would have helped. - Better lighting in the living room, there is lots of mood lighting but all at a low level so we struggled to read comfortably. - Bedside tables that are flat - the dished ratten things in the 2nd bedroom were useless and the bedside lights too low to read by. - Bathroom door has unmatched hinges and makes a terrible noise when opened or closed, needs taking off and replacing properly (sounds like a detail, but the layout made this very disturbing at night). - Bolt on downstairs loo needs oiling or replacing with something less sharp, I caught my finger on it - most unpleasant. - Too many nicknacks and ornaments, as when staying you need to be able to use all available surfaces. The caretaker does need informing that the door is mising from the electricity meter box at the back of the house - to rent this house without electricity does not bear thinking about!

  Reviewed by Steve3.4★Apr 2022

• "The cottage was absolutely fantastic and exactly what we hoped for."

  It was very clean, comfortable and had all amenities we needed for our stay. The location was brilliant. Isolated up on a hill but still plenty nearby to explore when out walking. Just a note that the written directions in the description are much more accurate than the maps/sat nav link provided. Shirley was an amazing host who provided some really valuable information to enhance our weekend experience. If your looking for a relatively isolated, relaxing getaway and escape then this cottage is perfect. Having no phone signal for a few days was bliss. Would happily recommend the cottage. Thank you!

  Reviewed by Billy5.0★Mar 2022

• "Absolutely stunning location with fabulous views and walks from the doorstep."

  The description is totally accurate. No WiFi and the tv doesn’t work - but who needs those and we did have phone signal sometimes. The water is a bit frustrating until you get used to it. Comfy beds and to be clear the twin room is off one of the bedrooms ie no other route to it so perfect for younger children. Fabulous pantry just off the kitchen and the fire in the lounge just made our autumn evenings incredibly cosy.

  Reviewed by Rachel4.1★Oct 2021

• "Beautiful house and location."

  Shame there was no basic tea and coffee etc when arrived. Overall a lovely place to stay. Would recommend.

  Reviewed by Oliver4.1★May 2021

• "Fantastic place."

  Please don’t upgrade or alter. Rare to find traditional non-glossed up places. Will visit again.

  Reviewed by Dan3.8★Jul 2020

• "This cottage is sublimely remote and packed with character and charm!"

  A real "get away from it all" experience deep within the beauty and majesty of the Yorkshire Dales. A perfect escape in an old farmhouse with all the amenities required yet retaining an old world atmosphere and remote tranquility.

  Reviewed by Billy4.7★Sep 2019

• "We LOVE this cottage - we stay in a lot of cottages and this is the first one we have rebooked."

  So peaceful and relaxing - the location is stunning. Sitting in the garden enjoying the tranquility and the view is so rejuvenating. The cottage is warm and welcoming. Really well equipped - we cooked from scratch a fair few times and found everything we needed for a full roast dinner. Loved the handy larder. The bath is also the perfect size for a good, long, comfortable soak after a hard day's hiking. We were bemused my the comments about it needing updating - it is PERFECT as it is. Location is perfect - secluded and very private, but with walks from the doorstep or just a short drive away. We walked every day and still couldn't fit in all we wanted to to! Loved the local produce available in every town and village, but that means we ate far too many cakes and pies (hence all the walking!). Shirley was wonderful, warm, welcoming and helpful - she is amaxing. Slept so well, and even sleeping with the windows open you don't hear the trains pass by. We are returning next year and expect to have another wonderful week :)

  Reviewed by Emma5.0★Sep 2019

• "Beautiful peaceful unspoilt place."

  Reviewed by Thelma5.0★Aug 2019

• "The Cottage was in a magnificent location and the exterior was as expected and stunning."

  Shirely the caretaker had done a stirling job on providing a clean if old fashioned finish. We felt it was expensive for what it was, the interior was a bit old and shabby, the lack of a shower was a major downside in this age and the fact the garden wasn't tended at all was a big disappointment as it made it virtually unusable.

  Reviewed by Valerie2.8★Jul 2019

• "A fairy cottage with fantastic views,peace and quite and situated in easy reach to all the sights by car have fallen in love with the place ."

  Reviewed by Jennifer5.0★Apr 2019

• "This cottage is perfect as it is which is original and charming ."

  .love that is gated and grids and no signal and no tv a real escape ..bliss bliss and more bloss

  Reviewed by Nuala5.0★Apr 2019

• "We had a fantastic week at Sycamore tree farm cottage."

  The atmosphere in and around the cottage is idyllic. The location is superb and the views are wonderful. There is one down side though, As I have mentioned before with the Sykes team, I was very disappointed I could not use the Rayburn, which is for sole use of the owner. Eventhough it was advertised at the site with pictures. The weather was quite cold that week, we even had snow. The Rayburn would have been a nice kitchen warmer, instead of the electric heaters. Please change the pictures that show the Rayburn or mention in the ad that the Rayburn is not included in the rent. One of the reasons we chose Sycamore is that it had a Rayburn!

  Reviewed by M3.1★Mar 2019

• "This is a fabulous, very rural, old farm cottage."

  Perfect in November to bring a dog terrified of fireworks, & we heard none. All we heard was the weather, birdsong & the occasional train, which was not loud or annoying. Is this a cottage full of mod cons...no, but the positives far outweigh any not so positives. Barely any pressure in the shower, but one can still shower, so that's fine. There's also a lovely long bath where you can have a lovely long soak. The cottage is very well equipped in the kitchen. We cooked from scratch, most days, & found everything we needed. There's no washing machine, so we went retro & did hand washing. All four of us saw a red squirrel in the front garden, & the bird life is wonderful. There are 2 Herons at the nearby river. Getting here was tricky, but if you do EXACTLY 5.8 miles after the Moorcock inn you get to the turn off for the farm, and then Sycamore is signposted. Try arrive in daylight hrs though as it's tricky! Those directions are if you've come from the Hawes area. The nearby (4miles) Nateby Inn is the nearest pub and is great with good food. We are sure the details of the cottage said a pub 1 mile away, but it doesn't exist. We highly recommend Sycamore. The peace & tranquillity is wonderful. Some people have written in the visitors book that it needs an overhaul, but we disagreed. It is what it is, and that's perfect

  Reviewed by Carole5.0★Nov 2018

• "Location stunning."

  Cottage very peaceful and relaxing. Plenty of wildlife watching and tranquility around the cottage and weather watching over the mallerstang Common. Shirley who was the local contact and arrived to prepare cottage for next booking is so friendly and interesting to talk to. Plenty of wood for fire which lasted us the week. Lots of fantastic walks nearby and easy to drive to more wonderful places to walk. Only recommendations for improvement would be a good powerful shower in addition to the main bathroom as 6 tired wet muddy walkers sharing the one bathroom wasn't ideal and was surprised to find feather pillows and duvets on some beds which felt in need of a refresh or replacement with new hollow fibre, so a little more updating to the bedding would be great. Also a washing machine would be a very helpful addition to the kitchen facilities. However, sitting outside and gazing across the beautiful valley on a mild October afternoon made these things of very little importance! A fabulous spot.

  Reviewed by Katherine3.8★Oct 2018

• "What a fabulous property."

  Ideal base for walking. Even though Settle-Carlise rail line is nearby you couldn't hear the 8 trains a day. Though we did manage to see one if the steam train specials go by. Loads of beautiful places to visit near by. The Wensleydale dairy and White Scar Cave were really interesting. The property has retained so much if its authenticity. The emmersion heater ensured plenty of hot water for post walk baths. The open fire also kept us toastie warm on an evening when we came in from the beautiful gardens. As recommended the pantry kept our wine and cheese just right. Would thouroughly recommend to anyone. Some bizzare comments like "needs modernising" made us laugh. Shirley the caretaker was great at explaining how to find the farm as it isn't well signposted and also rang to check evertything was ok.

  Reviewed by Lorna5.0★Sep 2018

• "My husband and I stayed at Sycamore Tree Farm from 30th June to 5th July with our two labradors."

  We chose this property due to the location of the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. I have listed both the pros and cons of the property for an accurate review of our stay. Pros: The Owner Shirley was very lovely and was a phone call away if we needed anything. The building itself was lovely, a very charming building and had all the bits and pieces you would need for a stay. there was a TV with various DVDs which was great for the evenings after long days out. The fireplace was great, even though we had hot days, we still had cool evenings so made a couple of fires. which was great for the dogs to fall asleep in front of. The kitchen was fully stocked with pots, pans, plenty of cutlery and cups and glasses. the Larder was brilliant, it stored all our food and stayed relatively cool even in the heat. The Location of the property is brilliant. there is so much to see and do in the area. and the local town of Kirkby has everything you need to either dine out or stock up with. The house can sleep 6 in beds comfortably. There are two toilets, one upstairs in the bathroom and one downstairs, which was a good convenience. The sunshine in the afternoon was lovely, we sat outside tanning in the sun with cold drinks, that was our favorite part of the holiday. there were also various board games, which was great and we played a few in the evenings. There was also a huge list of different walks in the area, and maps if you wanted to take out with you for the day, along with local restaurant menus and recommendations. Cons: The day before we arrived we were told we cant drink the water as the bore water UV light wasn't working so wouldn't be safe to drink. The owner did have a 4 litre bottle of water for us at the property which was kind, but overall it wasn't very convenient as we had to keep buying bottled water which was also for our dogs, and in the heat wave, we went through a lot. also as i am pregnant, i was worried particularly brushing teeth etc, so we had to still use bottled water for that too. Hopefully this issue is now resolved for the property. The hot water system had to be turned on each time you wanted Hot Water and it took about 45 minutes to an hour to heat the tank to be able to have a bath. There was no stand alone shower, and the shower head in the bath was very weak and would run either hot or cold depending on how you held it. We were advised not to leave the hot water system on all day as the tank was in an upstairs cupboard and gets too hot. This became a bit annoying when trying to wash dishes at different times of the day. A couple of hours into arriving we had a call to tell us there was a large Wasps Nest under the outside table. we were advised to spray fly spray in the hole at the bottom of the nest, we didn't feel comfortable with that and having two dogs who like to explore, we had to fence off part of the enclosed garden so the dogs wouldn't accidentally get too close or knock the nest. The living room main double sofa needs an upgrade, it is very worn and not very comfortable. Overall the house needs a deep clean, it was extremely dusty. we arent very fussy people and have rented many holiday cottages, but my asthma was particularly bad in the house, you could see all the dust every time you opened or closed curtains, or moved a blanket. I think if that was done it would make a huge difference. *** Owner Response*** Thank you for your feedback and your positive comments, the issues relating to the UV & wasps nest have both been dealt with. Thank you once again. **

  Reviewed by Tarryn3.1★Jun 2018

• "We were very happy with our holiday from the booking to the week we had away."

  The communications from Sykes was superb. I will be booking again through this company

  Reviewed by Rodney5.0★Apr 2018

• "Cosy cottage in a fantastic location"

  Reviewed by Sean5.0★Mar 2018

• "Amazing location beautiful house spacious for 6 Lovely fresh flowers and first stack of logs for the fire Thankyou"

  Reviewed by Marie5.0★Aug 2016

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