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"Well equipped cottage, an ideal base for our long weekend."
Lots to do nearby and plenty of places to visit further afield. Dog friendly garden, even our own Houdini dog could not escape! Would particularly recommend visiting Little Budworth Country Park for dog walks, and the Egerton Arms around the corner from there is excellent, providing good beer, delicious food and a farm shop.
Reviewed by Sally4.4★Sep 2024
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"We arrived at this cottage on Friday to find that it had not been cleaned since the last visitors had left."
There was dirty bedding and towels in the bathrooms and bins were still full. The outside garden furniture is not acceptable for paying guests, it was green and dirty and we ended up having to clean it ourselves. The garden area in general was dirty with old mats and bins just left outside filled with old dog waste bags.
Eventually some nice ladies from the equestrian centre came to give us fresh bedding.
We cleaned the kitchen ourself to find that there was a massive puddle of water just sat in the bottom of the fridge and mould in the freezer. Also the tap in the kitchen just falls off and the extraction fan does not work in the kitchen. We went to cook dinner to find that there is no markings on the oven so no one knows how to use the oven, I ended up accidently using the grill and burning all the food with no extractor fan to get rid of the smoke, it is a hazard! Also, there is no lights at all in the garden which is really uneven and the torches provided all didn't work so when going into the garden at night we couldn't see a thing.
We had no toilet roll and had to go out to the shop and get it ourselves, no wood or fire lighters or welcome pack as promised when we booked on the website.
Overall, completely disappointed with our stay, we paid a lot of money for this stay just to clean it ourself and find it wasn't up to standard at all. It shouldn't be rented out in its current way. It wasn't just us either, a family turned up to the cottage next door that is owned by the same person to find they had the same problems and theirs had not been cleaned either and they ended up actually leaving and going home!
Reviewed by Simon1.9★Aug 2024
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"Arrived to find that the paint in the kitchen was all flaking off and over the floor certainly hadn't just been cleaned."
No supplies had been left as suggested in the arrival book.
Facilities adequate, however could be so much better with a few little tweaks.
Garden furniture could do with an update or at least a clean. Garden could be so much more of a feature of had some basic maintenance.
Garden is just about secure for dogs but definitely wouldn't leave them out unattended as there are a few dodgy areas in the boundary line where a small dog could get through.
Property could do with an airer and a BBQ to make the stay a little more comfortable.
Stairs are very noisy a few could do with resecuring.
Owner was away at the time of our visit, staff at Kelsell hill were helpful and friendly.
Lovely places to visit nearby, nothing is far away.
Reviewed by Michelle3.1★Jul 2024
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"The first problem was trying to get into the property, one key was bent."
After going to the office, a 'caretaker ' came and helped me gain access.
The property was dirty, full of and dust. It had an overpowering odour of heating oil in the dining room, which was far worse in the kitchen. We discovered, by looking out of the back bedroom, that there seems to be a leaking boiler/pipe from the boiler from the property on the left.
The extraction fan over the cooker did not work. Neither did the bathroom extractor fan.
The mat outside the back-door desperately needs to be removed. It is dirty and of no use what so ever. If anything you just carry all the dirt inside. There is no mat inside either front or back doors.
The bin in the kitchen was dirty and contained a roller and things from the painter, that I was informed had just painted a section of the kitchen wall. Which by the time we left had already started bubbling.
The curtains in the bedrooms definitely need to be changed for heavy/ blackout ones.
Having said that, after I cleaned up as best as possible ( no cleaning products in the property), the property and area was perfect for what we needed.
The garden was a wee bit overgrown but safe and secure for our dogs.
There were plenty of towels, storage and the bed was comfortable.
Apart from the things that desperately need rectified in this property, we enjoyed our stay. The property just needs TLC. I would love to own this property!!!
Reviewed by Maureen2.5★Jun 2024
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"The cottage was a paradox,in that it was furbished with high quality oak fittings and furniture,comfortable seating ,a very efficient heating and hot water system ,good shower etc yet on entering the cottage we were greeted by a kitchen,that had paint off some of the walls down to the bare plaster,bins that hadn't been emptied rubbish not even put in a waste bag just put in the plastic bin,light bulbs that didn't work,loose bannister rails and loose shower fitting attaching shower to the wall;the wooden varnished stairs had varnish worn down to the bare wood on some treddlesand skirting board in the bathroom had paint worn off ; the oven in the kitchen had all the setting markings worn off,so one didn't know which oven setting to use ;the TV remote control was held to-gether by sticky tape etc."
That being said ,the cottage was in many ways ideal for us with our lively dog as the fully enclosed minimalist garden was very safe for the dog,and the house's facilities suited someone with a lively pet! The cottage was also set in an ideal location,close to Chester with its roman remain,mediaeval shopping ramparts,busy river etc; fine beaches in north Wales could be reached from the cottage in just over an hour ,Delamere Forest was on the doorstep with long distance footpaths like the Sandstone Way and an active Forest Enterprise Centre with Go-Ape and Sedgeway activities etc available. The Abbeywood Gardens a few miles from the cottage were very attractive,and there are numerous restaurants ,pubs serving food and tearooms in the vacinity. It was also good of the Equestrian Centre across the road to allow holiday guests to walk though its grounds to the substantial woodland area at its rear,with multiple footpaths and forest tracks to walk in.
So overall the cottage had plusses and minuses.
Reviewed by John1.9★May 2024
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"Felt the whole house required a deep clean ended up cleaning the kitchen before using it."
Welcome pack or goodies not left don't promise and not deliver
Reviewed by Elizabeth2.2★May 2024
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"Few issues with hearing and hot water finally got sorted"
Reviewed by Andrew3.1★Apr 2024
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"It was basic but adequate, the heating wasn’t great it didn’t work on demand it was a cold weekend so we struggled to keep warm!"
The location was great ideal for delamere forrrest, Chester and tarporley. The equestrian centre was superb excellent breakfast / food and amazing Forrest walks in bluebell woods.
Reviewed by Tim3.4★Mar 2024
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"The cottage was clean."
Big thank you for milk and brownies. Downstairs is very basic - as you’d expect with a dog-friendly let. Upstairs the bathroom is tiled, modern, with both a bath and a good walk-in shower.
The bedrooms are fine, plenty of storage, comfy. I would perhaps suggest that the blind in the top bedroom, though very pretty, needs to be replaced with something more lightproof. The lights from the equestrian centre, the headlights horse boxes leaving in the early hours and passing traffic kept me awake.
Kitchen wise it was the oven that caused problems. All the numbers are worn off on the dial so a bit hit and miss! Good washing machine. Nice big fridge freezer.
Garden small, messy, but hey ho! the dogs didn’t mind. Good parking round back, but couldn’t lock gate as bolt didn’t match up. We didn’t notice any noise from traffic.
Would recommend the dog walk near Oulton Park. It’s in the book. Good parking, dog bin, dogs allowed off lead, toilets. A lovely woodland walk, good dry path.
Would also recommend Rose Farm Shop. Get everything you need from here. On the same site, dog supplies plus a wonderful cafe for breakfast and lunch (take a doggy bag the portions are generous). Lovely staff.
Yes, we would stay here again.
Reviewed by Mari4.7★Sep 2023
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"Cottage as described and nice arrival gift of milk, eggs and cakes."
Lovely and clean. Arrival instructions provided in advance and accurate.
We had an issue with light and extraction kitchen which someone came and mainly sorted (extractor issue wasn't resolved). Friendly staff before and during our stay.
Thanks for letting us book the cottage.
Reviewed by Helen5.0★Aug 2023
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"Having stayed here last year and we were so pleased with our little stay …
We opted again
this year ."
.missed the strawberry’s and clotted cream we had last year although lol , cake and 4 pints of milk on arrival was a lovely touch ..there was a flickering light in the kitchen but this certainly didn’t bother us .. everything had been newly painted which is lovely ..would definitely stay here again
Reviewed by Sarah5.0★Aug 2023
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"Lovely cottage."
We had a great stay despite the weather
Reviewed by Vic4.7★Jul 2023
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"A cosy holiday cottage that was dog friendly."
A perfect family base that allowed visits to Chester, the Zoo, Liverpool and other great attractions. Very minor issues with toilet seat and stair gates, that can easily be improved. Lovely walks up the hill to Primrose Wood for our dog and Delamere forest. The enclosed garden was great for our dog and off road parking at the rear.
Reviewed by Maria3.8★Mar 2023
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"Beautiful well kept place."
Thank you for leaving a Poinsettia, our stay was a delay Christmas celebration, so it was a lovely surprise! 1 small suggestion, a mop and bucket to use would have been useful however We found a mop that we used from the shed to keep the muddy paw prints down.
Reviewed by Simonne4.7★Mar 2023
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"We've been to the property a few times now and we just love it."
Plenty of space, nice and cozy and garden is great for the dogs. Urchins Kitchen across the road for drinks and food, plenty of nice walks around. We've already booked again :)
Reviewed by Victoria5.0★Feb 2023
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"Lovely cottage, in a the countryside, although traffic can be noisy, but didn't bother us, we have stayed there 3 times now."
Lovely area to explore. The cottage was well equipped. Cosy room, comfortable beds and great shower. Nice secure garden for the dogs to play in.
Reviewed by Linda5.0★Nov 2022
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"We had a lovely time in your cottage (No 2), found it comfortable with a safe garden for our small dog."
There were lots of great walks, near the Equestrian Centre, in Primrose Woods, so enjoyable. Then back for a coffee and snack in the centre, we did enjoy that! The staff were lovely and friendly too.
We went to the Morris Dancer and Fishpools for a couple of meals, which were very good and dog friendly.
A great location for walks, coffee and getting into Chester.
Reviewed by Kim4.1★Oct 2022
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"This property definitely requires updating!"
Taps in bathroom need to be a mixer along with the toilet seat replacing and a new plug in the bath as it wasn't attached to the chain so I had to use a fork to remove the plug. Having said that, my daughter wanted a bath and the water went cold very quickly so had to have a shower instead. We were cold in the property so followed the instructions to boost the water and turn up the heating but the radiators were still not hot. The kitchen absolutely stunk of curry - even the microwave when I opened it.The fridge had a lot of old crumbs and dog hairs in it. Even the bowls I took out of the cupboard needed cleaning. The oven was a disgrace unfortunately, and the oven trays were disgusting - I had to clean one before I used it. The cooker and microwave were very old/used and the dials had been rubbed off so it was a bit of trial and error. The bannister was hanging off the wall which is quite important when you have to use something to get up the stairs - major health and safety issue. Many areas of the property needed repainting as the walls were dirty and marked and paint peeling away. The equestrian centre had a new driveway laid and therefore I had to carry all of our heavy bags much further as there was no room around the back of the houses suitable for a 3.5t horsebox. I wish I had known this before I booked as I would have stayed in accommodation a bit further away as it did not benefit me at all staying across the road from the centre. It was a lot of money and was disappointing to say the least.
Hi Claire,
We are very sorry you had a disappointing stay with us. Hopefully I can address some of your comments.
It would be impossible to change to a mixer tap in the bathroom without changing the sink which does not require changing. As for the toilet seat and plug, these issues have now both been resolved. The bath is probably the same as most bathtubs in the country so I am not quite sure how it can have gone cold any quicker than any other.
We are sorry you found the property to be cold, usually if you turn the thermostat up a little, the property gets nice and toasty. I will check the radiators out.
The cleaners have been informed about the state of the kitchen and will make sure your points are dealt with, although the smell of a curry from the last client the previous evening is fairly difficult to eradicate in a few small hours between lets, sorry.
The problem with the banister rail has been addressed and is now safe.
We are sorry the property is looking a little tired, it has been a busy year with back to back bookings, we have pencilled in some maintenance days to help make the property bright and cheerful again.
The equestrian has 3 entrances, only the main one was out of action, had you spoken with the owner, you would have been given directions, so that you could drop your equipment directly at the stables and then parked your vehicle either in our lorry park, or to at the property.
We are sorry that your stay was not as you had expected it to be, perhaps had you come into reception at the equestrian centre, many things could have been rectified whilst you were here.
Regards
Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre
Property Owner
Reviewed by Claire2.2★Oct 2022
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"We stayed at this property in between moving house for 4 weeks."
It was great, it is in between 2 roads but this is mentioned in the listing. Parking is behind the property not along the road. The property is dog friendly and we were able to walk him over the road and through the Equestrian centre to the public footpath which was lovely. The house itself has everything you need and is very well positioned for Delamere forest, Frodsham, Chester etc, all are only a short distance away. We have 2 small children and lots of baby gates were provided which is ideal with the 3 floors, there were also some toys left to play with and also a highchair if needed. The only thing I would recommend would be a hoover with it being dog friendly, as we were moving we had our own to use but this wouldn't have normally been the case. A lovely stay, thanks
Thank you so much for your kind comments, we are very pleased you had a good stay.
We will certainly look into having a hoover available.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Ruth5.0★Jun 2022
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"General cleaning was fine, but the kitchen left something to be desired."
Also the shower head does not fit into the holder - we made do by 'balancing ' the shower head behind the holder, but it was a risky business....
A large hole in the fence, meant the garden was not secure for our dog.
All that said, we did not experience any issues with traffic noise, as previously remarked on by other visitors. The location was ideal for us, visiting family members in the area. Lots of local pubs nearby. And, if you're lucky, you can watch a bit of show jumping from the front windows. Highly recommend Hollies Farm Shop, about 10 minutes from the cottage - lots of lovely food and treats.
Reviewed by Michael3.8★Oct 2021
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"The listing was very open that the cottage sits between two busy roads."
Fortunately armed with ear plugs and having nights that were not overly hot so not needing the windows open it didn’t really affect us very much however in very hot weather when you would want the windows open it could be a big downer if your not used to traffic noise.
We phoned the equestrian center across the road as instructed to arrange collection of keys, as we arrived while the office was open we went there as arranged to collect the keys only to find they had been placed in the key safe on the outside wall. Nothing major just a little frustrating at the wasted journey as at then end of a long drive all we wanted to do was get in to use the loo and put the kettle on.
The bathroom was very clean as were the bedrooms. Had to fold down the travel cot and store it out of the way before we could get into the smallest room but again nothing major.
The lounge was clean and tidy. The covers on one of the sofas could have done with a freshen up, it looked as though it had a couple of dirty paw marks on the covers but they weren’t where we sat they were on the arms so not a problem we worked around it.
For me the major disappointment was the kitchen. It look nice and clean on the surface. However the freezer needed a major defrost. The inside of the fridge needed cleaning before I could put food in there and the bottom of the oven had fatty water over it that had to be cleaned up before the oven could be used. I know holiday let’s are not a home from home, you won’t get all of the finishing touches that you get at home but to me general cleanliness should be a top priority and I felt this had sadly failed.
The only other downside we found was there only being the one bathroom. I know this is what was advertised but didn’t realise with a houseful just how valuable a downstairs toilet would have been when there are 6 people all wanting to use the bathroom. We went from 4 for the first few days up to 6 over a long weekend down to 3 for the second half of the second week and we managed fine either side of the long weekend. Over that period where there was the 6 of us it was defiantly a little squashed. You would probably get away with it quite easily if most are children but we were 5 adults and one child. All in all not a bad place to stay though.
Reviewed by Elizabeth3.8★Jul 2021
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"I will be emailing customer services separately about this cottage"
Reviewed by Dee1.3★Oct 2020
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"Cottage was an ideal size for three adults and three children plus one small dog ."
Unfortunate about position of cottage in between two busy roads 60 mph limit, good parking at rear of property enough for two cars. For some reason there were twelve mugs , four knives, eight forks , three desert spoons and four bowls , bin in kitchen had seen better days and would have been nice to have had the correct liners for it , toilet seat needs replacing fittings loose also . Property just needs a bit of tweaking to be spot on .
Reviewed by Jeffrey3.4★Sep 2020
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"This is our 4th visit to this cottage."
Convenient location , staff at the equestrian centre across the road were very accommodating. Good walks for dogs, The Fishpool is a great Gastropub nearby and The Hollies farm shop is a must to visit too. Helpful owner when we had a problem with the heating early Saturday evening, he came out within 15 minutes and sorted it. Facilities are fine, the road is noisy during the day but you do get used to it very quickly! The new garden gate made the garden secure for the dogs. I’m sure we’ll visit again next year!
Reviewed by Maureen4.4★Aug 2020
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"Good base for a weekend away."
Cottage was pleasant although a couple of the features were a bit tired and dated, but overall not bad. Garden small so maybe not best suited for large high energy dogs, but walks on doorstep at a Delamere Forest lovely and allowed plenty of off lead opportunities. Ate out at local pub, Fishpool inn which was excellent. Chester was also worth a visit.
Reviewed by Sarah5.0★Oct 2019
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"Lovely place to stay, been staying for the last couple of month for week, Couldn't ask for anything better!"
Reviewed by Laura5.0★Sep 2019
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"Very clean and comfortable cottage."
Well equip kitchen and modern bathroom. Made for a excellent base for a wedding locally.
Reviewed by Chris5.0★Jun 2019
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"The only criticism i would have and it didnt spoil our break was there was no washing line, it was too warm to put on fire or heating so couldnt dry indoors and the washer/dryer doessnt dry well so would have been useful to be able to hang clothes out."
Just a possible touch to add something.
Reviewed by David4.7★Jun 2019
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"Ve ry disappointed with position of cottage advert stated there would be some traffic noise."
This was unbelievingly noisy as the cottage was sandwiched between 2 roads one being the main road to Chester and the other to the m6. We were unable to sleep and had to come home early as we were so tired . Very disappointing when you go away to relax. Also no welcome pack which would of been very welcome as there were no shops around Lastly we were unable to walk to the local pub with our dogs without risking our lives on these busy roads
I
Reviewed by Robert3.8★May 2019
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"The cottage was really nice and suited our needs perfectly."
The staff we dealt with over the phone were helpful and friendly.
There were a few negatives unfortunately. The garden would have been perfectly adequate for our dogs except there was a missing fence panel which meant we couldn't let the dogs out unsupervised. There was also a leaky shower.
Aside from the manageable negatives, a great cottage in a good location.
Reviewed by Chris4.1★Mar 2019
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"Location was great, cottage was spotless, the pub up the road was really nice, the food was excellent."
Being nr the two roads wasnt an issue as the cottage has great double glazing, you can’t here road.
Collecting and dropping keys easy.
Will come again.
Reviewed by Terry5.0★Nov 2018
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"Really nice cottage, warm and pleasant, easy to collect and drop off keys were a plus, very comfortable and relaxing"
Reviewed by David5.0★Nov 2018
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"We had a lovely week."
Having somewhere warm and cosy to return to was great.
Reviewed by Scott5.0★Nov 2018
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"The cottage was clean, spacious for us all (including two small children and two small dogs) and easy to find."
Close to Chester Zoo, also Primrose Hill wooded walks and Delamere Forest.
Interesting to watch super horses at Equitation Centre opposite.
The cottage is set in between two constantly busy commuter roads but you can quickly escape to quieter places.
Very good value for money.
Reviewed by Gay4.7★Sep 2018
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"Lovely clean cottage."
Very cosy/comfortable. Radiator in lounge stuck on so a little hot. Did inform the landlord. Everything catered for. Great location.
Reviewed by Laura5.0★Aug 2018
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"We have never used Sykes before but found the listing about the cottage to be mostly accurate."
Lovely old cottage, with a log burner, which we didn't use. Directly opposite the equestrian centre. Lovely bathroom with a great shower.
I can't say this was the relaxing holiday we had planned though .Unable to sit outside and have a relaxing drink in the garden as advertised. .the noise from the road is terrible. Also, due to summer high temperatures we needed windows open all night .Impossible to get to sleep until 1am..traffic eases off then and begins again at 4am. People need to be aware of this before booking this particular cottage. If I had known about the noise I would have booked a different property! The small row of cottages are located on a triangular piece of land with a main road on each side Heavy HGV traffic and speeding vehicles all day and all night !
Reviewed by Wendy3.8★Jul 2018
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"The shower was not working so only the bath was available."
It would have been really useful to have been told this in advance so that we could ensure we took the correct smellies with us, to be honest we would not have booked a cottage without a shower and although a leek can't be helped a bit more information would have been useful. The kitchen lacked some basic equipment like a colander/sieve and oven gloves. That said we enjoyed the cottage and our stay. The customer service from Sykes was excellent.
Reviewed by Victoria3.4★Jun 2018
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"The cottage was great, everything we needed."
You might want to downplay the possible noise on the main road as it was absolutely fine and it almost put me off booking it in the first place.
Very clean and spacious, good location.
Reviewed by Laura5.0★Apr 2018
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"Great location for visiting Chester etc."
Nice terraced house, with everything you need (including a good shower
Reviewed by Helen4.1★Mar 2018
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"Property was lovely, clean, modern, spacious & comfortable, Wonderful to watch the horses in the equestrian center across the road."
Sandwiched between 2 busy roads, but did not detract in any way. (noise wise). Took a little while to work out heating on our arrival late evening, as after following instructions in kitchen (to only use the thermostat) heating did not come on. Partner sussed it (as heating was basically turned off). and after about half an hour or so we were able to be toasty!! (plus got the wood burner going).
Back gate did not lock, and we had to wedge it shut, to make sure our dog was safe, especially as very busy roads in close proximity.
We were visiting family so did not visit all the usual lovely places in the area, but definitely a great base for visiting Chester, Delamere Forest, wonderful walks, and North wales too!!
Would definitely return. To be honest, cottage did exceed our expectations and we really enjoyed our stay.
Reviewed by Christine4.4★Jan 2018
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"This was our second trip to this property as we had enjoyed our first visit so much."
The location is ideal for exploring the nearby Delamere Forest and Sandstone Trail and handy for Chester. The cottage is in great condition and equipped with everything you need for a week away and the owners are just across the road if you need anything extra. It's lovely and cosy in the Winter with a log burner (and you can buy additional wood from across the road as you need it) and the owners even left a little Christmas Tree as we stayed in December!
Reviewed by Clare4.4★Dec 2017
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"A good location to explore Chester and a Delamere forest, the house was exactly as described and the WiFi and log burner were a great addition."
Delaremere forest on the doorstep and 2 good pubs 20 mins walk away made this house good value all round.
Reviewed by Iain4.8★Nov 2017
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"Lovely house in a quiet are, great location for exploring surrounding areas we visited North Wales, Liverpool and chester, great outlet mall at Cheshire oaks."
A lovely week away in a lovely home, we would most definitely return.
Reviewed by Nicola5.0★Oct 2017
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"A very pleasant cottage in a very pleasant location."
The Staff at the Equestrian Centre were excellent as well.
Reviewed by Derek5.0★Sep 2017
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"Would be better if the grass had been cut"
Reviewed by Neville4.8★May 2017
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"Lovely cottage in an excellent location for Delamere Forest."
Very friendly and helpful staff. Would recommend.
Reviewed by Andrea5.0★Jan 2017
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"Home from home, everything you needed to have a comfortable stay."
Very clean. Highly recommend!
Reviewed by Yvette4.8★Oct 2016
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"Road noise"
Reviewed by David5.0★Aug 2016
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