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"This is a beautiful house but is in serious need of a deep clean and some serious TLC."
We had no heating for most of our week long stay and one day no hot water. The power tripped out regularly each day leaving us with no lights, until we could reset the fuse box. I would say at least 3-4 times daily!
The property had a number of broken and faulty chairs and stools not fit for use, one even collapsed whilst in use leaving my husband on the floor.
The doors were difficult to lock, the washing machine had leaked on the floor, the coffee machine did not work and the gas hob was dangerous. I’m not an expert but using an oven glove to turn off the gas as it would not shut off seems terrible to me!
Shame as it’s a perfect location, great access to town and the countryside but would not revisit.
Reviewed by Samantha1.3★Oct 2024
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"It’s a lovely house -warm and comfortable - however having read the other reviews since I came home I would agree that there are some ongoing maintenance issues-
- the lights trip the power constantly- and the fuse box wasn’t in an obvious place ."
There was a note saying this would be fixed in June . We weren’t able to contact the owner initially resulting in my friend stuck in a dark house on his own hunting for the fuse box .
- some of the dining room chairs are built incorrectly and so collapse
- the bin lid doesn’t close
- the seal around the cooker dangles down
- didn’t use the coffee machine so can’t comment
Reviewed by Marcus4.4★Oct 2024
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"We first visited this property 2."
5 years ago, and apart from a loose toilet seat in the family bathroom, it was in very good condition. The location is brilliant, in easy walking distance of Bakewell. It has high quality fixtures and fittings in the bathrooms and kitchen, and the beds are comfortable. Accommodation is spacious.
Unfortunately, it is now suffering from a serious lack of maintenance, resulting in the following problems:
The side door was not locked on arrival. None of the females in my party were strong enough to lift it and lock it.
The kitchen tap dripped constantly. A sign said it was due to be remedied in June, but, clearly nothing had been done.
The electricity tripped many times a day. One of the light switches in the living room had a notice (June) saying do not use, and that it would be fixed the following week. Power was off when we arrived and the freezer was full of water.
Downstairs toilet door would not shut and toilet seat was loose.
Family bathroom seat still loose. This toilet was also flushing slightly, all the time.
Master bedroom window wouldn't shut, and held in place by card.
Several pieces of crockery chipped.
Many windows dirty with cobwebs as well. Paint on skirtings in en-suite and downstairs toilet flaking (presumably through previous water damage.
WE would consider renting again, but only if the faults were rectified.
Reviewed by Nigel3.1★Sep 2024
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"The house was really lovely, spacious, extremely well equipped and with the most comfortable beds I think I've ever slept in!"
Kitchen and dining area were large and equipped with all the crockery, glassware and utensils you could possibly need. The showers were fantastic and the WiFi was good - even the teenagers didn't complain. Washer/dryer very useful. Excellent location, just a minute's walk from the centre of Bakewell and a couple of minutes' run from the Monsal trail. There were just a few very minor maintenance issues that really didn't spoil our stay at all (dripping kitchen tap, fuse box tripped out repeatedly until we switched off underfloor heating, and could have done with cobweb/harvestman removal before our stay). There is almost no outdoor space, as the details clearly state, but we were outside for most of the holiday anyway so that didn't worry us. Overall, it was one of the nicest holiday homes I've stayed in :-)
Reviewed by Katie4.4★Aug 2024
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"Location was fabulous and the open plan nature of the house suited our friendship group."
Bedrooms were lovely and comfortable and the house was well equipped. We would definitely come back
Reviewed by Jacqueline4.7★Jun 2024
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"Despite reassurance from Sykes that issues raised in Dec by another customer would have been resolved they have not."
1 Dinning chairs are still not fixed and dangerous. Not ideal when we were trying to eat together. 2 Heating element in cooker is missing a clip and hangs down dangerously resting on the rails. Cooker is dirty and smells when heated up. I'm cross that it was dirty and dangerous as we had planned to enjoy the house and eat in each day as we are all foodies and love to cook. 3 The right hand front gas ring control knob is faulty meaning that it does not always completely switch off but feels like you have turned it off when in fact it is still on very low. This happened twice on our stay. Had the gas blown out (and it is close to a door and window so the breeze from either could have blown it out) on either occasion we could have been gassed or caused an explosion. (We were a party of four home economists and retired head of the Technical dept a cooker manufacturer - so hardly idiots when it comes to cookers but experts when it comes to safety!). 4 Coffee machine was disgusting, mouldy and certainly a health hazard - despite bringing beans we all decided our holiday was not for cleaning out and disinfecting the coffee machine, we did however clean out the dishwasher filter! So again could not enjoy the facility of the coffee machine either. Because of the chairs, cooker and coffee machine issue we ate out rather than cooking at the house as planned. I am cross that this was the case and that these issues had not be dealt with despite being raised 6 months ago and a reassurance from Sykes. Additional annoyance was 2 wobbly toilet seats, lack of lock on downstairs loo and presence of a mouse (coming in and out of a now blocked hole by radiator pipes in kitchen and presumably helping himself from the bin as the lid does not shut. House was beautifully furnished and otherwise clean but lack of maintenance renders the kitchen dangerous and useless.
Reviewed by Susan2.2★May 2024
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"Had a fabulous weekend at Castle Hill with family."
The house is well equipped and in a great position just a short walk in to town over the bridge. The bedrooms were very comfortable and there was plenty of space for the 7 of us. Had a small issue with the hot water which was resolved promptly. Would highly recommend.
Reviewed by Susan4.7★May 2024
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"We stayed in this property over Christmas."
The property is in a good location and overall it was comfortable and well equipped. However there were a number of maintenance issues that were not resolved during our stay, some of which had been reported by previous customers. On arrival the oven had not been cleaned although this was rectified the next day. The heating went off at 9pm on day 1 and did not function again until 4pm the next day after we managed to fix the problem. The underfloor heating in both bathrooms did not work during our stay. The element in the oven kept dropping down on to the rack while we were cooking. This was dangerous. The dining chairs were not assembled correctly causing them to come apart. The downstairs toilet door did not shut or lock which gave lack of privacy. We have been disappointed by the lack of acknowledgement of these issues both by Sykes and the owner.
Reviewed by Rachel2.5★Dec 2023
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"An outside light need to be fitted by the side entrance, as there are 4 steps and you can’t see them in the dark."
The kitchen lid needs replacing as the lid will not close. There was no washing up liquid or kitchen cloths, so we had to buy some ! This was not great and not normal in a holiday home. I had contacted Sykes about changing the twin beds in one bedroom into a superking bed, as in the details provided. This was not done until Saturday, which I was not impressed with at all as I had called twice before our arrival !
Reviewed by Maureen4.1★Nov 2023
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"The property itself was lovely, with very comfortable beds and great bathrooms."
The kitchen was very well equipped and generally we had a pleasant stay. However, there was a considerable number of maintenance issues that were very surprising, given the emphasis on quality and luxury in the write-up on the website: 1. The built in Miele coffee machine had not been cleaned or maintained for a long time - some of the interior parts were filthy 2. The door of one of the kitchen cupboards was hanging off only one hinge and could not be properly closed. 3. Several light bulbs were not working 4. The downstairs toilet door could not be shut or locked 5. Exterior light above the outdoor area was not working 6. Two of the dining chairs were broken - one dangerously so 7. There were no instructions on how to turn on the towel rails in the bathrooms. One afternoon, the owner of the property turned up and knocked on the door. He had not called or messaged to say that he was going to call round. He did not say hello, or introduce himself. He walked in, saying that his cleaners had told him that there were some bulbs needing replacement, but he had not brought the right bulbs to replace all of the missing ones. This all seemed rather strange and intrusive - it felt like he was checking up on us. He never returned to replace the other bulbs.
Reviewed by Danny2.8★Oct 2023
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"Lovely accommodation - comfortable and clean."
Great location too.
Reviewed by Jane4.7★Sep 2023
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"I was appalled that I had to chase access to the property 5 hours before booking in time."
Thhe owner advised they sent emails which I did not receive if they were using the email address I gave to you.
I would reccomend that in future the owners request a reply to the emails sent. Not nice being left in the lurch like that.
Thanks.
Reviewed by Michael3.8★Sep 2023
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"A large, well-equiped flat in an excellent location."
Short walk into a beautiful little town, but a few minutes in the other direction to walking through a field with young cows. Dales nearby including walking along the old railway route. Two fascinating stately homes and gardens within a short drive.
Reviewed by Linda4.7★Jun 2023
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"The Cottage was very well equipped and all very clean and welcoming."
Reviewed by Diane4.7★Jun 2023
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"We had such a great stay at Castle Hill."
We were a group of 8 friends and the fact the beds could be made up as 4 twins made a big difference. The house itself is lovely, everyone was so impressed. It’s homely with lots of nice touches and the owners have obviously worked hard to make sure you have a comfortable and enjoyable stay. Less than a 5 minute walk into Bakewell so a brilliant location too. All in all it was fantastic - highly recommended!
Reviewed by Jon5.0★Jan 2023
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"The property was comfortable, clean and well situated to explore the surrounding area."
Reviewed by Andy4.7★Oct 2022
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"Excellent property short walk into Bakewell centre."
Peaceful, clean, high spec and well kitted out.
Reviewed by Matthew5.0★Sep 2022
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"A beautiful house in a convenient location."
The bedrooms and bathrooms were extremely spacious and the beds and linen exceptionally comfortable. We loved the open plan kitchen/diner and had everything we needed. Two small points. As the weather was good, we spent little time indoors but sofa seating was somewhat limited. It might be useful for a handyman to spend a morning at the property with a screwdriver, a few lightbulbs etc. A couple of tweaks would make this house a truly exceptional place to stay. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time, thank you.
Reviewed by Sally4.7★May 2022
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"We had a lovely stay at Castle Hill, there was plenty of space downstairs and the bedroom were a good size with luxurious bedding."
We found the house lovely and clean upon arrival and would definitely return, also handy as only 10 minutes from Chatsworth.
Reviewed by Aisling5.0★May 2022
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"The property was equipped to a good standard with one exception; the sofas."
Generally, the property is in need a some proper maintenance to correct the following:
1. Heating doesn't work in the main bedroom and ensuite.
2. Light bulbs need checking throughout the property and bathroom mirror lights need replacing.
3. Hall thermostat needs checking, batteries probably need replacing.
4. The sofas are looking very tired and are not suitable for 8 people. It was difficult enough for 4 people but 8 would be impossible.
5. There was no central information file, which is usual in this type of rental.
6 The cooker controls need attention. The ring igniter seems to have a will of its own and the cooker heat dial is a joke.
I can't understand why nothing has been done about the sofas as so many people have complained about them.
I also don't understand why the keysafe access number is not released when the full rental amount is paid. The idea of ringing a contact number to obtain the code is probably fine, if someone answers the phone but I had to wait outside the property for over an hour making several phone calls to sort things out. I was not very happy after a five hour drive!
Reviewed by Philip3.1★Apr 2022
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"Property was great ."
...better than we thought....we had a great stay....wouldn't hesitate to go back.
Only one minus point ....there is an extremely rude neighbour who swore at my children as they were packing up their car to leave.....
I had gone already , so i think he thought he was ok to have a go.....they were literally parked for 10 mins whilst they put the heavy stuff in.....not blocking anyone in....
Can't be good for business.....maybe ask the owners to have a word with him......i'm sure they will know who he is, because there can't be many like him about......Hopefully !!!!
Other than that.....it was brilliant....
Reviewed by Michael5.0★Mar 2022
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"The bedrooms are fantastic but the downstairs needs some new sofas urgently not enough for the occupancy and the have seen better days."
The dining furniture some of the chairs need fixing. The downstairs kitchen window constantly blew open too. A few maintenance issues that for price should be done. However, fantastic location.
Reviewed by Rebecca3.4★Feb 2022
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"Beautiful property."
We had really good time spotless,very comfortable beds, well equipped, very good location.We would book again
Reviewed by Nahima5.0★Feb 2022
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"Very comfortable beds."
Nice & warm. Great location! Would agree that sofas are a little odd & difficult to sit in for long periods. We enjoyed our stay & would go back.
Reviewed by Ian3.8★Dec 2021
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"A wonderful retreat for meeting family."
Lovely open plan living area and luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms. Beautiful views across Bakewell.
Reviewed by Debbie4.7★Nov 2021
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"The house was lovely, it was a shame the sofas let it down, compared to the rest of the furnishings in the house they looked quite shabby and weren’t very comfortable."
Other than that you couldn’t fault it. The position was perfect for strolling into Bakewell, we didn’t use the car for the first week, the local buses took us everywhere.
Would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting a holiday in the Peak District.
Reviewed by Roger4.7★Jun 2021
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"Was so nice to get away after lockdown."
Place lived up to our expectations from Sykes
Reviewed by David5.0★Apr 2021
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"Excellent accommodation, very well equipped & in a good location ; within easy walking distance to Bakewell & all it offers."
Definitely to be recommended.
Reviewed by Louise4.7★Oct 2020
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"The location is excellent with a very short walk to all the Town facilities."
The accommodation is beautiful and very comfortable. Some of the beds had winter duvets which seemed a little excessive for the time of year. The main criticism is that the lounge seating is totally unsuitable for the number catered for in the property and is extremely uncomfortable. We were a party of 4 and found it did not lend itself to socialising (rather than watching the TV) and could not have seated another 4 people. As this property commands a high weekly rental, I would have expected there to be appropriate quality and quantity seating.
Reviewed by Chris3.8★Sep 2020
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"Beautiful property that gave everything and more of the promise Highly recommend"
Reviewed by Julie5.0★Feb 2020
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"Bedroom, kitchen and bathrooms all have lovely high quality fittings but the sofa in the lounge is not of the same quality and not big enough to accommodate 8 adults comfortably."
Reviewed by Frances4.7★Feb 2020
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"The house is well appointed and in an excellent location overlooking Bakewell."
The owners were easy to deal with. We would be happy to return.
Reviewed by Alison5.0★Nov 2019
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"Lovely property in a beautiful part of the country."
Reviewed by Karen3.8★Nov 2019
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"Simple and efficient booking process and helpful staff when I called."
Property was incredible and we will definitely be visiting again
Reviewed by Hannah5.0★Nov 2019
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"The cooker had lost all of its markings which made very hard to use having to use the manual to do the operation of the cooker was not easy being so small to read had too take a picture and blow it up."
The house was very comfortable and well laid out we all loved the beds but we all said that the settee were a bit uncomfortable and not up to the quality of the rest of the house. The house is in a good setting by river and the town in easy walk with everything that you could need.
Reviewed by Gary3.8★Oct 2019
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"Castle Hill was wonderful!"
! We were a group of 6 and it was perfect. The beds were extremely comfortable, and the bathrooms excellent. We all have it 10/10
Reviewed by H5.0★Oct 2019
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"The property was beautifully decorated and sparkling clean."
The kitchen was well equipped with plenty of space for eating and relaxing. Very convenient location for Bakewell. Would thoroughly recommend.
Reviewed by Jonathan5.0★May 2019
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"Had an absolutley fantastic time at Castle Hill."
The property is top quality, clean & spacious, and a credit to its owners. Would definatley recommend this property to others wanting to stay in beutiful Bakewell
Reviewed by Barry5.0★Apr 2019
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"High quality accommodation and attentive hosts in a great location"
Reviewed by Ian5.0★Apr 2019
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"We had a great time."
We really appreciated the bed configurations, as a group of mostly single adults it can be really difficult to find appropriate sleeping arrangements, but the flexibility of the zip-lock beds was perfect - plus they were very comfortable, everybody slept well. The décor was lovely and relaxing, the rooms all spacious and comfortable, the kitchen had everything we could ask for - we didn't figure out how to work the Miele coffee maker but made good use of the cafetieres!
The location was also lovely and convenient, we didn't touch our cars until it was time to leave.
Reviewed by Wendy5.0★Apr 2019
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"Brilliant holiday home!"
It was so impressive to walk into the house, it's furnished beautifully and it was so clean. We were there for a family break and we all loved it, so much space and so comfortable. Both Sykes and the owner were so helpful. Highly recommended!
Reviewed by Liz5.0★Dec 2018
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