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8 Guests
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4 Bedrooms
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3 Bathrooms
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Pets No
Features
- Open fire
- Garden / Patio
- Cot available
- Highchair available
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Broadband / WiFi
Reviews & Ratings
41 Customer Reviews
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"A very comfortable and well equipped property within easy reach of local amenities and attractions."
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"Lovely house for a large family."
It had everything we needed in the kitchen and the beds were super comfortable. Really useful local information in the house - thank you.
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"We had a great holiday based in Firtree cottage."
There were lots of good things about the property including fans in every room which were much needed in the very warm weather. There was plenty of parking outside for two cars although slightly tricky to pull out onto the road, due to other vehicles parking on the roadside. Plenty of good sized towels were supplied and the beds were very comfortable with spacious double rooms. Unfortunately, we did have a few issues with the property which means we are unlikely to return. The house was not clean. The kitchen in particular was dirty with spilled food in the fridge and the microwave. The oven was in desperate need of cleaning and smelt badly of burnt food when used. We had to clean the fridge and sink on the day of our arrival. There were plenty of plates, cutlery, cups, glasses and saucepans although there was no storage space for food. All the windowsills throughout the property were dusty and dirty and it was obvious that under the beds and sofas had not been cleaned in a long time as we found a number of toys, coins and many feathers! The outside bins were completely full on our arrival meaning there was nowhere to put our rubbish. They also smelt very badly being in desperate need of a clean. The sofa is probably the most uncomfortable I have ever sat on and feels like it is about to break…even when sat on by a 3 year old! It is in desperate need of replacement We had a lovely week but were surprised at the lack of cleanliness given the rating of the property. Over the last 10+ years we have stayed in many such properties and had expected more.
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"A group of us booked the cottage for a writing weekend."
The house was very clean and comfortable and close to the amenities we needed (pub, supermarket). There was an issue with the WiFi not working which was resolved really quickly by the owner. We loved the wood burning stove and had a couple of very cosy nights writing by the fire. Thank you for a fabulous stay.
So pleased you enjoyed your stay and found the cottage a cosy and relaxing place to write. We hope to welcome you back in the future. Property Owner
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"A lovely place to stay."
Comfortable and home from home. Everything was top quality. Village surrounding is so pretty. We didn't have time to use the pub, but it looked very nice. Not too far from Ashby de la zouch & all local amenities. We hope to return!
Thank you for taking the time to submit a review and we are delighted that your enjoyed your stay and the cottage. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Property Owner
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"Had a lovely stay, location was perfect not far for attractions such as drayton manor and conkers which we visited."
There’s was also some great walks 5 min drive away and walked to the local pub a couple of times, the food was amazing. The kitchen and lounge weren’t the cleanest on arrival but once we had done this we enjoyed our stay. The house had a nice feel and the beds were really comfortable.
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"Excellent standard of cleanliness and comfort."
We had to contact Sykes whilst we were at the property and our issues were dealt with very speedily. Thank you
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"Group of 7 adults recently staying at the property 2 nights for a wedding in a nearby village of Ashby."
Ample parking for four cars as the road is quite quiet. Pleasantly surprised at milk and cake left in the house which was a nice touch. Bedding and linen provided and very comfortable. To note if you're a light sleeper the church bells are very close and hourly. Kitchen was well supplied and it made it easy for making breakfast even for a large group. No recycling bin inside the property so we made a few trips to the wheely bins outside. Only other things to note was that there seemed to be an issue with the drain / soilage near the front door bathroom with a foul smell. We didn't have much time to spend at the property or in the garden but this may have been a draw back if we did. We also went to the Smisby arms for a meal one night which was ok, however be wary of the owners angry 9.30pm phone calls; some difficulties in making a large booking despite booking 4 weeks in advance due to not being able to drop in a hand written pre order beforehand (due to living far away), despite offering to email it and pay a deposit over the phone. Overall a pleasant stay in a convenient location for our needs.
Thank you for your feedback on the property and local amenities, which is always appreciated. We apologise sincerely for the drain/soilage issue, which we hope did not impact too much on your stay. Regrettably we were not made aware of this ahead of your arrival or during your stay so had no opportunity to rectify the issue for you. We do strive to address all property concerns as soon as they are reported to us, so are are pleased that you were still able to enjoy your stay. Property Owner
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"Very enjoyable stay."
Such a lovely home with everything you need. Highly recommend this home.
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"We loved our 7 day stay."
We’ve stayed at many Sykes cottages over the years and this was one of the best. Plenty of clothes storage which is often lacking. Comfy beds and good bedding. Well equipped kitchen. Patio just about caught the October sun. Melbourne was a nice village to visit but check it’s all open! Minor quibbles: needed more tea towels and info on footpath walks from the door. It’s a huge bonus not to have to use cars on holiday.
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"Very well equipped holiday home, clean with plenty of towels and conveniently located for tourist attractions."
The sort of house you could happily live in.
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"Excellent property which was clean and comfortable."
In a good location with lots to do and see in the area, and it was especially well located for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Would definitely recommend the property and would be interested in staying in it again in the future.
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"House was clean, comfortable, and well-equiped."
However, downstairs facilities are not really adequate for the possible number of guests. Even with only 7 people the kitchen was uncomfortably crowded, as was the outdoor patio, and there was not enough seating in the living room for all of us. Also, the shower on the top floor was almost impossible to use without spraying the whole bathroom with water - shower screen not tall/long enough, maybe a curtain would be better.
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"A fantastic cottage in a really peaceful, lovely village location!"
There was plenty of space for all 7 us of girls and everything we needed was there. The standard of the accommodation was excellent and it was spotlessly clean. Great local attractions and a lovely village pub - we’re already planning next years visit!
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave us a review. We are always striving to provide the best possible experience for our guests and your feedback is important to us. We are very pleased that your enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you back next year... Property Owner
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"A lovely cottage in a beautiful village."
Plenty of space for five of us. Comfortable bedrooms and bathroom facilities excellent. We were all pleased with the accommodation Thank you!
Thank you very much for your positive feedback. We are very pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us and look forward to welcoming you again. Property Owner
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"A lovely comfortable holiday home, beautifully equipped, except several of the non stick cooking pans were peeling and needed replacing."
The toilets and bathrooms also were not very clean on arrival Apart from these issues we would definitely stay there again.
We appreciate your feedback and will look into the issues raised. We hope to welcome you back on another occasion. Property Owner
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"Excellent cottage, well equipped to a highstandard, tasteful."
We found the living room on the chilly side in january, of course there is a woodburner but the radiator doesnt seem to be up to the job. The key to the shed is missing, therefore unable to store bikes etc. Great location. Enjoyed our stay.
Thank you for your comments, all feedback is important to us. We have addressed both issues following your stay and hope to welcome you back in the future. Property Owner
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"We enjoyed our stay very much."
We had a blocked drain on Christmas Eve which was sorted very promptly by Sykes and the owner, so thank you for that. I have marked facilities as 4 because there is not a lot of space for storing food in the kitchen, but then we did bring a lot as we were staying over Christmas and shops were closed. We managed by keeping food and drinks in the car boot until needed. But generally the cottage was lovely, and plenty of space in the sitting room and bedrooms.
Thank you for your feedback. We hope the festive decorations and hamper helped to make your stay over the Christmas period special and look forward to welcoming you back on another occasion. Property Owner
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"Cosy cottage with lots of facilities."
Great stay for us all
Thank you very much for your positive feedback and we are pleased that you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to welcoming you back. Property Owner
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"Perfect stay, everything we could need."
Spotlessly clean. Thank you very much xx
We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay and thank you very much for the positive feedback. Look forward to welcoming you again in the future. Property Owner
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"Had a wonderful weekend with all the family, the cottage is superb with plenty of room for 3 generations, lovely log burner for the dark evenings."
Countryside around is amazing and a lovely show of autumn colours, weekend all too soon over will keep in mind for another year.
Thank you so much for your feedback and we are pleased that you enjoyed your stay. We look forward to welcoming you back to explore more of the beautiful countryside. Property Owner
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"Fir Tree Cottage was clean, comfortable and very well appointed and in a lovely part of the country."
We would definitely recommend it. Also good was the nearby Smisby Arms where the food was superb at very reasonable prices
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"We raised issues around cleanliness on our first day, you issued the following reference COR-225460-CF."
I was expecting at least a courtesy call to discuss the issues, during these current COVID times I would have expected the property to be COVID clean but this wasn’t even basic clean, we sent photos as our reference, I fully appreciate keeping older properties clean is difficult but certain areas particularly the bathrooms were filthy, I don’t appreciate having to clean up other peoples pubic hair, we had to clean the bathrooms before the rest of our family turned up on the Saturday. Will I get a response to this …….. based on our experience so far I am not holding my breath
Thank you for voicing your grievances regarding this property, we are now investigating the matters raised. Property Owner
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"The cottage is beautiful and was very clean."
The kitchen is very well equipped and having fans in the bedrooms was brilliant in the hot weather.
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"We loved Firtree Cottage, the only really small point we would make is if on the details it could let people know that there are hairdryer’s and a DVD player, as we took both but didn’t need to, but everything else was perfect."
Thank you.
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"Such a beautiful, cosy house."
Perfect space for 2 families with young children and a great spot for exploring the local area - loads to do with children within 30 minute drive.
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"The cottage was cleaned to high standard."
Very comfortable and enjoyed by the whole family. Starter pack for life burner very small and not enough for one fire. Could have done with a couple of extra logs as arriving at teatime we didn’t have time to go out and replenish the stock. No serving dishes in the kitchen for when we cooked Sunday lunch. Other than this it was great and would recommend.
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"Lovely welcoming family home providing everything needed for a great holiday."
Very comfortable sofas and beds and tasteful furnishings. Grandparents, parents and young children loved it. Situated in an extremely quiet place, in the old village of Smisby, it was an excellent jumping off point for visiting great places of interest e.g. Warwick Castle, Stratford, the very moving National Memorial Arboretum and best of all The Space Museum.
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"Although I appreciate that you trust clients to leave BB Q clean, I do think your cleaners should check."
Grill had food residue going mouldy
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"Some issues with respect to damp in the chimney breasts, as a result of the very wet weather."
Nothing that the owner could reasonably do about that. Other minor issues were resolved quite quickly, once Sykes were notified. As previously noted in another review the property would benefit from a garden gate, to stop toddlers getting out and local dogs getting in! Overall a lovely property. Conveniently located. We had a great family get together.
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"Firtree cottage was very clean and comfortable, lovely decor, however was lacking the small things such as salt and pepper, milk, no complimentry toiletries, there was only one tea towel and no change of bed linen or towels."
The property is not very child friendly we had to take our own babygate for the stairs, there is a large dip between the house and the grass in the garden so didnt feel like i could just let the children run round freely aswel as having no gate going from the garden to the driveway. We did have an issue with the boiler going off one night but was resolved the next day after i had to keep chasing sykes as we did not have a direct contact number for the estate manager. There is a lovely park at the end of the road in the field and the smisby arms pub meals were delicious. All in all we had a great week.
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"The cottage was immaculately clean, great facilities and had everything we needed."
Everything was provided for children, cot, high chair, plates and cutlery. A great base for exploring the local area. We had a lovely weekend and will definitely be back.
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"Lovely clean welcoming cottage."
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"Excellent stay."
Very easy to find the property and it was faultless throughout our stay. Would recommend Sykes again
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"Fabulous property."
Ideally located for families to meet up for some quality time together
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"The photos for this property don't do it justice, it is a superbly decorated and furnished property in an excellent location."
I would definitely recommend this place and look forward to going back in the future!!
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"Immaculate property where every last detail has been well thought through."
Quality finish and very comfortable beds, it was the perfect place for a weekend together with friends.
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"This is a great cottage for 4 adults and 4 kids."
Nicely fitted out and lots going on near by. A great destination for a short break plans catch up with friends.
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"Beautiful cottage."
Perfect for our get together. All amenities great and very comfortable. We will book the same cottage for out annual meet up next year. Thank you
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"We loved our stay at Firtree Cottage."
Accommodation was really comfortable and immaculately clean - like new! Location was great- v quiet, but close enough to town and local amenities if needed. Would highly recommend staying here and would definitely return.
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"Verry nice house and everything was though of."
Only a pitty we could not extend for less than a week and it turned out to be rented for 2 days by others later on.
Summary
- Over three floors
- Four bedrooms: 1 x second floor super king-size, 1 x second floor twin, 1 x first floor king-size, 1 x first floor twin
- Bathroom with a shower over bath, basin and WC
- Second floor shower room with basin and WC
- Kitchen/diner.
- Gas Heating
- Range cooker, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, washer/dryer, Smart TV with DVD player, Freeview, stereo with Bluetooth capability, WiFi
- Fuel, power and starter pack inc. in rent
- Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
- Downstairs WC
- Hairdryers provided
- Cot and highchair available
- Off-road parking for 2 small cars
- Enclosed lawn and patio with furniture
- Sorry, no pets and no smoking
- Pub 3 minute walk, shop 1.5 miles.
The property
Situated on the historic Harpur Crewe Estate, Firtree Cottage rests beautifully in the tranquil village of Smisby, just one and a half miles from the pretty Leicestershire market town of Ashby-de-la Zouch.
With tasteful accommodation over three floors; friends, families and couples alike can treat themselves to a cottage holiday of the highest order.
The cottage is beautifully decorated with historical artwork, photographs and books relating to the historic Harpur Crewe Estate and the former ancestral seat at Calke Abbey.
Enter this elegant stone and redbrick house and discover the warming sitting room, snug leather sofas crowd around the fabulous woodburner which is matched with a TV to make a wonderful spot to put your feet up of an evening.
A gorgeous kitchen/diner also rests on the ground floor, immaculate cream units host a range of different appliances and a Belfast sink while a stunning brick fireplace enhanced with exposed beam work houses a range cooker, a lovely wooden dining table completes the layout.
Head to the upper floors to discover Firtree Cottage's beautiful bedrooms, the first floor plays host to a king-size and a twin room, both are decorated immaculately and share access to a contemporary shower room.
Take a further flight of stairs to reach the second floor, here you will find a super king-size room along with a twin room, as well as a glistening bathroom to conclude the interior exquisitely.
When the sun comes out, take a glass of white or perhaps your evening meal out onto the tranquil patio and treat yourself to some alfresco dining.
Charming Ashby-de-la-Zouch is just over a mile away, its attractive streets come bursting with lovely spots to shop, eat and drink, the market town also features some stunning castle ruins.
There are many beautiful towns and cities in the surrounding area which offer much to the visitor in their own unique way; Burton-upon-Trent, Loughborough and the major shopping city of Birmingham are among the most popular.
Holiday in true elegant fashion and bring your loved ones along to the first-class Firtree Cottage all-year-round.
Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £150.
About the location
ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH
Burton-upon-Trent 9.5 miles; Loughborough 12.7 miles; Birmingham 29.5 miles
This classy market town sits in northwest Leicestershire, within England's National Forest. Its attractive streets feature a vast array of shops, restaurants, pubs, and cafés, where your dining options include The Beeches and The Vine Restaurant & Cocktail Bar, whilst you can stock up on essentials the convenience store. It also boasts stunning castle ruins, a museum, and a golf club on the outskirts of the town. Within easy reach of the town is Burton-upon-Trent, where you will find the attractions of the Claymills Victorian Pumping Station, Sinai Park House, The National Brewery Centre, and the excellent Burton-upon-Trent Golf Club. Further afield, you will find Loughborough, home to the Charnwood and The Old Rectory Museums, Burleigh Wood Nature Reserve and Queen’s Park, as well as Birmingham, where you can visit the popular Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery , National Sea Life Centre, Blakesley Hall Museum, Cadbury World and the Bullring shopping centre.
This property offers the following short breaks:
- Winter
- Last minute