“The owners were pleasant and were helpful when my mother took a serious fall down the stairs, which makes it difficult to leave a negative review.”
However, if I am honest we were all (a group of three adults and one child) disappointed with the quality of the accommodation. We paid over £700 for four nights and expected the standard to warrant said level of fee. First of all, the hot tub that was advertised on the listing had not been maintained. When I asked if it could be filled, I was told that it should have been taken off the listing. Apparently, the hot tub required too much maintenance and cost around £100 a week to heat. This second claim infuriated me as the barn was covered in solar panels with a daily output of over 20kw, which is more than enough to run two properties. The farm also has a wind generator so I doubt very much that they are short on free energy. It became apparent that the real reason for not maintaining the hot tub was a general lack of regard or care for the property. The windows were absolutely filthy, there were large gaps in the grout and the shower base threatened to fall through every time you stepped out. The towels were so old and rough I would have consigned them to the dog pile. Access to the outdoor area was overgrown, which the owner put down to having a bad back despite being up at 4am to deal with her horses. The swings were broken. The BBQ was covered in bird muck and thrown in an area with some old bikes. The kitchen table was permanently tacky due to what was left of the varnish going bad. Our elbows and the plates all stuck to it, which was disgusting. The board games were all old and incomplete. The barn just felt unloved and in much need of maintenance. The impression I gained was that the owners had far too much on their hands. I know this was promoted as a working farm, but there were no obvious signs of farm animals as pictured. I happen to live in a farming community and the idea of an area being 'natural' does not equate to it being poorly maintained. Driving in, I honestly thought we had booked on a gypsy site due to the abandoned caravans, piles of rubbish, and poorly maintained buildings. The campsite, which is located right at the front gate, looks much better as you do not need to pass all the owner's discarded waste on the way through. I'm sorry to be blunt. The photos do not show the property as it really is. Another thing that we all found astonishing was that there was no welcome pack - not a single loo roll, no washing up liquid or sponge, no tablet for the dishwasher. It's such a basic and inexpensive way to make guests feel welcome. Being able to use the loo after a two hundred mile trip isn't much to ask when you are paying that amount of money.
