Reviewed by
Roger
13th October 2026
Misleading facilities and rules, rules, rules!
Anything positive to say about this property is more than cancelled out by the number of negative observations, starting with the nothing short of deliberately misleading claim it has onsite parking. Trust me, it does not.
Buried in the detail of the listing, if you look hard enough and in theRead more guest information folder inside the property, it more correctly states roadside parking is subject to availability. Whereas the facilities list opens with there being parking onsite. Also, the parking referred to is in the unmade margin of the road, the other side of a continuous yellow no parking line.
We stayed mid-October, when presumably the number of visitors to the area is less than during the busier summer months. The problem of finding a space close to the front door of the property is likely to be substantially higher than it was when we stayed. Returning around 3:00pm on Saturday, we had to park much further down the road than previously. Furthermore, we were one couple staying. The cottage sleeps 5, so its likely that sometimes two couples might visit, doubling the size of the problem, if travelling in two vehicles.
Even the welcome email, received the day before arrival, giving driving directions fails to mention the only parking is the other side of a prohibited parking line. I spent the first 20 minutes after arrival, calling the management team to find out where the parking was.
We simply would not be staying here if that was more accurately and honestly declared and feel we deliberately misled and were here under false pretences.
All that said, having arrived annoyed, the quality and layout of the cottage was very good.
Readers, please be aware that this cottage cost us 650 for 2 nights in October (not half term), including a 50 booking fee and a 30 damage waiver fee - the latter taken out following repeated references in the listing to being charged in the event of any damage or breakages.
That said, when we go away and spend that kind of money hopefully to enjoy a relaxing break, we dont expect to be bombarded with housekeeping and cleaning rules like became evident at Brookside.
Its unclear whether the owner or the managing agents dictate these rules, but to have instructions on how to strip the bed and what to do with the bedding, having to empty the dishwasher before leaving and to take your glass to the recycling, theres more rules than a relaxing break should have! These rules are clearly geared to making life easier for a fast turnaround, but when you have to leave by 10am and cant arrive before 4pm, theres plenty of time to avoid needing to ask the guests for help!
Im also unsure why children under 10 are not welcome, but up to one dog is (for which they charge). The WiFi worked well, but had a ridiculously elaborate password. For info, details of how to change the password on your BT router can be found here. I also found it somewhat inappropriate there was a collection box mounted on the wall, for donations to their log fund, I mean, how unnecessary is this considering the price of this cottage.
The welcome pack was quite good, with wine and biscuits, tote bag etc. Bizarrely though, the [sterilised] milk came from a Cheshire farm about 100 miles away, the Welsh tea bags were from Swansea, some 300 miles away and the biscuits from Cornwall over 400 miles away! Whats wrong with supporting Yorkshire businesses? This strategy can only be driven by the most marginal of cost benefits and in context with all the other things Ive drawn attention to smacks of penny pinching and focusing on profit rather than providing an authentic guest experience.
Despite the cottage actually being lovely, the deliberately misleading parking claim spoilt our experience before we had even stepped through the front door. That combined with the abundance of housekeeping rules, spoilt the whole experience and will be the lasting memory of the stay.
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