Dog Friendly County Durham Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Judith - Verified booking

  Firstly the good points.

  The accommodation is well positioned within the town with everything on the doorstep. It was generally clean and tidy when we arrived (but see below). The large garden was great for our grandchildren who joined us during our stay. The bad points: outside – steep steps down to the house would benefit from some proper lighting. The barbecue was rusty and not very clean, we didn’t feel inclined to use it. The log burner was rusty, full of ashes and burned through at the base – again it wasn’t really usable. We tried for several days to get the hot tub to heat up (instructions in the house were basically a brochure for a range of different tubs so not specific to the one installed at Knights Corner and not very clear). Finally contacted the owner who replied to say “press the heat button”. We’d already done this without success (it’s actually labelled “warm”). Two very helpful maintenance guys from the castle turned up the following day and tried several times to get it to work They came back three times during the day and said they thought there was a problem with it before it finally started to heat up and tried twice to contact the owner without success. We were finally able to use it once the evening before we left. Inside – house and wardrobes smelt musty when we arrived; we had to buy a plug in air freshener. TV remotes needed cleaning; the oven wasn’t cleaned properly and there was a burnt fat smell when we first turned it on. The extractor hood for the cooker wasn’t working – in an open plan property this is a must – and from other reviews we’ve seen this has been a problem since last year. Only half of the toaster worked and the kitchen itself wasn’t particularly well equipped (for example, there was one shallow serving dish for a property accommodating six people). The bathroom toilet leaked and the plug in the bathroom sink didn’t work. Five days after we returned home, having heard nothing regarding return of our damage deposit, I contacted the owner who immediately sent back photos of damage we had allegedly caused. I wasn’t aware of any damage and would have expected to be contacted much sooner if there was any issue, not much later in response to my request for the deposit to be returned. In short, for a property costing as much as this one to rent, there are too many negatives and I would not recommend it. For anyone considering a Stanhope Castle breaks please look at the more recent reviews which are available on many different websites.

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• Ian - Verified booking

  This is a lovely modern apartment and the six of us had a wonderful week here.

  It was comfy, clean and in a great location, plus the huge garden and hot tub were used every evening. We certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend this apartment to anyone looking for a base in this area of the country. The kitchen is well equipped and the additional extras such as satellite TV, Bluetooth speakers, and a chimnea all helped make it a memorable stay. There are a couple of minor improvements which would have made us appreciate the stay even more. Whilst there was a lovely welcome pack provided with a bottle of fizz (thank you!), we ran out of washing-up liquid/loo roll/ washing powder/kitchen roll within a few days. It would have been nice if the owners could have ensured there was enough of all of these items to last a week and save us the expense of replacing them all. Also some instructions on how to work the hot tub would have been welcome too. We managed to sort an issue with the filter program not running by finding tutorial videos on YouTube, but it would have been nice if full user instructions had been provided. Finally, it's now 2 weeks since we left and we've yet to have the housekeeping bond returned to us which is a bit disappointing. Overall though these are just minor issues and didn't distract from a great holiday in a great place. We wouldn't hesitate recommending this place to anyone looking for a chilling break

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• David - Verified booking

  We went there with our grandchildren who were delighted to be staying in a real castle.

  The hot tub was used a lot and enjoyed by everybody. There was a generous welcome pack. The chimera was used every evening as we ate in the property. The playground equipment was also used by the children and we were surprised to see that this was for our sole use in a large garden. The house had a very modern kitchen and bathrooms. Wallpaper and furniture seemed to complement the castle theme. Beds were very comfortable. Just outside the bottom gate are two pubs and you are right in the centre of the village shopping area. The Co-op was very well stocked. Railway enthusiasts would be pleased to see the award winning station on the Weardale Railway that has a service on some days to Bishop Auckland. We visited High Force waterfall on the Tees and the Killhope Lead Mining Museum where we all went underground. Both are well worth a visit and not too far away. Sunday was spent at Beamish Museum about 30 minutes away. This is highly recommended and despite being a hot school holiday weekend, did not feel crowded. There was plenty of car parking space. All in all very recommended with no drawbacks. We would go again.

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• Carole - Verified booking

  After some initial difficulty accessing the keybox for the main door (resolved by a quick call to the owner, reported to Sykes who confirmed I was safe while they tried to sort it out) we were delighted to find the apartment exactly as advertised.

  The photos on the Sykes site were exactly what was there - no photo-shopping or funny angles necessary. The owner had provided an extensive welcome pack which really made our first night and covered all the necessities so often missing from holiday rentals (toilet roll, kitchen roll, salt and pepper, cooking oil, washing up liquid as well as groceries including milk, tea and coffee, beautiful bread and jam and even chocolates and prosecco!). The rooms were large and well appointed, and the bathroom and en-suite were perfect for our 3-generations group. All was spotlessly clean and smelled lovely with the vase of fresh flowers in the living room. The hot tub (one of the main reasons we picked this property) was superb - being covered but with lights etc meant we could use it even in the drizzle or the dark - and we enjoyed the company of the neighbourhood cat on one evening! Stanhope (and the nearby villages) has all the amenities you could need within walking distance but the apartment was beautifully quiet and private. Highly recommend this apartment.

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• Alison - Verified booking

  Another fabulous week at Knights Corner!

  The apartment is spacious with comfortable seating and a great dining table. The beds are super comfy with plenty of wardrobe and drawer storage space. Good showers in both bathrooms. Towels and robes provided. The kitchen is well equipped. Huge fridge and freezer. The grounds are fantastic and the hot tub a real treat. The fire pit worked well. The local co-op sells firewood but bring long skewers if you want to toast marshmallows. We used the barbecue as a stand for a disposable one but you can't buy these locally because of the risk of causing a fire when not used safely. The woodland walk in the grounds is beautiful but use the path from the patio area or risk the nettles. Shops and pubs are a short walk away. The pubs no longer serve food but the takeaways are good and the baker's is amazing. The Dales Centre has a lovely cafe and gift shops. The river is also just a short walk away and lovely for a paddle if the weather's good. The village is pretty, the people are friendly, the air is fresh and the accommodation amazing. What more could you want?

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