Dog Friendly Cottages in Dolgellau

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Robin - Verified booking

  Listing was good and exactly what we wanted.

  Potential holidayers need to know that the cottage is located at the start of the Mach Loop. This is a military low flying area with fast jets etc that come in low. It didn't bother us and was quite interesting to watch. We went there at the beginning of March during the snow and cold weather. There is a drive up to the property along a track part tarmac and in some places with a few pot holes so not suited for a Ferrari. The views are superb and there is a walk around the front of the property that goes up into the hills which loops around for maybe a couple of miles. It is well worth the walk as we did on the one sunny day with superb views. It is a cycle track so easily walkable with gates next to the cattle grids. There would be no issues for a disabled person in a reasonable powered scooter to travel it. Be aware that towards the end it has vehicular access so watch out for the odd delivery driver. Some don't know what driving slowly actually means! During our stay it snowed and meant one of the days was restricted to the cottage. Not a problem for us but if you go up in winter and snow is forecast make sure you take warm clothing and you may get snowed in. We did and the owners brother very kindly came up and cleared the track with his digger. So a big thankyou to him or we would have still been there, not that it would have been a bad thing. There are two fires one in the main living room and one in the dining room. At a guess the one in the dining room is oil fired and the instructions for lighting it are a bit vague and we couldn't find the "start switch" I have used open fires before so knew how to get the one in the living room going but if you haven't used one before then you may need to get hold of the owner as there are no instructions on how to light it. We only used the one in the living room and unfortunately i had to clean out all the previous ashes as it was left full. I left it how i would expect to find it clear of ash. There is a basket of wood there to be used and a small amount of kindling wood to start the fire but you will need to chop some more after a couple of fires. The wood shed has plenty of wood and a small hand axe for chopping the kindling so watch your pinkies. There is an honesty box for paying for the wood you use. There is also an electric wood splitter but no instructions or even if you are allowed to use it. The shower head in the upstairs Bathroom needs sorting as leaks more water than the shower head itself. My wife had trouble using it until i pointed out that both the hot and cold need to be on at the same time otherwise it wont shut the valve to allow water to come out of the head, it just fills the bath. Or just use the downstairs shower like i did. It was cold snowy week and when you get up there was no heating on. The heating didn't come on until about 10am so unless you want to have a lay in until then or get up and light the fire in the living room it would suggest the timer needs adjusting as the heating system then remains on for the rest of the day. Have told Sykes this but it remains to be seen if this changes. The kitchen was clean and tidy and we arrived to find a nice little welcome basket so thankyou to the owner for that. If you want a cooked breakfast take your own non-stick frying pan! Plenty of utensils in various cupboards and a good sized oven. Microwave and fridge for the cold stuff. Also a dishwasher but we are old fashioned and as there were only the two of us it didn't get used. The welcome book needs to be left out on the table to be easily seen. We didn't find it until the 3rd/4th day. It was tucked away in a draw in the dining room. This is an old house and whilst fitted with double glazing it's certainly not draught proof if blizzards. The second double bedroom window lets in the "fresh air" So if it's cold and snowing i would consider the main double room. Even the polar bears got frost bite and complained to management. There is wifi which is good. It has a basic sky box with freeview. We had no phone signal whatsoever which was sheer bliss. We only got phone signal if we drove about a mile up the road. For those that hang off their phone or are with Tesco mobile unlucky. Other networks are available and may work. Expect to wake up to sheep in the garden. It is dog friendly but your dog will be able to get out of the property very easily. Remember that if your dog isn't renowned for obeying the rules then keep it on a lead. The farmer can shoot it if it is worrying the livestock. We had a couple of visits from some red kites, buzzards and rabbits. We didn't get to use the hot tub due to the rather cold conditions. I have been to the Artic circle at -40 but i am still not getting in a hot tub when the wind is driving the snow horizontally. Besides the wife said no. We did have to retrieve the lid from the hot tub which had blown about 40mtrs down the rack and the chimney from the wood burner that heats the water for the hot tub. When i say we i mean the wife did, i took the photo's for posterity considering the lid is bigger than her. You are going there for the scenery and relaxing time. It is a fantastic cottage to stay in. I was almost gutted to leave when the farmers brother turned up to clear the track of snowdrifts so that i could get the car out. We were looking forward to another couple of days at least of being snowed in before we ran out of food! I honestly wouldn't hesitate to go back. We even looked to book it again later in the year but found it is fully booked up. Gutted. Enjoy it and return home relaxed if not a few ache and pains from all the walking and sight seeing.

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• Helen - Verified booking

  This place is not for everyone….

  .but it is ideal for many. The downside for us No freezer or even a fridge ice box…..we take all our food frozen, side dishes the lot ….we have no interest in, and we are normally too tired and stinky (mountain runners) to bother with eating out and have no wish to visit a supermarket…..after all we are on holiday. This made it difficult this week as we found out last minute after our food had been purchased ready to take with us that there was no freezer. There is space for a freezer which would be more useful than the pointless sauna!! Sleeping arrangements ……well this gets a bit Goldilocks and the three bears……..nothing is great, you take your pick or get creative. The main mattress is a marshmallow disaster. Off grid…….this is all very well done and I would expect no real problems with the set up at this cottage. The generator came on for half an hour late one evening to top up the batteries (service engineers that visited earlier that day had probably drained the batteries testing things)..Bit noisy but brief. There are instructions should anything go wrong, very basic things, easy fixes .. anything more call Andy. The grounds….so looking through the previous reviews I think some context is needed. First the cottage is in a commercial forest with rough but reasonable forest access tracks. If you are precious about your vehicle go somewhere else. You need to lock the gates on entry and exit ( sheep need to stay safe ). At present it is largely clear felled so to many (townies) it may look a bit bleak. But in perspective if the trees were there it would be very dark and gloomy and the mountain views are lovely, not from the cottage. The immediate surrounds would benefit from a bit of a tidy up (there are builders material bags, old car batteries and various untidy bits around .It is a work in progress but how about hiding this stuff away in the unused poly tunnel. Take some pride in your property. It is in a natural (ish) environment so if you prefer smooth concrete and paved areas or flower beds think again. Also if you bring children and are the type of parent that hurry your child away from an over keen sparrow then again maybe it is not for you. The sheep live here and around the cottage .. so maybe your best shoes will not be a good idea either. The generator is not caged away or fenced off and as per the cottage booklet instructions keep the children away, also be warned there is a natural pond down a steep bank by the cottage, unfenced! Some stern warnings to your children may be needed or go elsewhere . • No mobile reception! But who cares you are on holiday. • Wifi intermittent but improvements pending apparently. • TV was not working but again who cares ,take a laptop and hope for the best. All the above aside it is great place with wildlife all round if you take time to look, not a soul for at least a mile. We did not use the car all week. Dog owners - make sure you've got your dog covered for ticks. Tick removers are invaluable, for you and your dog. Otherwise we really had a really nice week and enjoyed ourselves. Even the aircraft flying over the house (Mach Loop) didn't phase us, what a sight!

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• Sam - Verified booking

  First and foremost, wow.

  We were absolutely captivated by Brithgwm Canol. It’s clear that a great deal of love and effort has gone into making this off-grid retreat a true paradise. We left with a sense of envy that this is someone’s second home and deep admiration for the skills involved in creating such a secluded and beautiful space. That said, I’d like to offer some constructive feedback on areas where we feel there’s room for improvement to enhance the overall experience: Shower Safety - A non-slip mat in the shower would be a helpful addition to prevent any accidents. Towels - Unfortunately, the towels provided were not as clean as expected, with some of them smelling damp. Improved cleanliness here would make a big difference. Smell of Damp - There was a noticeable damp smell in the property, which detracted from the otherwise cosy atmosphere. Kitchen Roll - It would have been convenient to have some kitchen roll available in the kitchen for general use. Television - The television felt outdated and could benefit from an upgrade to something more modern. Freezer - The lack of freezer capabilities was a bit inconvenient, especially for longer stays. Cleanliness - The overall cleanliness of towels, bedding, and crockery could be improved. We found some of these items were not up to standard. Signage - There was no sign on the first gate, which made finding the property a bit challenging initially. Spice Rack - The spice rack had congealed spices, which should be refreshed regularly. Firewood - We found only five sticks of kindling and no extra logs underneath the cupboard behind the fire, as stated in the information book. We share this feedback with the intention of helping to maintain and even improve the high standards we know Sykes Cottages aims for. Despite these small issues, we had a truly memorable stay, and we appreciate the unique charm of Brithgwm Canol. Thank you for providing such a wonderful getaway, and we hope to return in the future. Best regards, Sam

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• Elaine - Verified booking

  It's set right back from the road and can be easily missed.

  Walking in I thought I was walking into a church as it smelt like one, that's not a bad thing as it's an old property. We soon settled in and felt at home. There's plenty of crockery, cutlery, glasses, pots and pans and utensils. The welcome pack is a nice touch and was very much appreciated. We only used the lounge once as we preferred the dining room, it was nice to sit round the table, eat, chat, drink and play card games. There's a two seater sofa and two chairs if you get fed up of drinking and playing cards lol. The wood fire makes it cosy but got too warm as the heating was set ( September) £5 per bag thereafter the first lot free. The hot tub takes around 4 hours to heat up ( you must stay with it to keep stoking it up ) but was fab when we got in it. There was 7 of us, me and my husband, daughter and Son-in-law and 3 grandsons 22, 16 and 14 and I must say the games room was a godsend as we had so much fun in there on rainy days. There's a utility room with washer, dryer, ironing board and iron and a high chair also a mop and bucket which came in handy for the downstairs shower room as the shower doors leak but we soon learnt to face the shower head away from the doors. We didn't bother with the TV as choice of what to watch was poor so as I said earlier we lived in the dining room. It sits at the mouth of Mach Loop ( which excited us ) but only saw 2 aircraft, better than nothing I suppose. All in all this cottage is a little gem with a lovely cosy feel and we would return in a heartbeat. It's not for people who aren't very mobile as there's nothing round it but walks and stunning scenery It definitely gets a 10/10 from us. It would be nice if the owner could get together ( if known ) the history of the cottage like when it was built and the stages of it's life up to present day. I'm sure lots of people would find it an interesting read.

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• Vaishali - Verified booking

  The property is misrepresented on your website.

  1. This is an off grid property, no where on the website description does it say this. You have no phone service / this has to be clearly mentioned. 2. Access to this property is through a timber yard. It is a dangerous track with working large machinery and trucks. You feel very unsafe every time you have to go down this road. This is the only access to the property. It is not suitable for some cars. The track is full of debris. 3. The grounds of the property has sharp stones full of weeds and animal droppings. It has not been cleaned or looks in any way where you would want to sit outside. A polytunnel full of weeds on the grounds. The barbeque was dirty and broken. The side of the property has a big drop to a dense forest. You cannot walk in this forest, specially not with young children. 4. The TV/Wifi is intermittent, it keeps cutting out. It cannot be advertised as having these facilities. It is on and off and you cannot actually watch anything. 5. The view from the property itself is almost non existent we were fooled by the picture, but this is actually taken from the top of the hill and the property is in a lower position within the trees. So this is again a dissapointment. The top of the hill is again a climb up not for everyone. 6. The water is from the stream, we were not sure if this was okay to drink, it is a slightly reddish colour. 7. No blinds in the windows, this would have been nice specially upstairs where there are windows in the roof which for someone sleeping there means daylight coming through from early in the morning. 8. We really just wanted to leave from the moment we arrived, we tried to enjoy it but it was just a question of trying to enjoy it inspite of all of this. We complained to Sykes on the first day but there was no response from them.

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