Dog Friendly Essex Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Mohammed - Verified booking

  Our first day of a five day stay was completely ruined as the log fire did not work, there wasn't heating in the main bedroom and the WiFi wasn't working!

  Worse still, the owner, refused to take phone was eventually calls and would only text which was very inconvenient and inhospitable. To my shock, I found out the next day that she was holidaying in South Africa and had not even bothered to delegate hosting to her housekeeper/someone else in her absence! As a result, we tried calling and texting at 6.30pm on Day 1, but did not get any 'help' until 8.30am the next morning (a very brief and unhelpful text message from an owner too busy holidaying to worry about our plight). By this time, my vulnerable, heavily pregnant wife, who suffers from sinus issues and is used to very warm rooms, had to sleep in a cold room we weren't able to enjoy even the basic amenity of Wifi and watching a movie on Netflix. We would have been 100X better off staying home!!! When we text back to explain she hadn't solved the problems, she took another 4 hours to reply! The housekeeper, eventually arrived in the afternoon of Day 2. She couldn't solve the kindling issue. It was only after we rang around friends to get ideas and suggested getting firelighter cubes that we were able to finally get the fire going at 3pm. Housekeeper was brilliant. She would answer the phone and respond to messages within minutes. She fixed the Wifi, got us an electric heater for the bedroom, etc. She was the hostess the owner should have been and salvaged the rest of our stay. Naturally we demanded a refund for our completely wasted and stressful first day and night when the owner was not available and was not able to solve our problems until well into Day 2.

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• Andrew - Verified booking

  Rookwoods is a very quiet and peaceful property, a (very nicely) converted stable behind a grand house in Sible Hedingham.

  Sible Hedingham has a petrol station, Co-op, and several good takeaways (chippy, Indian, Chinese). The walled garden behind the cottage is full of birdlife and is ALMOST dog-secure (a determined terrier can get through the bird netting under the five-bar gate). The main bedroom with ensuite and zip-link beds is very comfortable; however the property is really only suitable for couples as to get from the upstairs twin bedroom to the bathroom you have to come downstairs, across the living/dining/kitchen to the other end of the downstairs. Also, the property only has a two-ring hob and limited cooking utensils pans/bowls etc, not good for four adults who like to cook. The furnishings though are very comfortable and stylish. Since Covid we are used to not getting a welcome pack; however some tea/coffee/sugar to make a drink on arrival would have been nice (its not far to the Coop though), and note there are no kitchen essentials (salt, pepper, herbs, oil) supplied. Overall, very comfortable for a couple, but make sure to take all your own consumables.

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• John - Verified booking

  We had a 3 night stay at Rockwoods to attend a family wedding, the property was perfect for what we needed and we had a really enjoyable stay.

  The owners were also helpful and welcoming. The cottage has some lovely quirky features and the underfloor heating was a bonus, all in all the cottage was very comfortable, however, the property would benefit from some upgrading and TLC, especially to the rear decking and definitely some new garden furniture. A modern smart tv would also be a good improvement for little cost. As a family we didn't find much going on in the immediate area and Sible Hedingham itself is quite run down. However, staying at Rookwoods, you don't need to worry too much about that as the beautiful sunny rear enclosed garden is large and spacious and was great for letting our dog run freely. Having mentioned some honest negatives, this would definitely not put us off staying again as there are much more positives with regard to this little hidden gem.

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• Les - Verified booking

  What a lovely cosy little cottage, ideal for 2 and our pet dog Misty.

  All amenities that you need and very clean throughout. We are 66 years old and found the staircase a little awkward but nothing you wouldn’t expect from a little thatched cottage. We are only around 5’6 and we’re fine with the low and sloping ceilings , it may be an interesting challenge if you are a bit taller. A nice short walk into town one way or to the fabulous Naze in the opposite direction. With the beach around 200 yards away up an alley to the side of cottage Misty was in her element. Lyndsey was a fabulous host and nothing was too much trouble. Her communication was first class. We had a problem with the electrics one evening around 8pm, by 10pm all was fixed. Thanks again Lyndsey for the generous welcome pack and we would love to stay at Little Thatch again in the future. Les & Jan

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• Hayley - Verified booking

  Little Thatch is a Pretty chocolate box cottage Located so close to the beautiful (dog friendly) Walton beach.

  The path beside the house takes you there in a few minutes. The cottage is very well equipped, really cosy and there is lots of character and charm. A worn down step. Beams. Wonky walls, ceilings and floors. Exactly what you’d expect from a grade 2 listed building. I loved staying here and was sad to leave. The owner is very kind, leaving food gifts/drink. And telephoned to let us know that the cottage was ready for our arrival. It has a lovely enclosed garden which we all enjoyed (Misty the beagle too) as we were so lucky with the weather. A nice large shower and comfortable bed. As the beach is so close my husband and I walked to it at night to look up at the stars with little light pollution. Just wonderful! Looking forward to staying again in the future.

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