Guests say
Groom's Cottage is a charming and peaceful rural retreat, praised for its tranquil setting, proximity to both the Scottish Borders and Northumberland coast, and dog-friendly atmosphere. Guests appreciate the well-equipped kitchen, comfortable beds, and the warm welcome from the friendly host. While the cottage is generally clean and comfortable, some guests noted areas needing extra care, such as creaky floorboards, occasional maintenance issues, and outdoor upkeep. Thoughtful touches like welcome packs are frequently mentioned, though not guaranteed. Overall, the cottage offers a relaxing base for exploring the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Most guests found the cottage clean and tidy, with several positive mentions of cleanliness on arrival. However, some reviews highlighted issues such as cobwebs, dusty areas, and occasional lapses in deep cleaning, particularly in bathrooms and kitchen appliances.
The location is highly praised for its peaceful, rural setting and convenient access to local attractions, the coast, and nearby towns. Guests consistently enjoyed the tranquillity and natural beauty of the area.
Guests generally found the cottage comfortable, with positive comments on the beds, living spaces, and overall atmosphere. Some noted issues with hard mattresses and noisy floorboards, but these did not significantly detract from the overall comfort.
The cottage is well-equipped with useful amenities such as a dishwasher, washing machine, and two bathrooms. Some guests mentioned minor maintenance issues, such as unclear cooker controls, creaky floors, and occasional problems with heating or outdoor furniture, but these were typically manageable.
Many guests appreciated thoughtful touches like welcome packs with tea, coffee, milk, and biscuits, as well as the host's friendly and helpful attitude. Please note that such gifts are not guaranteed for every stay.
About this property
Chirnside 1 mile.
An attractive semi-detached property in a courtyard setting, in a rural, tranquil location 1 mile from Chirnside. This Chirnside cottage offers welcoming accommodation with an open plan living area, and two light and airy bedrooms. A particular feature of this Chirnside cottage are the large, well established and secluded grounds, complete with small private patio, making this an ideal property for simply relaxing. This location offers some great walking countryside, rolling hills and coastal paths. Nearby Berwick-upon-Tweed has a good selection of inns, shops and eating places. There are splendid golf courses in the vicinity of this Chirnside cottage, and wildlife spectacles nearby such as the Farne Islands, and Bass Rock off the Scottish coast. Holy Island is just over half an hour's drive. If you are looking for an outdoor adventure or just some rest and relaxation for all the family, this property will fit the bill. This Chirnside cottage adjoins Ref 4276, with Ref 4277 across the courtyard, together they accommodate 10. EPC Rating: Band E
The village of Chirnside occupies an elevated position overlooking the River Tweed and offers stunning views across the magnificent Cheviot Hills. A number of interesting landmarks depict the village's long history, including a 16th Century dovecot and a beautiful parish church, believed to date back to the 12th Century. Each summer, the Jim Clark Rally, the only 'closed roads' race on mainland Britain, takes place in and around Chirnside as a memorial to the village's home born champion. Just 9 miles away lies the charming, coastal town of Berwick, boasting narrow streets enclosed within Elizabethan walls, excellent shopping and dining facilities and an interesting arts centre. The local area affords fantastic fishing, golf and riding opportunities and a fun-packed leisure centre, whilst the nearby resort of Spittal offers soft, sandy beaches, ideal for a relaxing afternoon.
Short-term Holiday Let Licence No: SB-00730-FAccommodation
Two bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x twin (zip/link, can be double by prior arrangement) with en-suite shower, basin and WC.
Bathroom with bath, hand-held shower, basin and WC.
Open plan living area with small kitchen, dining area and sitting area with electric fire.
Night storage heaters with electric fire.
Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, video, DVD, CD/radio, WiFi.
Note: WiFi can be intermittent.
All fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Cot and highchair.
Off road parking for 2 cars.
Small, enclosed patio with furniture, access to shared grounds.
One well-behaved dog welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shop 1.5 miles, pub 1 mile.
Christmas is quickly approaching and Groom’s Cottage is a wonderful, warm and welcoming cosy space in which to plan your Christmas Shopping.
Edinburgh and Newcastle are easily accessible by car and train and both host wonderful Christmas shopping experiences.
Local towns such as Duns, Kelso, Newton St Boswells, also have hidden gems of boutiques and galleries, perfect for unique gifts.
You can have the best of both worlds, venture out into the bright lights for the day, and then return to the tranquil peace of the cottage for a relaxing evening.
Shopping not your thing? Then escape to Groom’s Cottage for a quiet retreat before the Christmas madness begins!
Reviews (73)
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Jane
Courtyard had weeds between paving stones and a dead shrub in a pot. Exterior windows and frames grubby. Inside, the living area had a doggy smell but otherwise clean, and kitchen was clean and well-equipped. All numbers on hob and oven controls were very faded (a diagram would be helpful). TV excellent. Upstairs, bedrooms fine but could do with a chair or hooks on doors? Bathroom very clean but velux window covered in moss. Cold tap had violent water hammer and both taps tricky to control the flow. Bathroom would benefit from a shower over the bath. We all used the ensuite shower. Ensuite very clean except for the mould in the shower (but shower was excellent). As other reviews have mentioned, the creaky upper floor is a problem. This property could be very comfortable with some thoughtful maintenance and TLC.
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Jonathan
We walked every day to explore the stunning scenery and coastline. The cottage is adequate with basic facilities that were more than acceptable. Large tray of tea coffee and biscuits etc on arrival were provided. There are a couple of small fixes that would improve the experience, a few lights not working (kitchen and shower room) and the cooker settings are not legible, for example, but nothing detrimental. The additional heating items provided alongside the redundant storage heating were not needed, upgrade to the electric supply as advised will remedy the visual impact once completed. The house information book was a little tired and lacked detail on waste and recycling facilities but a phone call to the friendly owner remedied the situation. Earliest check out time of 9am is a Sykes first for us, so previous day preparation is essential! As a base, in Summer time, Grooms is ideal, and with a little attention to detail it would become a cosy and more than adequate place to stay. I would consider a return to this property if choosing the area as a location in future.
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Sheila
It's surrounded by trees and silent,exactly what we were looking for. Outside needed sweeping as there was alot of rotted leaf matter,moss and rotted wood between the gate and door. Once inside,there was a dog-eared sheet explaining the downstairs heating isn't working until new smart meters is installed and guests are to use the oiled heater provided. On arrival,the cottage felt very cold,but the heater worked well. First impressions were good ,but dried on crumbs on top of the protruding washing machine,didn't give a good impression. Upstairs,both bathrooms need attention. The shower needs regrouting and sealing as both the grout and sealant are black. The ceiling like others have dirty marks. The other bathroom has a broken/ missing tile and both have rusty heated towel rails. A full decorate and tlc,as it doesn't look like either has happened in many years,would make this property absolutely perfect. The location is excellent, bird life outstanding,but sadly,the house did not meet expectations and photographs were misleading as outdated.