Mansefield House

The damp in some rooms really needs sorting. One person in our group had to leave a day early because it set off their asthma quite badly. It's been mentioned in earlier reviews, and I really hope the owners can fix it, as I'd love to return. We did have a lovely time otherwise. Mansefield House has a gorgeous garden and an old Victorian feel with lots of character. Our group especially enjoyed spending time together in the kitchen and games room. The weather was sadly poor while we were there, but the owners were great at keeping in touch and let us check in early.

The views and location are picturesque, but the house itself was such a letdown that I wouldn't recommend it or stay again. It's old, smelly and dirty, and doesn't look like it's been renovated in a long time. There were pet hairs downstairs and lots of cobwebs on the walls, so it clearly hadn't been cleaned thoroughly. Water pressure was extremely poor in every bathroom. The beds were too small for two adults, despite being advertised for that. Most doors had no locks, including two of the four bathrooms. We asked the owner about wood for the fireplace and got no reply.

Fiona and Ali made us feel very welcome, and nothing was too much trouble. We had a great time at Mansefield House after our original place fell through, and were really glad they could accommodate us. It's a beautiful place with plenty of history and character. Highly recommended.

We had a good time in the end, and the amazing Village Inn next door helped make up for the problems in the house. There were major water issues, but luckily our party was smaller than planned, so we could manage without one bedroom and with a bathroom out of order. It's pet friendly, though pets are pretty much limited to an area downstairs and can't go on the furniture. With our smaller dog, we also had to make the garden gate pet-proof. The main garden sits behind the parking area, with the house on one side and the main road on the other. Swimming there is for the brave.