The Elmfield

We had a lovely weekend with the whole house for our large family group, from ages 2 to 70-plus. Matt was welcoming and really helpful, and the seaside town centre is close. It was easy to find, with a snug driveway that fit several cars. The house is tall, with beautiful wide stairs and wooden bannisters, but there's no lift or other way to reach the upper floors. Keep that in mind for anyone who may struggle with stairs. The ground floor has a lovely feature bedroom with an en-suite and four-poster bed. The other bedrooms are on the first and second floors. There's a tiny ground-floor toilet, none on the lower ground floor, and en-suites in all bedrooms. The pool house has a toilet and two curtained changing areas, though a shower there would be a useful addition so you could shower without going back into the house. The path to the indoor pool is manageable if you're steady on your feet, but could be hard for small children or anyone with uncertain footing. I carried my 12-year-old up it several times, so that was my workout. My parents, who are over 70, stayed on the ground and lower ground floors and could use the pool. The pool was a hit for all of us. The house isn't really suitable for wheelchairs, and may not work well for people with limited mobility. Shops are walkable if you're mobile and able to carry things, or close by car. I'd recommend it to adult groups and families with children who aren't very small. Bring your own entertainment for kids. High chairs are available. The lounge is lovely and snug, with several sofas, and I could have spent all day in there. The kitchen is practical and well equipped. The tap water doesn't come out boiling hot, so washing up is easy without marigolds. The huge toaster was a joy to use, and the fridge freezer was excellent. The kitchen table makes getting to the back door a bit awkward, so take care and it's fine. I also loved the bar, a themed room with cougar prints and dark, deep colours. You can connect your music there by Bluetooth. My bed was fine, though if you prefer firm pillows, you might want to bring your own to go with the ones provided. Towels were supplied, which was useful. My room had a couple of tiny drawers and a closet, so if you normally use drawers a lot, you'll need to adapt or use your suitcase. One en-suite toilet is very close to the wall, so you might find yourself sitting sideways if you don't have a slight rear. The TV remotes are missing their backs, presumably taken, broken, or lost, and a bit of duct tape could stop the batteries falling out.

We had a wonderful week at the house for my birthday. There's plenty of space, and Matt and Zoe were really helpful. Everyone loved the swimming pool, which was a great bonus. We'd definitely come back and highly recommend it.

The garden was lovely, and we had a great time using the pool. We also enjoyed the indoor bar for evening drinks, since noise from there couldn't be heard by the rest of the house. The rooms were all a good size and had en-suites, and the house suited our group perfectly. Matt and Zoe were very helpful before we arrived. We've just returned from a fabulous three-night stay at The Elmfield, and I'd thoroughly recommend it!

A perfect spot for getting together, with a lovely setting, a good range of rooms for our group, and an indoor pool to enjoy. The kitchen was great for preparing food for everyone. Zoe and Matt were really helpful with walking advice and tips, including routes with or without pubs.