Vale House

The upstairs shared showers were the main letdown: one was coming away from the wall, and the other was already running when we arrived. It was also around a corner from the light, so the area was very dark. There were lots of ladybird beetles in windows across several rooms, too. They weren't pests, but the fluttering could interrupt sleep. We rented the whole house as a group and had a great time. The rooms are all decorated differently, the beds were comfortable with clean sheets and plenty of pillows, and each door felt secure. The temperature stayed comfortable throughout. Upstairs was pleasantly warm from the rising heat, which I liked, though people who run warm might not. The lounge and bar area was fun to use, and the kitchen had enough useful equipment for cooking for a big group. It’s a quiet spot with lovely views. Nearby, Engine Yard has a nice bistro, a garden shop, and other popups. I wanted to try the wood-fired pizza because it looked great, but we ran out of time.

The family room was nicely decorated, with clean, comfortable beds and fresh towels and linens. We didn't have an ensuite, but the two toilets and walk-in showers across the hall were very clean. There was also a big outdoor area where the children could play or we could sit with a drink. We stayed for one night after visiting family in Lincoln and Grantham. The building is beautiful and clearly well looked after. Check-in was self-service, so there wasn't any staff around, but we had a phone number to call if we needed someone.

The tents were fabulous, and the site and facilities were spotless. Our group of five adults shared one tent, with two in the double bed and three on the supplied folding beds on the floor. Bedding and towels were included, along with cooking gear, wood, matches and firelighters for the fire bowl, plus tea and coffee. Each tent has a key for its own lockable cubicle in the shower block, with a sink, toilet and shower. There are dishwashing stations at the end of the block. Engine Yard nearby has a bar, cafe, pizza and a few other businesses, plus a small children's play area. We had a brilliant two-night stay and would visit again. I'd definitely recommend it.

The room was frustrating to use. There was plenty of furniture, but nowhere practical to put our things: the dressing table and side table were covered in trinkets, leaving us to keep most belongings in the suitcase and hang a few items on wall hooks. The house is full of accessories and ornaments with prices on them, which made it feel like a rather gaudy shop. The mirrored bathroom tiles meant we could see each other on the toilet from the bed. There was no towel rail or toilet roll holder, so things had to go on the floor. We also found cobwebs, and a loose floorboard hurt my husband's foot. The radiator needed turning off when we arrived, but its TRV didn't work, so we couldn't turn it back on. The TV was tiny, about the size of an iPad. After spending the afternoon at the opulent home of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, it was embarrassing to find such small bedroom TVs. It gave me the impression they would rather sell things and make a few quid than spend money on the rooms. There were a couple of other issues that really lowered the quality of our stay. A leaf blower started at 7am on Sunday, even though the area being cleared doesn't open until 10am. Nothing seemed set up for visiting guests: it is described as self-catering style accommodation, but the room only had a tiny fridge, a couple of UHT milk portions, tea and coffee. There was no breakfast anywhere, so we had to travel to Grantham. In the evening, everything seemed to close at 4pm on Saturday. There was a bar, but that wasn't ideal with our children. We won't be back and I wouldn't recommend it.