Lake Farm Cottage

We did enjoy our stay, but a couple of things put us off. The listing didn't say anything about having to drain the hot tub on our last night. On arrival day, I got an email explaining what they planned to do, and I told the owner it was unfair and needed to be added to Sykes so others would know. We agreed they'd come in the morning on departure day instead of 9pm the night before. They turned up at 4am, waking us as they emptied, cleaned, and refilled the tub. It felt ridiculous and selfish. I'd recommend they install a hot water tap to refill it, as that's what we did when we had one. The BBQ was full of old coals when we arrived, though luckily we didn't want to use it. I won't go into the other problems, but people should know about this. We asked for a late checkout and were told two hours would cost £50, but then, because of their mistake on Sykes, they said we could stay until 11.30 free of charge.

The conversion is lovely, with plenty of room, comfortable furnishings, and all the equipment you need. The four-person jacuzzi is positioned perfectly for sunset. It is very remote, though, so you'll need transport to get anywhere.

The owners were friendly and thoughtful, and the cottage was a comfortable place to switch off. We especially enjoyed the hot tub after a day out. Fountains Abbey, Ripley Castle and Brimington Rocks are all close enough for different outings. The countryside setting is lovely. I almost want to keep the place to myself!

Such a lovely place.