Elmhurst Cottage

There’s plenty of easy parking, and the garden is beautiful. The main road outside wasn’t noisy, as there’s little traffic through the village. The property seems to date back at least partly to Tudor or Elizabethan times, which gives it a cosy feel. The rooms are clean and functional, and the communal area is nice. Sky TV is a real plus for Ashes fans who want to watch cricket. Despite the quirks, I highly recommend staying here in this beautiful area with its natural scenery and walks. The furnishings are comfortable, but not especially attractive, and some are awkwardly placed. A lounge chair sits right behind a wooden upright. Several wine fridges are dotted about, and one sticks out into the dining area. Low seating behind the dining chairs on one side means the main table has to be shifted, leaving no way to walk behind diners on that side. The mismatched pieces make the place feel like a cluttered antique shop, eclectic but a bit dysfunctional. Our bedroom felt cramped too. The double bed was against a wall, with a single bed at a right angle by the headboard, forming an L. At night, getting up meant scrambling over the other person, or shifting the double bed away from the wall and angling it so someone could reach the toilet. Then the other person would have to climb over the end of the bed, which was against the dressing table. The garden has plenty of space, and a large hot tub would be a welcome addition. One other odd thing was that we weren’t allowed to use the dishwasher after our final breakfast, so we had to wash and dry everything by hand. Someone would need to come and clean anyway, so they could empty the machine. And how could the owner know the breakfast dishes were cleaned well enough? A dishwasher is more hygienic. Maybe they’re trying to save water, but there were eight of us and we could nearly have filled it.

We couldn’t get a price for the dates we entered. The website isn’t good, and that doesn’t inspire confidence about the accommodation.

The house was huge, very clean and well equipped, and we had everything we needed. They’d left us wine, a huge delicious cake and firewood when we arrived. The garden was large and well maintained, and the area was very quiet. There’s a decent pub nearby. We’d definitely come back.