“Our dealings with Sykes Holiday Cottages have been first class, from the initial serches through to the bookings and to the actual arrival at the chosen cottage, we have even booked another stay for the Festive week in 2026.”
“Absolutely fantastic location overlooking open countryside. The accommodation was really cosy and had been decorated for Christmas. Not quite a 4 star due to minor cleaning issues and the fact carpets and sofa are past their prime.”
“The cottage was warm, cosy and inviting. We had a great Christmas stay. Foolow is a picture book village and the Bull Inn, the village pub, is amazing. We would stay again.”
“We stayed here for Christmas, a family of 10 and it was fantastic. The views are the highlight of this property and short walk to the beach. The kitchen is very well equipped and were able to cook a Christmas dinner with what we had. The rooms are all good sizes. I would say the living room is lacking seating as we wanted to all be seated together but we made it work. Everyone had their own space and we even set our boys up on their PlayStation in the 2nd living area. We did find the bedding had a damp smell to it but opened windows to freshen. This wouldn't stop us staying again and have booked for 2026. Huge thank you for giving us the opportunity to come together with all our family members and create some beautiful memories for our children.”
“We had a lovely stay at Birch cottage over Christmas.
The house really feels like a home away from home rather than just a holiday rental.
And Barbara even put up a tree and some decorations for us as we were there over Xmas.
Spotlessly clean when are we arrived with nice bedding and facilities made our stay very comfortable and enjoyable.
Thank you Barbara”
“My husband and I had the most idyllic, warm, and magical festive stay at Groes Lwyd Holiday Cottage with our two doggies, and we honestly couldn’t have loved it more. From the moment we arrived, everything felt special. The welcome pack was absolutely perfect, with fizz and delicious sweet treats for us, and the most thoughtful little gifts for our dogs, which instantly made us feel so welcome and cared for.
The cottage itself was beautifully decorated, creating the cosiest, most inviting atmosphere imaginable. It felt wonderfully warm, welcoming, and full of festive charm. Spotlessly clean, spacious, and incredibly well equipped, it truly was a home from home, but even better. We stayed for four nights and were joined by our family for the last two, which was perfect and made the whole experience even more special.
The views are stunning, the hot tub was a real treat, and the huge, secure garden was an absolute dream. Our Great Dane Bodhi had the time of his life, charging around enjoying joyful zoomies in the spacious garden, which was heart-warming to watch. Our Chihuahua Bowie was equally content, happily pottering around the garden at his own pace before curling up blissfully in front of the fire, soaking up the warmth and cosiness.
We also had the pleasure of meeting Kath and Mick’s dog Bob, who was a lovely friendly boy.
Groes Lwyd Holiday Cottage was quite simply the perfect place for a festive break. Kath and Mick were wonderfully welcoming and informative, always on hand if needed but never intrusive. Every detail had clearly been thought through with care. Highly recommended, and we will be sure to book again.”
“A fabulous cottage for a family group to spend Christmas. Spacious , equipped with everything you could want with stunning views of the lake.
Only tiny downside is that two bedrooms have a hand held shower over the bath which is not always the easiest .”
“The cottage was in an ideal spot for the village amenities and local walks. We found it clean, well equipped and warm, with a comfy bed. It was cosy and felt homely but could have been improved with personal touches, such as a proper welcome pack, logs for the fire and being decorated for Christmas, especially as the price we paid reflected the holiday period. We were aware of these but otherwise I'd have awarded 5 stars.
A small pointer for the owner: there were only 2 cereal bowls and no champagne flutes (we bought 2 from a charity shop and left them).”
“So many positives, however, unfortunately they were all overshadowed.
We arrived after a 7 hour drive to seahouses, the house was beautifully presented and felt very homely.
The following morning we had a phone call from the agents that the owners had made contact with them, to report that we were charging our car. Which was shear desperation as seahouses only has 1 fast charger! It was permanently occupied and we were unable to charge, so needed to go further afield but needed some charge to get somewhere else with better charging facilities.
This was not an big issue, the issue was that the owners had clearly been on the property to see this!
We spent the rest of the week with all the curtains and blinds closed, as clearly our privacy had been compromised. It would've been so much better if they had made themselves known to us, it was the most unnerving experience we have ever known, that there were eyes on us.
Such a shame I can't say about all the really good things, all I can say is that our week was totally ruined by this event!
The moral of this is don't stay in Seahouses if you have an electric vehicle! And be aware that if you are staying at the chevy, you will be spied on! and the lounge suite is exceptionally uncomfortable 😬”
“The cottage was very comfortable and very clean just 5 minutes walk to the centre of of Bakewell town lots of local friendly shops dog friendly everywhere”
“The layout was lovely and the location was ideal. Disappointing to have arrived late Christmas eve, after a long journey after work to the bungalow being cold as heating was switched off. There was no firewood, kindling, matches or firelighters as a starter pack. After driving around, the shops recommended to sell wood were closed. There was only a small amount of toilet roll. No hand towels in any of the bathrooms or single toilet. Given it was Christmas also unusual to not have a welcome pack. Everywhere we stay - which is often -there is always at least a bottle of wine with milk and bread as a minimum. All very disappointing given the price we paid for 5 nights.”
“The Clock House at Lukesland is all you need for a really peaceful stay, equipted with everything you need for a comfortable stay. Great communication from Lorna before our visit, and we were greated with tea, coffee and stolen cake, as well as a lovely decorated Christmas tree in the lounge. The 24 acres of grounds to walk around are stunning and just on the edge of Dartmoor so easy access from the gardens. We stayed over the Christmas week, and although very cold and windy outside we were warm and comfortable inside with the underfloor heating, there was no need to light the woodburning stove. The house has disabled entry and a walk in shower on the lower level with a double or twin Bedroom (your Choice) Upstairs a single bedroom, a double (or Twin your choice) with a shared bathroom. Large P shaped Bath with overhead shower. A Utility room on the groundfloor with another WC. The kitchen is fully equiped with a Fridge, Freezer and dishwasher. everything you need for a really comfortable stay. I would love to revisit in the Spring/Summer when the gardens are full of flowers to enhance the lovely stream that runs through the grounds with several waterfalls and ponds. This is a difinite for those who love to walk. I would definitely recommend this property.”
“I have booked with Sykes cottages twice now and have had excellent results both times the properties have been exactly as stated in the booking details!”
“Our family of seven including three adult children and two grandparents had a lovely Christmas staying here together. The house and gardens are spacious, comfortable and attractive with a cosy log burner and a dining table that could seat ten which was required as we had further family staying in a nearby cottage. The Ullswater scenery and mountain walks are superb including straight from the front door. Other than mountain fun, there was plenty to explore with Penrith and farmshops. If you want granite, glass and steel then this one is not for you. If you want comfortable cosy farmhouse for a large group gathering then this one is ideal. You could easily park five or even more cars around the property. Ideally there would have been a more generous store of consumables such as toilet paper and dishwasher tablets which ran out and no laundry tablets were available at all. Otherwise, we were very happy indeed.”
“We had an excellent stay over Christmas in this cottage which is in an outstanding location. We know the area well, as I grew up here and was visiting family, and this property is perfectly situated near Ruthin and Denbigh. And even was amazed by the views. It’s wonderfully quiet and peaceful.
We arrived to a thoughtful hamper of local gifts and plenty of wood for the owner, which made us feel very welcome. We shared some truly special days there, especially on Christmas morning. I can’t recommend it highly enough — we’ve already booked again. Thank you!”
