“We had a lovely stay at Chapel Cottage, it was cosy and comfortable however there were a few things that could be improved which is a shame as the cottage itself was lovely but when we chose this cottage we chose it mainly because we wanted to be isolated but also near a shop and pub so we didn't have to drive anywhere if we didn't want to, for a few days and totally relax but the local pub has sadly closed down and is now a guest house.”
We couldn't find it despite it being a few houses down the road, as it was badly sign posted and had just literally reopened the day we arrived but it did open 9-4.30pm to the public, so we went in there one day and had a local cider and met the old landlord and staff who were lovely!!.
In the cottage, we found a piece of paper with a list that was outdated as it mentioned the local pub which apparently had been closed for a while now. The list was handwritten, basic and not clear or very informative.
There were no welcome instructions or note so we were in the middle of a very quiet place with no one around to speak to and we wanted to find the local pub and shop but we couldn't find them. Turns out the local shop is quite a walk away but there was a cute vending machine that sold local milk, honey, cheese, cakes and butter etc. handy for little bits but no bread etc., thankfully we could drive to places. We walked around and on the second day spoke to a couple of locals who were really nice and explained a few things about the area but its a shame the owners didn't say hello, despite them living opposite and driving past us a few times as we shared a drive. We didnt realise they were the actual owners. We texted them a few times (or at least Im guessing we were texting them as they didn't reply saying they were the owners or give us any names) and they were pleasant enough but just would have been nice to have a welcome or to say hello when they were reversing on to our drive area and we were literarily staring at them smiling and saying hello.
There was a shared outside area with the Chapel next door that also gets rented out but not clear what we could use, so we stayed in our area other than walking our little dog a few times very quickly. It did get a little loud at times, which was annoying. There was a bored teenager staying next door, playing with a football quite loudly just outside our cottage when we were trying to relax in the evening but with no clear boundaries, he may not have realised he was not to play there.
The overall stay was lovely, but we would not stay there again. The downfalls are the pub no longer existing and in the cottage itself, the amenities were very basic.. they didn't have enough glasses for two people - only had one wine glass and one pint glass, maybe have at least two if its meant for two people? Also the plates and glasses and tea cups and most utensils were quite dirty - perhaps check them in between guests as you cant just rely on guests cleaning things to a high standard. I had to clean everything that I tried to use. Dirty tea cups and stains on spoons and stuck on food on plates. I went to find ice cube holders to make ice and one of them had dead spiders and maggots in it! Not nice! It would be helpful to have instructions to explain where things are and how you want the cottage left when we vacated. I had to text to ask and it felt uncomfortable to do so.
