YorkshireMinnie
December 2015
The property was easy to book and the correspondence with the owner was very good. The location of this property in Pickering is absolutely perfect with everything on the doorstep.
I booked this cottage because I had extended family staying in Pickering and also wanted a property in close proximity to York to enable us all to spend some time together over the Christmas period.
I will write in this review what would have been useful for me to have known beforehand.
On entering the property there is a small vestibule which opens into a hall, there is a door into the sitting room and a door into the dining area, although it is open plan. There is a door from the dining area into the kitchen and a door from the kitchen leading into the rear courtyard.
The kitchen is well equipped and I was able to cook a three course Christmas lunch for 4 adults and 3 children. I was able to do a hot and cold buffet for 6 adults and 3 children. The cooker and hob is gas. I am used to electric but had no problem with using this.
The washing machine worked well. There is a full size fridge and freezer and also a microwave which all worked well. There is plenty of work surface and crockery and utensils.
The rear courtyard is a good size and would be very useful in the summer.
The bedrooms are all a very good size, the rear one has a double bed and we also had three travel cots in it very comfortably. The bathroom has a shower over it. The stairs are steep, we took a safety gate with us and used it on the rear bedroom. I didn't ask the owners if the were able to provide one but they did provide a travel cot and high chair.The beds were all very comfortable.
We didn't have any problem with road or railway noises, the house is well soundproofed.
The TV has free view which worked well and the wifi was great.
We didn't use the log burner as it was so mild, but the central heating worked well. There was also plenty of hot water. This property also has plenty of storage space should it be needed.
We were provided with a parking permit for the trout farm which is only a short walk away, my daughter parked at the scout hut by the trout farm.
There was tea, coffee, sugar, milk and shortbread provided for us, which was very nice. There was also washing up liquid and some other cleaning products.
The local lidl and co-op are a very short walk away and everything is accessible. There are numerous pubs, bars, restaurants, takeaways, cash points, bakeries and numerous independent shops locally. It's a really bustling place with lots of people out and about. The steam railway was limited because it was Christmas. There is also the coast liner bus which stops just along the road.
I have a disability and use crutches to walk outside, however, although the stairs are steep I was able to manage them ok. The step into the bath is also steep. I did not contact the owner beforehand to check these things out. If you think it might be an issue for you I would advise you to do so. I think it's also worth mentioning that there are a couple of steps into the property.
I had two small dogs with me. I would say the property is dog friendly, there are no carpets downstairs. It's also safe when loading and unloading as the dogs can be shut inside.
We did see the traffic warden quite often checking the cars outside. There is parking opposite overnight or for an hour during the day and there are double yellows immediately outside.
I would stay here again and highly recommend it.