David C
October 2021
This review of Shooter’s Lodge, Wem, Shropshire has been delayed as we have been trying to negotiate a refund with Sykes Cottage Rentals and the cottage owner. Apparently, because we did not leave the property when we noticed all the problems, both inside and outside, we are not entitled to a refund (future renters beware). Sykes and the owner were unhelpful and totally dismissive of our ruined expensive holiday, with the owner even suggesting that we had
“doctored” the photo evidence that we sent to Sykes. To leave the cottage on a Sunday afternoon at the beginning of August with four adults and two dogs, and find somewhere else to stay, would have been impossible.
We arrived after our friends only to discover that there was a big problem with the water system. Our friends had phoned the owner who had said that he was busy and would arrive in an hour or two. He never arrived and we spent the complete six days with a banging boiler and continuously dripping taps.
The description of the property provided by Sykes was nothing compared to what we encountered!!!!
EXTERIOR
* The lawn is, in fact, a cut field with weeds and grass awns. (During the first afternoon, one of our dogs got a grass awn in his paw and, next morning, we had to take him to a local vet to have it removed at a cost of £600)
* The garden is not enclosed as stated in the description, with gaps in the hedge where dogs could escape.
* The driveway gate was lying on the ground which meant the dogs could have escaped onto the busy main road.
* The gravel on the driveway is very deep making it difficult to walk.
* The stone pots/troughs had no flowers in them, only weeds.
* There was no direct safe pathway leading to country walks, only by walking along the busy narrow main road with no pavements.
* At the rear of the cottage, water dripped continuously from external pipes leading out from the bathroom causing a very damp area on the ground, which is certain to cause structural damage in the future.
* The bathroom window frame, above these pipes, was rotten and the window could not be opened.
INTERIOR
* The whole kitchen area was grimy with a disgusting toaster and loose kick-boards with muck underneath and cobwebs were hanging down from the dirty windows .
* The carpet in the hallway leading to the bedrooms was badly fitted with rucked up dangerous areas.
* As mentioned earlier, the water system was horrendous with continuously dripping taps and a noisy banging boiler.
GENERAL
* There were no instructions explaining how various equipment worked.
* The description from Sykes mentioned a nearby shop but no directions were provided. We never found it.
The only plus points were:
* The beds were very comfortable
* The Internet worked very well.