Self-Catering at Hill Brow | Holiday Cottages in Shropshire Hills

Holiday home
Hill Brow is a charmingly-presented, ground floor, rural detached bungalow in the Shropshire hamlet of Hatton, near Church Stretton, and can sleep four people. There is a double bedroom, a twin bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, a utility room, a sitting room with dining area and a woodburning stove and a conservatory with dining area and seating area. Outside there is off road parking for three cars, a decked terrace to the rear and side with a brick-built BBQ and furniture. Hill Brow is a wonderful holiday cottage. Note: From 1st January 2023, there will be a Pay As You Go meter fitted into Hillbrow to pay for electricity. The owners will pay for the first £49 in any whole week and the first £25 in any part week. After this, guests will need to top up using the meter card provided. Instructions for the use of the meter and card will be provided at the property. The owners anticipate that most summer bookings will not need to top up but winter bookings may need to top up depending on electricity usage. Note: The garden is surrounded by hedges which are not entirely secure for dogs especially in winter.

Accomodation Details
All ground floor. Two bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x twin. Bathroom with Walk-in Shower, basin and WC. Kitchen. Utility. Sitting room with dining area and woodburning stove. Conservatory with dining area and seating area.

Area
The pretty market town of Church Stretton lies in the heart of south Shropshire. It is set amid striking scenery and has often been described as "Little Switzerland". The town is the main centre for Shropshire’s hill country and home to a variety of tea rooms, pubs and specialist shops.

Region
Visitors to the Cotswolds have long treasured memories of charming towns and villages built from the famous honey-coloured stone, it now boasts a thriving community of contemporary artists working from studios and shops throughout the area.

Amenities
Woodburning stove in sitting room with storage heaters in bedrooms, lounge and kitchen, heated towel rail and oil filled heater in bathroom. Electric oven, grill and halogen hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, TV with BT TV, CD/radio, WiFi, selection of books, and games. Electric and starter pack for stove inc. in rent. Bed linen and towels inc. in rent. Off road parking for 3 cars. Decked terrace to rear and side with brick-built BBQ and furniture. Two well-behaved dogs welcome. Sorry, no smoking. Shop 4 miles, pub 1.5 miles away. Train station 4 miles. Note: Children 5 years and over only. Please note - Hillbrow is ideal for birdwatchers. Thirty five different species of bird have been recognised by visiting guests. To encourage birds to visit we provide home made bird cake which is stored in the freezer. A check list of birds seen is available for guest use and binoculars and a bird reference book. This property accepts a minimum of 3 nights.

Robert T

September 2022

Hill Brow Cottage, Hatton, Shropshire. The garden and location very nice, there it stops. We are bemused at the positive reviews this property gets, being fussy about cleanliness, dirt and smells we think would be normal for most people. We took our dog and were assured the garden secure, it was not. We had to arrive later than planned it was dark and there was no outside lighting. The smells came as soon as we opened to door. On looking around the kitchen and the pantry the dirt, spiders, cobwebs - all above the crockery we were expected to use. Thank goodness we took our picnic hamper, we used the crockery and cutlery from that. Every surface was sticky and dirty. The lounge had such an awful smell we looked for a window to open but there was not one, we had to use the air freshener which we thankfully found in a hold all the time, as the smell was overwhelming. The personal pictures and collections were not quirky to us, they were off putting, we do not expect so many personal artefacts for a place we are renting. The sofa's are the most uncomfortable we have sat on and the bed linen appeared stained and did not look inviting to sleep on, so didn't. We phone SYKES the company who we rented the cottage from the following morning to tell them that we were leaving and would not be staying any longer. We were told by Sykes that we didn't give the owners the opportunity to put things right, well it would have taken days to sort even the dirt and smell out, regardless of the problems with having no windows to open etc. we couldn't see the point. If the owners felt that property was clean enough to let as it was it seemed unlikely they could make things better enough for us to stay, We couldn't wait to get home and normally we are sad to leave places we have planned for a holiday. We could not get any response from the owners or Sykes that took account of how we felt we had been dealt with and have promised ourselves we won't deal with them again. All we wanted was some kind of reasonable response. We don't normally give reviews (unless something is exceptional) but we really felt that people should know the experience we had as we had been told there were no bad reviews for this property, we did find some, so not so and here's another.

306cathrynn

August 2020

I cant believe this beautiful, characterful house has a bad review. If in 2018, things weren't to someones liking, all I can say is,things must have changed since then. We were delighted as soon as we drove up. A very private peaceful location. The house is 1920s in style but it is all perfectly clean and decorated to a very good standard. The garden is heavenly with the birds visiting and the little gate leading into the fields. Perfect for dogs. The quirky features in the house are charming - the stove, the tiles, the curios. We spent many hours in the warm and spacious conservatory, it also acts as a dining room so meals were very pleasant. The bathroom is well maintained, clean, no damp or mould. If you want a clinical, pristine characterless house, dont book this. But if you want a well maintained house which still holds on to its soul, this is the house for you!

Excellent accommodation especially if you have dogs

Mrs Denley, August 2020

Lovely remote bungalow set in a large garden a short distance from Acton Scott historic working farm.. Cozy wood burner in the lounge for chilly evenings. Lovely to eat in the conservatory or have a nap while listening to the birds overhead and watching the many that visit the birds feeders.

Mrs Robinson, August 2020

My husband died in April and after self isloation for six months my daughter decided to take me for a break.. Along with her two children we spent a fantastic holiday at Hillbrow cottage. It was very relaxing and comfortable. The garden was amazing with a gate leading to a field full of sheep which we all loved. The amazing amount of birds flicking to the feeders was great and we saw so much other wildlife too. I would highly recommend staying here and we will come again x

Mrs Honor, August 2020

July 2020

We were delighted as soon as we drove up.. A very private peaceful location. The house is 1920s in style but it is clean and decorated to a very good standard. The garden is heavenly with the birds visiting and the little gate leading into the fields. Perfect for dogs. The quirky features in the house are charming - the stove, the tiles, the curios. We spent many hours in the warm and spacious conservatory, it also acts as a dining room so meals were very pleasant. The bathroom is well maintained, clean, no damp or mould. If you want a clinical, pristine characterless house, dont book this. But if you want a well maintained house which still holds on to its soul, this is the house for you!

Mrs Norris, July 2020

We enjoyed the experience of staying in this charming 1930’s bungalow complete with beautiful garden and the quirks of staying in an older property.. In a peaceful setting with lots of wildlife, we were very comfortable and enjoyed spending time both inside the property and out. The owners left food for the birds which was a lovely touch. We would happily return.

Mrs Haggerty, July 2020

We loved our stay at Hillbrow, its a cute quirky cottage with everthing you need inside and the garden is perfect, lots of wildlife and cheeky squirrels.. We will definately be returning on 2021.

Miss Ellis, July 2020

February 2020

The cottage had everything that anyone could want for a weekend in the beautiful Shropshire countryside.. Much bigger than the photos suggest with huge garden, The only complaint would be the heating was not warm enough for what turned out to be a very cold weekend.

Ms Brooks, February 2020

December 2019

Hillbrow never disappoints us with its quirky charm and peace..

Mrs Lambert, December 2019

Lovely clean and great location

Mrs Neal, December 2019

A quaint and charming cottage - set in a beautiful location- within easy reach of all facilities.. Would definitely recommend but don’t expect modern and boring - this cottage is filled with memories from the past.

Mrs Mitchell, December 2019

November 2019

Generally good but to turn up to buckets of water pouring out of the entrance conservatory and a note asking to empty wasn't great! Especially after a long journey (long due to bad weather and traffic) The bungalow was very cold and the heating isn't quite adequate - although once the log burner gets going the main room warms up - both bedrooms and bathroom are very cold. (we are people who do not feel the cold and are not OAP's!) The Bungalow does have a lot of charm but I think the owners should spend a few days here in winter! the kitchen is very dark and anyone with not so good eyesight would struggle. I'm certain that in the summer this place would be amazing, a totally different take, but when very wet and cold outside it can easily turn a bit miserable. I think to make it very special it needs a bit of a overhaul as its very tired in places. Overall a good stay.

Mr Taylor, November 2019

October 2019

THE cottage was fine - splendid and furnished of its time.. It was well equipped and everything was as promised. The garden is beautiful and the views splendid and lived up to expectations. Wish we had been there in the heat of summer - we might never have left the verandah.

disobey40

September 2018

We spent a week here and found the property to be exactly as described on the website. Now,to be fair ,if you are looking for silver cutlery, Chipperfield dining furniture and all round luxury this is not for you. It is a shabby chic property with all you could really want for a quiet relaxing break. Rush hour is a couple of tractors and the garden is a wildlife haven . Rolling views over the countryside, and a lovely place if you have dogs. Like turning the clock back with many interesting items from days gone by. Even a wooden loft ladder suspended from the ceiling by a pulley system. All the facilities were more than adequate and we had a lovely week that went all too quickly. In fact we have already rebooked another week there next spring. We can fully understand why it gets so booked up. The guest book is full of complimentary comments. And only 2 miles from the A49 with easy access to all the lovely spots to visit. Roll on spring !!!

Carole J

August 2018

We stayed at this cottage for one week commencing 3rd August 2018. We arrived very late, 11pm, due to family circumstances. When we arrived it was very dark with no lighting apart from the security light which automatically knocked on / off. We used the key storage pad to get the key but due to little light this took an age. I needed to keep moving to keep the security light on and during this time I fell into the weed bed! Once we got the key pad open we found no key had been left. We contacted the owner who informed me that his daughter had forgot to leave the key and I could find a spare key in the dilapidated caravan, which I now know housed some rats. We managed to open the conservatory door but had problems locking it. The property smelt of fly spray and first impressions weren't good. Upon a closer inspection we found the cottage to be filthy. * kitchen floor dirty with cracked and broken tiles * toilet window opens into the conservatory, not good if you plan to eat your meals in the conservatory *bed in twin room was resting on a piece of wood due to the bedpost being broken *saucepans, cutlery, utensils were dirty *frying pan we found to be non-stick after attempting to cook scrambled eggs for breakfast *random dog getting into the garden and pooing. We have an elderly Labrador and we needed to remain in the garden with her in case the rogue dog got in and attacked her *decking loose and uneven * French doors from living room to garden was not secure. The doors are just latch doors with 3 bolts, 2 of which you couldn't use because the door was badly warped * massive fly problem. we swept the conservatory every day and counted approx. 50 flies per day. we also spent 2 hours swatting flies and killed 60 in the living room and kitchen *we found 3 cans of fly spray in the kitchen, so they had some idea they had a fly issue * asked to water the flower beds but most of the beds were full of weeds *strange ladder contraption in the living room * showerhead full of lime scale *general décor was extremely shabby * conservatory unusable due to flies but it was not adequately furnished. there was garden furniture in place of a dining table and a filthy chaise lounge with tatty furnishings plus the toilet window opened into the conservatory *kitchen had one wooden grubby work surface Plus points: Lovely area for dark skies and wildlife Do not be duped into thinking this is a quaint quirky cottage, its a filthy unsecure property and should not be rented out. I contacted Sykes Cottages on my return and complained but because I didn't complain when I was there they have said I can't have any reimbursement. Sykes stated that if they had been informed they would have asked the owner to come to see us. The owner informed me that he was in Scotland and would arrange a neighbour to sort out any issues. This is not an easy quick fix problem for a neighbour to sort out. Two of our [party plus dog had travelled by train and had non-refundable tickets. we stuck this holiday out due to the travel restrictions we had. We had to eat our for every meal as we were unable to use the kitchen hygienically - flies, sub-standard cooking utensils / pots and pans. I have asked the owner to contact me, which he has done, and told me that I should be more careful in choosing accommodation ion the future! I think a risk assessment should be made on this property, also electrics should be checked as not all the sockets appeared to be working. I would like to know if the insurance company for this property is away of the lack of security on this property and also if building regulations have been broken with the bathroom / toilet window opening into the conservatory. Shame on Sykes for promoting such a property and shame on Mr Philip Watton for renting our such a property. The owner and Sykes have taken my £642 for this property and seem to think the property is of a good standard. I dread to think what their homes are like. Dirty, shabby, poor quality cottage

Mrs Harper

July 2016

Liked the quirkiness of the contents, we were with my mum who is nearly 89, and she remembers using quite a few of the exhibits. We all loved the wildlife garden, and the wonderful bird life, the owners even provide bird food. The conservatory is fantastic; light, airy and warm with wonderful views.

Mrs Hughes

June 2016

Relaxing, interesting and lovely garden, my dogs loved it! The town of Church Stretton is close by and not to far for shopping. Would definitely go again.

Mrs Carden

May 2016

It was comfortable and quirky - just the sort of place we love! The garden was wonderful, it just made us happy to be there. What more could anyone want?

Miss Winter

This is a beautiful cottage in an idyllic location. There is a fantastic garden and lovely décor, it is well equipped and has a comfy bed! I would definitely recommend the cottage.

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Hill Brow in Shropshire Hills, Shropshire