Simon-Debs467
December 2013
To start with this property is indeed right on the river (although it is not the historic wharf building in the picture), it is easy to find with plenty of car parking space. Inside it is spacious, with a well equiped kitchen, good TV, comfy sofa and large rooms. We were here in winter, and my wife is pregnant, so we couldn't use the outside facilities but can confirm a nice garden with furniture to use. At night it was very peaceful and most importantly we found that it was very well cleaned.
Unfotunately there are were two downsides for us:
Firstly the property is very low having been built underneath the family home above. In summer this must make it suitably cool but over a grey winter weekend it felt dark especially as one of the bedrooms, the hall and the bathroom do not have windows. Thus we needed the lights on even in daytime and it proved to be 'a bit of a headbanger' for me at 6' 3" as the light fittings and a couple of beams/doors are less than that height. So a minor issue to consider if thinking about renting in winter and/or if you are tall.
More important though was our second issue - when we arrived on a Friday afternoon it had been vacant for only a couple of days but all the radiators had been switched off (and we found out only the next day the windows were open on the latch and air vents also open). Thus property was very cold on arrival and also the log fire in the pictures which we had been looking forward to using is not real. So we naturally pumped up the heating as I walked the 2+miles to the shop for milk, bread, handsoap etc and my wife tried to get her afternoon rest fully dressed in bed. No big deal. But even after dinner it was still cold and after 7 hours of heating, at about 9.30pm, the boiler switched off. We called the owner Paul and to be fair he came straight away, saw the thermostat click at 15 degrees showing the real room temperature, and he adjusted the timer by unscrewing the plate off the boiler. But we had to be at our persuasive best to get him to leave the heating on overnight - clearly this was not 'normal' for him and he told us so and how much extra it would cost him.
That first night we did not sleep well but once we found the windows open the next morning (it was still only 18degrees by then) and left the heating high the rest of the weekend it was warm. A dissapointing start but anyway it was fixed so we thought little more about it.
Sadly though the weekend ended on a sour note. The owner was clearly agrieved we had the termerity to leave the heating on 24 hours a day to warm the property up and leave several lights on to make the place welcoming as we do in our own home, and he told us so in no uncertain terms when we were leaving. Even though he knew my wife was pregnant and stayed in and slept during the day when I was out walking (he said he entered the property on both the Saturday and the Sunday daytime without our knowledge, on the Saturday we believe this may have been whilst she was sleeping) he questioned our integrity by refusing to believe we were cold the first night, he refused to listen to our feedback in return, he barred us from staying again and then ordered us off his property! Quite an unbelievable little rant.
So......in summary to bring this review back to the property only, I would still recommend it for families or groups in summer. If coming in winter, and especially if you are not good with the cold, I suggest you call the agent and make it a clear condition of renting that the heating is on before you arrive and that it is left on 24 hours a day so that you can make your own adult decision about the temperature control in the property.