Honeystone Leek, Staffordshire

Honeystone Cottage was everything we expected.. We had no serious complaints and only a couple of constructive observations (see below). The cottage was larger than we had expected, and it sleeps up to six very comfortably. Contrary to some other reviews, we found the beds very comfortable. We were there in August, so we can't comment on the heating. But the water was hot and the showers were excellent. The downstairs living area was comfortable although we didn't try the wood-burning fire. The adjacent cooking/dining area was very spacious and all the kitchen equipment was more than adequate, including cooking utensils, crockery, cutlery and basic essentials. Outside, the courtyard between two of the three cottages provides more than enough parking. Meerbrook is a short walk from the cottage and we ate twice at the Lazy Trout in the village. On the first occasion, we were not too impressed with the standard of the food. But the second occasion was a transformation. Excellent. The Three Horseshoes is an alternative pub at the junction with the A53. It about a mile and a half away—too far to walk, especially in the dark on the relatively narrow country road—has better food in our opinion. The car park is large and it's a good choice if one of the party doesn't mind driving. On the slightly negative side, the lighting in the kitchen/dining area was a bit gloomy and a few more lumens would be appreciated. However, the big problem with the cottage is the very poor wifi, despite the presence of a range-extender in the kitchen. Most of the time it was unusable and one of the reasons could have been that all three cottages were occupied and the number of people using the already inadequate wifi could have overloaded the feed. Two of our party had work to do, so the poor internet service was a disappointment and an inconvenience. To make matters worse, cellular reception is poor from Vodafone, although excellent from EE (which were the only services we had access to, others may differ). We had taken a Vodafone 5G Hub, with unlimited data, and this would have been the answer if the signal had been other than poor. Anyone with a similar EE hub would have been been in clover. In view of the sleeping capacity of the cottages, a professional broadband installation with a business-level service would more than repay the relatively low investment. All in all, despite the two minor quibbles, this cottage exceeded our expectations and it proved to be excellent value for money. We would definitely return, despite the rainy week which kept us indoors a lot of the time.

Beautiful cottage set in an equally beautiful village.. Honeystone is well-equipped and spacious.It is within easy reach of many places to explore, not least the nearby Tittesworth Reservoir which has a fantastic play area and an abundance of birds to watch. I highly recommend a visit to the Heights of Abraham where there is plenty to see and again it has two fab play areas. Please have a big bag of change to pay for parking as most locations don’t currently take card (correct at time of writing). The owner of the cottage was on hand to answer any queries. We will be back!

We had an amazing time at Honeystone and met all our need as a family of 5, the property really did exceed our expectations in every way.. It was great to arrive somewhere and to feel instantly at home and be really impressed and please that you have made a good booking. The chocolate and wine on arrival was a lovely touch and the personal welcome we received once we were settled in was great. The farm was extremely peaceful, and we enjoyed meeting the cows and sheep, it was the perfect location to get away form it all and forget about the rest of the events of 2020.

Cottage was brilliant had all the things you need to make our stay comfortable.. Excellent pub the Lazy Trout 5 mins away food was great ! Walks from the door step too. Nice welcome gift from the owner's too.

Lovely welcome in person by the owner, very helpful.. .. flowers, chocs and wine too. Thoughtful addition of anti bacteria wipes, spray and hand gel aswell as soap at every sink. Excellent deco, comfy beds etc.

This is a brilliant cottage.. Clean, comfortable and well located for exploring

A beautiful cottage which was well decorated and very comfortable.. The owner left chutneys and wine and a beautiful vase of roses to greet us. The cottage was also decorated with lovely Christmas decorations and a beautiful tree! So lots of nice added touches. Only small suggestion would be to have a better wine opener and to provide tea towels. Wifi wasn't brilliant but I know it's being looked into - good not to always be on social media though :-) We had a lovely stay and enjoyed the ease of getting out for walks. Great time and place for family and friends to reconnect.

Had a great family holiday in this cottage .. We have used Sykes Cottages to book cottages many times . We will be back .

Great cottage, lovely location Comfortable with everything we needed for a weekend break with friends

The cottage was the perfect place to meet with friends.. It was in a stunning location, had a great pub on its doorstep and comfortable for us all. Thank you.

Spacious warm centrally heated, barn conversation, well appointed with washer/drier which came in handy as weather was a bit rainy on our weeks stay at end of May.. The underfloor heating in the kitchen made the flag stones cosy under foot, but couldn't get under floor heating in the livingroom to come on. The owners lived on site which was reassuring and Susanne was welcoming and left a bottle of wine, flowers and choccolates for our arrival. She also very kindly brought over a jug of milk to get us started when we arrived. The accommodation was overall clean and comfortable, but a few areas need some more attention, the stair carpet was quite dirty, a high traffic area which I appreciate is hard to keep clean. Notably we all took our outdoor shoes off at the door and walked about in our stocking feet. The cushion covers in the living room need washed and the flat cushions replaced. The mattresses on the beds were clean and all had protectors on them with clean white fresh linen, but all were uncomfortable, soft with very little padding between the springs which were pronounced when sleeping. I slept with a doubled-up duvet below me to try to cushion the springs. The accommodated was very well situated in the pretty little village of Meerbrook with village green for the kids to kick a ball about and play withe frisbees. The Lazy Trout pub in the village gave a us a lovely, well priced Sunday dinner, which I booked well in advance as very busy and people being turned away. The Tittsworth reservoir and country park was 15 minutes walk down the road and was a regular haunt for us as had a lovely cafe & shop for ice creams overlooking the reservoir. A circular walk around the reservoir into Leek took us around 5 hours. The Roaches (craggs) were 2.5 miles walk across the fields from the accommodation or 10 minutes drive away and were a popular evening spot for us, as enormous rocks for the boys to 'boulder' on. Lots of climbers too and a great view point from Hen Cloud only 10 minutes to the top, with views across the peaks valleys below. A longer walk to Luds Church Chasm took us 5 hours. I would recommend this accommodation and if the areas mentioned were addressed I would given it 5/5.

Cottage was better than in the pictures.. Lovely owner and welcoming community.

The cottage was lovely, plenty of space and facilities were great.. Location was ideal, with a pub within walking distance and a reservoir nearby that had a nice walk around it. Wine and chocolates on arrival was a nice welcome.

Highly enjoyable stay.. Cottage was immaculate, area was beautiful, and hosts could not do enough for us! Would recommended to anybody, and would definitely return. Thank you so much.

Amazing place, so relaxed had everything you needed for a break away.. the owner was lovely, she came round the day we got there and was talking us through things and letting us know about everything. cottage had everything and was well equipped. it felt like home

Really enjoyed break and close to attractions for young children..

Honeystone is a beautiful cottage fully equipped for a family to stay in and enjoy the amazing countryside on its doorstep.. We had young children and the cottage suited their needs perfectly, they especially loved the neighbouring fields with animals in. We will definitely be back!

Lovely location, fantastic owner - very informative and helpful - comfy! The only issue we had was that the main bathroom shower was hard to contain and it was hard to not soak the floor. We would definitely go back, thank you for the welcome chocolates and wine

The cottage was lovely and very well equipped.. Beds are super comfy. Owner on site and very helpful. Would definitely come back again

Really easy check in and extended late check out, which we really appreciated.. Went above and beyond expectations as so friendly and helpful. Supplied us with an extra cot and high chair which cut down on packing! Chocolates and wine on arrival which were welcome! A lovely property to stay in with everything you need!

We had a lovely stay in Honeystone. The owners are friendly and easy to contact and the location is stunning. A great place to stay and enjoy the Peak District.

We had a lovely stay in Honeystone.. The owners are friendly and easy to contact and the location is stunning. A great place to stay and enjoy the Peak District.

Honeystone was very well looked after and was in lovely surroundings in a great location. It was very comfortable and well equipped. The owner was friendly and helpful. We would definitely go back.

Honeystone was very well looked after and was in lovely surroundings in a great location.. It was very comfortable and well equipped. The owner was friendly and helpful. We would definitely go back.

Everything was perfect. The cottage was beautiful - the kitchen was large and a real hub for a large party. The showers were powerful, it had everything we needed. The two pubs nearby were good and the walk around Tittesworth reservoir was beautiful. We've said we'd love to make it an annual trip now - can't wait to go back!

We booked this cottage for seven friends to have a weekend away and visit Alton Towers. I called the owner Friday to ask what else we could do as Alton Towers was closed. She came up with many suggestions for us, very helpful. We arrived at different times on the Friday, cooked a huge lasagne in the fantastic kitchen and sat round the big dining table to enjoy it. Saturday we did the Tittesworth Reservoir walk that the owner had suggested. It was lovely and suited all abilities. Visited the local pub for tea, just a short walk down the road and really good food. Visited Buxton and Leek over the weekend, both lovely places, along with a pub two miles down the road which did a lovely Sunday carvery and looked to have a lovely Spa. Sunday we chilled out in the garden enjoying the weather and a few drinks. The whole house was perfect, the beds comfortable and the showers really powerful. Underfloor heating meant it was cosy and we didn't hear a peep from the people staying in the nearby cottages. Wine & chocolates on arrival is a lovely touch. I can't recommend this place enough. We've decided to make it an annual trip now.....our weekend was centred around Alton Towers but turned out amazing without the theme park even being open.

Honeysuckle cottage is a fantastic cottage and is in a very tranquil and beautiful setting with very friendly and welcoming owner..

Everything was perfect.. The cottage was beautiful - the kitchen was large and a real hub for a large party. The showers were powerful, it had everything we needed. The two pubs nearby were good and the walk around Tittesworth reservoir was beautiful. We've said we'd love to make it an annual trip now - can't wait to go back!

Honeysuckle cottage is a fantastic cottage and is in a very tranquil and beautiful setting with very friendly and welcoming owner.

A lovely cottage, we had a great stay and would return. The local pub was great too.

A lovely cottage, we had a great stay and would return.. The local pub was great too.

Lovely location, really friendly helpful owner.

Lovely location, really friendly helpful owner..

Lovely cottage and wonderfully welcoming owners. The cottage had everything that we needed. The log fire was great at the end of the day, and we enjoyed cooking in the kitchen. We could walk to the local pub and there were some fabulous long walks through beautiful countryside nearby.

A fantastic stay for two families, the cottage is nicer than the photos show.. It's spotlessly clean and very spacious. The owner made up the additional bed for us in the third bedroom so it was ready on arrival and offered high chairs and travel cots. Lots of plates and bowls etc, and we had the log burner on every night. The garden was neat/tidy and the kids did run around outside as its very safe. Close pubs and big local park. We did two days at Alton Towers which took 30 mins to drive to.

A fantastic stay for two families, the cottage is nicer than the photos show. It's spotlessly clean and very spacious. The owner made up the additional bed for us in the third bedroom so it was ready on arrival and offered high chairs and travel cots. Lots of plates and bowls etc, and we had the log burner on every night. The garden was neat/tidy and the kids did run around outside as its very safe. Close pubs and big local park. We did two days at Alton Towers which took 30 mins to drive to.

A group of four of our French friends have just spent a week in this cottage and think it was fantastic,all the facilities you could ask for,a great country kitchen with a really good cooker for meals at home if you want them,loads of parking space ,large warm bedrooms,brilliant location for visiting the North,spotlessly clean,lovely owners for whom nothing is to much trouble,if you are looking in this area for a cottage try here you won't be disappointed.Highly recommended.

The cottage was superb with everything you could possibly need and more.. In an idyllic location, and the owner was really friendly and extremely helpful. We will definitely stay there again.

The cottage was superb with everything you could possibly need and more. In an idyllic location, and the owner was really friendly and extremely helpful. We will definitely stay there again.

This was wonderful place to relax.. Accommodation was amazing, clean, good standard of décor. We enjoyed our stay, and would recommend this accommodation.

This was wonderful place to relax. Accommodation was amazing, clean, good standard of décor. We enjoyed our stay, and would recommend this accommodation.

Everything was great, property in a lovely peaceful location but not far from supermarkets, lovely local pub serving great food and friendly atmosphere. The property was spotless and has plenty of outside space for kids to play and explore in safety. Will be visiting again soon I hope!

Everything was great, property in a lovely peaceful location but not far from supermarkets, lovely local pub serving great food and friendly atmosphere.. The property was spotless and has plenty of outside space for kids to play and explore in safety. Will be visiting again soon I hope!

Great location. Beautiful scenery. Owner's were warm, friendly hospitable. The cottage felt like home away from home. Lazy Trout pub was a few minutes walk. Town was friendly.

Great location.. Beautiful scenery. Owner's were warm, friendly & hospitable. The cottage felt like home away from home. Lazy Trout pub was a few minutes walk. Town was friendly.

Comfortable cottage. Came to England from America to celebrate an early Christmas with my in laws. Kitchen was fully functional that I was able to make a proper Christmas dinner for the family. The owners are warm, friendly & welcoming. This property is located in a beautiful scenery , with lambs & chickens running around. This place was clean & spacious. There is a walk in shower in the master bedroom that I really appreciated. There's also the Lazy Trout pub close to this property. Great food & service. Thanks for the wine & chocolate I needed them after a long flight !

Great house in an area ideal for walking and relaxing.

We loved the Honeystone cottage! It was perfectly cosy for our group! We loved the fireplace, BBQ and outdoor picnic areas! We also loved the close proximity to the Roaches for a great day outdoors! Thank you for your incredible hospitality!

The property was immaculate, in a stunning location, with lots of activities and places to visit closeby.

The property was immaculate, in a stunning location, with lots of activities and places to visit closeby..

Really enjoyed the wonderful reservor and play ground nearby should be mentioned in the details of the property

Good location, friendly and helpful owners. The property was very clean and comfortable.

Great property location and great house to rent.

Great property location and great house to rent..

Good location, friendly and helpful owners.. The property was very clean and comfortable.

Cottage was lovely, owners friendly and location was close to lots of walks, places of interest and, last of all, Alton Towers (it's a brilliant day out).

Cottage was lovely, owners friendly and location was close to lots of walks, places of interest and, last of all, Alton Towers (it's a brilliant day out)..

The cottage had everything that we needed and it was clean and cosy, as well as set in some stunning countryside. The owner was really helpful and accomodating. We would stay here again and recommend it to our friends and family.

lovely setting and very comfortable accommodation with good access to all areas of the Peak District.

Lovely setting and very comfortable accommodation with good access to all areas of the Peak District..

The position of the property was fantastic. The fact that it was surrounded by fields was lovely for the kids.

Very modern, well equipped and clean. Friendly owners. Rudyard Lake and Steam Train is great for young families.

The position of the property was fantastic.. The fact that it was surrounded by fields was lovely for the kids.

Beautiful peaceful location with lovely countryside close by. Wonderful barn with lovely views. Friendly and helpful owners.

Beautiful peaceful location with lovely countryside close by.. Wonderful barn with lovely views. Friendly and helpful owners.

Very modern, well equipped and clean.. Friendly owners. Rudyard Lake and Steam Train is great for young families.

For the first time in nearly 40 years we decided to spend Christmas away with our daughters and grandchildren.. Due to the high standard of accommodation and the friendly and obliging nature of the owners we had a wonderful, magical time.

For the first time in nearly 40 years we decided to spend Christmas away with our daughters and grandchildren. Due to the high standard of accommodation and the friendly and obliging nature of the owners we had a wonderful, magical time.

The location was great and and the peace and quiet much appreciated. There was a lot to do around the place and everywhere seemed around 30 to 40 minutes traveling...

The location was great and and the peace and quiet much appreciated.. There was a lot to do around the place and everywhere seemed around 30 to 40 minutes traveling...

The accommodation was fantastic and we would highly recommend. The owners are friendly and the cottage is in a beautiful area, particularly Trentham estate and Monlay Park.

We loved our holiday, the barn was fantastic with beautiful views. The owners couldn't have been more welcoming. We didn't want to leave and will definitely return next year.

The cottage has been renovated from a barn and it had an excellent finish with little touches like heated towel rails in the bathrooms. Very well appointed. walks nearby. Friendly and welcoming owners. Would not hesitate to recommend this property

We loved our holiday, the barn was fantastic with beautiful views.. The owners couldn't have been more welcoming. We didn't want to leave and will definitely return next year.

The cottage has been renovated from a barn and it had an excellent finish with little touches like heated towel rails in the bathrooms.. Very well appointed. walks nearby. Friendly and welcoming owners. Would not hesitate to recommend this property

The accommodation was fantastic and we would highly recommend.. The owners are friendly and the cottage is in a beautiful area, particularly Trentham estate and Monlay Park.