We had booked a cottage through a different company and this became unavailable at late notice.. After little panic and some searching we found The Cote advertised through Sykes, but were worried that it wasn't going to be a nice as the one previously booked. How wrong we were!! It was just superb! The photos on the website really do not do it any justice at all! The cottage was clean, very comfortable and had everything in it to make it feel like home from home. The kitchen/diner was well-equipped, bright and spacious. The lounge was comfortable and still had Christmas decorations in place which was an added surprise (as we had cleared ours away early at home to go on holiday). There were lovely views from the windows. The bed was very comfortable. There was an added benefit of a separate shower room and bathroom. There was a laundry area and downstairs toilet too. The thing that we noticed more than anything was how quiet it was inside. There was a violent storm outside on one night of our stay but we hardly heard anything from inside the cottage. We heard on the local news the next morning that most properties in the area had lost power, but that didn't affect the cottage so it must have been on a different supply. The cottage is lovely and warm which was great to go into as the weather was cold (expected in December/January). In fact we had to turn the thermostats down as it was a little too warm. With regards to the surrounding area, we absolutely fell in love with Staindrop, especially with the beautiful Christmas decorations through the village. We had a walk through the nearby Hamsterley Forest which is highly recommended (the tea room served delicious Turkey broth which was very welcome after getting rather wet and cold). We visited the coast (Whitby/Sandsend) which was about 1.5 hours away, but a favourite place. We also were able to spend time with both our children who are at University in Newcastle (about an hour away). The farm itself was lovely, and the owners so helpful and friendly. We will definitely be booking again!