Our stay at Pool Head Cottage far exceeded our expectations. From the location (beaufitul), the house itself (perfect) and the welcoming basket of lovely goodies, I felt we were being really looked after. The house is very stylishly converted with beautifully crafted doors, wooden beams and well laid out kitchen and dining room. The wood burner in the sitting room made the room cosy, on what was a damp, dismal Sunday. The bedrooms were spacious, as were the beds, again with lovely wooden beams and luxurious bed linen. The house was spotlessly clean. We have already planned to return next year. I cannot speak too highly of the Cottage. Perfect! Thank you.

The website pictures are somewhat misleading as the interior images show bright spaces but in reality, the interior is fairly dark and is a little smaller than it would appear. Included are photos of the large pond but this was so overgrown and chocked with bullrushes that it was only recognisable by the presence of a lifebelt. TVs - in the lounge, very limited channels and the on/off control was actually the wall plug and not the remote. The TV downstairs did not work. The whole cottage was in need of decorative work and rather tired-looking and this made it over-priced. Recycling instructions could be clearer and information was in four different places and didn't correspond. There were one or two minor problems with lights and extractor fan but we chose not to report this as we didn't want to be disturbed. On the plus side, the gardens were beautiful and well tended, the bed linen was pristine and the food hamper was extensive and much appreciated. There were plenty of everyday items available such as herbs, tea, coffee etc. Two fridges were very useful however, the ice box in one was unusable as it was solid with ice. Overall a beautiful character cottage in need of some TLC or updated photographs which represent reality.

Beautiful cottage in a beautiful part of the country. Modernised to the highest standard with top quality fixtures and fittings. A high quality welcome pack was provided. Would highly recommend, but ........... The only downside was that the bedding normally provided was feather filled. Many people have allergies to feather bedding, including most asthma and hay fever sufferers. Fortunately I had the foresight to ask about the bedding when I phoned to get the access arrangements for the cottage. Both one of my sons and myself have allergies to feathers. Luckily, as there were only 3 of us, they were able to get enough foam pillows together but only had 2 foam duvets, so I took one foam duvet with me. I understand that the provision of feather bedding is due to a Rural Retreat policy, so I don't blame the cottage owner, who was most helpful. However, if I hadn't asked when I phoned, this would have been a major problem. When I rented a cottage last year from another company, they made quite clear on their web site that the pillows provided were feather pillows, and I was able to take foam pillows with me. The Rural Retreats web site does not give such a warning. ASTHMA AND HAY FEVER SUFFERERS BEWARE!

What a wonderful stay. Myself, my husband and our dog came away just to re-set and it did just that. The cottage is absolutely stunning and has everything you could possibly need. The beds are wonderfully comfortable and the walks are just superb. We could walk for hours around the estate and not see a single soul. Just perfect for recharging our batteries. The Welcome Hamper was a delight and we couldn't have wished for a better week away. Thank you Nicola for making our stay so comfortable. You really do have a lovely property.