“Nice house but let down by a few things, lounge window broken, this should have been noticed by the cleaner but they had obviously not cleaned the window sill for awhile as it was covered in dead flies.”
House sleeps 10 but only enough suitable seats in lounge for 3/4, I would never expect to have to sit on beanbags in the main lounge but that’s what you get. There is another sofa in the study which could easily be moved into lounge. Kitchen well equipped but the majority of the plates were chipped and should be thrown away as unhygienic. The bedroom with on suite was nice but there is a full length glass panel between the bedroom and bathroom so no privacy when using the toilet, glass could easily be frosted. The grounds are very large with a stream which the children loved, it’s a pity that the current owners just cut the lawns as there is evidence of what must have been flower beds but are overgrown with weeds and nettles, there are also numerous fruit trees but don’t seem to be cared for. The child’s place house in the garden should be removed or replaced as dangerous. We did enjoy the daily visits from the deer to the garden though.
Dear Karen
We are sorry to hear that your stay wasn’t as expected.
The window has been cracked for a little while and we have notified the council and are awaiting their response regarding replacement. Because the house is Grade 2 listed, by law, we have to wait for their approval. This can take up to 3 months for a decision.
We apologise that there were a few flies, we have regular problems with cluster flies due to the location and type of property. We always address these problems as soon as possible. We also have a problem with bats but again we try our best to ensure that it is not an Addams Family House of Horrors!!
Valley House doesn’t have a huge lounge and we did once have an extra sofa in there but people said it was a bit tight. There is however a 3 seater sofa and 3 chairs as well as bean bags and we wouldn’t have a problem with anyone moving the other sofa in or the numerous chairs throughout the house.
The kitchen plates were all replaced and added to at the end of June, we will be checking for any chips. There is also a full set of crockery in the dining room cupboard. There should be at least 30 dinner plates and 30 side plates for our guests use.
The window in the en-suite has been a very controversial subject with most people quite liking it, we have owned the property for almost 3 years and have debated frosting it during this time but no one else has raised this issue and some have found it rather amusing. If it is an issue for anyone else we will address this.
The current chemical store which looks as pretty as a play house is locked and not for guests use. The summer house next to it however should be ample for kids/ adults amusement, if they so wish.
The garden is 5.5 acres of lawn, flower beds, meadows and woodland. It was in an incredibly poor state when we bought it and we have worked very hard to get it to where it is now. The flower beds surrounding the patio are now thriving through most seasons of the year.
There is a 6 hour window between changeover and in this time we have to cut the lawns which takes 4 hours, empty, clean and refill the hot tub which takes 1.5 hours, clean the BBQ, strim, jet hose the patios, clean the windows, weed the beds, cut hedges every 4-5 weeks and most importantly repair any broken furniture and paint walls in the house where scuff marks are made.
Just 3 weeks ago all of the summer house doors and windows had snapped off where they had been left open in the wind.
The rocking horse and 2 chairs were broken not that long ago. All of these things take time to repair.
It is impossible to keep the whole house and gardens to a hotel standard in our 6 hour turnaround time.
The fruit trees were twice the size when we bought the property and you can not cut them by any more than a third every winter or you risk killing the tree. Once you have pruned them so hard they will not fruit the next year.
We are fully aware that they need a summer prune to cut the suckers off, however it has been impossible due to time restrictions.
August is notoriously bad for nettles, creeping vines and brambles in flower beds and we will be addressing these in our beautiful flowerbeds as soon as possible.
We are very glad that you enjoyed the local wildlife and again are very sorry that you weren’t satisfied with your stay at Valley House.
Kind regards
Kate and Graham
Property Owner
