Swan Dyke Cottage

Lovely location and setting but property is dilapidated and in need of updating.

We left a day eay. Dirty carpets and soft furnishings. Poor equipped kitchen. Cod be brilliant but it's not. Grass had been cut but that was it dirty windows over grown garden. Elected property.

Good Location, near pub,boats & river.

good parking on site. Accomodation a bit old fashioned but suitable for our needs & a great base to explore the Broads.

Really disappointed on our stay.

The front door was shattered no light in the downstairs toilet and garden furniture was advertised there were chairs but no table. These were reported and they were supposed to have been sorted during our stay nothing was sorted. Having used Sykes for many years this was the worst by far.

It was a lovely old house with a lovely view to enjoy , peaceful and great views.

Sleeps 6 people in the 4 bedroom house. Lovely frontroom and lovely kitchen. Bedrooms were tidy and clean. Bathroom is okay, just needs a little update, light wasn't working, but that didn't worry us. There were a few cobwebs from the front door to lights shades, but you weren't expecting us to be there, as it's was a last minute accommodation, as the other accommodation had no electricity. It's a lovely house with great parking outside.

We were quite anxious about our stay here and although it still looks rather 'tired' and unloved ( especially from the outside!

)there have obviously been some improvements made since previous stays by people! It was in an ideal location for exploring the area and within walking distance of shops and good pubs. The rooms were spacious, the beds comfortable and had plenty of hot water and efficient heating. There was a welcome pack and good towels and bed linen included and we only noticed there was no DVD player as previously remarked by others. We had no other problems during our stay so didn't need to contact anyone and had a comfortable rather than luxurious stay which we feel was reflected in the price we paid.

My only thought was that the house probably was left to some family member in a will.

They wanted to use it as an investment without putting money back into the property. It's a shame as the position in the town and what the house could be. Obviously Sykes do not inspect properties. It's just old and grubby and I wonder if the owners ever go round. It's a shame as I've used Sykes a few times.

ITS OVER PRICED !

!! not worth 3 ticks ,we felt really let down by the standard of the decor and gereral state of the property althogh the owner had clearly addressed issues from past reviews like curtain poles and standards in the kitchen which was clean, with a new fridge, kettle and toaster . There was a bad smell throughout i bought some air fresheners but it seemed to be coming from the utility area i suggest this is looked at there was a childs tooth and some ear rings in a kithchen cupboard ?? !! the electrics are anciant !! and in need of rewiring one room had no power at all .the carpets are very bad as are the skirting boards it could be a beatifull place if renovated if we had payed a lot less money we would not have complained it is a funtional property with good spacious rooms and good parking but it really needs TLC or a reduced price to be value for money

Lovely location and setting.

The property needs attention ie- the curtain rails are not secure and two bedroom windows were left with no curtains up. Garden furniture was very unclean needing to be cleaned before use, including the table. The bedding was clean and comfortable. However the downstairs bathroom needs upgrading, the bath is ok but shower hardly works. These issues are not major and I feel could easily be addressed which would make this holiday home a more pleasant place to stay. Some of these comments have been mentioned before so, why are these problems not dealt with. Therefore I could not recommend. Thanks

This place is a lovely area outstanding beauty lots of great day out for all the family so would rate it 10 out of 10.

. with regards to the property I would say it at a point of need a complete renovation as it's falling to bits.. the curtain poles are a health and safety rick and they know this to be the case.. whilst there one fell off. Carpets have stains and rips.. bed are so unsafe you turn wrong you fall through them.. the maintenance team are very unprofessional.. offering alcohol as a apology for there poor workmanship.. there's damp in many rooms they dont clean it properly before arrival and moan if you leave it as you found it.. over all very poor place to stay.. we are going to be claim against them for a full refund

What a shame - a spacious house with plenty of parking space, with lots of room, with four large well-prepared bedrooms, all spoilt by things that went wrong whilst we were there, or by things that have been mentioned before in reviews, but nothing done about those things.

Within 24 hours three, yes three, curtains rails fell down as we drew the curtains. Then we had to cut the ivy which was growing through the air vent in one of the top bedrooms! Did we try to contact the 'manager' - of course we did. That week we made six phone calls and sent five SMS messages - without response. Thank god we didn't have an emergency! We left a day early and only then did he send a message about not having a phone for that week. Then of course we had to put up with the old complaints such as the small fridge with a tiny freezer department, the difficult locking front door, the 'invisible' manuals referring to the dishwasher (which didn't work until we had to supply and fill with dishwater salt), the microwave or the hob. Why was there only two teaspoons, or only three egg cups, or only three dishwasher tablets? No DVD either. The garden was an OK space to have but totally overgrown in the front with TWO trailers completely covered in branches and ivy, as well as loads of cut off branches piled high just waiting to rot. The gutters were either full of moss or ivy and just overflowed when it rained. The house doesn't need some TLC, it needs a total upgrade. Steel frame windows with 'make believe' double glazing catching dust and dirt doesn't work. The ivy needs removing and the outside need a good coat of paint. New fridge/freezer, new shower and a paint job. A pity that I can't attach photos, but zoom in on the photos on the website and you'll see what I mean. I have lodged an official complaint with Sykes as the property certainly doesn't live up to the Sykes brand image. Really sorry to have to write this as Horning was the ideal place to be.

Horning is fantastic.

The property in great area. Very disappointed with the outside of the property windows and frames filthy and path out back door caked in bird deposits. Garden chairs and table left uncovered and filthy. Locks on doors hard to lock. Cleaned inside windows so could see the lovely view and garden. One settee needed repair. Could be a super property with lots of attention and maintenance.

It’s in a good location, but in need of updating, eg badly dripping tap in kitchen.

Could do with new windows. Ivy growing into windows. Lacking instructions for appliances, and limited welcome package. Initially had no WiFi, but Stephen came round and sorted it quickly. Steve & Angie

The listing is inaccurate as it says there is a DVD player but there isn't.

Also, the TV needs retuning as there are not many Freeview channels. However, we watched BBC iplayer and the other catch-up channels. The central heating was a boon as it turned cold in the evenings and it quickly fired up and blasted heat all through. The shower was great, masses of hot water (just give it a little time for the hot to come through). There is no freezer and the freezer compartment in the fridge was very iced up and needs defrosting. There were no instructions for any of the appliances but it was fairly easy to figure out how to use them and they all worked. We would consider returning here as it's well-placed for exploring the broads and reasonably priced but next time will take some oven gloves, scissors and a can opener.

The cottage was lovely it wasn’t posh but it had everything you needed.

It took us a few days to get the heating on it wouldn’t work due to the batteries being flat, when we changed them all t worked fine. We cleaned the windows so we could see the lovely view. Apart from that we had a fantastic laid back break and would come back again. It was a shame we couldn’t fish because the water had too much weeds come to the end.

This cottage is in severe need of update.

last up date seems to be early 1980's The inside was very clean but very dark and dismal , outside, the garden was well maintained. 1 Advertised 4 slice toaster = Very small 2 slice one that did not take a normal slice of bread 2 Advertised open log fire = we were supplied 2 small pieces of kindling and a couple of firelighters, no logs 3 Fridge and a tiny freezer compartment is totaly inadequate for 8 people 4 Not enought glasses only 3 large tumblers 5 Could not find a frying pan 6 Lighting in lounge abismal 7 1 x 3 seater and a 2 seater sofa for eight people ? 8 Upstairs Shower in need of repair. 9. Beds were clean and comfortable I know these are small points but all add up to a bad experience. But the worst part was the owners visit who turned up on Monday evening, asked me how the cottage was, then immediately spoke on phone, wandering in circles in the car park for 10 mins, whilst I stood at the door totaly ignoring me, then announced he was so busy and had to go,that is no way to treat an customer! I have never felt so humiliated in my life. As a retired procurement officer for a multi-national company, had any of my suppliers did that, they would be looking for a new customer! He then left without my feed back, leaving a buiness card . I will never recomend any of his properties! Please publish this & share this with Owner I look forward to his feedback Kind regards Mr Robert Douglas

Property was clean and tidy but pretty shabby over all.

Property in serious need of some updating with worn out carpets and furniture. Poe ty of room but a two slice toaster for up to 8 people ? No good for fishing due to duck weed and overhanging branches

We booked this cottage last year and although it was less than clean and well maintained the weather kept us out and about and we had a reasonable week, however this year the cottage has deteriorated if anything.

It wasn't clean, being covered in spiders webs and stains on carpets and furniture. The kitchen is barely adequately equiped, the downstairs bathroom verging on disgusting and there was dog dirt in the middle of the lawn when we arrived. The middle of the week was cold and wet and we needed some heat in the house to dry clothes and warm us up but the central heating did not work as described in the file provided. We could not get any heat at all so rang the number provided in the property and had to leave a voice message. We did not get a reply or a message fro this all week. I think we should be due to compensation for this as the description of this property and the service provided is simply not acceptable.

Although the property was accurately described as "Tired" this does not excuse the filthy and poorly presented nature of the house.

We accept that facilities are dated and found exactly what we had booked. However the property had the following dirt issues.. 1. The pa oramic windows were too dirty to look through to enjoy the garden and waters edge. With mosquitos present from 4pm these windows had to be locked shut. 2. The outside patio has never been brushed 3. There were large dusty cobwebs behind the main bedroom headboard and also throughout the house such as on wall hung pictures. 4. The crockery and cutlery were dirty. 5. The pans are to disgusting to use. Along with this there were other issues. The property is advertised as "sleeps 8". However. A. The wobbly dining table only seats 6 B. There were only 5 soup breakfast bowls. Impossible to have a meal together C. There were only a handful of odd glasses. Two flutes, 4 wine, 3 tumblers and 4 mismatched plastic beakers. D. Upstairs shower has been removed. E. There was a washing machine (bearings sound as though they are worn out) but nowhere to dry laundry... no washing line or tumble dryer. F. Fridge was far too small to cater for 8 people. With the 6 of us we really struggled. In all were are far from happy with the facilities in the house, this spoilt our holiday and from comments in tehgurst book it was obvious no one was listening. We did not want our holiday to be interrupted by vague attempts to remedy the situation nor did we want to spend our holiday stressing over these issues. A full refund is due. Please arrange. I suspect all guests should be offered a full refund as well. Very cross at being ripped off. Take this property off your books and save your reputation. Paul Mercer

The property is in an excellent situation, however it is in very poor condition and badly in need of maintenance.

The outside of the house is run down to the point I nearly cried when we arrived as we had family from Dubai coming. Inside the floors are patched old vinyl, the curtains are hanging off in places and won’t draw, the bedding isn’t even fit for the charity shop. The house was not clean - the bathrooms were disgusting. The kitchen is well equipped but there is only seating for 6 people. One of the double bed frames is broken. I could go on but you get the picture. I am amazed that a reputable company like yourselves would even consider marketing this property. Go and check it out. And the price - ludicrous for such a place. Very very disappointing.

Very tired and run down property.

The cleaners clearly do what they can to make it bearable. Both bathrooms need to be completely redone. Windows and and doors still the original 70’s when built so not insulating and therefore not a very sustainable place to stay. Very overpriced for the quality of the property.

Clean & spacious

The location of the property is great.

Very close to Wroxham for hiring a boat/exploring the Broads but also only about an hour from Wells-next-the -Sea/Holkham on the North Norfolk Coast. Horning itself has a useful shop/postoffice and a few nice eateries on the edge of the water only a couple of minutes walk from the house. This house itself is incredibly basic and needs a lot of work/TLC to justify even half the high price we paid for a week in August. (The price, I notice, is slightly more realistic for Sept/Oct weeks). Some practical points to note for future visitors - there is no freezer (only a tiny compartment in the (not-very-large) fridge) so we ended up throwing a lot away from the Tesco delivery as, in the amazing weather we had, the stuff had melted very soon after it arrived on our first evening. There is only one shower for 6 people. Also, it's over the bath in the upstairs bathroom which has a plain glass window so you need to put the blind down to avoid people seeing in. This dishwasher is pretty useless and we gave up with it after the first day and washed-up by hand. There is no barbecue - the listing particulars didn't say there was but it would be a useful (and welcome) addition. The house has the potential to be a great place but there is a lot of work to do.

This property shouldn’t be rent

Very disappointing.

Started with a very rude greeting from the cleaner. Check-in was from 4pm. We arrived at 3:40 as we had shopping being delivered between 4-5 so wanted to be sure we were there. The Tesco van was actually there when we arrived. We saw the cleaner was still there (car on drive, house doors open etc), so we had no intention of entering the house until 4pm. She came out very aggressively and said “you’re not due here until 4pm”. She proceeded to tell my husband that she was running late because the last people checked out late, and then thought it was important to tell my husband that “they were coloured”. Shocking!! Problems in the home: Dishwasher didn’t work. It switched on but nothing came out clean. Dispenser didn’t release tablet So we washed up by hand. Upstairs toilet almost impossible to flush. The 2 problems above have been repeatedly mentioned in reviews but neither Sykes or owner have done anything about this. No shower upstairs although the property description says there is. Curtains particularly in upstairs bedrooms do not hang properly or meet in the middle. Problematic when there are young children trying to go to sleep. Patio table and chairs unusable due to being covered in pigeon excrement. Property is spacious but needs a lot of work to be suitable for a holiday home. I guess the owner is responsible for this but Sykes as the agent should be checking the property and insisting that the owner gets it up to scratch. I would not book this property again.

The property needs a lot of work done to it - very dated.

Can’t believe instead of replacing one shower it was taken out completely. Leak under the sink and toilet upstairs did not flush without having to take the top off the cistern. Carpets dirty and stained, curtains don’t fit. The whole house needs some tlc and money spent in it especially when it is not particularly cheap to stay there. Location is great

The property internally is very dated and in desperate need of redecorating and some tlc.

The upstairs toilet broke on our second day, the heating and hot water failed on our 3rd day and after repeated phone calls and messages left to the contact number supplied we had to leave a day early with no heating or not water to shower. We were also informed that the dishwasher wasn’t working via a note left on a scrap of cardboard next to a cheap bottle of fizz in the porch which we found on our second day. We would consider this property Is not fit for a holiday let in its present state and for the same money a higher standard of property could be found.

Excellent holiday home!

The cottage was perfect for our family of five, 2 grandparents & dog! Perfectly situated in Horning for access to shops & the bigger town of Wroxham (nice shops). The paddle steamer is 5 minutes walk down the road along with three nice pubs within another 10 minutes.

Our stay was pleasant and though we realise that you get what you pay for, we didn't expect so many cobwebs, dust and hair in the plugholes (eugh).

The house was a good size for 8 people but there wasn't enough furniture or cutlery for everyone. The house smelled damp and combined with the murky windows, felt a bit like staying at someone's gran's. Location is good. Nice view of the water and near the pub. Wasn't bad, just kind of, meh.

There's an old saying that says you get what you pay for, and we certainly got it.

We knew from previous reviews that the property was basic, but the overall condition of it was pretty poor. Furniture and decor need a major update, as does the very small fridge that is supposed to support 8 people but in no way shape or form is big enough for that. There was a broken light in the upstairs bathroom and water in the same room leaked onto the floor after taking a shower (despite shower curtain drawn fully across). The vacuum cleaner was next to useless, blowing out more dust than cleaned up. No double glazing but secondary glass panels are fitted throughout. The space between window and panels were not cleaned. There were weeks of dead insects in the space. The curtains in the living room fell of the wall (twice) because the fixings were so old. The boiler packed up as well, and had to have someone come out to us to reset it. On the 3rd week a lady came to change our bed linen, appearing unannounced in the garden where we were all sitting. We knew she was coming, but to appear like that, walking through the property with all our belongings inside, without ringing the doorbell to let us know and let her in, was unacceptable. The only real saving grace for this property was the garden, but even the patio area looked like it had not been maintained in quite a while. This is no reflection on Sykes but the owners (who seem reluctant to to put their hands in their pockets and properly upgrade this property) need to get a grip. They are asking for nearly £1000 a week more for the same period next year (on one website), and that quite frankly is a MASSIVE mickey take, and is just pure greed. I cannot recommend this property to anyone, and we certainly will NOT be back.

The location of the property is fantastic and the garden is very nice.

The beds were very comfortable. However, we had to clean all the crockery and utensils having found food stuck between plates and on various other items. There was a pool of grease in the bottom of the cooker which I had to clean before use. There were numerous dead insects in the windowsill and the fire place area had clearly not been dusted. Bathroom floors were dirty and in need of a good clean. The curtains and rails were very difficult to operate as they were poorly fitted with some curtains not fitting the windows.

The house is very tired and in need of an upgrade but location and grounds were superb,

We had a good week away despite the weather.

However there are a few issues to point out. The cottage is in a lovely location, with a superb view from the cottage. The bedrooms are bright, spacious with plenty of hanging space. The kitchen is well equipped and having 2 bathrooms ideal. The place needs an upgrade generally, particularly the windows, which hadn't been cleaned. We assume we were the first guests after lockdown but the outside needed tidying up. The patio was a disgrace and anyone with kids would not have allowed them on it. The bathrooms need upgrading. The flush on one was poor and the shower head on the upstairs wouldn't always stay on.

Home from home, had everything we needed.

Would stay again if in the area.

Late September.

Wonderful location with direct garden access to the water which was ideal for our kayak. Fairly easy paddle to Hoveton Little Broad (Closed in winter). Horning is quiet but has all you are likely to need for basic provisions (great deli) and very short drive to Wroxham for the big shop. House was spacious for our party of five, warm, open fire, adequate kitchen but some minor maintenance issues which suggest an updating might be due. The garden would be a real bonus in sunnier weather! We had a very restful week.

would have enjoyed the view if we could have seen through the dirty windows.

upstairs ok but down stairs not comfy for six or eight people. needs a new fridge as the very small fridge was inadequate resulting in food going in the bin because the fridge didn,t get cold enough and the rest was left out with the fridge being so small.

great for paddle boarding and kayaking from end of garden into river!

Nice house, lots of space for us( family of 5) and very comfortable beds and living room too!

Very good location, so close to Horning, which was very pretty little place on the Broads! I think the only way it could be improved is for the house ( windows etc) to be updated - it would be outstanding then! But had lovely break in a relaxing environment!

The property was exceedingly well placed for Horning and Wroxham.

The property had a few maintenance issues such as the bathroom light upstairs not working, clear glass in the upstairs bathroom window meaning ladies in the bath could be seen by all local community. The toaster that fused the rest of the house on occasions and rear double downstairs bedroom window that whistled badly when windy. Other than these issues the property was cosy and we enjoyed our trip.

The cottage was in a great location and was very comfortable.

It was a lovely setting in the back garden and had lots of facilities in the cottage. Sykes was very good at dealing with a fallen tree in the garden whilst we were away due to Storm Dennis. Thank you for your help and attention. Loads to do in the local area to keep you busy and a great spot to get out and about to those places.

Lovely quiet location

I have stayed there before, that’s one of the reasons I booked it again.

The only problem I had was no batteries in the remote control for the television. So a more of an inconvenience to be honest . I would definitely book again.

Whoever manages the property should check the wall lights as we found only one bulb working.

At this time of year not a problem! We do believe its about time the two sofas in the lounge were changed as they are far from comfortable and we couldnt work out how even six people could sit in them comfortably, let alone if the house was booked for eight. We did point out last June about the sofas i.e, 2018, and having already booked for next June 2020 would like to think the owner of the house could spend some money on new lounge seating. Apart from the above everything is fine - proved by the fact that we have booked for next year!

We loved the position of the cottage and the views.

The cottage was very clean and generally very well equipped with plenty of storage but it would have been helpful to have some more comfortable seating in the lounge as we had 8 adults in our group, 3 of which were elderly. We sorted this by bringing in 2 chairs from outside so we could all sit in the lounge area together. It was good to have 2 bathrooms and very helpful to our group to have 2 downstairs bedrooms. There was also plenty of private parking for the cottage, very useful as we had one wheelchair user in our group. We found the shopkeepers in the village very friendly. I would recommend this as a good holiday base in Norfolk. We enjoyed our stay very much and hope to return again to stay in the same cottage next year

Lovely holiday home in prime location.

The cottage was clean, the beds were comfortable and rooms spacious, plus bathrooms and dining area were very good. Lounge area was spacious but more seating is required and new sofas please. With thanks.

i did contact yourselves during our stay - the property was not like the photos and was run down but also not cleaned very well and had some maintenance issues

Exactly as described on website

Just before we went on the holiday we read a bad review about cleanliness etc.

, sykes were very helpful & assigned an agent to our case & cottage was given an extra clean. We were 5 adults in party & I would say facilities were adequate. We had to use dishwasher twice a day to make sure enough plates etc., as we did our own cooking.Cottage is in a nice situation & we toured around & local shops about 1 mile away in village.TV is very small if you want to watch films so we didn't use TV on this holiday. Everything else was great & we had a lovely week but I feel SwanDyke cottage does need some updating but accept it would cost a lot of money to put property in order. The property is very central for broads & not far from Norwich & we went to Evensong in Norwich Cathedral. Local people were very helpful & we had an enjoyable week. Would definitely use Sykes Cottages again Jo Wright

Cottage needs updating, TV too small, needs double glazing, furniture needs replacing, settees old and tatty blankets covering them are covered in dog hair, sitting room curtains need replacing, fishing impossible, the photos of the cottage where misleading they were obviously taken many years ago.

I always judge a cottage by asking myself one question "would I stay there again" answer definitely NO!!!

Nice position, comfortable, warm and homely accommodation.

Dining room chair broken .

Armchair had a wobbly leg

it was like staying at grannys, a bit old fashioned but quite comfortable

It was very dissapointing with the river view and it was not very clean and very dated.

The holiday cottage was amazing and made are holiday perfect.

Would definitely recommend and visit again

Lovely cottage very peaceful.

Very clean and had everything we needed. This is the third time we have booked a cottage via Sykes and again have not been disappointed. Would recommend this property and would book again!

Thoroughly enjoyed stay and already booked for next year.

It is a shame that the sofas were rather shabby and not too comfortable but other than that would certainly agree this is a 3 tic cottage. Would take far too costly improvements for a 4 tic plus.

Fantastic place ideal and wonderful surroundings great cottage