Guests say
Dutch Cottage in Colchester is praised for its cosy charm, excellent location near attractions and amenities, and thoughtful touches like a welcome pack. While some guests found the property well-maintained and equipped, others noted issues with cleanliness and maintenance. The steep stairs were mentioned, suggesting it may not suit everyone.
Reviews on cleanliness are mixed, with several guests satisfied, but others reporting issues such as dirty floors and cookware, suggesting room for improvement.
The location is highly praised for its proximity to the town centre, historical sites, and beautiful parks, making it an ideal spot for exploring Colchester.
Guests generally find the cottage cosy and beds comfortable, but some have raised concerns about the lounge seating and cold temperatures due to heating issues.
The property is well-equipped, especially the kitchen, but there are several mentions of maintenance needs and wear and tear, indicating that some facilities could be updated.
The provision of items like bikes, a parking permit, and a welcome pack with tea and coffee are appreciated gestures, though it's noted these extras are subject to availability and not guaranteed.
About this property
A well-presented mid-terrace cottage in the centre of Colchester, one of the oldest recorded towns in Britain. With many original character features and within a 5 minute walk to the town centre, this cottage is ideal for families or small groups of friends. On entering the property, you arrive in the spacious sitting room with comfy seating, making it an ideal place to relax after a day exploring the area. This then takes you to the dining room with plenty of seating and a bar to take advantage of. The well-equipped kitchen is decorated to a high standard with everything needed for those home-cooked meals with a downstairs shower room also. Upstairs are two double bedrooms with plenty of storage as well as a feature fireplace in both with an en-suite bathroom from one of the bedrooms. From the kitchen, the back door takes you into a good-sized enclosed lawned garden; perfect for the kids to let off steam, with a nice patio and furniture, making it an ideal place to sit and relax. The cottage is a five minute walk to the town centre, where you will be met by fantastic places to eat, drink and shop, as well as within an easy walking distance of the train station. There are many great visitor attractions to visit including Colchester Zoo and Colchester Castle as well as Firstsite, which is the new contemporary art gallery and cultural centre. Why not take a visit to the classic Victorian Castle Park, which is the start of many of Colchesters guided tours and cycle routes to the coast and countryside? You are never far fn space and beautiful countryside. You can take a trip to Beth Chatto Gardens with plants suited to the conditions, which is a favourite haunt of some TV gardeners. Follow the River Colne down to Mersea Island, home to the Colchester native oyster, and the ideal place to get out and enjoy the fresh sea air. Within a 20 minute drive, you can take a visit to Dedham Vale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is home of Flatford Mills, made famous by John Constables painting, The Haywain. With Colchester and the surrounding area having plenty of beautiful landscapes and parks, as well as a bustling town centre, Dutch Cottage makes and ideal place for a good holiday at any time of the rom the great outdoors, as the town is surrounded by havens of greeyear.
Colchester is a historic, large town in the region of Essex. It has been named as one of the fastest growing towns. Colchester is 50 miles northeast of London with links by road and by rail, as well as within easy reach of Stansted Airport. The river Colne runs through the town of Colchester which then leads to Mersea Island. Colchester today is a thriving, modern town with great visitor attractions including Colchester Zoo and Colchester Castle, as well as fantastic places to eat, drink and shop.
Accommodation
Two bedrooms: 1 x king-size double (zip/link, can be 2'6'' twin on request), 1 x double with en-suite bath, shower over, basin and WC, 1 x cot room.
Ground floor shower room with shower, basin and WC.
Kitchen.
Dining room.
Sitting room with electric fire.
Gas central heating with electric fire.
Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, DVD, CD/radio, WiFi, selection of books, games and DVDs.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Travel cot and highchair.
Roadside parking for 1 car (permit provided by owner).
Bike storage (bikes available to use at own risk).
Enclosed lawned garden with patio and furniture.
One well-behaved pet welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shop and pub 5 mins walk.
Note: staircase is steep and narrow may not be suitable for those with mobility issues.
Nearby points of interest
- Colchester Castle Museum
- Colchester Zoo
- East Anglian Railway Museum
- Bicester Village
- University of Essex
- West Mersea Beach
Reviews (23)
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Lorna
It's in a great part of town (The Dutch Quarter) and is very near all the main attractions. Castle Park is beautiful and literally at the end of the road. The remains of a Roman theatre are around the corner. The cottage itself is cosy, interesting and very well maintained. We loved it so much it was difficult to leave it in order to go out! Highly recommended.
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John
The cottage itself was very cozy - great to relax after a long day walking the Essex coast. There were a few bits and pieces of required maintenance we spotted during our stay, but nothing significant enough to detract from our enjoyment of the place. Highly recommend - we will definitely be staying there again
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Frank
Mattresses very "crunchy" (need replacing) Downstairs bathroom: Slugs and woodlice! Significant water damage on walls. Though shower was actually quite good. Upstairs bathroom: Walls cracked, bath plughole full of hair/gunge. Window film held on with sellotape. Boiler cupboard door flapping. Living room: No TV reception. The coax connector needed repairing (which I did), so now there is reception. WiFi Router is an antique and uses WPA security (which is obsolete), and the security code for the WiFi REALLY needs to be something harder to guess. Dining room: Plastic tablecloth like you'd use outside (certainly not like that shown in the photos). Two screws missing from one of the chairs, so the seat/back not adequately attached to the legs. Kitchen: Most of the pans seem to have been incinerated. We ended up buying our own frying pan) The cooker is not level so the hot oven door closed on my arm while trying to put a tray in. No wire rack for the grill pan. Some of the current furniture doesn't match the property photos. Feels like this property has been fitted with odds and ends left from other properties. Some light bulbs didn't work, and some were horribly harsh bright white. Needs some general maintenance (I'd start with filling the 40mm hole in the downstairs bathroom exterior wall...probably how water, slugs and woodlice are getting in!) Having stayed at other Sykes cottages around the country, this DEFINITELY does not rate four ticks.