My fiancé and I spent some time looking for a cottage to spend my 30th birthday at with our young family (two boys, aged 7 years and 20 weeks old). I wanted somewhere clean and country-contemporary to spend time with my family for a weekend, with countryside views, an open fire/log burner, a well equipped kitchen, deep bath and big comfy bed! The Swallows Nest ticked all the boxes!
Booking was easy and the owner, Sally, was really personable and friendly and we were even able to check in a little earlier as the cottage was free all day.
The location is in a small village, Slaithwaite and on a working farm. First impressions confirmed we had made the right choice. The property is set over four floors and is entered via the main entrance from a small gated courtyard (to park up to two cars on), into the kitchen.
In the kitchen we found a welcome pack of milk, fresh orange juice, marmalade, butter and fresh bread. There was also a plentiful supply of tea, coffee, sugar and some herbal teas too (fruit and peppermint). We brought all the ingredients with us for my fiancé to cook me a birthday meal the following day, but there was also some spices, cooking oils and condiments in the kitchen too. All cleaning products, tin foil etc were provided and my fiancé was glad to even find some sellotape for wrapping up some last minute gifts! Our youngest is not at the weaning stage yet, but it was nice to see that there were even baby spoons provided in the kitchen and plastic kids tumblers too. The kitchen was very well equipped, all good appliances and utensils which made life a lot easier - lots of thought seems to have been put in; "what essentials would I have/want/need in my own kitchen?" There's also an iPod dock and breakfast bar in the kitchen, but we ate upstairs in the lounge at the dining table.
Up a few steps is the top floor, the lounge. It is immaculate and tastefully decorated. Lots of comfy spaces to sit, a tv and a cosy log burner. We were provided with a big basket of logs, but despite it being uncharacteristically mild weather for October, we decided to set the logs burning anyway and also purchased a further bag! There's also a dining table which seats up to 6 and doors which lead out onto the enclosed garden (there was also a BBQ out there for use and a table and chairs).
Down from the kitchen we found the master bedroom with the comfiest large oak bed. Again, it is beautifully decorated. There was also a travel cot for our youngest to sleep in and an additional mattress had been purchased for it to make it more comfortable. Another big tick for thoughtfulness. There was also a tv in the bedroom, though we never used it and a hairdryer too. On the same level is another small double bedroom which looked cosy and comfortable, but this was not used as our eldest son decided to sleep in the single room on the lowest level.
The single room on the lowest level was also comfortable and nicely decorated. Our eldest son particularly liked the quirky lamp in there! Next to that room is a gorgeous bathroom with a powerful rainforest shower and a deep bath. We had brought our own toiletries but there was nice shower gel and bath soak provided and plenty of The White Company fluffy towels too.
There was also a utility room on the lowest level with a further WC, washing machine and dryer in there along with a storage cupboard next to it housing an iron and ironing board, vacuum cleaner, mop etc.
The entire property was immaculate. It was clean, comfortable and beautifully decorated. Lots of thought has gone into the design, decor and furnishings. Sensor lights which come on when entering the hall spaces and on the stairs were really handy - especially when you're up in the night in unfamiliar surroundings. I liked how shelves had been placed at the side of the stairs making good use of space and particularly liked that some board games and books (including kids books too) had been provided. It's really nice to go somewhere and feel that your children are welcome too. When searching for a place to stay, we found that a lot of places of this spec' and design seem to operate a 'no-children' policy, but it was nice here to know they were just as welcome as adult guests as not everyone wants to compromise on going somewhere stylish just because they have children!
We really enjoyed our stay here celebrating my birthday and we will definitely be returning at some point. We cannot recommend this place enough. It is a perfect hideaway and home from home and the owner is really friendly too. Can't wait for our next stay! Thanks again Sally!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC