Countryside Cottages Norfolk - www.countrysidecottagesnorfolk.com

Myself and my husband spent 4 nights at The Beeches, Overstrand. Felt at home as soon as we entered the kitchen at the front of the premises. Everywhere was very clean and tidy, lovely large wet room. Washing machine and tumble dryer came in very handy when we returned from a muddy walk. Bed could have been a little more comfortable, but didn't spoil our holiday. We had a meal at the White Horse in the village which was very nice but do expect to wait quite a while before you are seated for your meal, worth the wait though. Had a lovely walk across the beach to Cromer (about 2 miles) and took the cliff top walk back to overstrand. Spent a day in Holt, enjoyed a meal at The Feathers and also enjoyed shopping in Bakers & Larners dept. store. Another enjoyable break in Norfolk. Will return again.

My wife and I have just enjoyed a lovely week here.The cottage was very comfortable,spotlessly clean and well equipped.Everything we needed was there.The owners could not have been more kind and helpful.Their garden was an absolute delight.And we enjoyed sitting out on the sunny patio.

This is the best self-catering we have found in the UK.

Overstrand is a lovely quiet village great for eploring both villages and coast.

We'll be back!

My husband & I have just spent a lovely week at The Beeches in Overstrand, Norfolk.

Beautiful clean accommodation, with own washing machine which came in very useful after a very muddy walk!!

Short walk to the beach, shops & pub.

Friendly owners who were on hand if needed but not in your face.

We will definitely be returning again in the next few months.

My partner and I stayed in January 2014,as a last minute booking after being recommended by friends of ours.The owners were warm and helpful and showed us all the facilities, our pet dog Homer was more than happy.

It was nice to go somewhere so clean and so close to the beach, although the weather was not that good,we both relaxed in our week longs stay.

What a lovely week we had at the Beeches 21/9/2013. This cottage was so welcoming and clean, the owners are lovely people and were just so helpful without invading our privacy. It means such a lot to go on holiday and to find somewhere that is just so immaculately clean and tidy, welcoming accessible, we had such a warm and welcoming break, in fact i would say it was the nicest accommodation we have stayed in, the garden wildlife is wonderful, and the peace and tranquility of the area is very special.

The owners are such a lovely couple and they have tried really hard in my view to provide such a lovely holiday home and to make sure we had what we needed, we will certainly return to the Beeches on a regular basis.

Both myself and my partner were looking forward to a week away with our two yorkies in Norfolk....

We booked to stay at The Beeches,Overstrand,WHAT A BIG MISTAKE....

The place was advertised with a washing machine,and a garden for the dogs...there was no washing machine,and the garden we were told was not for our use,and we were not to use it...all we had was a small paved area off the lounge,and that was insecure,so the dogs ran out on the road,so when out there,we had to be with them,so we could not relax,without worrying...But worse was to come....Every time we got back after being out,all our belonging had been disturbed,they had snooped through everything we had taken with us,they kept this up for the whole week...they would walk in on us without knocking,so we had to keep the doors locked when in,as they lived adjoining,they constantly nosed out the window at any movement by us,or listened up the two adjoining doors to the annexe,and in the kitchen was a high level window that connected to there bungalow,this was used for spying,as a face often appeared at the window...

On our return,my partner wrote to Countryside Cottages,complaining about these issues,all we had was a reply stating that nobody else had complained and brazenly saying their was a washing machine there,please,how can you miss a washing machine???no mention of the garden,and not a bit interested in our belongings,or all the snooping we had to put up with...unbelievable...We would certainly not recommend Norfolk Countryside Cottages,and The Beeches,Overstrand to anybody,what a waste of money,and the stress we endured was awful,we ,including the dogs had a thoroughly miserable time.

I haven't even gotten as far as taking my holiday as I found the company to only be interested in money and not at all in good customer service or ethical considerations. Use them at your peril

We rented a cottage called The Schoolhouse in Saxlingham near Holt in Norfolk from Countryside Cottages Norfolk, and were deeply dissatisfied with what we got for our money.

Their website says 'We’ve established a niche market, only specialising in high quality cottages' and 'One of the hardest things we have to do is politely turn away cottages that don’t reach our standards.' I have to say I wonder just what their standard is if they've failed to turn away The Schoolhouse!

Our holidays are very important to us, and as such, we do not take chances with them. I have always believed (until now) that you get what you pay for. I always use an agent when booking a cottage, as I have always felt reassured that by using an agent I could be confident that the facilities and cleanliness would be of a decent standard. Sad to say that on this occasion I feel Countryside Cottages Norfolk fell far short of the trust I placed in them to supply me with holiday accommodation of a decent standard that reflected the not inconsiderable amount of money I was paying - £550 per week in May half term (plus a further £25 in total for my dog and their booking fee) – a total of £575 for the week. The rental for the Schoolhouse is more expensive than almost any of their other one-bedroom properties, including their Premier properties. This is the most I have ever paid for a one-bedroom cottage at any time of year, including July/August. Small wonder then, that I was expecting a beautiful cottage for my money, or that given what I found on arrival, that I was deeply disappointed.

I went into Countryside Cottages Norfolk office in Holt to complain, and the person I spoke to about the cottage responded by saying that ‘the cottage owner likes it that way.’ She also said, 'not everyone likes the Schoolhouse' - I shouldn't think they do, you only have to check out the Visitors' Book to see that.

The bathroom is in a terrible state - old, decrepit, damp, disgusting. The kitchen also left a lot to be desired - filthy cooking utensils, rusty frying pan, disgusting old unhygienic chopping boards, no oven glove provided (I burnt myself on the oven shelf the first night), rotten worktop around the sink. Horrible. There is no wardrobe or anywhere to hang clothes. There were dog hairs all over the bedroom including on the bed itself, so that I had to clean before we could go to bed on the first night. There was ancient food under the seat cushions on the equally ancient sofa. The garden is a complete jungle, with absolutely no possibility of the 'countryside views' promised in the brochure.

In conclusion, I feel that Countryside Cottages Norfolk completely failed to provide us with facilities of a reasonable standard for the rental paid. The information provided in their brochure about The Schoolhouse is at best misleading and at worst dishonest. The pictures shown, and the description given, are not a true representation of the property. Only one interior photograph is shown, and this of the only bright and modern part of the cottage, namely the bedroom. No mention is made or even hinted at of the decrepit bathroom fittings and kitchen equipment, or of any of the other many and various inadequacies. Even on the website the bathroom is not shown, why would it be, no one would ever choose to stay there if they knew the state it was in. The picture of the garden is sadly out of date, probably by years.

I wrote to Countryside Cottages Norfolk asking for a partial refund, but this was declined. Instead I was offered a discount on my next holiday with them. What a joke! As if I would risk taking a holiday with them a second time.

Given my experience, I would not recommend that anyone use Countryside Cottages Norfolk.