We had a great family weekend at Ashworth House in the Cotswolds, but there were a few areas that could use improvement.
With such a fantastic view from the back garden, we spent a lot of time outside. However, none of the lights in the back garden worked, so when it got dark, we had to search for candles to provide some light.
One evening, we heard a loud thud and noticed that a chunk of wood from an upstairs lintel above the bedroom window had fallen out. Thankfully, no one was standing underneath it at the time.
Inside, the property was relatively well-maintained, though very bare apart from the essential furniture. Simple additions, like chairs in all the bedrooms, would be beneficial since we had to put our belongings on the floor.
It should be made clearer in the house description that the two bedrooms on the top floor require walking from the end bedroom through the other room to access the stairs. This arrangement isn't very comfortable for the couple staying in the end bedroom. Additionally, there was no window dressing in that bedroom, allowing daylight to stream in at 5 a.m., which was less than ideal when you're on holiday.
There is a similar issue with the bedroom downstairs, off the kitchen. It’s a great room, but the four Velux windows have no blinds, resulting in the same problem of too much light at 5 a.m.
The large tree growing in a pot in the kitchen may not be the best choice. It constantly dropped leaves, making the kitchen floor and some surfaces sticky, likely due to sap.
It would be helpful to provide some information about where certain items are located. We couldn’t find the hairdryers until the last day. Also, the towels were of good quality but had a real musty smell when used.
The house felt like it was in the process of being renovated. While it was clean, it could be cleaner overall. The freezer compartments should be defrosted before guests arrive, as we had limited space for our frozen foods.
Would we stay there again? Yes, but it could be improved.