|
Where to begin... Unfortunately, as the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” We arrived at around 2:50pm and made our way to the reception area, only to find it completely unmanned. I asked a nearby group if we were in the right place, and a woman responded that she worked there but was currently helping other guests—which is fair enough.
However, once she handed me the key, that was it. There was no information provided—no directions to our lodge, no explanation of where the facilities were, no mention of check-out time, nothing at all. She simply handed over the key and disappeared. Thankfully, I had already looked at the site map beforehand, but a friendly welcome and a bit of guidance would have gone a long way.
When we arrived at the lodge, it was immediately clear that it was in desperate need of maintenance. The exterior paint was peeling all over, and part of the wood near the roof was visibly lifting away.
Worst of all was the sheer number of flies and wasps. I completely understand that insects are part of being outdoors, but this was excessive. It genuinely seemed like there was a wasp nest nearby—possibly beneath the lodge—as they were constantly swarming from underneath.
Inside, the fly problem was even worse. At times, it looked like the floor was moving due to how many there were. A simple net or fly screen over the doors and windows could have made a massive difference. The wasps were so bad we couldn’t even sit outside until later in the evening, and even citronella candles had no effect. Within an hour of arriving, I was seriously considering leaving. If it weren’t for the kids and how disappointed they would have been, I likely would have returned the key and gone home.
While the wasps calmed down later in the day, the flies remained constant throughout our stay. Strangely, they seemed to be drawn to the carpet, and nothing we tried reduced their numbers.
To make matters worse, the reception was closed all day on Saturday. There was nowhere to pick up essentials or even ask basic questions. The website also advertised a food van being on site during peak summer periods but there was absolutely nothing there. My wife emailed the contact listed for Pitch & Canvas on Saturday regarding the food situation, and as of now, she’s still waiting for a reply.
One final thing to note—while not a deal-breaker for us, it may be for others: there’s no Wi-Fi, and mobile signal was practically non-existent. My wife and I are on different networks, and neither of us could even load Google Maps during our stay.
The location, as we already knew, is lovely and the surrounding area has a lot to offer. But unfortunately, the stay itself was very disappointing—especially for nearly £200. It’s a real shame, but we won’t be returning.
|