Rosewaters Cottage, Astley Burf

To start with this property is indeed right on the river (although it is not the historic wharf building in the picture), it is easy to find with plenty of car parking space. Inside it is spacious, with a well equiped kitchen, good TV, comfy sofa and large rooms. We were here in winter, and my wife is pregnant, so we couldn't use the outside facilities but can confirm a nice garden with furniture to use. At night it was very peaceful and most importantly we found that it was very well cleaned.

Unfotunately there are were two downsides for us:

Firstly the property is very low having been built underneath the family home above. In summer this must make it suitably cool but over a grey winter weekend it felt dark especially as one of the bedrooms, the hall and the bathroom do not have windows. Thus we needed the lights on even in daytime and it proved to be 'a bit of a headbanger' for me at 6' 3" as the light fittings and a couple of beams/doors are less than that height. So a minor issue to consider if thinking about renting in winter and/or if you are tall.

More important though was our second issue - when we arrived on a Friday afternoon it had been vacant for only a couple of days but all the radiators had been switched off (and we found out only the next day the windows were open on the latch and air vents also open). Thus property was very cold on arrival and also the log fire in the pictures which we had been looking forward to using is not real. So we naturally pumped up the heating as I walked the 2+miles to the shop for milk, bread, handsoap etc and my wife tried to get her afternoon rest fully dressed in bed. No big deal. But even after dinner it was still cold and after 7 hours of heating, at about 9.30pm, the boiler switched off. We called the owner Paul and to be fair he came straight away, saw the thermostat click at 15 degrees showing the real room temperature, and he adjusted the timer by unscrewing the plate off the boiler. But we had to be at our persuasive best to get him to leave the heating on overnight - clearly this was not 'normal' for him and he told us so and how much extra it would cost him.

That first night we did not sleep well but once we found the windows open the next morning (it was still only 18degrees by then) and left the heating high the rest of the weekend it was warm. A dissapointing start but anyway it was fixed so we thought little more about it.

Sadly though the weekend ended on a sour note. The owner was clearly agrieved we had the termerity to leave the heating on 24 hours a day to warm the property up and leave several lights on to make the place welcoming as we do in our own home, and he told us so in no uncertain terms when we were leaving. Even though he knew my wife was pregnant and stayed in and slept during the day when I was out walking (he said he entered the property on both the Saturday and the Sunday daytime without our knowledge, on the Saturday we believe this may have been whilst she was sleeping) he questioned our integrity by refusing to believe we were cold the first night, he refused to listen to our feedback in return, he barred us from staying again and then ordered us off his property! Quite an unbelievable little rant.

So...in summary to bring this review back to the property only, I would still recommend it for families or groups in summer. If coming in winter, and especially if you are not good with the cold, I suggest you call the agent and make it a clear condition of renting that the heating is on before you arrive and that it is left on 24 hours a day so that you can make your own adult decision about the temperature control in the property.

Lovely place,beautifully furnished right by the river.Very attractive bed linen but rather uncomfortable mattresses.Nice big fitted kitchen & lounge.There were six adults plus a seven year old & a baby.Lots of space for all of us plus parking for three cars.Loved all of it except the mattresses.

The house is lovely, spacious but comfortable, home from home. We went for our family Christmas as the waters rose. The owner was very concerned and came to check we were not flooded even on Christmas Day. Nothing to dislike. It the weather had been kinder we would have enjoyed lovely walks from the property into Stourport along the river. Lovely view out over the river Severn. Would love to visit again in warmer weather!

To start with this property is indeed right on the river (although it is not the historic wharf building in the picture), it is easy to find with plenty of car parking space. Inside it is spacious, with a well equiped kitchen, good TV, comfy sofa and large rooms. We were here in winter, and my wife is pregnant, so we couldn't use the outside facilities but can confirm a nice garden with furniture to use. At night it was very peaceful and most importantly we found that it was very well cleaned.

Unfotunately there are were two downsides for us:

Firstly the property is very low having been built underneath the family home above. In summer this must make it suitably cool but over a grey winter weekend it felt dark especially as one of the bedrooms, the hall and the bathroom do not have windows. Thus we needed the lights on even in daytime and it proved to be 'a bit of a headbanger' for me at 6' 3" as the light fittings and a couple of beams/doors are less than that height. So a minor issue to consider if thinking about renting in winter and/or if you are tall.

More important though was our second issue - when we arrived on a Friday afternoon it had been vacant for only a couple of days but all the radiators had been switched off (and we found out only the next day the windows were open on the latch and air vents also open). Thus property was very cold on arrival and also the log fire in the pictures which we had been looking forward to using is not real. So we naturally pumped up the heating as I walked the 2+miles to the shop for milk, bread, handsoap etc and my wife tried to get her afternoon rest fully dressed in bed. No big deal. But even after dinner it was still cold and after 7 hours of heating, at about 9.30pm, the boiler switched off. We called the owner Paul and to be fair he came straight away, saw the thermostat click at 15 degrees showing the real room temperature, and he adjusted the timer by unscrewing the plate off the boiler. But we had to be at our persuasive best to get him to leave the heating on overnight - clearly this was not 'normal' for him and he told us so and how much extra it would cost him.

That first night we did not sleep well but once we found the windows open the next morning (it was still only 18degrees by then) and left the heating high the rest of the weekend it was warm. A dissapointing start but anyway it was fixed so we thought little more about it.

Sadly though the weekend ended on a sour note. The owner was clearly agrieved we had the termerity to leave the heating on 24 hours a day to warm the property up and leave several lights on to make the place welcoming as we do in our own home, and he told us so in no uncertain terms when we were leaving. Even though he knew my wife was pregnant and stayed in and slept during the day when I was out walking (he said he entered the property on both the Saturday and the Sunday daytime without our knowledge, on the Saturday we believe this may have been whilst she was sleeping) he questioned our integrity by refusing to believe we were cold the first night, he refused to listen to our feedback in return, he barred us from staying again and then ordered us off his property! Quite an unbelievable little rant.

So......in summary to bring this review back to the property only, I would still recommend it for families or groups in summer. If coming in winter, and especially if you are not good with the cold, I suggest you call the agent and make it a clear condition of renting that the heating is on before you arrive and that it is left on 24 hours a day so that you can make your own adult decision about the temperature control in the property.

Lovely cottage with every amenity that you needed. The owner came to see if we required anything and if it was satisfactory. I would recommend this cottage to everyone.
Jeff Gregory.

Arrived and the place was stone cold like no one had been in it for months, it also smelt damp, that moudly smell. It wasnt dirty but it certainly wasnt clean and we needed to wash all crockery before using it. Shame really cos it looked like a cheap place to stay but maybe to cheap, they say you get what you pay for but i do expect cleanliness.

Let us be clear there are pluses and minuses to this property, but it seems churlish to criticise the minuses when you know what you are signing up to.
Let us deal with the positives first. The cottage was plenty warm enough. It was clean, tidy and well furnished and the wifi was good. It is also in a lovely quiet riverside location with great walks for dogs and humans on the doorstep. There are plenty of all sorts of entertainments that can be had a short drive away, from the West Mids Safari Park and Severn Valley Railway, to Hartlebury Museum, Worcester City and so on. Being all on one level with a very small step on the access path meant that it was easy enough to get elderly family members into and out of the house.
However; had we been more organised we would have tried to find a property with more than one bathroom, and with a washing machine. We might also have looked for a cottage that was not the undercroft of someone's house. We weren't organised and so we made do with what we got, and no doubt paid less than we would have, if we had found a picturesque cottage with all the facilities that we could have desired.

Not a cottage!

This property is an under croft to the owners property with little natural light.

The rooms are well proportioned but it was cold during the daytime and damp. No carpets or curtains did not make this property feel cosy at all.

One bedroom and the only bathroom have no windows and ventilation.

We did not meet the owners, but certainly heard them up above us. It was not welcoming at all.

We would not revisit.

Overall good accommodation. Excellent area for family walks.

Beautiful area, right on the river, very close for country walks with the dog, safe surroundings, many warm welcoming pubs (2 that were dog friendly - Hampstall Inn and the New Inn). All pub food was of a very good standard. Local farm shop had a wide selection of produce. Owner very welcoming and was very willing to loan us life jackets. He was very informative of the local area and made us feel comfortable and at home.

The accommodation was superb, very spacious (for 3 couples), and set out just right for relaxing with friends, the location was excellent. Although the river was up the fishing was still good fun and the hours flew by. The area was picturesque, and the girls loved the walking , while the guys fished. It was a great weekend.

The premises are very tastefully decorated and fitted out to a high standard. The owner was extremely welcoming and accommodating and had even put up a Christmas tree which was highly appreciated by our three children. The weather was unseasonably cold but the place was very warm and cosy which was great because we had just left Australia and 30 degrees!
The property is set in a sublime location overlooking the River Severn and is highly recommended.

Lovely property and area. Owners were very nice and helpful too. It was a relaxing place to be.

The condition of the cottage was very good and cleanliness was what I would have expected. Owners were very pleasant, came over and introduced themselves and helpful to advise of good places to eat and areas of interest. Everyone was friendly in the surrounding area.

Fantastic place for a holiday! Good fishing and nice owner. Many thanks.

We really enjoyed the peaceful location, the easy access to the river, and the dog enjoyed the freedom of the garden.

The property was very clean and very comfortably furnished. The owners were very friendly and welcoming.

The location of the property was excellent with lots of places to visit within easy reach. The owner was very helpful and was within easy reach should he be required.

The decor and cleanliness were excellent and the enclosed garden was perfect for our 2 small dogs. The owner was friendly and helpful. We will definitely return!

The apartment was spacious giving us plenty of room for 6 adults, a seven year old and a crawling 10month old baby.

Very clean and well kept and well appointed - ideal!

Location on the water was stunning. There was 7 0f us and enough room that we could have our own space. House was modern, spacious and homely feel.

All rooms were so spacious and beautifully decorated. Very helpful owner.

Very clear and fresh cottage. Really nice and helpful owner. Wonderful surroundings and the Pub nearby.
We even caught some nice barbel directly from the garden at river Severn, so a perfect stay for a fisherman. We definitely will come back to this cottage!

It was a beautiful location right on the river. The owner was very friendly and we were made to feel at home. We would definitely recommend to family and friends and return sometime in the future.

Absolute peace and quiet. The garden was secure, and had sun all day. The garden leading to the river was just lovely. Nature watching, fishing etc lovely

The house was immaculate, excellent comfort levels with fantastic amenities.

It was very clean, tidy and well appointed. The owner and neighbours were friendly and helpful.

Very friendly owner who was attentive on our arrival. The location next to the river was lovely.

This is a beautiful Cottage in a stunning tranquil location, and I will definitely be returning. The owners were so helpful and friendly..Perfect!

Rosewaters Cottage was our ideal holiday home and the location was great for all the places we intended to visit. The fishing at the bottom of the garden made a very happy son and grandson and nan, granddad and wife/mum had some riverbank "chillaxing." There were some very nice pubs/restaurants close by so not a lot of cooking went on. All in all we had a lovely holiday which we hope to repeat sometime.

The location was great. The garden was lovely and we were very lucky with the weather so were able to spend a lot of time outside relaxing and fishing.

Had a fantastic holiday . We went to fish mainly and it never let us down with barbel & bream. Also found the owner a very helpful and friendly man

It was a great cottage by the river, it was very peaceful. The cottage was warm and cosy with everything that you would need, it was like being at a home from home. The owner was very helpful and could not do enough to make sure that my stay was perfect. I would certainly recommend staying at this cottage.

The cottage was ideally situated, with a private garden which had sun all day. It was very spacious and clean.