Great cottage in the heart of Staithes. We'd rate it 8.5/10. Tucked away down a quiet alley less than a minute walk to the Cod and Lobster pub and the harbour. Very spacious for two people: great to have a large dining table downstairs next to the kitchen area, a separate large lounge upstairs and two bathrooms, ground floor shower room and middle floor bathroom. After reading previous reviews we went prepared taking a few extra things for the kitchen but we found it to be very well equipped, and even had a slow cooker so we needn't have brought ours. The variety of glassware was limited, but we brought our own favourites with us anyway. The beds were very comfy, ample hot water to have baths, and ample towels provided. The weather was really good to us with temperatures in the high teens, but as it's an old cottage and is shaded between other properties it's naturally going to be a little cooler inside so we used the electric heating to add a bit more cosiness as well as the log burner on two nights that were a bit chillier. We brought our own wood and kindling, but a neighbouring property sells it if needed, as well as the gift shop. There's no welcome pack or any extras included, but the owner Andrew was helpful with queries, replying promptly to messages via whatsapp. One thing that really made our stay was the viewpoint on the hill just above the cottage (a couple of minutes walk) from which you can sit on the benches overlooking the harbour. We saw so many seals, lots of minke whales breaching, and we even watched a pod of dolphins travelling up the coast one morning. Binoculars are a must! We had a really great stay overall and would recommend the cottage to others.

The outside of Bramble cottage lets itself down somewhat for first impressions and a welcoming feel, particularly compared with Bramla cottage right next door, which is brightly painted in blue and appears very well looked after. For Bramble, a good clean of the doors and windows (the outside glass of the velux at the top was pretty dirty), a sand and repaint of the woodwork, in a brighter colour instead of black, would really lift the property and give it a much better first (and homely) impression. The property is up for sale, and upgrades to Grade 2 listed properties are not cheap, so it's understandable that some things are probably not considered a priority or affordable to the owner. There are two doors, one with a flood gate that was stuck and needed a good kick to loosen it so that it could be lifted out and the door used. The outside area by the other door and outhouse area needs a tidy up. As the back of the house is right up against a stone wall covered in brambles, it's very dark so an outside light would be useful. We'd chop it all back and paint the wall to try to lighten it up, and reflect more light into the kitchen. A couple of minor issues with the kitchen tap and upstairs toilet, but we mentioned these to Andrew who was aware of one of them and said they would be sorted out. None of these things had a major impact on our stay and we only mention them to be constructive, but they would have nudged our rating up another point.

Lovely cottage in a great location. Really well equipped and nicely decorated with comfy chairs and a great TV

Having to park your car so far away and struggling with the luggage. Also the stairs in the cottage were a bit difficult for us oldies. Despite these difficulties we had a lovely break

self catering

really slow wifi