The Old School House

4.5★

6 Guests
3 Bedrooms
1 Bathroom
Pets Yes
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Features

Off road parking
Garden / Patio
Cot available
Highchair available
Pub/shop < 1 mile
Washing machine
Dishwasher
Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing

Cleanliness

Comfort

Facilities and Maintenance

* Based on a combined average customer score

26 Customer Review(s)

Wendy
October 2024

“Positives...”

big house, right in town with parking space, good kitchen, nice bath and shower, bottle of wine and basic welcome pack (but no milk) Negatives... gates weren't secure (as others have commented, so we couldn't let dog out without lead) one gate was blowing around loose so we had to remove it to stop it hitting the car, loads of thick brambles in the yard making it unsafe for dogs and humans (we removed these as far as we could), house was cold on arrival (and no instructions on heating system ...

big house, right in town with parking space, good kitchen, nice bath and shower, bottle of wine and basic welcome pack (but no milk) Negatives... gates weren't secure (as others have commented, so we couldn't let dog out without lead) one gate was blowing around loose so we had to remove it to stop it hitting the car, loads of thick brambles in the yard making it unsafe for dogs and humans (we removed these as far as we could), house was cold on arrival (and no instructions on heating system in info pack), a few corners with black mould, previous visitors food left in freezer and cupboards, a large picture had fallen off wall, bedrooms too light need darker curtains (as others have commented). Generally the place needs some TLC and regular maintenance. Despite being on a quiet street there was noise outside most nights into the early hours. Unlikely we'll return to this property, otherwise we had a very good time in Bala.

- Wendy, October 2024
Jane September 2024

“Back gate was damaged, we were unable to let the dogs out unattended, that was our only problem.”

- Jane, September 2024
Clive September 2024

“This is a great holiday property, being well positioned and of generous size.”

Well equipped with everything we needed. A few maintenance issues but this may be from a long and busy summer season, just a touch of TLC needed. The rear garden was not contained so we could not leave the back door open for the dog; repairing the gates would resolve this.

- Clive, September 2024
Chris October 2023

“Nice big house good location just a couple of parts needed a bit of TLC.”

It was a good house with a bit of TLC would have been a great house

- Chris, October 2023

Hi, thanks for the feedback. We have since repainted & addressed the issues. Many thanks. Property Owner
Mark September 2023

“The cottage is spacious and cosy, ideally situated with off road parking.”

Bala itself has plenty of places to eat and drink, the majority dog friendly. The lake itself is a 15 minute walk from the cottage. A 'couple 'of gripes; Old cobwebs in the lounge, the kitchen smelt of fried food and a couple of the cupboards had out of date condiments(which we binned) and crumbs inside them. The garden was untidy with small piles of rockery stone (rusty wire protruding, dangerous for our elderly small dog), shrub cuttings and sock! The owner did text, having missed his call, to advise that the gardener maybe around. The weather wasn't great to be fair and we never saw them during our stay. Overall we enjoyed our break and would have given a higher rating if a bit more attention had been given overall to the cleanliness of the kitchen, lounge and tidiness of the garden.

- Mark, September 2023

Hi, thanks for your feedback. We have since replaced the gardener to address these issues. Property Owner
Jan September 2023

“Lovely cottage in a great central location in Bala , super hot shower in an amazing bathroom and comfy beds , felt like home from home , couldn’t fault anything.”

We have stayed in Bala quite a few times and explored all other towns but this time we stayed local and had some gorgeous walks and enjoyed every coffee shop on the high street x

- Jan, September 2023
Doug September 2023

“Excellent location, centre of town but off the main street.”

Use of parking area adjacent was critical as we wished to park motor bikes of the road way, besides two bedrooms off road parking was essential. Nice to see tea, coffee, milk etc was there so we could have a brew before doing a basic shop. Owner even contact us in the afternoon of our arrival to check we was ok and to call him if we had any problems.

- Doug, September 2023
Linda July 2023

“Property was great for us it provided everything we needed, great location just behind main street, plenty of places to eat, plus shops if you prefer to cook at property, kitchen had everything, weather wasn't great but it did not stop us enjoying ourselves, used as a base to visit other areas also found a swimming pool /sports centre next to woody cafe on bala lake in our 2nd wk, which we didn't know about so made good use of that kids loved the pool.”

Obviously made good use of lake and beautiful surroundings when weather was kind to us, would recommend. Thank you to all involved that helped to make our stay a pleasure xx

- Linda, July 2023
Rachel June 2023

“Cottage was lovely had everything we needed & excellent location for exploring the area.”

The owner was informative & advised he’d had difficulty in getting their gardener to come & tidy up so sat in a very weedy & untidy courtyard after a day out exploring. (Photos of garden on Sykes app didn’t match what we had to sit in) we did have to clean up dog mess which was under the dropped leaves as smell was a bit off putting. I always clean up after my dog as soon as he’s done his business. Would use again hopefully the gardener would have turned up. Off road parking was a bonus as Bala is a bit limited on parking in the streets but does have a public parking up the road. Lounge was comfortable to chill out in the evening too.

- Rachel, June 2023
Michelle October 2022

“Lovely large house nice and warm.”

Great base for exploring the area. Some parts of the house could do with a little re-decorating but overall we enjoyed our week here. Good communication with owner and welcome gift very much appreciated. Would definitely stay again.

- Michelle, October 2022
Dave June 2022

“Great property, more of a home than a holiday let.”

Great location. The only issue was that the bedrooms are too light in the morning and could probably benefit from thicker curtains. Unfortunately we weren't able to leave the property as clean as we'd have liked because the hoover was in bits. But overall a great place to stay, very comfortable and really well equipped.

- Dave, June 2022
Alison May 2022

“Fantastic get away.”

No faults what so ever. Comfortable beds lovely decor so quiet . Lovely welcome gifts thankyou . Lovely weather to sit in garden and have the birds for company.Just a stroll to all amenities so many places to eat out. Highly recommended.

- Alison, May 2022
Shary May 2022

“The Old School House is lovely comfortable accommodation and a great base to explore the area.”

Anne Marie the owner is very helpful and got the house ready for us at very short notice as we had to book last minute as the accommodation we had originally booked in South Wales through another website was shocking. I really can’t recommend this property and Sykes holiday cottages highly enough

- Shary, May 2022
Andrew May 2021

“Nice house in a good place.”

..2 minute walk to Bala high street with shops, bars and plenty of places to eat.

- Andrew, May 2021
David October 2020

“Great place to stay, the contact from the owner excellent”

- David, October 2020
Lindsay September 2020

“Very comfortable and homely, Beautiful house,”

- Lindsay, September 2020
Dawn September 2020

“Great Location 2 mins walk from main town.”

It is a very quiet road. Great base to explore north wales. Very comfy beds. Cosy and welcoming place to stay. Owners extremely helpful and welcoming. Thank you

- Dawn, September 2020
Sally July 2020

“Fantastic area, plenty to do and good facilities in Bala.”

- Sally, July 2020
Carys November 2019

“Fantastic cottage, perfect in every way, ideal for our needs.”

Nice to have the private parking area, very cosy and warm. The best place we have stayed at in the area. Also great friendly service from Sykes in rearranging the booking when needed.

- Carys, November 2019
Elizabeth September 2019

“Comfy and cosy.”

Well located.

- Elizabeth, September 2019
Rob August 2019

“Parking facilities are excellent.”

Easily houses two cars off street. Annmarie was a fantastic and attentive host, could not have asked for more from her. Bala was a delight for my toddler and would love to return one day.

- Rob, August 2019
Sarah July 2019

“Comfortable cottage with plenty of space.”

Great to have 2 double beds for 2 couples. Lots of information provided by Ann Marie and Paul

- Sarah, July 2019
Anthony June 2019

“Perfect cottage Perfect location Will definitely return Sykes Delivered again !”

- Anthony, June 2019
Sarah June 2019

“Walking distance to lake, owner phoned on day of arrival, very friendly gave loads of useful information, made to feel very welcome.”

Would definitely stay again.

- Sarah, June 2019
Sue April 2019

“The cottage was very comfortable, clean and spacious including lovely welcoming touches and very helpful information from the owner (by phone).”

We found it to be in an excellent location for exploring, with all the places that we wanted to visit being a 40 - 60 minutes scenic drive in any direction. (Mount Snowdon, The Waterfalls, Bounce Below) The shower is powerful and the bath deep. Also as an added bonus there is a dishwasher - most welcome after a long day of hiking! The lake is about a 10 minute stroll away where we hired kayaks, had a lovely full breakfast and delicious ice cream at the cafe. We hired bikes from the bike shop round the corner. The locals were all very friendly and there is everything that you could need in the village, a couple of small supermarkets, several pubs and restaurants, a couple of takeaways and some lovely gift shops. We had a great holiday and would definitely recommend this cottage and location as a place to stay :)

- Sue, April 2019
Caroline December 2018

“Me and my family really enjoyed our stay at The Old School House.”

The house is located in a great position close to shops, pubs restaurants. But still in a very peaceful location. The house is well equipped with everything you need for a break even had champagne flutes which I have found previously a lot of holiday homes don't have. All in all I would defiantly recommend this place to people to stay and I will more than likely return there again myself.

- Caroline, December 2018

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Summary

Three bedrooms: 2 x double, 1 x children's bunks
Bathroom with freestanding bath, walk-in shower, basin, bidet, and WC
Kitchen
Sitting room with gas fire
Lounge/diner.
Gas central heating with gas fire
Gas oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, Blu-ray, PlayStation 3, WiFi, selection of books and games
Fuel and power inc. in rent
Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
Off-road parking for 1 car
Gravelled area with patio and furniture
Two well-behaved pets welcome
Sorry, no smoking
Shop and pub 2 mins walk.

The property

This homely semi-detached cottage rests in the town of Bala; a market town steeped in history, located at the head of Llyn Tegid, Bala’s famous natural lake.

Perfectly suited for families, The Old School House is comfortable and inviting, renovated to a high standard, with everything you need to feel right at home.

The country cottage kitchen is a delightful place to commence your stay, followed by a beautiful sitting room which will become the children's cosy little hideaway with a collection of books and games on offer, and a gas fire for those cooler evenings.

The separate lounge is equally as stylish, including sumptuous sofa's, a feature fireplace, and a dining table for six people to come together after an adventure.

There is even a Blu-ray player to entertain those cosy nights in.

The upper floor is the perfect opportunity for some relaxation, with a choice of three bedrooms; comprising two doubles with wardrobes, and a room with bunk beds, also featuring a PlayStation 3.

Lastly, The Old School House is complimented by a family bathroom which is brought to life by a walk-in shower, and a freestanding bath.

Bordered by the wonderful Berwyn Mountains on one side and the beautiful Snowdonia Mountain Range on the other, this is a mecca for climbing, walking, mountain biking and many other outdoor activities.

An ideal location for touring all of North and Mid Wales including the Cambrian Bay Coast with the six-mile long Harlech Beach, overlooked by its majestic medieval castle, this retreat is not to be missed.

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About the location

BALA

Corwen 11 miles; Dolgellau 18 miles; Llangollen 22 miles; Betws-y-Coed 29 miles.

The bustling market town of Bala lies within the beautiful Snowdonia National Park and is located at the head of Llyn Tegid, Bala’s famous lake, which is the largest natural lake in Wales and home to a unique fish called the Gwyniad, a relic of the Ice Age. Renowned as a centre for great watersports including fishing, sailing, canoeing, windsurfing and whitewater rafting, Bala is also the headquarters of the narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway. The town itself is steeped in history and has a range of interesting shops, inns and restaurants, and an historical Town Walk. Surrounded by the wonderful Berwyn Mountains on one side and the beautiful Snowdonia Mountain Range on the other, this is a mecca for climbing, walking, mountain biking and many other outdoor activities. An ideal location for touring all of North and Mid Wales including the stunning Cambrian Bay Coast with the six-mile long Harlech Beach, overlooked by its majestic medieval castle. A truly wonderful part of Wales catering for all interests.

This property offers the following short breaks:

Winter
Off-season
Last minute
Christmas

Bala, North Wales & Snowdonia (Ref. 985037)

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Features

Reviews & Ratings

“Positives...”

“Back gate was damaged, we were unable to let the dogs out unattended, that was our only problem.”

“This is a great holiday property, being well positioned and of generous size.”

“Nice big house good location just a couple of parts needed a bit of TLC.”

“The cottage is spacious and cosy, ideally situated with off road parking.”

“Lovely cottage in a great central location in Bala , super hot shower in an amazing bathroom and comfy beds , felt like home from home , couldn’t fault anything.”

“Excellent location, centre of town but off the main street.”

“Cottage was lovely had everything we needed & excellent location for exploring the area.”

“Lovely large house nice and warm.”

“Great property, more of a home than a holiday let.”

“Fantastic get away.”