Reviews and testimonials
5 star cottages, 4 star prices and reviews we're proud of ...
VisitEngland‘s assessment criteria for holiday accommodation has five categories: bedrooms, bathrooms, breakfast, cleanliness and hospitality. The organisation awards EnjoyEngland star ratings to help you easily compare and choose accommodation. The VisitEngland unique Gold award recognises exceptional quality within a star rating, or for outperforming a star rating. Our cottages are reviewed every year to ensure we’re maintaining our standards.
We’re delighted that all of our cottages have achieved at least 4 Stars with a Gold Award by VisitEngland. And because we allocate cottages based on your group requirements, we don’t even charge extra for our 5 Star cottages. In fact (between you and Jean), the only thing that concerned our inspector was our pricing. He thinks it’s too low (don’t tell David!).
You don’t have to take our word for it though, read the reviews below to see the lovely things our guests say.
Reviews from guests and group bookings
What a lovely hidden gem, nestled away in the Leicestershire countryside.
The views and tranquillity surrounding the cottages are such a joy! Who knew Leicester was so close to such gorgeous countryside with National Forest walks on your doorstep. The cottage is extremely clean, cozy, and homely with all of the amenities required for a self-catering stay. This is my first trip post lockdown and I can wholeheartedly say that I felt very safe and secure!
I have no concerns about returning or recommending to others.
We had the pleasure of meeting the owner Jean in the evening as she was making her way back to her home. What a lovely lady! Her enthusiasm and caring attitude towards the guests came across. This is a wonderful place to escape the city life! Relax on the patio with a glass of wine watching the swallows and sunset- you might even see the buzzard! Thank you for a wonderful stay.
I will most definitely be returning.
Katie, August 2020
Just wanted to tell you what a great time we had at Upper Rectory cottages. Everything is so well provided for. – Angela, March 2019
60th, birthday part. Just perfect, very comfortable. Attention to detail in cottages amazing. Loved it! – Hamiltons
Here for Vicki & Luke’s wedding at Norton Fields. Stunning location. We all loved the cottages at Upper Rectory – so cosy and warm – great atmosphere! – Roy family, October 2019
Fantastic views. Great place for family gathering with really good facilities. – Alister and Diane Woodward, August 2019
Beautiful accommodation – so peaceful. Lovely views. Great for family get-togethers. – Miranda and Rob Consett, August 2019
Remarkable, superb, fantastic, I could run out of superlatives! Thank you so much Jean and team. – Marianne and Ray Blakely, Guernsey, September 2019
From the moment Jean met us with flapjack and milk to the moment we left, everything was perfect for a relaxing holiday. – Baker family, Bristol, November 2019
Wonderful cottages, amazing location. – Rob and Julie Dewman, December 2019
We had a lovely time during our stay with all our family together for Christmas. – December 2019
What a wonderful venue for Christmas with friends. – May and Ernie, December 2019
We have had a lovely time here. – Jollydays Holidays, March 2020
Ideal place for a family weekend together. – The Sawyer family, March 2019
This was a fantastic place for a family weekend. We had The Byre, The Cowshed and The Piggery for 2 gatherings of 15. Everything was just perfect. Jean was most welcoming and the flapjacks went down a treat! – Gloria and family, March 2019
Perfect for a family get-together. Great location, lots to do. – The Turnbulls, April 2019
Loved the peace and quiet – and the sunsets! We have all had the best time. Perfect base for “Thomas Land”! – The O’Donnell family, July 2019
This is our 7th year at “Jean’s Farm”! Amazing time yet again! – The Johnsons, July 2019
Quiet comfortable bliss! – Ann & Richard, September 2019
Wonderful place to celebrate my brother’s Golden Wedding. We were able to have all the family including 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren – usually difficult to arrange but perfect here. – J. Thompson, September 2019
An enjoyable but all too short stay in lovely and peaceful surroundings. Excellent standard of accommodation. Much appreciated. – The Hutchinson family, November 2019
I’ve been to the best place and it’s here! – Katie, aged 4, January 2019
Time stood still for a while … I have thoroughly enjoyed this week. – Catherine Crawford, North Carolina, USA, May 2019
Our quizzillionth visit and always hugely anticipated and enjoyed! Fab, Fab! – The Edmonds family, May 2019
Wonderful break, home from home. – Shanks family, July 2019
Excellent week here. The canal towpath is the perfect place to walk and see wildlife and pretty scenery. – Ruth & Philip Taylor, August 2019
We came for a clan-gathering/birthday celebration. Fantastic that 40 people could play and eat together! Facilities top rate and setting so peaceful. – Sally and Patrick, Montreal, Canada, 2019
Many thanks from 43 people including children and babies. We travelled from all over England and Wales for our Golden Wedding Anniversary. – The Maddisons, September 2019
Wonderful stay for the wedding at Norton Fields! – Mr & Mrs Dodd, May 2019
Great location and accommodation for a large family party. We had a fantastic weekend and can thoroughly recommend Upper Rectory Farm! – Thomson’s, September 2019
The cottage is a very cosy and lovely place to stay. – Lisa, August 2019
Wow! What a place! There were 27 of us here! Amazing cottages, so well equipped. The place is gorgeous and we had a fabulous time. – Carmel, July 2019
The cottage is lovely – everything we needed. – The Rundletts, August 2019
Visitor emails
We love to stay in touch with previous guests. Here are some of the emails we have received.
“Hi Jean,Just a quick message to say thank you for what was a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable stay at Upper Rectory. The setting and the cottages are truly amazing and we all loved every minute of our stay - so much so my daughter wanted to stay on and live there!! The standard of the decor and all the equipment you provide are first class we did not want for anything. The thing we ALL commented on was how SPOTLESS the cottages were -please do thank Tina she did a great job. We cannot wait to return so thank you once again!”
"Last weekend stay at your farm accommodation for my wife's 60th birthday was magical. The complex we booked was better than we had expected allowing our friends comfortable self-contained areas but allowing freedom to use all rooms downstairs and facilities. The Refectory was the icing on the cake to allow all 17 of us to have breakfast, lunch and to have a party on Saturday to celebrate Julie’s 60th and retirement. With the weather so nice we used the outside seating and grassy area to its fullest. The bonus was all the wildlife , especially the swallows which fascinated all of us watching them fly in and out of their nest nr the Refectory. Julie and me will remember this weekend for years to come .Thank you.”
“I just wanted to let you know how pleased we were with our accommodation at Upper Rectory Farm Cottages. A definite 10 out of 10 from all our family, we had a lovely time and the weather was superb too. It’s the perfect place for a family get together for us, travelling from London , Manchester and Wolverhampton and meeting in the middle so conveniently. Looking forward to further stays at your cottages.”
“We had a really fabulous time during our stay with you. We had things to do to fill our days, but we were always happy to arrive “home” to Upper Rectory. Our house was so comfortable and really attractive, my idea of a country home. We hardly saw the neighbours, and even when they were around we didn’t feel they were on top of us. We have been singing your praises to everyone. I can honestly say I have never felt so relaxed after a week away, whether in the UK or abroad. Thank you so much. Hope to see you next year.”
“Can’t stop coming back! Enjoyed our first week in The Cowshed and this last week in The Barn.”
“Many, many thanks for the use of Upper Rectory Farm Cottages. I cannot praise the venue too highly. Everyone agreed. So much so that we would like to come again in September 2021.”
“Thankyou Jean, Our stay at the Piggery was outstanding. From your warm welcome and flapjacks on arrival to the outstanding peaceful views over the fields, we couldn't have wished for a better holiday. The cottage was magnificent, everything you could need and more. Especially enjoyed our walks around the area and can highly recommend the local butcher, lovely person and great service.”
