Name: The Meadow House
Address: 2a High St, Burwell, Cambridge CB25 0HB, UK, Burwell, Burwell, Burwell, CB25 0HB, United Kingdom
Rating: 6

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Burwell House

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The Meadow House

Burwell

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I work in Newmarket and stay here on a regular basis from April to November. I have stayed in just about every room available and have always found them to be clean and comfortable.  Nothing has ever been too much trouble for Hilary and Brian, and I like the flexibility of not being tied down to times as sometimes I don't come back until around 1 am because of work commitments, and when I am concerned about disturbing people I am always told not to worry I won't. It is a gem of a find for me as I can chill out in comfort after a hard and long day at work. Location is also very peaceful with a huge garden to sit in on a nice evening, and there are shops and a pub within easy walking distance. Some reviews are saying it is outdated and in need of refurbishment but to me it's perfect for my needs and far more comfortable and peaceful than any Travelodge or premier inn I have stayed in while also being affordable.

Gem of a find especially if you work nearby

After a weekend at Meadow House, in many important areas the establishment was way below acceptable standards.
The owners came across as unwelcoming and surly, some of our group being harassed for payment as soon as we arrived.
Secondly, much was lacking in terms of the property's cleanliness - both un the rooms and communal areas ( dirty ashtrays and tablecloths,  just two examples).
Rooms were poorly provided for - a lack of hangers or hanging space, no adequate soap or towels for a shower.
Loose flagstones in the forecourt area made for hazards and accidents just waiting to happen, especially for older or disabled guests. Those was my chief criticism of Meadow House, as I almost fell on more than one occasion.
On the plus side, the breakfasts were good and serving staff friendly and helpful, so if you can ignore all the earlier issues, then this guesthouse may be for you. The rest of you, I would advise yo stay away!.

A Largely Unsatisfactory Experience 

If you seek out and appreciate, instant coffee, coffee mate, clutter, soft mattresses, rude hosts, dated decor,neglect and a low fibre high carbohydrate breakfast. Then this is just the place for you.
We stayed 2 nights but were so close to leaving after the first! Breakfast was busy and we won't the only ones raising our eyebrows!! 

If only I read previous reviews!!

We were a group of 6 going to Newmarket for the afternoon. We arrived to a tepid welcome with “How many of you are there and how many rooms do you want?” Strange as we had already pre-booked so they should have been expecting us. 
We were shown to our respective rooms by Brian which we found a bit confusing as it was really a case of pick a room. 
As a group we found the outlay of the rooms a little odd, outdated and over-furnished, like we had arrived in a nursing home. 
Our room was actually 2 rooms on the first floor, as we entered there was a single bed, chair and a table with kettle. Through there we entered the main room where we found a further 3 single beds (2 pushed together - not the double that had been booked), another 2 tables, 2 chairs and what appeared to be 2 two-tier medical trolleys - one with the television on and the other with coffee making facilities. Milk would have been preferable to Coffeemate, so I decided to skip that. 
The room was cluttered, way too much furniture and personal items. The large washstand in the bedroom was a puzzle as there was an adequate wash basin in the en-suite and it was just more unnecessary clutter. The room wasn’t as clean as I would have liked, carpets old and not particularly clean, furniture does not appear to have been moved for vacuuming, dirty headboards and a half eaten box of Pringles left on the shelf from the previous occupants I presume. The messages posted around the bedroom and en-suite were patronising and need removing, but we were just literally going to sleep there. (I use the term “sleep” loosely).
The beds were uncomfortable, resembling a foam roller at the fairground. If you ventured too close to the edge the mattress gave way and you simply rolled off the bed and onto the floor or into the gap between the 2 singles. 
The bathroom was a bit dated but cleanliness was passable and the temperature of the electric shower was a bit inconsistent. 
However, breakfast the following morning was good. Brian was happy to chat and keen to please as he took our orders and the breakfast was cooked perfectly. There was plenty of toast and hot water for coffee/tea making but I did miss some mushrooms with my breakfast. 
It’s a shame because with a little care, bit of a declutter and attention to detail, this could be a really great property with a huge amount of potential. 
I rated this a three based on the fact that we only paid £45 each for bed and breakfast, so although it was not the best B&B we’ve used it wasn’t the worst.

In desperate need of a refurb and some  organisation

This is a review of Garden cottage, one of Hilary & Brians cottages.

We arrived to find the cottage had not been cleaned, this was obvious my the dirt on the carpets, the dust on the surfaces and even breadcrumbs all over the kitchen counter.  We decided this wasn't pleasant but we could give it a clean ourselves as didn't want to ruin our holiday.

We tried to settle in after reading the many many notices stuck everywhere telling us to not move the tv remote, wash our hands, lock windows, don't cook spicy food and the most laughable one - don't make noise as their daughter lives next door.

The noise from next door started, not just a small noise, a full on someone jumping up & down screaming noise, we put classic fm on to try and drown it out but couldn't, we ordered a takeaway for dinner and tried to watch tv but the noise was unbearable.  This was a constant banging and shouting for about 4 hours.  It went quiet for a little bit and we assumed the "child" had gone to bed, then 10 minutes later is started up again.

We reached our limit and decided to pack and go home.  A total holiday of around 7 hours.

When we got home, i emailed Hilary to complain and was told her Grandson next door has autism, i understand that he cant help the noise he makes, but maybe don't have the house next door as a holiday cottage?!.  The fact that we were told not to be noisy also added to the annoyance.

Hilary said that she had 3 of her top ladies cleaning our cottage for a week prior to our arrival and that it was spotless - this is just laughable.  She also said had i told her we could of moved to the other cottage, but i don't imagine that would be any cleaner.  She also said that i was making excuses and that i had previously ignored her calls (she NEVER called me).

This woman is absolutely bonkers.

All the bad reviews on here are true and accurate - please dont waste your money.

Also as other reviewers have stated she only takes cash, so we can't get any of are money back.

AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!

My Wife and i booked a ground floor double for two nights.
We arrived on Tuesday 27th July 2021 at midday but after seeing the double we quickly decided that the standard of cleanness was far below what we were expecting. In this context we can identify with some of the comments of the previous Trip Advisor SueL in June 2021.
We decided therefore not to stay but as Mrs Marsh said that they had cleaned and reserved the room  our visit i felt obliged to pay them one nights stay.

Very disapointed

The Meadow House is described as offering ‘superior Bed and Breakfast and self-catering accommodation’ - also being well known for their 'excellent value, attention to detail and cleanliness'. I am afraid these things are far from the truth as you will see. 

My husband and I originally booked a weekend at Hilary's Cottage in mid-June as we prefer to stay self-catering. This was to visit family that we had not seen for more than a year due to the pandemic. We booked well in advance but Hilary was happy to accept the booking and sent us written confirmation, stating that she did not require any payment until the beginning of June. However, a month before our arrival date we received a handwritten letter from Hilary telling us that she had let the cottage to another party on a long let. The letter informed us that she had alternative accommodation available at The Meadow House (B&B) and two other self-catering places. Too late to find alternative accommodation in the area we reluctantly agreed to stay at the B&B as she was not able to provide sufficient information on the other self-catering places. 

A couple of things worth mentioning here are that communication with Hilary was not the easiest as it is by telephone or letter. Although there is an email address on the website (also on details sent by post) I received no response to any of my emails and had to resort to phone calls. Another slight annoyance is that she only accepts payment by cash or cheque. 

When we arrived at the B&B and were shown up to our room it looked a bit tired and dated but acceptable – that is until I went into the bathroom. This had obviously not been cleaned properly in a very long time and was not to the standard I would have expected even without the pandemic. Behind the taps on the wash basin, the toilet seat and touch buttons in the shower unit were all dirty and the edge of the bathroom door was filthy (obviously from dirty hands over a period of time). I decided I would clean all the main surfaces in the bathroom and the door myself, having brought antibacterial wipes with me. The bathroom floor did not look particularly clean but it was difficult to tell if it was dirty or just old, particularly round the edges. So we made sure we did not go barefoot into the bathroom without first putting down towels and mats. We did not want any unpleasantness on our family visit so decided not to say anything and to leave things as they were.

The first morning, we went down for breakfast and were greeted by a single table set for six people. This surprised us because of the current Covid regulations on social distancing and we asked would we be sitting with other guests. We were told that we were the only ones so that was ok. However, the next morning there was another couple sitting at the table so we had to sit at the other end of the table where we were not socially distanced. (We did agree to this with the other couple as we had all been double vaccinated but were not at all happy about it). On the breakfast table condiments and jars of instant coffee were in a lazy susan in the centre of the table for everyone to access. There was no evidence of these being cleaned before or after use so creating the possibility of cross contamination, again showing disregard for Covid guidelines and for the wellbeing of their guests or staff. The jars of coffee were for anyone who ordered coffee with their breakfast - they were just brought a jug of hot water (with no explanation).

On the second evening, I noticed a small piece of plastic on the bathroom floor behind the washbasin. I had not noticed it before so picked it up using a piece of tissue. The dirt that came with it was disgusting. I ran more tissue along the edge and it brought even more dirt, black with hairs. This had obviously not been cleaned in a very long time! It was disgusting even for pre-pandemic times but totally unacceptable for the current climate of the pandemic.

Suffice to say we left early next morning without breakfast having spoken to Brian as Hilary was not available and showing him the dirty tissues (which I had placed in a plastic bag). He apologised and said that we should have said something earlier and they would have cleaned the room but we knew it would take so much more than a quick clean. 
We have never been so relieved to leave somewhere and we will never return there again!

Filthy bathroom and lack of appreciation of covid guidelines

My husband and I stayed at The Meadow House whilst on a driving holiday in England last year (2019).  Hilary and Brian made us feel very welcome.  Our ensuite room was very spacious and comfortable, and our cooked breakfast was beautifully cooked to order.  .We would certainly stay here again.

A good place for an overnight stay.

We stayed at the b&b for 3 nights, it was a really nice and comfortable stay. Hilary and Brian made us all feel very welcome & they went the extra mile to help my Grandad who’s in a wheelchair. She had a spare wheeled walker to give him and nothing was a trouble. The bedrooms were spacious and clean. Our room had a lovely balcony that we could sit out on a night time. 

Breakfast had plenty of choices, with cooked & continental. We all had a lovely holiday & my grandparents loved to be back in such a lovely area. 

Thank you Hilary & Brian, 
See you next year
Bobbie & Connie Bell, Caroline and Lauren. 

Lovely stay! 

We spent 3 nights here for a family wedding and couldn't have been better looked after. We arrived to a warm welcome from Hilary and our room was beautifully clean, well equipped and spacious, with pleasant views over the garden. Other family members also stayed here and there were  plenty of chairs in the garden which we were able to arrange wherever suited us best at any given time, e.g. under shady trees (most welcome over a hot weekend!) or round a table if we wanted drinks or nibbles together. The delicious breakfast served by two lovely ladies,was beautifully cooked to order and accompanied by as much toast, tea and coffee as required. Fruit juice, cereals and yogurts were also available. Strolls around the pleasant village were enjoyable including a look at the interesting Church. Our stay made a lovely weekend even better!

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