Platform 2 & 3/4, PICKERING

Rated 5/50 by Catherine H on 29th December 2018

"This cottage, as already identified by other reviewers, is perfectly placed. The NYMR is across the road, the main town around the corner, there are lovely walks on the doorstep, coastal towns of Whitby, Filey and Scarborough just 30min away, Flamingoland 10min away. There are some lovely little shops in the town and a market on Mondays. Supplies can be bought from Co-op or Lidl, both within walking distance from the cottage. The cottage is spacious, yet cosy, warm and clean. There is plenty of storage space. The beds are comfy and bedrooms spacious. An added bonus is the provision of Wifi. The owner provides bed linen and towels and sets you up with milk tea and coffee - so you can have a cuppa without searching for your own stuff! Downstairs provides plenty of space for toddlers and dogs to run around and the laminate / tiled flooring means most mishaps can be soon cleared up! Free parking for one car is provided 5 min walk away and it's a pleasant walk through the NYMR station to get back to the cottage. Half price parking is available for second cars - you just need to tell the car park attendant when you enter. The little yard is pleasant and would be lovely for a summer evening and the multi-fuel fire is great for cooler nights. We loved the quirky train theme in the decor. The owner gives recommendations for eating / drinking and these were spot on! We ate at The White Swan (pricy but worth it) and drank at The Black Swan (good atmosphere and attractive decor.) We really really enjoyed our stay and have returned home re-charged and ready for 2019!"

Rated 5/50 by Helen T on 30th October 2018

"This lovely cottage is located opposite NYMR. Fantastic location, if you enjoy the steam engines. Had a very enjoyable week here. The cottage is deceptively spacious, clean and cosy, with a lovely log burner for cold evenings in. Pickering is a beautiful market town with everything you need. There are plenty of places to walk dogs if you have them in tow, and most of the pubs are dog friendly. Would definitely recommend as a perfect place to stay."

Rated 5/50 by Wood_ste on 13th December 2017

"This deceptively large holiday cottage is situated in an ideal location opposite the railway station next to the main high street in Pickering. We found the house to be clean, well maintained and very presentable. The owner was very friendly and proactively contacted us to provide key details, local information and mobile numbers in case of any issues (of which we had none). The house is pet friendly with a secure back garden however there was no sign of previous pet visits making it still more than suitable for visitors without pets. FOC on street parking is available directly outside of the properly outside of the hours of 8-6, and 1 hr parking is available within these times. A parking pass is available for the Trout Farm which is about 900yds up the road to use as and when required. A great cottage in a lovely location, we would definitely return!"

Rated 5/50 by Colein on 24th July 2017

"A brilliant holiday cottage and a lot more space than appears from outside. Nice compact back garden. Everything you need and want for a holiday cottage "

Rated 5/50 by SueHarrison62 on 1st June 2016

"Had a fabulous week in this lovely cottage, would strongly recommend. Very convenient to everything and exceptionally comfortable."

Rated 5/50 by Nicola H on 2nd March 2016

"Stayed for a week 13th February onwards. Loved it, really cosy and comfortabe. My wife loved getting to grips with the wood burning stove. We did have a problem with the dvd player in the front room soundwise, but a quick email to the owners and hey presto!, new tv installed. Since we were there just to chill out for the week and didn't have a car this was brilliant. Place very warm, very clean and nice enclosed area in the back so felt very safe to let the doggies out. Lidl and co-op very near for supplies, fish n chip shop and tea room round the corner, lovely bakeries too and best of all (for me) a second hand bookshop next door!! All in all, we had a really relaxing time and was very reluctant to leave....so go, stay, enjoy!!"

Rated 5/50 by 126iana on 29th February 2016

"All the basics are there, fridge and freezer, washing machine, gas cooker and hob, also microwave and TV. We had to have the central heating on as it was February, however the house heated up nicely and retained the warmth so did not feel the cold from the outside. Clean tidy, the lounge has the TV and corner sofa for 6, the dinning room has a table for 6 two benches with legs made from railway springs, don't try and move the benches they are heavy, and two chairs, the kitchen is in an off shot extension. Upstairs there are Three reasonable sized bedrooms, was expecting smaller from the out side picture, so pleasant surprise there, and the bathroom. One odd thing was that there was only one mirror so the full length landing mirror became the place for the female members of our group to "get ready". Outside there is a small patio, which gets the sun so would expect this to be very pleasant in summer. As I said the title, parking in the area is very difficult you can stay for one hour on the street outside then you have to move, there is free parking offered at the trout farm about 1/2 mile up the road, it was a little far to walk so I found free parking on a road called Beacon Park, and also on Middleton Road which is much nearer."

Rated 5/50 by Fearless602252 on 25th January 2016

"Just returned from a brilliant long weekend at Platform 2 & 3/4. The cottage is more or less in the centre if Pickering so great for all the amenities and pubs. Although so close to the centre it is so quiet and relaxing. The cottage is fully equipped with everything you could need but more importantly a wood burner, great for those cold winter nights. I would highly recommend Platform 2 & 3/4 and I know we will definitely return. Thanks Richard, Jackie & pooches."

Rated 5/50 by YorkshireMinnie on 30th December 2015

"The property was easy to book and the correspondence with the owner was very good. The location of this property in Pickering is absolutely perfect with everything on the doorstep. I booked this cottage because I had extended family staying in Pickering and also wanted a property in close proximity to York to enable us all to spend some time together over the Christmas period. I will write in this review what would have been useful for me to have known beforehand. On entering the property there is a small vestibule which opens into a hall, there is a door into the sitting room and a door into the dining area, although it is open plan. There is a door from the dining area into the kitchen and a door from the kitchen leading into the rear courtyard. The kitchen is well equipped and I was able to cook a three course Christmas lunch for 4 adults and 3 children. I was able to do a hot and cold buffet for 6 adults and 3 children. The cooker and hob is gas. I am used to electric but had no problem with using this. The washing machine worked well. There is a full size fridge and freezer and also a microwave which all worked well. There is plenty of work surface and crockery and utensils. The rear courtyard is a good size and would be very useful in the summer. The bedrooms are all a very good size, the rear one has a double bed and we also had three travel cots in it very comfortably. The bathroom has a shower over it. The stairs are steep, we took a safety gate with us and used it on the rear bedroom. I didn't ask the owners if the were able to provide one but they did provide a travel cot and high chair.The beds were all very comfortable. We didn't have any problem with road or railway noises, the house is well soundproofed. The TV has free view which worked well and the wifi was great. We didn't use the log burner as it was so mild, but the central heating worked well. There was also plenty of hot water. This property also has plenty of storage space should it be needed. We were provided with a parking permit for the trout farm which is only a short walk away, my daughter parked at the scout hut by the trout farm. There was tea, coffee, sugar, milk and shortbread provided for us, which was very nice. There was also washing up liquid and some other cleaning products. The local lidl and co-op are a very short walk away and everything is accessible. There are numerous pubs, bars, restaurants, takeaways, cash points, bakeries and numerous independent shops locally. It's a really bustling place with lots of people out and about. The steam railway was limited because it was Christmas. There is also the coast liner bus which stops just along the road. I have a disability and use crutches to walk outside, however, although the stairs are steep I was able to manage them ok. The step into the bath is also steep. I did not contact the owner beforehand to check these things out. If you think it might be an issue for you I would advise you to do so. I think it's also worth mentioning that there are a couple of steps into the property. I had two small dogs with me. I would say the property is dog friendly, there are no carpets downstairs. It's also safe when loading and unloading as the dogs can be shut inside. We did see the traffic warden quite often checking the cars outside. There is parking opposite overnight or for an hour during the day and there are double yellows immediately outside. I would stay here again and highly recommend it."

Rated 5/50 by 1sam825 on 22nd November 2015

"We stayed here for a week in November. The cottage is well maintained with a lot of thought in decorating with a train theme. The bedrooms are all really large which was a pleasant surprise. The cottage is really clean and has everything you need. The wood burning stove was really nice in the evening as it was Novembef and added a definite cosy feel. The location of the cottage is great for all local resturants and bars. If you have dogs the station hotel is really good and the food is excellent. There are plenty of dog friendly bars and resturants in Pickering. Unfortunately the railway was closed for maintiance while we were there, closes at the end of October and opens again end of Novembef which was a shame. The only negative with the cottage was the far back bedroom didn't seem to heat up very well and was cold even with the radiator on full. We did find if you left all the doors open in the day while out and about it helped to distribute the heat. Good location to explore the area would highly recommend"

Rated 5/50 by Tonia H on 15th August 2015

"We stayed at Platform 2&3/4 in early August. Now with 2 teenagers who appreciate their own space, we decided to find a 3 bed cottage rather than the 2 beds that we have been used to in previous years. We also looked for a town location within easy reach of the coast and the moors both of which we love. We were not disappointed. We had not stayed in Pickering before and the cottage and the town were a delightful find! Pickering is small enough to get to know quickly - everything is in walking distance; lovely independent shops, flea market, museum, North York Moors railway (directly opposite the cottage), Pickering castle, many many good places to eat, Lidl and Coop, post office, banks, etc. etc. We were lucky with the weather but the cottage itself has everything you might need in both good or poor weather and at any time of year. It is a bit of a tardis with much more space on the inside than appears from the outside. Travelling from Pickering to other parts of Yorkshire is very easy. We did a couple of beautiful Moors walks (recommend www.walkingenglishman.com), went to Whitby by steam train, visited Nunnington House and the Rievaulx Terrace, spent some time in York, pottered around Pickering... We actually ran out of time to do all the things we had planned so we definitely plan to return. Would highly recommend."

Rated 4/50 by MKMapman on 10th May 2015

"Platform 2 3/4 is in an excellent location for train lovers, as it's directly opposite Pickering station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway; one of the the three bedrooms looks out across the station. It's also very conveniently located for the town centre, being less than 2 minutes walk from the main streets, about 2 minutes fro the Co-op supermarket and 5 minutes from Lidl; there are numerous pubs, restaurants and takeaways convenient. As Pickering is realisably quiet, it doesn't suffer too much from noise and the small gravelled courtyard is secluded enough at the rear of the property. As noted by others parking is by arrangement with the trout farm about 10 minutes walk away - no problem if it's not raining. Inside the cottage it has three decent sized bedrooms, two connected living rooms and a well equipped kitchen (although the collection of cutlery and crockery is a bit random - it sleeps 6, but there aren't six of almost anything in the kitchen!) There are also a couple of omissions - no bread knife (despite 3 bakers within 5 minutes walk), nor banking sheets on which to heat things like pizzas or pies). The beds were comfortable enough, though there is no cupboard in one of the bedrooms (and no chairs upstairs at all). In fact there are only just about enough chairs for everyone to sit down at once. We couldn't find a promised CD player, though you might be able to play it on the TV's integrated DVD player. Wi-fi was available and worked fairly well with occasional drop-outs. We were disappointed by the welcome pack - the milk was just tiny plastic UHT for coffees, and there was no banking or biscuits, though clearly this had been provided to some people from the guest comments book. Luckily we arrived in time to visit the shops listed above! In summary it's great for parties of up to about 4, but might be a bit cramped with its maximum occupancy. It's less well equipped than many self catering we have stayed at in recent years, but has all the basics and is clean and, above all, in a great location if you want to stay in the heart of Pickering near the preserved railway."

Rated 4/50 by Annetax on 18th March 2015

"I stayed here with my sons family on a Pre Christmas visit to Yorkshire. The owner was excellent and kept us well informed about a heating problem but all was sorted long before we arrived. The cottage is comfortably furnished and well equipped. Parking is a little bit of a pain, as there is no parking for the property and the pull in opposite is time restricted. However, a permit space is available down the road. The bedrooms were comfortable, although the glass panel in the rear bedroom door lacks privacy but a bath towel worked! There is very little garden at the rear so maybe not a great choice for children in the summer but it is close to the shops and centre of Pickering. And there is plenty to do locally. But the highlight for us was being right opposite the NYM steam railway station - great for every enthusiast! Of course we had to take the Santa Special but you can easily watch trains come and go for free. Would definitely return again and we do have our York Panto tickets purchased for 2015..."

Rated 4/50 by Neil S on 20th September 2014

"Extremely comfortable cottage situated in the heart of Pickering. Quaint railway memorabilia throughout along with the sights and sounds of the local steam railway, make this a truly wonderful place to stay. Small enclosed garden, ideal for dogs/pets. Cottage overall is very well equipped and the lovely wood burner was great to cosy up in front of. The location is within a stones throw of amenities such as a butcher, bakers and the local supermarket."

Rated 5/50 by Mrsmcox on 5th September 2014

"We spent a week at this property and it was perfect for touring and for all the facilities of the town of Pickering. Some properties state 'within walking distance' but that's only if you like walking a marathon but not this property as it truly is just round the corner from the town's main high street. The parking isn't at the property but as we stayed opposite the train station a walk along the platform everyday to get the car was an added bonus. The only thing I would disagree with in the description is that there maybe noise being on a main road and opposite a train station - the road was mostly deserted at night and the station only used during the day - it was so peaceful The owner was great and so eager to ensure we had a problem free holiday - which we did! Strongly recommend"

Rated 5/50 by Linda R on 8th May 2014

"We spent a week here with our young children and their grandparents. The accommodation was lovely, well-equipped and in a really good location. Some thoughtful touches, such as tea, coffee, milk, etc being provided for our arrival. The kitchen was well equipped with washer and dishwasher. The three bedrooms were all pleasant, the children particularly liked being able to see the steam trains in Pickering station out of the front bedroom window. We asked the owner to provide a travel cot and high chair during our stay and these were both in really good (new) condition. We found the location great for walking around Pickering, and also for heading off to other nearby places such as Scarborough and Helmsley. Pickering itself is a very pleasant town and everyone was friendly. Had some very enjoyable meals in the White Swan and the Willowgate Bistro. All in all, would highly recommend this cottage."

Rated 5/50 by NICK G on 10th March 2014

Rated 5/50 by NICK G on 10th March 2014

Rated 5/50 by Booo74 on 6th March 2014

"My husband and I stayed in this gorgeous cottage in January 2014 with my parents. The accommodation was excellent and would provide ample space for 6 people. There was a lovely little wood burner which provided some much needed heat (it was January) and was really nice to cosy up to and watch a film. The little town of Pickering is lovely with lots of art and antique shops. When it's open, (it wasn't when we were there unfortunately) you can get the steam train to Whitby and it is really close to York and Scarborough so makes a great base. There are lots of lovely little nods to its steam train heritage in the property which is very tastefully decorated. Try the Post Office in Middleton (next village along) for afternoon tea - you won't be disappointed. I would definitely recommend this property but just to point out, it is on a main road and parking is quite limited. We parked at the Trout Farm just down the road."