Piggyback Barns - Woodpecker Barn

We have just returned from a week in the Kestrel Barn at Piggyback. I have never written a negative review before but feel compelled to highlight the awful experience we had so others can be made aware.We arrived on Monday at 5pm. It had been a long drive and it was starting to get dark. We had elderly family members that needed a rest but we were greeted with an infestation of flies. Every bedroom window was covered with hundreds and hundreds of flies and there were several dead flies on the windows sills, carpets and on the bed linen and towels. It was absolutely shocking! I immediately phoned the number in the Welcome Pack, and sent an email to the contact I had. I phoned several times and left voicemails and approximately an hour later, a cleaner arrived. I asked her to get rid of the flies and also replace the bed linen. She said that she would hoover up the flies but was not able to change the bed linen. Although the flies were hoovered up, it made us feel very uncomfortable all week. During the week, the boiler stopped working and we were left without hot water or heating. My husband went out and inspected the boiler, which had a sticker on it, noting that the boiler was due a service in June 2025 (four months ago). Again, the cleaner arrived and turned on the immersion so we could have hot water. It took all evening to warm up and we were still left without heating.When I raised these issues with the Piggyback team, they told me that the fly infestations are ‘normal’ in Norfolk, and ‘impossible to predict’. They told me that our barn had been cleaned the afternoon we arrived. Due to the sheer number of flies, I do not believe this. Since our return, I have raised these concerns with Piggyback Barns directly and actually requested a partial refund due to how unsatisfactory our stay was. I was accused of ‘threatening’ them. Please avoid!!

10 months ago · via Google

I am giving 1 star and that’s only because you can’t give none. On first entering the place looks ok until you start to realise things. We went as part of a large crowd . En-suite rooms we thought would be good. We were in Kestral . Our shower didn’t work from day one . You couldn’t alter the temperature and my partner burnt himself . The shower temperature gauge had obviously been stuck for months …calcium built up. It then fell off !!! The ‘customer service’ is non existent. We had to send an email .. they don’t pick up the phone and took over 6 hours to get back to us saying ‘just use someone else’s room, we can’t get anyone out’ … So we were there for 4 days .( we were only there for 4 ) . no functioning bathroom!!! All the bathrooms seriously need a proper upgrade .. !!! Be careful going out .. there is no lighting outside and it’s pitch black going to the car in the evening… so dangerous .. no torch ( surely outside lighting is basic ). Now we are home instead of a goodwill gesture / part refund they offered 10% off the next booking . What on earth makes them think we would contemplate going back … They are just after your money .. everything is extra !!! We couldn’t wait to leave !! Be warned !!!

a year ago · via Google

Recently stayed in Kestrel Barn - 7 adults and three children. Great location with much to see on your doorstep with the sea a little further to go. Accommodation was perfect. All bedrooms had en-suite bathrooms which quite amazing. Large communal dining area and sitting room with a very well equipped kitchen. Enclosed - so very safe garden for all the children. All in all a terrific place.

2 years ago · via Google

Good but some niggles. Good accommodation with well proportioned bedrooms, but it was too warm indoors when we visited in summer months and flies and wasps were a constant frustration for when you wanted to eat or prepare food. Location was great and made it easy to get out and see Norfolk

4 years ago · via Google