Docklow Pools www.docklowpools.com

Where to start we booked a week in the pet freindly accommodation I was suspicious regarding the lodge as there are few photos to be found of the interior they only show the updated ones and having stayed I can see why it's stuck in a 70's time warp.

On arrival at the Lodge the outside was shabby and in needed of a paint job and clean the small patio area need a clean and had seen better days.

Some of the tiles in the main living area needed replacing they were cracked and had been repaired a term I loosely use.

The bed didn't have a mattress protector or pillow protectors on it and we may as well have slept on the floor for all the comfort the pillows were stained with sweat and dribble from previous occupancy.

I also found items beloning to previous occupants including dropped medication.

I am guessing they don't allow for long to clean I discovered dirty marks on several of the walls including a suspious mark on the bathroom tiles possibly from items being placed in the bin, cobwebs and mould on the inside of the windows that open.

The radiators throughout needed a clean layers of dust and dirt meant that even if we had wanted to use the heating it would have been smelly and released all that dirt and dust into the air we have a dog but I also have dust allergies so I am super careful to keep dust to a minimum, the bathroom had seen better days broken towel rail, black mould on the tiles and grouting skirting loose or missing. They don't leave you a bath mat as it is a slip hazard apparently but getting out of the shower onto a ceramic tiled floor is not if you want one you have to go and find laundry to get one and going by the other charges that are hidden I guess you would have to pay for it.

They do not supply washing up liquid sponge or a tea towel this is in terms and conditions and if everything else had been amazing I wouldnt have worried however it is a given in other places we have stayed previously for a simular cost.

The electricity is via coin meter unbelievable considering the cost of the

Lodge and if we had used the heating this could have resulted in a extra charge.

I had to turn the boiler and the fridge on which I didn't realise until we had been there for a few hours, this maybe should be done prior to arrival certainly the fridge or a notice advising you to do so.

There was a notice by the door that included a long list of donts including removing shoes on entry to the lodge which considering the shabby state of the lodge was laughable, don't get me wrong I don't encourage muddy boots treading through at home.

There was inventory of items including replacement costs these were laughable not sure where they shop harrods maybe.

The furniture and decor had seen better days and was old fashioned and shabby certainly not chic some of the curtain rings were missing their hooks yes I noticed that also.

There was no working outside light not helpful if you need to take you dog out in the middle of the night for a wee, a small enclosed area would have been nice as it was pet friendly as it was if we wanted to sit outside the lodge he had to remain on a lead.

The bar area is very tiny we didn't stay in there for long as they were watching football on a large TV right in front of some of the tables so wherever you sat you were in the way of the screen.

Now for the nice parts

The staff managing and serving in the restaurant were very friendly and accommodating of us and our dog the food on the whole was good quality the carvery however was not that warm even the chef commented on the food not being piping hot.

We had one other meal that was not even warm despite being freshly prepared thier words. However they reduced our bill when I bought this to their attention.

Hubby said the fishing was good everyone was helpful with tips on where to fish etc, and the lakes are all in walking distance of the lodge we stayed in the tackle shop was well stocked and reasonably priced.

Edit I would have given 4 * for the food but I cannot fault the management of the restaurant and cafe so that felt unreasonable to do so

We won't be returning so a life ban for making a review that is not glowing is not a problem for us.

Docklow Pools is quite simply the best fishing holiday you can have in the uk when you stay here you can catch virtually every species of fish in freshwater. private Stretchers of the river wye and other local rivers . nines pools to choose from snake lakes stock pond tench lake specimen lake full of quality catfish I’ve caught two 35 pounders this year alone handsome grass carp mirrors and commons average size 15 to 30 pounds all the lakes you can catch double figure fish from . The scenery and wildlife is amazing so established is this wonderful area of Herefordshire that’s where some people get docklow wrong. They expect everything sparking new and shiny. But the beauty of docklow is lost on some folk who expect luxury around every corner some of docklows buildings were built a long time ago but docklow is not rundown or dirty like a minority like to say . It’s quirky and enchanting with some of the best customer service you will ever experience in your life across the whole complex. The restaurant pub coffee shop are outstanding. The meals are lovingly prepared and presented and tasty to boot the prices are very fair . The tackle shop puts most high street chains to shame plus they will tell you which lakes are fishing best they’ve got a full sized snooker table tennis golf . The accommodation is varied from basic fisherman’s lodges to higher end plushness me and my five friends stay in the fisherman’s lodges and always found them more than Adequate always clean and everything works . The problem with some people is some of the lakes can be tricky to fish if you haven’t been before and they give up then write a bad review some of docklows fish have been in the pools a long time not like some pop up commercials and can get wise and big so you have to use different baits and techniques or scale down a bit .but if you ask other residents tackle shop or owners they will help they’re a lovely bunch . There’s some lovely couples and groups who return every year there’s a great friendly atmosphere that you just dont get anywhere else . The nearest shops are in Leominster Aldi coop Tesco’s a lovely town with lots of history and antique shops well worth a visit . All in all if you want a relaxing stay in picturesque surroundings good food good company great fishing docklow takes some beating five stars from me faultless

Hello guys,

If you're thinking about booking at Docklow pools please read this review very carefully, I thought I'd be done after my last review on another site but the owner got in contact and things took a turn for the worse which is why i'm leaving this one.

We arrived at Docklow as part of a birthday gift for myself and my father, both born within 10 days of each other in May. Shortly after leaving the previous review on here, we were contacted by the owner of Docklow pools. I've never ever been spoken to by anyone so rude in all my life. You'd think as a business owner, you'd want to listen to customers experiences and fix the problems + welcome them back in the future.

Unfortunately we had the complete opposite. Due to leaving a little negative but very truthful review, the owner decided to ban us from ever fishing at Docklow again, which is fine because after our experience, we never planned on returning.

I'll now go into detail as to why our experience was so unpleasant which had nothing to do with the bad weather may I add, we absolutely love fishing and fish in any weather when possible, we were prepared for it before arriving. Rain can't stop anyone fishing, that's what Umbrellas are for!

Fishing side of things, Docklow is very well presented, lots of pools in short distance of each other with plenty of parking spaces. In terms of catching fish, well, it wasn't great I have to admit but maybe that was because of the weather. Don't get me wrong, we caught a few but we've fished at many better places.

The main issue we had with our experience was the accommodation, which was absolutely filthy first and foremost. I spoke about this in my last review but will go into more detail. Our 3 night stay at docklow cost £400, considering a day ticket is £6 that's far from cheap if you ask me, that's also without breakfast.

Upon booking at Docklow pools, we were recommended the property 'Kingfisher', we had no clue on which property to go for but we were assured by staff it was fantastic and highly recommended, so we went for it.

My god, what a mistake we made. Let's start off with the basics, well, I would if we had the basics. No hot water in our property, which we didn't realise until a night into our stay. Weather was awful, which didn't bother us in the slightest, but after a long day fishing in the rain, you'd expect some nice hot water once you get back, we had nothing, cold water only for both sets of taps from the sink and bath.

Living space which was very tiny, was also freezing cold once we returned. First night we tried the fire which wouldn't work, so we spoke to a member of staff who came straight over the next morning and fixed it for us. She by the way was very, very welcoming from the moment we arrived in docklow. She's an absolute credit to the company & after being spoken to the way we did by the owner, deserves way better. The property, which we were told had a shower for us, only included a bath. Wasn't a massive issue but showers are much more convenient. The issue was, not only did we have no hot running water through our property, the bath was also all smashed in and very dirty, made from the cheapest plastic going. Toilet was also filthy and had no toilet seat. We had to give the bathroom a good clean from the moment we stepped foot in there, something which should have been done for us upon arriving.

There were a few lamps throughout the property, which only one actually worked, lightbulbs hadn't been changed for years it seemed, we were starting to wonder what we actually paid for.

We were told breakfast would be served at 8am, great. As soon as we got changed we headed in for breakfast bang on 8, got turned away and told to return 30 minutes later as they have no chef for the day. We wanted to get out and fish as soon as possible but there were nothing but problems.

After ringing the owner up after returning from docklow ONE NIGHT earlier than we should have, yes things were that bad (We would have spoken to him on site but he was nowhere to be seen, multiple times we asked to speak to the manager in which we were told he wasn't available, I can see why)

So in the end we just returned home and gave him a phone call in which we explained to him just how poor the property was and that we didn't even have the basics like hot running water. The lady who helped us was also with him and she told us there was a plumber on site. Fair enough maybe we should have looked for the plumber but we're there to fish, not to chase plumbers, chefs, or members of staff to fix the fireplace and various other issues.

The owner then threatened that we were to remove our review about Docklow or else he will take things much further (whatever that means), which we were very taken back by. My mother actually cried after he gave her a phone call, like me she had never been spoken to so rudely on the phone. All she wanted to do was ask why we didn't even have the basics in our property, why it was so filthy and we she was recommended that property upon booking for us. Not once did she ask for a refund, she just felt very bad for both myself and my father as it was booked as a birthday treat.

This is meant to be the owner of Docklow pools, he was talking far from professional to each and every one of us. I'm not sure how the business is still going if he speaks to all his customers like that. Like I mentioned above, most owners would want to listen to the problems and put things right, welcome you back and promise a better experience, after all its the customers which are keeping his business alive.

We of course refused to remove the review, why would we? It was nothing but the truth and we wanted to inform the rest of you before booking anything here, if we knew how bad it was we would never, ever have visited Docklow pools. After telling him the review wouldn't be removed, he actually said we're banned from ever returning to Docklow pools and slammed the phone down on us. Like I said, i've never ever spoke to someone so rude.

Like I said, it was a birthday treat for my 26th and my Dads 60th (Not sure where he's got 40 year old man from) which my mother booked for us, as we absolutely love travelling the country to fish. This was by far the worst experience we've ever had, it genuinely felt like we were in the 1950s, even a caravan would have been way more luxurious than the property we were recommended.

If any of you guys have any more questions regarding our stay, please get in touch, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Also if you do plan on going to Docklow and are unsure of where to fish, what bait to use or anything like that, give the tackle shop on site a visit, the man who runs it is very friendly and can't do enough for you.

Just returned from 2 weeks at Docklow....the place looks perfect, not a single swim that doesn't look loaded with fish, the reality is though, hardly a fish to be caught, unless you want tiny bream. wasn't just me either, hardly anyone caught fish, Listened to anglers that had fished it before, tried every method I could think of, all to no avail, which is a shame. In 2 weeks fishing...we didn't bank a single fish over 6lbs, fishing holiday without catching fish...isn't really a fishing holiday. only real saving grace was the staff and food in the restaurant....which was truly AMAZING, staff made you feel like a long lost friend from the first day, and couldn't heap enough praise on them.. Accommodation although suitable, needed cleaning lot better, and having highly polished tiles on the bathroom floor really needs to be sorted out, on more than 2 occasions slipped after getting out the shower, and that's not healthy as one gets older. Was very disappointed with the fishing and would be very unlikely to return.. Complex advertised as couples venue, yet hardly and double swims, and also no children saw lots of young boys fishing un assisted, even surface fishing with bread with no landing nets or unhooking mats.....lots of rules, most just common sense, but never saw anyone imposing the rules or even randomly checking, and far to many lakes closed for matches...so seldom had complete free reign of the whole complex....had to plan in advance where you might be allowed to fish on any given day in advance rather than up and amble to a swim...again disappointing and frustrating

Tried the rest this is the best helpful staff excellent food modernising all th time been going there for a bout ten years

WE HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM A WEEK'S HOLIDAY & FISHING AT DOCKLOW POOLS , MY

WIFE & MY SELF, THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE LOG CABIN ACCOMMODATION IT WAS HOME FROM HOME, THE PUB IS REALLY OLD FASHIONED, JUST LIKE A COUNTRY PUB SHOULD BE

WE HAD A SUNDAY ROAST CARVERY, FIRST CLASS COOKED TO PERFECTION, THE PRICE A

LITTLE HIGHER THAN WE PAY IN WEST WALES,

THE COMPLEX IF I MAY SAY IS SHOWING A LITTLE NEED FOR A REFURBISHMENT IN

CERTAIN AREAS, SOME SAFETY AREAS NEED LOOKING AT,

TACKLE SHOP FIRST CLASS STOCKED ALL YOUR NEEDS, AND FARE PRICES,

THE FISHING IS FIRST CLASS,I ALSO THINK THAT PEGS COULD DO WITH UPDATING

WHEN WEATHER IS WET THE PEGS ARE A LITTLE MESSY, EXCELLENT SELECTION OF POOLS

TO FISH, AND LOADS OF FISH TO CATCH,THE STAFF & FAMILY RUNNING THE COMPLEX

ARE SOMETHING SPECIAL THEY TREAT YOU AS FAMILY.

WILL CERTAINLY GO BACK AGAIN.

M & M.. CARMARTHEN.

If you want or need peace and tranquility this is the place to be.Idyllic scenery,staff who go out of their way to make you feel "at home" food that make you feel tnat you have been at a banquet and all this where "time" is meaningless.A sense of contentment is gained,making life a lot less stressful including sunshine what else could you need!

we visit docklow twice a year. may & july and on the odd occasion third trip in september.this will be our 20th year and hope to celebrate it in grand style.all the staff are great and fishing is top notch.we have made many great friends over the years and am sure anybody who visits the fishery for the first time will appreciate the welcome they receive. vic.(northern branch) jolly boys ac. tight lines.

excellent weeks fishing and total relaxation. we are all back next year for more of the same.facilites were top notch and hosts are superb. looking for a weeks great angling then look no further...cheers for everything.

Just returned from a week's fishing at Docklow Pools. Not much to say really as "brilliant" pretty much covers it!

The accomodation was excellent. The bar and restaurant were really good and all the staff were friendly and helpful. The tackle shop stocked everything you could want and the guy running it very helpful and knowledgeable.

I'm not easily pleased - I always complain where there's a need but I couldn't fault this place.

Oh, and by the way, the fishing was fantastic!! We fished every pool and caught loads on them all.

Would certainly recommend Docklow to anybody. I can't imagine anyone not having a great time.

Roy Wilkinson

Manchester