Couple's dream holiday to escape noisy building work at home backfires when their 'charming lodge' in 'peaceful setting' turns out to be next to a deafening building site

A couple's dream holiday to escape noisy building work at home backfired when the 'charming lodge' in a 'peaceful setting' they had rented turned out to be next to another deafening building site.

John and Ally Middleton were looking to 'de-stress' after months of noisy works at their bungalow in Kirkby, Merseyside.

The couple booked a seven-day getaway in Anglesey, Wales, for £406 from Cottages.com in a bid to get some peace and quiet.

But the countryside escape soon turned into a 'holiday from hell' after the pair discovered the rental cottage was opposite a 'deafening construction site'.

Upon their arrival on Friday, the lodge's owner told the Middletons there would be work on her own home, adjacent to the property, starting on Monday.

According to the couple, 'cement mixers, diggers, and dumpers' arrived at 8.15am on Monday morning and carried out work just 20 yards from where they were staying.

Shocking footage filmed by the pair shows the heavy machinery making consistently loud noise at the idyllic setting, audible from inside the property.

A JCB digger scurries around yards from the cottage's terrace while a cement mixer continues to run opposite the lodge.

The couple said the noise was like being sat next to a motorway and they decided to leave the rental property, advertised as a 'charming single story detached lodge' in a 'peaceful setting', a day earlier than planned.

Their dog Molly had even started suffering seizures during the noisy stay, according to the pair. 

After they were unable to arrange a transfer to another property as the owner was 'not prepared' to give up the booking, Cottages.com offered the Middletons a £62 refund, equivalent to 15% of the total cost.

The husband and wife rejected the proposal and have vowed never to use Cottages.com again despite nearly 20 years of custom.

The company has since offered a full refund to the disappointed holidaymakers after being approached by journalists about the story.

Ally, a 56-year-old casual worker, said: 'We moved into a bungalow last September which needed an awful lot of building work so we were basically living in a building site ourselves.

'This was like a de-stress trip, we needed to get away. 

'We wanted peace and quiet away from the dust and dirt.

'It was fine Friday night when we got there. [The owner] did tell us when we arrived she was having work done on her property and it would restart on Monday.

'On Monday morning at 8.15am they all rocked up. 

'I went out to walk the dogs and all the builders were there. The noise began soon after. It was deafening.

'We thought oh my god, we can't have this. We thought there is no way we can stay here all week, this is horrific.'

She added: 'We started to try to get hold of Cottages.com to say you have to move us - there's no way we can stay here.

'For us to be moved, the owner had to give up the booking but she wasn't prepared to do that.

'We could still hear it with the doors and window shut. 

'It's described as an idyllic place to unwind from stress which is what we bought. It's not what we were sold.

'We were getting angrier and angrier. It was really stressful.'

John, a 58-year-old council worker, said the construction noise 'ruined their trip' - adding that Cottages.com have permanently lost their custom.

John said: 'I just wanted to go home. I didn't feel like I was on holiday at all. 

'I felt really fed up. I didn't want to be there anymore. 

'The noise was well over 90 decibels - it sounded like we were sat next to a motorway.

'It completely ruined our trip. We really needed a relaxing break but felt more stressed leaving. 

'I think we should get a refund. We didn't get the holiday we were promised. 

'We spent a lot of money for nothing.'

The owner of the property claims there was only noise for one day of the Middleton's trip - and believes the couple were compensated appropriately for this disturbance.

The owner said: 'I had an oil leak, I can't help that. 

'They only did three hours of making some cement and I gave [the guests] £60 back.

'The rest of the week there was no noise at all.

'I wasn't holding them back - they could've moved if they wanted. 

'Most of the week they had no problem at all, it was just one day.

'I wouldn't have let them come if I knew there was building all week. 

'The builders came at 10am and left at 4pm. 

'I didn't want them to be unhappy, I wanted them to enjoy their holiday.

'I do admit it was noisy on the first day but not beyond that. 

'There was nothing I could do about it. They got £60 for the one noisy day.

'I tried to solve each problem that came along.'

A Cottages.com spokesperson said: 'We are very sorry this stay did not meet the usual high standards customers should expect from a cottages.com holiday.

'While justifiably disappointed by the quality of their holiday experience on this occasion, the customer has since accepted our apologies and the offer of a full refund.'