Christmas Cottages in Devon

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Niall - Verified booking

  The property is nicely situated on a country lane and close to both Seaton and Lyme Regis.

  Parking is at the side of the property on a slope up to the garden. The surface is solid concrete but would only accommodate a small to medium sized car. The slope is quite steep but fine. We had an estate so needed to open the large garden gate and have the front of the car over the grass. This avoided any issues with blocking or restricting access to the neighbouring property. The garden is large and was newly attended to by gardeners. Obviously given the weather it wasn’t particularly colourful or inviting. The garden furniture is need of some TLC and can't really be used. The downstairs inside is nicely appointed with everything you need. The only concerns we had (and have raised) are the WiFi and the Smart TV. Internet access is via a 4G ‘mobile’ router so not strictly broadband. This means that you are unlikely to get any better connection than via your phone and in our experience it was considerably worse. We got 0.5mbs download and completely failed uploads. No streaming services work and the Smart TV is not smart at all. It reports it’s not connected the internet. Neither issue is fixable. Disappointing and not as advertised. The downstairs toilet is useful. Upstairs is fine though the bathroom is a little tired and could do with a facelift. The shower works reliably but don’t expect a power shower. Be careful going downstairs. The stairs are lethal and 3 out of the 4 of us fell going around the corner. Nothing broken though(!) Also mind your head on the stairs doorway and the front door. Very low. The pub is not 0.4 miles away, more like 0.75. It takes approx 20-25 mins walk. Its easier going (downhill) than returning(!) The nearest decent shop is Tesco in Seaton, 3.5 miles. The property sleeps 6 but not sure how you would reasonably accommodate these numbers. Parking for 2 cars is impossible and the single bathroom would mean queues. It’s just about manageable with 4 in one car but not if you want internet or a Smart TV in bad weather. Overall the property was slightly below what we expected. It’s BASIC BUT FUNCTIONAL. Don’t expect luxury but it’s quaint and a great base. Watch the parking and the stairs, don’t rely on the internet and allow extra time for the bathroom.

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• Alison Sullivan - Verified booking

  The cottage is in a lovely rural location with the manor house opposite and fields just up the road.

  Directions to the property were clear for us although we knew the area as had stayed in different properties in the area over the years. The one parking space is tricky as its on an incline which makes it difficult to park and really only enough room for a small to medium car. As stated there is parking further down the road, the right hand side is private and allocated to other houses. The left there is a bay which can fit two cars in, although these spaces were taken the whole time we were there, one car didn't move. Therefore unfortunately parking is very tricky as the road is a single lane track. Inside the cottage is cosy, however there is a musty smell to it considering age its to be expected. Also the heating is oil fired and there is a smell of oil especially in the downstairs toilet. It was fine for us as it adds to the character of the property however those with health conditions it could be a problem. Kitchen area fairly small but had everything you need, it also has a small round dining table. The back room has a large dining table which leads to the stairs just bear in mind the stairs are winding. Upstairs there are three good sized bedrooms as previous reviewers have said there is only a small wardrobe for clothing, no chest of drawers etc to put clothes in. Bathroom we felt was quite narrow especially to the toilet however the shower was good and bath adequate. As said in other reviews the rugs in the lounge keep bunching up which causes a trip hazard. There is nowhere to put shoes or coats just adding a coat rack and shoe storage would be very beneficial. Wifi is intermittent as location is rural. There are two pubs on the main street in Axmouth The Ship Inn and The Harbour Inn. The walk is roughly 15 minutes from cottage to The Ship. I highly recommend The Ship the staff are welcoming and the food was excellent we went back a few times as we enjoyed it that much! We walked to Seaton from the cottage which was roughly 40 minutes but a nice walk where you can see the estuary and Axmouth harbour. The nearest food store is Tesco which is 24 hour, only a 10 minute drive. Overall we had a pleasant stay at The Gatehouse, beautiful countryside, relaxing and comfortable.

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• Lee - Verified booking

  This is the second time we have stayed here so we knew what to expect.

  This is a lovely, comfortable cottage, ideal for a couple with up to 1 child or a couple of dogs. A previous privacy issue in the bathroom has been addressed which is good (the other side of the bathroom window opens onto a higher level patio of adjacent houses and lacked privacy. A blind has now been fitted). The bathroom would benefit from shelves for toiletries as there is only the window sill for this. Also, the approach to the front door was completely overgrown with weeds which is not inviting but not really a problem. Generally very well equipped although I guess the property has suffered from previous guests taking things like tea spoons and drinking flutes away - what can you do? The front door and window is off a side path (not actually on Irsha Street which is great if you have nervous dogs as they are not bothered by people constantly walking by and when you leave the property, you do not immediately bump into other people with their dogs, if that is ever an issue. Lovely comfortable bed which gets the sun first thing in the morning. Downstairs bathroom is slightly inconvenient but that is the nature of the cottage and it does mean that it is a good size. Would definitely return.

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• Melanie - Verified booking

  The cottage was disappointing - immediately on arrival and throughout our entire 3 nights it smelt damp despite opening windows to try to get fresh air in and dry it out.

  There should be a warning for people with chest complaints. The shower is tiny and ineffective - could not get a decent quality water output, the controls were broken and potentially dangerous. The shower tray was blocked and took a long while to drain. Kitchen very tiny and poor but was as described. Photos were somewhat misleading, we struggled to work out where the photographer had been standing (!) and had clearly been photoshopped as the lounge in reality was very dark. Multiple spiders in the bedroom (possibly a nest) that hadn’t been hoovered. King sized bed very wobbly when you turned around over in bed. Had we stayed for a week we would have contacted you to complain and request to be moved. Also shower is NOT walk in! Location was good and close to amenities, but basically the cottage needs refreshing thoroughly. Would also suggest no need for a freezer in the lounge - it buzzed all night, why would anyone do this? Similarly, no need for an extra table under the stairs with a random microwave on it! Compared to other cottages we have stayed at, this was very poor and basic. It explains why this cottage was still available to book 3 weeks before we arrived…

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• William - Verified booking

  I've been staying in self catering places for 20 years and this is my absolute favourite.

  The cottage was modern, warm, very clean, comfortable and you could tell it had really been well looked after. The woodwork, bathrooms, TVs etc were all of a really good quality. Small touches like binoculars and bird spotting books on the windows or bath and hand towels being colour coded to each person so you know which towel is yours make such a difference. The owners were very kind and despite having a busy farm to look after Angela took an hour out of her day to show my young girls the resident donkeys. Despite all of our days out this experience was the highlight for both of them! The situation is just wonderful. Only 5 mins to a main road and 15 mins to a small town / the M5 so you have good access when you want it the cottage feels like you're in the middle of nowhere. So quiet. So peaceful. The hot tub out front has the most stunning view across east Devon. Sitting in the hot tub of an evening watching a barn owl hunting was a magical experience. Great property, great owners, stunning location. By far the best Sykes property I've stayed in. Will be coming back. Recommended to anyone looking for a peaceful rural Devon holiday.

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