Big House Wedding Venues

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Leanne - Verified booking

  We were extremely disappointed with this property.

  The price for the week was on offer so we paid nearly half price plus additional fee for two dogs, if we'd paid the full price I would be asking for a refund. It is a spacious and light property, downstairs is comfortable and having an enclosed garden with dogs is a real bonus. However, it was not very clean, the downstairs windows were cloudy inside the double glazing and the windowsills covered in dirt. The plastic cover on the dining table was sticky and curled up at the edges. Although big enough to seat 5 or more you can't get the chairs around it as it is pushed into the corner and very close to the sofa. The cutlery is very cheap and nasty and one cupboard had a load of out of date food in it. The freezer drawers were dirty. The cupboard under the stairs was a mess. The bedrooms were all very nice, comfortable beds and nice furniture. The carpet however was a hard scratchy material and there are a number of stains on it. It was not nice to walk on with bare feet. The main bathroom was large and towels provided were lovely. There needs to be a warning about the shower, it has a very high step up into it and nothing to hold onto when getting out, this would definitely not be easy for someone with mobility issues or an elderly person, I am not surprised there are no photos of the shower as it has a lot of black mould around the door and bottom of tiles. The shower in the top bedroom is over a bath so not able to use this as an alternative. The bedroom balcony is not lovely as described, it has two dirty tatty garden chairs on it and the decking is dirty. The cottage is well positioned, near shops and a short walk to the beach. It is in a quiet area and has nice lawns to the front.

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• Paul - Verified booking

  I have been staying at White Duck cottage for quite a few years now.

  I try to have two weeks in May and again in September. To me, it is the ultimate in relaxation. It’s comfortable, simple, well equipped, uncomplicated. I like that it is nestled in a local community. The cottage is exactly as described. It is always clean and very well maintained. Emily looks after the housekeeping, brilliantly, and is always available should there be any issues. In the years I have been staying, there have been no issues. Martine, the landlord sends a welcome email prior to the holiday, and he is also available should there be any queries. The cottage is extremely well situated. You can easily walk to the shops and a variety of good restaurants and pubs. I like to walk, and generally spend the first few days walking along the coastal path directly from the cottage, without having to drive. I can be on the beach within 20 minutes, including stopping to buy a pastie for lunch. There is good local information in a Binder and a whole area OS maps to help you navigate. But my advice would be to just go and explore. Neighbours are friendly, and more than happy to chat if you take a moment. I have always felt welcomed into the community and able to feel the real warmth of Cornwall. You can almost smell the best pastie shop in Cornwall from the cottage. Parking isn’t always available directly outside the cottage, but it is always available close by. I haven’t found that a reason to spoil my holiday. However, there is a reason why this cottage is always booked. If you want pampering go to one of the many Cornish hotels, if you want real Cornwall, I recommend White Duck cottage. Paul

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• N - Verified booking

  The cottage was a little more remote than we had anticipated with very narrow lanes around it but it had good access to A47 which took us pretty much everywhere we needed to go and a newly built Co-op with petrol forecourt were very useful.

  There were an additional 2 holiday apartments opposite stable cottage - both occupied but we heard nothing from them. The cottage itself was beautiful and really well-equipped with many additional features not listed - games, iron and ironing board, bakeware, barbecue and huge Amerucan-style fridge freezer.. There was ample storage throughout in genuine period furniture. The house"pet" was an unexpected addition - look up to the beautiful vaulted and beamed ceiling to see him. Don't worry, he won't cause any harm! As this was accomodation for 7 people, we would have appreciated a second bathroom /shower room or at least another toilet. This is really nit- picking, but the knives were pretty unusable - totally blunt and no vegetable, paring or serrated bread knife. We did struggle preparing meals with them! But as I said - nit picking. Watching our dogs skid like Bambi on the laminate floors gave us an inordinate amount of pleasure! The kitchen and stone floors were amazing _ with two sets of patio doors leading to the courtyard garden which is considerably more established than the photos imply (especially from the outside of the cottage.) The grounds were beautiful and we really enjoyed visiting the horses. This was our second Sykes holiday and we remain very impressed with the quality and personal touches of your cottages. Better than other companies we have used before and the Norfolk guide emailed by Sykes ahead of our holiday was very useful. Highly recommended. Thank you Sykes.

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• Tina - Verified booking

  Lovely looking cottage and the host is friendly and helpful.

  The only downside is the steep stairs - it was made clear in the description that there would be steep stairs, however you don’t realise just how steep until you’re actually at the property. The upstairs bedrooms are not suited to very young children despite having a stair gate at the top of the stairs. It is not suited to old people either. My 2yr old and 7 month old had to stay in my room downstairs - luckily the bedroom is more than big enough to accommodate us all but it was still far from ideal. I just simply couldn’t carry my baby up and down the stairs and my 2 year old is too scared to go up and down by herself. I myself had to walk backwards to get down the stairs, and it was difficult getting up and down without holding the stair rail. My in-laws are in their 70s and they also struggled staying in the twin bedroom due to the stairs. Other than that we had a nice stay. The property is in need of a deep clean though. I have a habit of wiping everything down (chairs, tables, handles etc) when I stay somewhere due to my 2 year old touching everything in sight. The wipes were absolutely filthy by the time I was done wiping. There was a substantial amount of dust on shelves, wall art, ornaments etc. Cobwebs on bathroom ceiling. Overall not a bad place to stay, but requires a deep clean and only recommended for couples or families with older children.

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• Jennifer - Verified booking

  We loved our week at White Duck Cottage.

  It had everything we needed and we felt very at home. The location is fantastic and our children loved being opposite the duck pond, where along with the ducks, they also discovered turtles, fish and a beautiful Heron. The only slight issue we had was there’s no stand up shower. There is a really good tap mixer though and once we got used to that, we were fine. We quite enjoyed having lots of relaxing baths too and the water was always piping hot. We’re quite sure the owner would have put a stand up shower in if they could but the ceiling is apexed, so there isn’t an option to add one. After staying in the cottage, this wouldn’t put us off from staying again as there are so many positives about it. The bathroom is very roomy, as are all the rooms in the cottage. Emily, the housekeeper is lovely and so helpful. She made herself available should we need any support, which was so reassuring, however, we didn’t need her because everything at the cottage was straight forward. We were also impressed with Hayle as a location, as it has plenty to do, many amenities, the beach is stunning and great for young kids, plus it’s easy to get to other locations such as, Penzance, St Ives, St Michael’s Mount, Mousehole, Lands End, plus more. Hayle is definitely a great base and White Duck Cottage is a great choice of accommodation.

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