South West Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Gary - Verified booking

  We were so fortunate the Windy Willows property was still available for the week we had planned to book for part of our holiday to Devon.

  We are experienced self-catering property renters and were looking for somewhere well placed as a base to be able to explore Devon, somewhere with a super clean and luxurious feel and somewhere with outside space for al fresco dining and to enjoy with the family of four (2 adults, 1 early twenties, 1 late teen) and not forgetting Teddy the 2 year-old Cockapoo. We booked immediately and looked forward to arrival day. We arrived circa 2 hours later than planned due to traffic delays. I informed John of our delays and he politely replied not to worry, that it was not a problem and see you when you get here. On arrival as we turned into the driveway, we knew we had secured a fantastic property (and that was before we had set foot inside!). From the initial courteous meet with the owners, we were guided to the property (located just behind the owners). We were given a brief tour of the property covering where things were located, how things work, knowledge of local amenities, supermarkets, etc. The property was immaculate. Immaculate to the level that demonstrates care and super high standards. Also prepared for our arrival was a complementary bottle of wine, a luxurious cake and milk already stocked in the fridge (as well as all the other usual items). Even Teddy received a new tennis ball to play with!! The hosts John and Sarah were absolutely outstanding for the whole visit. Their hospitality is genuine, friendly, considerate, super dedicated……..they are both amazing hosts. As if the pictures of Windy Willows are not impressive enough, the spacious and airy feel of this modern property is amazing. The whole property and all the rooms are much bigger than even the photographs suggest. The sliding doors open immediately to the outdoor seated area and then wow……the magnitude of the external space, the tranquillity and those panoramic views are more than impressive (location, location, location!!). Sunsets were magnificent. The perfectly landscaped external area is super safe, fully fenced and protected, and all gates have sliding bolts, etc., to securely close them. Absolutely no concerns for a dog to roam and play. We played flashing ball throw with Teddy long into the dark hours, confident he was safe and would return soon with it firmly retrieved in his mouth…..again and again. To name a few places we visited Brixham and nearby Cockington Village (recommend the Weavers Cottage Tea Room for cakes/cream tea and the Drum Inn Vintage Inn for an al fresco drink/meal). The Springer Spaniel Country Pub near Launceston was also a great choice, super dog friendly, a great menu and excellent food. Recommend Daisy’s Tea Room in Dawlish (great ploughman’s) and the go-karting at Dawlish Warren (a great promenade/sea wall walk alongside the GWR railway connecting the two). Exeter had a food festival on in the Castle grounds so we purposely visited that day and purchased some fabulous and massive cookie dough pie cakes from Big Bakes Bakery (also have a shop in Exeter) and enjoyed a great brunch/lunch in the Puerto Lounge down on the Quayside. Teddy has raw food (remember he is the cockapoo not the late teen) which his brand was well stocked at Heart Pet Supplies also at Exeter. A day out to the North Devon Wake Park. The Aquapark is an outdoor water-based assault course on the lake. Great little cafe and all the wet suit hire, changing facilities, etc. Was also fascinating just to spend time watching the Wake Boarders practice their amazing skills on the zip wire. A visit to Exmouth. A super clean family seaside town and without doubt a visit to the Sea Shore Ice Creamery cabin is a must (don’t let the long queues put you off – so popular for a reason!) So many flavours and super-efficient friendly staff with at least two to three serving so you don’t have to wait too long. So in summary, Windy Willows is the perfect base to explore all of Devon (we also ventured into east Cornwall as well but less so as ticked off in previous holidays to Cornwall). We always have very busy days and we looked forward every night to getting back to the modern, super clean and comfortable Windy Willows with everything it has to offer to relax and recharge (it truly is a home from home). John and Sarah – it was a pleasure to meet you both, thanks for your incredible hospitality throughout, the times we spent chatting and overall making our stay at Windy Willows perfect and 5 star in every way. Gary, Donna, Megan, James and Teddy the Cockapoo

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• Ilona - Verified booking

  Windy willows is a beautiful holiday home.

  It is situated high up and close to the A road, so it's with ease that you can get to places from here. You can hear the road, mainly lorries at times, but not so much that it disturbs the peace of the place. When getting there you have to ignore Google as it'll take you to another house just down the road. We found it easy enough to find and it's central to so many good areas to visit locally etc, including North Cornwall. It's handy to know that there's ample parking here, enough for two cars, however, there's a ramp and a small walk with your gear upto Windy Willows. The ramp is rather steep so some elderly may find it rather difficult. My brother did slip down it too, as we got one day of snow, so in those instances just take care. Outside there's lovely seating area with gorgeous scenery. There's ample grounds which aren't securely fenced, so if you have dogs you may need them on a leash if they are prone to roam. Inside it's larger than what the photos depict. So spacious. Very pleased with all the rooms. We were welcomed with a cake, there's also tea, sugar, coffee, salt and pepper available, however, just a note for others, make sure you get milk in before arriving, as my brother didn't, as he's used to this being supplied when we go to other holiday cottages. Also bring your own shampoos, shower gel etc, another thing we are used to getting at places, but I understand not all places do supply these as complimentary items. The bedrooms are large. The double beds' mattress was lovely soft enough, but not too soft. My brother found the single bed mattress slightly too firm for him, and so didn't get as good a sleep as I did. These are different preferences for everyone. There are sensor lights in certain areas of the holiday home, unfortunately there were issues with them which John did try to rectify. To be honest we weren't a fan of them. Some would flash on and off for no reason, others come on for either too long, or not long enough, as in the hallway. Again this is owners preference to what they feel best works for their place. I would definitely recommend Windy Willows though, it really feels so homely. You can't get a more lovely and helpful couple as Sarah and John. They made me, my brother and my pets feel very welcome. I hope to return soon. Thank you Sarah and John for sharing your place with us.

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• Karen - Verified booking

  We stayed for a week at Windy Willows and we loved the property.

  The photos do not do the property justice as the rooms are far more generous in size than they appear online. The property is very well equipped, clean and cosy. The log burner is an added bonus, and warmed the large open living space very quickly. The views from the property are lovely, sunsets were spectacular, and the view of the stars at night were so lovely without any light pollution. Direct access onto a large, enclosed garden was perfect for our dog, and we loved our daily meetings with the cows in the neighbouring field. This was our first time exploring Dartmoor, and Windy Willows was in a perfect location for us to do that. There are so many walks within the area, and we only scratched the surface of what we wanted to do. The property is approx a 5 minute drive from Okehampton, which had plenty of amenities and places to eat if needed. John and Sarah were perfect hosts, extremely friendly and approachable. John was there to greet us on arrival and provided us details of local takeaways and pubs, and places to visit. We did not have any issues during our stay, but I have every confidence that had there been any then John and Sarah would have dealt with them straight away. A welcome gift was provided for us and the dog! This was a lovely touch and made us feel welcomed. We would recommend Graylings fish and chip shop in Okehampton if you didn’t want to use the well equipped kitchen at the property, they had the best chips we have tasted in a very long time! We would highly recommend a stay at Windy Willows, and will be returning ourselves as soon as we are able to.

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• Pat - Verified booking

  Charm Cottage is such an apt name for this wonderful and quirky cottage.

  As you step through the front door you enter a calm and tranquil sanctuary. A wonderful social setting for you and your loved ones. You walk over the threshold into a large room that is superbly laid out with 3 double sofas and a family dining table. The kitchen is down 2 steps and is kitted out to suit everyones needs. There is a ground floor full bath plus shower, toilet etc, very spacious bathroom. Paito doors lead from the kitchen into a large courtyard garden, great for outdoor dining and most importantly sorting through your fossil finds. Up the stair case leads you to 2 double bedrooms one with ensued (toilet and sink) plus a separate shower room (with toilet). The mattresses on all of the beds were so comfortable, we all went straight off to sleep as soon as our heads hit the super comfortable pillows. Then there was another flight of stairs up to the loft bedroom that my grandson loved, with a fantastic view out of the large window. A few minutes walk from Charm Cottage (2 or 3 minutes) is the Royal Oak Inn where you can have the most sumptuous meals, far superior and better quality food than any London establishment, You can meander down to the Beach via Lower Sea Lane, about a 10 minute walk from Charm Cottage, to either fossil hunt or just relax and watch the world go by. We did not want to leave Charm cottage. We will definitely be booking again in the Autumn for another stay at this Charming cottage.

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• Nicola - Verified booking

  We had a fabulous stay at Windy Willows.

  The setting was stunning looking out on to beautiful gardens, rolling fields, cows & sheep. Even though it felt remote everything around was within easy access for lovely days out - the perfect combination. The accommodation was clean, spacious, stylishly decorated, comfortable, quiet & the hosts had thought about everything that you could ever need for a relaxing time away. The hosts - John & Sarah were a delight; full of useful information on places to visit, eat & where to park when out & about. The day before we arrived they sent us a ‘pin’ of the exact location of the accommodation so they were very easy to find. We were welcomed with milk in the fridge & a Victoria sponge cake & white wine (after checking with us before our arrival of any allergies & preference of red/white wine). On the second day we were treated to scones, jam & cream - such a lovely gesture. John & Sarah were there to meet us on our arrival & were on hand if needed, which was reassuring. On our last day we were sad to leave. John & Sarah were the best hosts & we particularly enjoyed stopping for a chat with them. We would wholeheartedly recommend Windy Willows & will definitely plan another visit in the not too distant future. Thank-you so much John & Sarah - you should be very proud of what you have created at Windy Willows. Nicola & Max.

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