Last Minute Cottages in Bideford

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Betty - Verified booking

  The renovation of this property is stunning with many attractive features but it is sadly let down by the absence of expected up-to-date facilities and hygiene which severely and adversely affected our enjoyment.

  This lovely home is downgraded with the many and various annoying niggles that become preeminent in your feelings of enjoyment, safety, comfort and relaxation. Nothing could have been resolved by a phone call to the owners or Sykes. We took the view that our stay should not be interrupted as we were also visiting a terminally ill relative each day. In the kitchen there is one mismatched chipped mug and one large chipped plate. Some old crazed plates and bowls distract from the food placed in them. The induction hob does well with the bumpy, dirty bottoms of most of the provided old frying pans. Weak plastic utensils and blunt knives add to the frustration of cooking for 8 with several inadequate, small pans. We shopped for satisfactory implements and fly spray (see later). The microwave oven had someone else’s leftovers stuck to the plate. The fridge had a huge clump of ice with something stuck in it; it needs defrosting and cleaning. The fan oven never reaches the required temperature: meals had to be cooked using the ordinary oven. Several of the kitchen cabinet handles are pitted and uncomfortable in the hand and are ready for replacement. The door to the utility room toilet area was difficult to open at the beginning of the week as it caught on the floor and injured a guest’s chest as she anticipated it opening. The table mats in the dining area were sticky to touch so these and the table were cleaned. In the lounge unsecured rugs presented a trip hazard for several of the party. After one of the party had to be saved from a dangerous fall against the fireplace we put the rugs in the corner of the room for the rest of the stay. All the beds in the bedrooms were basic but the pillows were thin and unwelcoming. In the en-suite in the main bedroom the lock is still suspect despite notes in the log (August 2019, July 2022). The toilet seat doesn’t fit and is twisted. The extractor fan doesn’t work so towels were always damp and this was the same in the other bedroom on the first floor. The ‘balcony’ has no seating area and there are no seats in the bedroom. The floor area above the garages is uneven. On Tuesday night four of us were woken by the gate from the balcony down to the kitchen area banging. It had to be secured by a chair from outside the kitchen being placed against the gate as the lock was completely ineffective: the latch was misaligned, rusty and cannot be fastened. The outside security light constantly illuminates the bedroom window and needs attention. In the second bedroom on the first floor the hanging rail is so close to the shelf that you endanger fingers when hanging a garment up. The extent of the grounds is clearly advertised but its suitability for walking on is not indicated. Where was the boundary? Could we reach the coast? What features were worth noting? The proximity and access to prominent places of interest is exaggerated, for example, access to nearby towns as mentioned by others in the log. Outside the kitchen there are 3 rickety chairs with a small damaged and dangerous table which we cleaned as all were covered with bird faeces: the remains of the plasterer’s work is still on the wooden planking in front of you. Four chairs and an equally inadequate table rests alongside a pond. We returned each evening for a relaxing drink but we couldn’t all sit down and certainly not in the same place. We searched by the wood store where, it was promised in the folder, other outdoor furniture could be found which we were free to use: another exaggeration as this consisted of one broken chair and an unusable barbecue. When we arrived, part of the wooden porch above us lay on the entrance tiles. We were greeted by an infestation of flies and the cobwebs around the doorway, inside and out, had had little impact on the numbers. We covered all our food and fought to eat faster than the flies. It was no wonder that we ate out far more frequently than planned in adjacent hostelries which, although in the country, had no flies attacking us. We live in a listed stone building in the country with cattle and sheep as neighbours but we have never been subjected to such an onslaught with nothing to combat our unwanted and unwelcome pests. We regularly visit cottages up and down the country and at all times of the year, but we have never ever felt so let down, frustrated, disappointed and exploited as we have with this one. This was not a home from home: it was far less from than that. It was a long way from value for money and our expectations of cleanliness, safety and well-being. During the week we had killed several flies in the master bedroom shower area. Before we left, I investigated the flies’ attraction to the shower drain. I intended to clear away any hairs from our shampooing that may be there: the mess was horrific. The drain was near blocked with grey clingy matter; I felt sick that we had been using this shower all week and had paddled in this gunge. Photographs are available.

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• Pam - Verified booking

  The Old Chapel was a delightful house with charming features and an unexpected cosiness.

  We loved the generous space within the house and wished that we could have used the grounds outdoors more but the weather was wet for most of our week. There was an unfortunate incident on the Tuesday evening when there was an attempted break-in at the property; this included two attempts to force the front door, also there were indications of two failed attempts at opening our 2 cars. The incident was reported to the police. The housekeeper, Marcel, was clearly very concerned and offered any support that we wanted. This was followed later by a similarly supportive text from the owners. We thank them heartily. You, at Sykes, did nothing. I was amazed not to receive any communication from you following my notification to your Helpdesk. I don't want discounts or vouchers but I DO want you to know that your lack of care was most certainly noted. Therefore, my likelihood to recommend you in this case is, as above, 3 out of 10. The house and its facilities and its owner/housekeepers' support, 10 out of 10. I am glad that you will be sharing this feedback with the owners.

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• Adrian - Verified booking

  This was a superb property, very well located to explore the many attractions of North Devon.

  Very spacious, with plenty of room for the three generations of our family. We had a wonderful half term break and would love to return in the future. We were extremely lucky with the October weather and were out and about every day...although even the little ones looked forward to returning to the cosiness of our "holiday house"! All ages enjoyed the quaintness of Clovelly village, the fun at the Milky Way Adventure Park, the stunning coastal scenery at Hartland Quay and the more bustling seaside resort of Westward Ho! We had some lovely lunches out at the Hoops Inn and the Pierhouse, and have never seen such impressive Hallowe'en decorations than at The Thatched Inn, Abbotsham. All facilities were as promised and the welcome gifts of wine, chocolates and scones (complete with Jam and clotted cream) went down a treat.

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• John - Verified booking

  The accommodation was excellent and very clean with many facilities - very impressed with extras such as binoculars!

  Unless I overlooked it, I couldn't fine a sun umbrella to go with the garden furniture which, considering the very hot weather, made sitting outside a little uncomfortable. I also felt that the access to the village should be explained more clearly. I was well aware that Clovelly village was 1 mile away which, we thought, wouldn't be a problem walking down to it, but it wasn't explained that this could only be done in a car as the road was far too dangerous to walk with no path. As we shared two hire cars between 6 adults this meant that we had to rely on the 2 named drivers and could not walk on our own. I am sure we are not the first to experience this. I must emphasise the accommodation was first class but feel that not having to solely rely on a motor vehicle adds to the enjoyment of a holiday.

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• Gemma Butler - Verified booking

  The property was comfortable and had everything we needed for our stay.

  It would have been better if the outside space we had was a little more private but it certainly didnt stop us from making use of it. The property waszadverised as working farm, we are early risers so not an issue for us but may be worth mentioning on the listing that tractors and quads will be moving around the farm from 7am. As the bedrooms are all downstairs the sound of the machinery is very loud. Not really an issue for us as our children wake up early anyway but guests wanting a layin would have struggled. Overall we had a lovely stay and didnt experience any problems. The owners made contact when we first arrived and were quite to respond to any questions we had.

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