Dog Friendly Cottages in Exeter

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Yasmin - Verified booking

  Myself, my partner and my dog stayed in Orchard Cottage for two weeks during April, overall we had a very enjoyable time and wouldn't hesitate to stay again.

  On arrival we initially struggled to find the cottage as the sign displaying 'Orchard Cottage' is very small and hard to see when you're driving so a slightly larger sign may be welcomed by future guests. We were greeted by homemade lemon drizzle cake (which was still warm), fresh bread and milk which was a very nice touch. The kitchen is very well stocked with all sorts of utensils and cooking equipment, full size fridge freezer, dishwasher (with tablets provided by Val) and washing machine. The lounge is super spacious and the ideal chill out space, two very comfortable sofas with cable tv and a log fire. The twin bedroom we didn't use so I can't comment on that, however the double bed in the main bedroom is super comfortable and has been redecorated since the photos were taken on the website (the walls are no longer pink and the furniture has changed slightly). The bathroom is functional, however the water pressure for the shower is terrible. You have to put the hot water tap on full blast which only provides a hot trickle of water, if you turn the cold water tap even the smallest amount it changes from red hot to ice cold - however you get a nice pressurised shower if you do have the cold water tap on albeit very cold (which we could only cope with for about 2 days). It resulted in us having to bath every night, which is inconvenient if you want to be in and out quickly. The garden is spacious and the resident sheep in the adjoining field fascinated my dog for the whole two week period. Val provided us freshly laundered bedding and towels after one week which was greatly appreciated. There is ample off road parking just outside the front door of the cottage. There is an abundance of leaflets in the very bottom drawer in the kitchen giving you plenty of attractions and events to visit whilst down there, even highlighting some dog friendly places. We went on a couple of Stuart Line Cruises from Exmouth which allow dogs and thoroughly enjoyed it - something I would definitely recommend. We felt very relaxed and Val is a very friendly and welcoming host.

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• Ellie - Verified booking

  The owners were very helpful and communications good.

  The Engine House was a little more remote than we had perhaps appreciated but it very quiet and had magnificent views from the gardens. The house was a little tardis and a good size. As it is set within the walls of the Quarry it was a little dark inside not helped by the weather! However there was lots of lighting throughout. At night it is pitch black so you really need a torch if you need the loo in the night and don't want to leave lights on. Absolutely wonderful for star gazing on a clear night though - we were blessed to have one of them! A few treats left in the fridge and on the side and a dog bed and blankets too. The bedrooms were well equipped with hanging space and chest of drawers but the bed was a little firm for our liking. Lots of blankets and extra pillows too. A well stocked kitchen with plenty of pots, pans and utensils for self catering. The dishwasher wasn't working whilst we were there but that had been communicated to us and an engineer did come out to try and fix it. A lovely bathroom with great shower over the bath. Open plan living including a TV, dining room table, a sofa and chair so seating for 4 adults which was comfortable. Good WiFi and a stock of games, books and DVDs on the side to choose from. We had a terrific storm whilst we were there which tripped the electrics. We tried fixing it but to no avail and Steven and Lucie came straight out when we called them. We unfortunately had to cut our stay short due to family illness back home and Lucie was very kind in her response. There were some nice walks from the Engine House and we enjoyed a walk up to the Quarry and learning the history of the building. A nice get away from it all holiday but i think a little too remote for us to return. However we would recommend to friends for a cosy short break in beautiful surroundings.

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• Joy - Verified booking

  This property has such potential to be 5 star but sadly the issue of a shower that just trickles and a hot water bath tap that just dribbles, that has been mentioned in previous reviews, remains unfixed.

  Also the oven was in desperate need of a deep clean. The double bed although a soft comfy mattress was oddly short (our feet stuck out over the edge) and the mattress bed linen was not deep enough so kept crumpling up which made for uncomfortable sleeping and one of the two single beds creaked badly with the slightest move so was not at all relaxing to sleep in. Add to this the surcharge of an additional £20 for fuel when there is just one storage heater to heat the open plan downstairs, unless you use the logburner (which we struggled to get going) for which you still have to pay £3 for each extra bundle of wood, or a noisy fan heater that eventually stopped working brings this property down to just two stars in our opinion. If only the owners take note and act then all can be put right which would enable a higher rating to do justice to this very roomy and potentially very comfortable property that is totally dog friendly. The location feels very private with lovely countryside views despite being attached to the owners and very near to a major new build development (despite the property address it is effectively Cranbrook and some distance from the village of Whimple). It is worth noting there is no pub or shop nearby but this was not an issue for us as the location is ideal to explore the section of East Devon Coast from Exmouth down to Lyme Regis, and is close to Exeter and is just 15 minutes from Killerton National Trust house and grounds.

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• Vanessa - Verified booking

  We had a lovely weeks stay at orchard cottage, it was a very accommodating cottage.

  The beds were super comfy and the gesture of homemade bread and lemon cake along with milk left in the fridge on arrival was a lovely gesture. The beaches which were local to the cottage (around 20mins) were mainly shingle beaches but we did take a liking to Exmouth beach(long stretch of Sandy beach) the far end is also dog friendly ( a lot of beaches aren’t dog friendly throughout may-sept) The cottage however if anything maybe a little dated - storage heaters and no radiators. Some recommendations if any, is to update the pictures on Sykes website( the garden is much smaller than expected). Update the info folder within the cottage as some info was dated back to 2010!! A replacement of the high chair, it wasn’t the cleanest and quite a few tare marks. A deep clean throughout the bathroom too, as the grouting round the bath has turned black and cobwebs and dust were visible on arrival. The bedding and towels also had a musty smell to them, as they mustn’t of been fully dried. Following on from these recommendations the oven could do with a thorough clean and was very difficult to know if the oven was on,due to there being no light in the oven and lastly we all decided that for the size of the living area the tv is slightly on the small size. We had a lovely stay but a few things that needed improvement.

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• Anita - Verified booking

  The cottage was beautiful and it was literally a home from home in terms of the facilities and thoughtful touches provided by the owners to make our stay comfortable.

  This included a lovely welcome pack with essentials like milk and tea bags, plus a few luxuries in the form of Prosecco and scones plus jam and clotted cream....oh, and treats for the dog! There were seven adults in our group, which did mean that one had to sleep in a bunk bed, but nevertheless we were very comfortable. Everything was spotlessly clean and the cottage was fully equipped with all the appliances you would have at home. Woodbury is a very pretty village, with two main pubs a few minutes' walk away. The White Hart were very accommodating of our dog and the food there was really good. There's a local store and a takeaway, also both within a few minutes' walk of the cottage. Topsham, about a 10 minute drive away, has more pubs and restaurants to choose from, and the coast is also a very short drive from the cottage. Overall it was a perfect location for exploring Devon and a very lucky last minute find enabling us to get away as a family for the Bank Holiday weekend.

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