Last Minute Cottages in England

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Patricia - Verified booking

  Lowenna is lovely and bright and clean, and exactly as it looks in the interior pictures.

  We only had a couple of recommendations for Eric and Vicky - our towels were a little bit small! Perhaps less cream teas for us ?! and we ran out of matches for the fire, so maybe a lighter could be better? Otherwise this is a lovely property in a stunning place. My criticism is with Sykes and not the owners of the property. Only on the reviews and by looking closely at the listing on line for Lowenna could I see that it is in the grounds of Stoneycroft, the owners house, and as lovely as they are, we did not expect that from a description of 'detached.' Apologies if I have misinterpreted. The pictures do not show the owners house which is right behind where the tree and clothes dryer are, just for anyone wanting to book a completely secluded house. Having said that we hardly knew they were there and they always gave a friendly wave and hello, so I must state again that Sykes are at fault here. The owners have also stated once you are inside the property by a notice in the utility area that it is only a 'Dogs Allowed', not a 'Dog Friendly' house, unlike the description on the Sykes booking. The reason they gave for this was that the neighbours keep chickens and that there may be other dogs around, which is good communication from the owners, but again I wanted to be informed about this by Sykes, before booking, but as Sykes ignored all my emails I was not given the opportunity to check. I made several attempts to communicate with Sykes starting in March 2024, long before we arrived at Lowenna, (we only wanted to pay the rest of the booking fee and make double sure that the dogs were safe as one is slightly reactive etc.. ) by email and then in desperation by facebook messenger, all of which were completely ignored UNTIL my second deposit came out in August. I find this appalling, and once again not the fault of the property owners. I'm genuinely sorry if this affects the score for Lowenna - it is a reflection of my treatment by Sykes cottages and NOT the property owners.

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• Salema - Verified booking

  Had a wonderful time at Syke Barn, not too far out from Barnstaple in a tranquil part of Devon.

  The barn was immaculate and furnished beautifully. Great countryside where you could see trees and hills around you. We even saw sheep outside our windows. Though it was cold and rainy outside there was enough to do inside for all ages. All types of games were available as well as space to play football and bat and ball. Lived the electric train set and Lego. The wifi really helped with the teenager's need to stay in touch with friends. The kitchen was well equipped we even cooked a roast one evening. The log fire was really cosy in the evening. The bedrooms were all reasonably sized and far enough apart that there was space for the 6 of us. Just be careful if you have a teenager they can use up the hot water! Glad it only happened once. We enjoyed trying out Alexa! to get the weather and listen to music. It was easy to get around with trips to Barnstaple, Woolacombe, Morton Hoe and Arlington Court. Tesco also delivered to the house which really helped. The owners were lovely and left us an amazing lemon cake. Definitely felt spoilt, they were on hand but left us to ourselves. Couldn't ask for more and catered for our different age range.

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• Martin - Verified booking

  Good location for Dog owners with private garden area, quite remote down the winding lanes typical of Cornwall.

  Warm welcome from the owner and well appointed lodge style property. Plenty of space for two adults and our two Labrador's. Comfortable bedroom and lounge although the sofa was a little soft for my taste. The kitchenette is well equipped in fact there was too much for a property for two people. Enough crockery and glassware for 6-8 leaving not too much cupboard space for food. Great to have a utility area to keep walking gear and boots etc. The let down for me was the shower room, probably in need of a refurb. The shower wasn't as good as comparable properties we have stayed in and the vanity unit quality didn't meet the same standard as the other parts of the property and was delaminating at the bottom. The floor tiles have come loose and one is cracked. There is a lovely veranda with a large table ( again probably too big for the property given it sleeps two) and a BBQ, Wonderful to sit with a beer and listen to the wildlife. Overall, this was a good base to enjoy the south west of Cornwall.

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• Barbara - Verified booking

  There were a number of issues at this property.

  Firstly the plug in the washbasin needed a new washer to prevent the water leaking out while we were using it, and the shower door came off it's runners. Secondly the TV was very awkward to use and we couldn't get our usual Freeview channels. The instructions also said there was an Alexa but there wasn't one.Thirdly the cooker had no instructions on how to operate it and the grill. Fourthly the pictures showed what looked like a dishwasher in the utility area which was absent and would have been nice to have, although wasn't listed in the property contents. One of the owners introduced himself when we arrived but we never saw them again so didn't have much confidence in mentioning these issues although the cleaner said she would let them know. Most of these problems could easily be solved and would provide guests with an improved experience so apart from this we had a pleasurable stay and enjoyed the rest of the accommodation and location.

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• Cindy - Verified booking

  What an absolute joy to stay in Lowenna during our stay in Cornwall.

  We had a fantastic welcome of a basket of coffee/tea/sugar & fudge, which was so welcomed after a long journey stuck in traffic! The cottage was well decorated, clean and comfortable. And everything had been thought of from dish soap, hand wash, extra blankets and cotton towels. The garden was absolutely perfect for our dog (I think he was really sad to go back to his own garden in comparison!). So much effort had been put in by the owners to make it really feel like a "home away from home". There is a pub in close distance, and the convenience of supermarkets Helston, Falmouth and Truro just down the road. The Lizard Peninsula is a short drive away which hosts a variety of beautiful walks along the coast and some beautiful & peaceful beaches. We absolutely loved our stay in this gorgeous part of Cornwall, and staying in Lowenna was the cherry on top! Highly recommended, and will absolutely plan another stay next year. 10/10.

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