South Devon District Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Lisa - Verified booking

  No frills cottage in a great location.

  We were concerned about previous reviews and as is clear in the photos, Highdown is an older cottage which still feels more like a residential than a rental property. The owner had worked hard to make the place clean and fresh for our arrival, even down to a new coat of paint in the utility room. Good points - the house was generally comfortable (although the mattress in the master bedroom should be replaced), the kitchen was well equipped (though no pantry provisions except salt and pepper) - it was not at all spacious, as stated in the description but certainly adequate, there is a large fridge freezer in the utility which is useful, the wifi and TV were excellent, the conservatory when sunny was delightful, the fire was cozy and the garden a nice size (although not completely dog-proof - a tenacious terrier would squeeze through the front gate in a second). The driveway was tight, but we managed to get our Landrover 4x4 in with a bit of skilful manoeuvring (on my part). Less positively, we arrived in a wet and windy Easter week and storage heaters hadn't been turned up so the house was very chilly. On colder days I think the heaters struggled to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the day and into the evening. The bathroom needs some storage (shelves, a bathroom cabinet?) as there was nothing to accommodate the smellies of 6 people and the provision of towels were a disappointment. Not sure why they state they are provided when all you get is one thin medium sized towel to last a week and no hand towels. I suggest you take your own. The owner however was responsive and did provide an extra electric radiator and a couple of hand towels on request. All in all we had a nice stay as Bigbury on Sea is a heavenly location for kids of all ages and dogs - The Journeys End pub has superb food. I wouldn't rent this cottage again as I think its rather basic and overpriced, but if you have realistic expectations it is a nice base from which to explore the area.

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• Tracey - Verified booking

  Wow...

  Bigbury-on-Sea is beautiful. Highdown is situated at the top of a very steep hill. Beautiful views to Burgh Island, which is worth a walk over, even just to have a drink at the Pilchard Inn. Little cafe/takeaway down on the beach car park which is pretty basic but lovely food. There is a food store within walking distance on a caravan park along with Fryer Tucks fish and chips (also very nice) but it is along quite a narrow cliff path. WiFi was very hit and miss but kind of expected that to be honest. Make sure you visit Pickwick Inn (pub) which is so lovely. Great food, lovely atmosphere and very dog friendly. Beware of the narrow lanes in the area, cars go pretty fast round them and although there are pull in places it does get a bit scary at times. Highview itself is a lovely bungalow. Pretty dated but we quite liked that. Could have been a bit cleaner but very cosy and warm. Loved sitting in the little dining area looking out to the sea even when it was raining. The garden is lovely too, wraps around the whole bungalow and is very safe for dogs. On two occasions we did have a chap come right through the garden to the shed at the back apparently to collect laundry? If he’d of knocked and said he was about then we would have been happier but to suddenly see a man walking around outside was a bit unnerving. The patio area again is lovely but not for small children. There’s quite a drop down a grass bank at the front of it. All in all we went away as a family of four (2 grown up children) after having an illness for most of the year to have some quality time together and a well earned rest and that’s exactly what we did. Would we go back there again? Yes definitely

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• Tom - Verified booking

  The property could do with some modernization and polish.

  There were numerous cracks in the plaster, including a large one in the bedroom ceiling. The repair which had been done on previous damage to the bedroom ceiling also looked poorly finished. The paintwork around the property was also poorly finished in places, including paint on door handles and light fixtures. The extractor fan in the bathroom was also pretty well clogged with dirt and dust, and rust was visible around the edges of the mirror too. These may seem like minor issues, but combined it makes the property feel tired and old. The garden could have done with some grass in it too, as opposed to the stone chippings, I understand this is a personal preference, however, with the property welcoming dogs, grass is certainly more welcome to them. While I appreciate nothing can be done about the parking situation, it should be made very clear in the listing about the angle of the slope. With an older car like ours, we struggled to safely park, putting stress on the handbrake and running high on the clutch. We had to put bricks under the wheels, to stop the car slipping down the slope. This could be dangerous if people are trying to unload the car and the vehicle starts to slip. There was not much storage space for our food, so we left it out on the countertop, however, should the property be renovated I'm sure this is something that could be addressed. The house is in a really good location, with a great outlook too.

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• Deborah - Verified booking

  The cottage was lovely & well presented when we arrived.

  Great location if not a little hilly but close to the harbour which was excellent. Nice little touches for our dog. A few board games we made use of on our first night as it was very wet out. However, description of cottage doesn’t mention shared outdoor space. This is access for an apartment. Could do with knowing this before booking. Outdoor space hasn’t been used by anyone for a long time! Was quite hot when we were there would have been nice to sit out but covered by trees and cobwebs. No blinds at that rear door so people passing through can see in! Make sure you’re dressed! Only one pan to cook up a ‘culinary delight’ as advertised. Not many utensils but we weren’t that bothered as we ate out every night. The sofa could do with being replaced. Very flat and old and very uncomfortable. No mention of the parking being at the bottom of a dark driveway. Only one security light stayed on for seconds. Not enough to get up the hill to the house. The photo in the advert shows parking bays at the front door. These seem to be for the owners only. Misleading. We had an issue with neighbours one night which was very scary, shouting in the street then in the premises. Torquay itself, we had a great week away.

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• Patricia - Verified booking

  We have been fortunate to have stayed in a few Sykes holiday lets, and have never been disappointed.

  However, we would not have booked Highdown last year if we had read the recent reviews written. But here is an update - Highdown is old and tired looking, but we felt the owner had read the same reviews and had made an effort to make changes. The property was clean, thick soft white medium size fluffy towels (no hand towels), tea towels, hand soap, and washing up liquid was provided, and the kitchen was well equipt. We found the master bedroom's mattress to be comfortable, and also there were two radiators to use if you found the property not warm enough. The only complaints we would make are, the little utility room with the large fridge freezer has a funny smell and this problem needs investigating, and there was no shower curtain / screen. Meaning that every time we used the shower, we had to mop the bathroom floor. (We must admit that we did not contact the owner regarding these problems, because we could not get a signal on our mobile). The welcome tea / coffee / sugar / milk and biscuits after along journey was very much appreciated. Thankyou. Bigbury on Sea is a beautiful location.

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