Large Dog Friendly Cottages in Kingsbridge

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Jonathan - Verified booking

  Beachdown is a lovely setting just a few yards from the beach in a lovely and popular location for good reason.

  It looks pretty from the outside and inside and was presented in a very clean and tidy way first impressions were excellent. Parking was great ample room for three big cars which we had. I wont mention all of the good bits there are plenty as you might expect including the views al fresco options big social area comfy beds but poor pillows powerful showers who doesnt love a good shower etc etc but I do need to mention its shortcomings particular when considering this is supposed to be a 5 star property. Our experience was somewhere in between three and four star. Practically it is missing a lot of key things or doesnt get them right. Toilet brushes there are none anyone out there enjoy wiping toilets by hand. Wet clothes indoor hanging space for when you come back from the beach there is none there is some outdoor but it isnt well covered from the driving rain that we had during our visit most days. Clothes storage in some rooms is really lacking. If youre here for a weekend it is fine but I suspect most will be here for a week. The fridge is tiny its a small fridge not even a tall one the property desperately needs another. We liked to stay in socialize cook and save a fortune in going out every evening or eating unhealthy takeaway. We were forced to shop everyday due to the lack of fridge space. The freezer is small too and just about passable. It desperately needs another main bathroom. But we knew that when booking. Not much can be done about this but just beware when booking that there is only one main communal bathroom. There was quite a few things that need replacing. Two to three I forget broken dining chairs they were somewhere between unstable and uncomfy seat was slanted and unsafe. Hole in outdoor furniture looked horrible and rendered one of the units unusable there were others. Broken parasol we did get some sun and wanted to use it but couldnt. The chairs and parasol were broken by the previous occupants the helpful owner told us not much he can do about that I guess nonetheless we were the unfortunate next visitors. Other issues. Outdoor furniture seat pads were all soaked upon arrival it took us two days to dry them out more hassle. Again not the owners fault. We had only enough hot water for two short showers at the end of day one so the first night six guests went without a shower having been on the beach for the afternoon a really poor start. The owner sorted the problem for us the following morning so credit to him for that. Visitor book was hard to find on arrival cleaners not doing their job properly rectified once contacted owner which took a while as we had no wifi and no phone signal so had to walk down the road to get a signal in the rain. Be wary of the poor wifi if you like to stream films in tablets etc. There is virtually no phone signal not the fault of the property or owner obviously but this necessitates a string wifi signal which the property very much does NOT have. You take these things for granted nowadays frustrating when you dont have them. Sounds travels throughout the property ridiculously well so if you have some of your party who stay up late or like to unload the dishwasher really quietly an hour before others get up without waking them forget it. We had to download a white noise app to drown out the noise. Hard floors are great for hygiene but terrible for noise when accompanied by otherwise lovely open staircases with no doors to help close the noise out. The kitchen cupboards some are hot as positioned next to hot pipes which massively reduces the food storage options poor design. There is no traditional extractor fan the solution in place doesnt work that well. All towels provided were far too small perhaps they were made for seven year olds. No salt or rinse aid in the dishwasher. No surprise there as very few holiday homes maintain their goods properly. Now it sounds like we had a horrible experience we did not. BUT it was sold and priced as a 5 star and for that we expect 5 star experience which we didnt get. Partly due to lack of facilities can and should be rectified, partly due to unfortunate timing of poor previous holidaymakers our bad luck prior to our arrival and partly due to a heating system that wasnt working as we were told it normally does. The owner did his best to help at the time including time on the phone and a massive drive for him to provide on-site support on a Sunday and post our stay by agreeing to a partial refund which eased the blow. So clearly kudos where it is due there. If youre a nervous driver you may wish to reconsider picking this property as the lanes are very narrow but that is not uncommon from this part of Devon and clearly isnt a feature of the property itself. Despite all this I will reiterate again we had a great time there but as presented to us it is a 4 star property at best and given the hassle wed rate it 3.5 stars. The owner has been presented with this review so they have the opportunity to improve it for others. It needs some money to be spent before it can be classed as 5 stars. Sykes take note.

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• 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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• Mike - Verified booking

  This is our third visit to Crosscombe barn.

  We like the house and its position which is good for exploring the South Hams area. Whilst the upstairs is lovely, the place is seriously let down by the downstairs accommodation which comprises the bedrooms and bathrooms. When we stayed in September 2022, the bath and shower had significant deposits of black mould, requiring us to clean it before being prepared to use it. In addition, it was necessary to unblock the bathroom sink which was blocked with black slime and hair. We left feedback for the cleaner and in the visitors book hoping that the issues would be resolved. When we returned this September we were greeted by a fusty smell as we entered the house, and again the bath and shower had significant deposits of black mould, which required us to clean it once again. This is not a new problem, to which my previous comments in 2022, and a negative review by a guest in May 2023 (which has subsequently disappeared from the website) testify. There are now liberal supplies of anti mould sprays in the property, which, apart from being environmentally unsound, are not a sustainable or long term solution. This is a ventilation problem, and until it is fixed, mould will continue to develop, and at a faster rate as the winter months approach. Not a good atmosphere to be sleeping in. Whilst this problem persists, we are unlikely to make further bookings at this property. On a separate issue, a sudden surge in water pressure as the shower temperature was being adjusted caused one of the guests to slip backwards in the bath, fortunately not causing any long term issues. It is worth pointing out however that there are no grab rails on the bath and no non slip mats in either bathroom.

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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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• Amanda - Verified booking

  Crosscombe Barn is ideally situated for exploring South Hams with all its beautiful river estuaries and lovely beaches.

  There are several National Trust houses and woods nearby to explore and historic Plymouth is within easy reach. We particularly enjoyed a cruise on the Dart and discovering scenic Salcombe and quaint Totnes. The barn itself is spacious and very comfortably equipped with quality furniture and fittings, including a desk with lots of little extras. There is extensive kitchen and dining equipment and everything we could possibly want and more for a self catering holiday was provided. Overall, it is a warm and welcoming individual character home with plenty of room for 6 guests. The garden is a delightful sun trap and was full of late summer flowers during our visit. The provision of a small kitchen in the utility room was an added bonus - it is an upside down house so it saved the legs when making drinks and snacks. The village shop is well stocked but Kingsbridge is only 10 minutes away. We would recommend the local garden centre and farm shop for excellent lunches and a bit of browsing. The Avon valley is an excellent walking area with lots of wildlife. The barn is in a quiet corner of Loddiswell and so we had a very peaceful and restful stay. The views across the hills were a joy to view from the lounge window seat. We thoroughly recommend this property and thank the owners for their thoughtfulness.

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