Guests say
The Old Bank House in Mevagissey, Cornwall, is a spacious and characterful property ideal for large groups, offering a central location to explore the town. Guests appreciate the ample living space, modern kitchen, and the added bonus of a garden, despite some accessibility concerns. While some guests have reported issues with cleanliness and maintenance, others have found the property to be clean and well-equipped, with a responsive owner. The property's charm and location are consistently praised.
Reviews on cleanliness are mixed, with several guests reporting the property as dirty upon arrival, including issues with dog hairs, dust, and odours. However, others found it clean and tidy. The inconsistency suggests room for improvement in this area.
The location is highly praised for its proximity to the harbour, shops, and restaurants, making it an ideal base for exploring Mevagissey. Despite some noise concerns due to its central position, the convenience is a standout feature.
Comfort receives positive remarks for the spaciousness and the property's suitability for large groups. However, there are several complaints about uncomfortable mattresses and seating, indicating that while the space is ample, the quality of furnishings could be enhanced.
Facilities are generally appreciated, especially the well-stocked kitchen and utility room. Some guests mention issues with maintenance, such as broken appliances and the need for refurbishment. The garden's accessibility and upkeep are also noted concerns.
While some guests mention a welcome pack and provisions like dog bowls, there is insufficient information to assess the consistency of thoughtful gestures across all stays. Therefore, a score cannot be provided, and such gifts should not be expected.
About this property
Once the home of Mevagissey's first bank, this imposing Grade II listed village-centre building has been renovated to a high standard, creating a Cornwall holiday cottage of comfort and character. Set over three floors, 100 yards from the harbour, the property retains many original features. The bedrooms are mainly over the ground and second floors, while the main, stylish living space occupies the first floor. The exquisite dining room, with parquet flooring, panelled walls and glazed ceiling, is overlooked by a balcony from the second floor. The harbour, pubs and restaurants of Mevagissey are all within a short stroll. Wander to the water's edge to watch the fishermen unload their catch, stroll along the coastal path on the headland or walk to The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Alternatively, explore the Eden Project, the cathedral city of Truro or the beauty of the Roseland Peninsula and its beaches.
Mevagissey is the archetypal Cornish fishing village, and is a picturesque place with a harbour full of bobbing boats and meandering cobbled streets. The coast has beautiful walks in both directions, gorgeous sandy beaches, cliffs and secluded coves. There is a superb selection of pubs and restaurants, and a ferry runs daily to Fowey in the summer season. Just up the road you'll find the Lost Gardens of Heligan; the fascinating Tall Ships harbour at Charlestown with its shipwreck museum and fish smokery is seven miles distant, and the incredible tropical biospheres of the famous Eden Project are 11 miles away. The beaches and coastline of the Roseland Peninsula are a short drive down the coast and the shops, restaurants and theatre of the cathedral city of Truro are just half an hour's drive away.
Accommodation
Reverse level accommodation.
Over three floors.
Six bedrooms: 1 x ground floor king-size double with en-suite shower room with shower, basin and WC, 2 x ground floor doubles with en-suite shower room with shower, basin and WC, 1 x second floor king-size double, 1 x single, 1 x second floor single.
Second floor bathroom with corner bath, basin and WC.
First floor kitchen.
Utility room/WC.
First floor dining room.
First floor sitting room with open fire.
Oil central heating with open fire.
Electric cooker, 2 electric ovens, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher.
4 x TVs (1 with Sky+), DVD, PlayStation, stereo/CD, WiFi, DVDs/books/games.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen ad towels included in rent.
Cot, highchair and stairgate available.
Parking available in public car park, nearest 2 mins walk (cost included in rent for 1 car), guests may stop briefly before 10am/after 4pm for loading/unloading outside property.
Paved terraced garden with furniture & BBQ.
Two well behaved dogs welcome subject to £25 pet charge per dog.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shops/pubs/harbour 100 yards.
Note: Balcony and sash windows on 2nd floor, young children to be supervised.
Note: Due to large stone steps and a fenced drop, access to the garden may be unsuitable for guests with limited mobility, and children should be supervised at all times
Reviews (35)
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Brian
Washing machine out of order for the whole week (repair man only able to visit on Friday, 6 days into our holiday) 3 bags of dog dirt in the garden Kitchen surfaces sticky and unclean Shard of glass on kitchen floor which one of our party stood on Black mould on door frames in shower areas Handles falling off cupboards and bedroom door Chair collapsed in the lounge when sat on Weekly parking pass shown as costing £36 in email actually costs £48
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David
Convenient. Some fittings need maintenance, but overall a pleasant place to stay (out of the plentiful rain!)
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Derek
We have used Sykes for many years and go by the ratings and reviews. Having seen some fairly good reviews and a couple of bad we still decided to book. I would like to stress that we have never given a bad review before but felt it necessary. On our return I dug much deeper into past reviews of The old Bank House and there are clearly repetative comments on similar issues to those we experienced - why haven't they been addressed? - 1. The first thing of note was a pungent bad odour on the ground floor area reminiscent of old cellars and damp, particularly bad in the first bedroom but pretty much everywhere. I felt sorry for my elderly mother who had to endure this through the week.It is worthy of note that on return all our coats that hung in the hallway smelt terrible and had to be washed. 2. Kitchen cleanliness, work surfaces etc all good, however, when looking further into the kitchen drawers and cupboards, the utensils were dirty, the drawers were dirty, sticky and hairs were discovered, the shelves of the cupboards where the plates/dishes/glasses/mugs were visibly dirty, in fact we chose to wash everything we wanted to use first and cleaned the cupboards ourselves and stuck to those cupboards during the week. 2 hours we won't get back! 3. As we arrived on the 23rd, it wasn't until Christmas eve that we discovered that most of the towels provided were stained/dirty, we used the best ones and found spares. The reason we didn't contact the owner about this was because it was Christmas eve. Opinions about this may differ but we chose not to. 4. The duvet quilts provided were extremely thin in all rooms particularly for the time of year, we did see the notes on the drawers in each room that stated a spare quilt was in the drawer for use, however, my mother found one and on further inspection found it was stained with a big yellow patch. We therefore had to use the quilt on the spare bed for her so she could keep warm. I think all of us found human and animal hairs in our 'supposed' clean bedding but my son found numerous. Whilst I accept that this is a dog friendly property, I do not accept that you should find these in clean bedding. The drawers in the bedrooms were dirty inside with hairs found. I kept our clothes in the suitcase all week. 5. The x2 sofas in the living room were well past their prime, much too soft, uncomfortable and smelt. The foot stool was equally just as bad and really wouldn't take much to even cover it yourself or replace it, it was really grubby. 6. The x 2 locks on the top floor bathroom which lead to the 'balcony' didn't work, so despite many many attempts the door kept coming open, this effectively looks straight down onto the dining space. The bathroom itself albeit the most modern was damaged on the surface around the sink, I had to clean all of the toilet as it was dirty, I don't need explain any further. The toilet brush I couldn't look at, they are very cheap to buy and this should be replaced regularly and cleary hadn't been. 7. The main large bedroom at the top of the property didn't have a mirror apart from a very small make up/vanity mirror so in order to use my hairdryer I had to go down to the ground floor bedroom, luckily we had taken an extension lead which reached to the mirror there. 8. The dining room is not as equisite as described, on the surface it looks lovely, however, the owner left a note as we arrived stating she hoped we didn't have any leaks if it rains! Well, it did rain, and yes we did have leaks, we put containers on the floor to catch the leaks that had been left just in case but there is a massive amount of wet damp that we had noticed when we arrived by the fridge and this continued to get wetter through the week, infact one of the wall lights was full of condensation! 9. The owner had kindly put a xmas tree up lights, thankfully I had taken my own battery lights and used them as having inspected the socket, we deemed it unsafe to use. 10. All of the beds we used were VERY uncomfortable, we all felt springs/slats and the pillows very thin and 'used', glad I always take my own! Overall, we made the best of the property as we were determind to enjoy our Christmas having travelled 6 hours with a family of 6, but I felt compelled write this review as the property is in dire need of some updating and cleanliness. To note, if there were any welcome books/instructions etc, we couldn't find them. We did receive a welcome pack, thankyou.