Guests say
The Forge in Rousdon, Devon, is a well-received cottage praised for its peaceful location, beautiful surroundings, and well-equipped nature. Guests have enjoyed the local walks, the private beach, and the estate's dog-friendly environment. The property's charm and the welcome package have been appreciated, contributing to a relaxing family stay.
Most guests found The Forge to be clean and comfortable. However, a few mentioned issues with unclean kitchenware and cobwebs, which suggests room for improvement in cleanliness standards.
The location is highly praised for its beauty, tranquillity, and proximity to local attractions and beaches. The private beach and estate walks are particular highlights, although access to the beach can be challenging.
Guests have reported that The Forge is comfortable, with a warm feeling and comfortable beds. Some minor issues were raised regarding heating and a leaky window, but overall, the comfort level is high.
The property is well-equipped, with a few guests pleasantly surprised by additional amenities. However, there are comments about the lack of a dishwasher, flickering lights, and maintenance issues like a broken washing machine and a leaky window, which affects the score.
While guests have mentioned a welcome package, there is insufficient information to determine the consistency of such gestures or their impact on the overall experience. Therefore, it's important to note that such thoughtful touches, while appreciated, are not guaranteed.
About this property
Forming part of the historic Rousdon Estate, The Forge is a converted former blacksmith’s cottage and is situated within walking distance of Rousdon close to Lyme Regis in Devon. Ideal for families or couples travelling together, The Forge boasts a wealth of traditional features which have been seamlessly integrated with all the mod cons any discerning visitor would expect. The sitting room provides a truly welcoming space with a spacious seating area and sofa bed, original exposed stone walls and ceiling beams; the perfect space for gathering and socialising together. Step into the inviting kitchen/diner which has an impressive slate floor, a fully fitted rustic kitchen and an elegant dining area complete with a feature woodburning stove, creating a wonderful area for cooking, eating, drinking and enjoying each other’s company. If the weather allows, then you can always opt for dining alfresco in the enclosed courtyard garden where you can soak up the last of the day’s rays or fire up the outside woodburner and get warm. As night falls, you’ll want to head off to bed and the bedrooms certainly don’t disappoint with an attractive ground-floor double bedroom and a magnificent king-size on the mezzanine level with feature sloping ceilings a real feature of the space. There is nowhere better to wake up in the morning than here so after a refreshing coffee in the courtyard why not head out and explore? The property is situated on the stunning Rousdon Estate which boasts 350 acres of pasture and woodland. Hop in the car and explore further along the coast, taking in the infamous Jurassic Coastline along the way, checking out places such as Charmouth, West Bay, Studland, Swanage and Exmouth, to name just a few. Popular attractions in the area include Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary, Seaton Tramway, Beer Quarry Caves and Tunnel Tree Tops. Lyme Regis is a must to visit while you are staying at The Forge with its great selection of shops, boutiques, tea rooms and restaurants, museum, aquarium, harbour, causeway and beach. Make holiday memories to last forever at The Forge.
The delightful seaside town of Lyme Regis has much to offer its visitors, boasting a maze of narrow streets filled with craft and antique shops, galleries and cafes. Take a stroll along the world-famous Cobb causeway overlooking the ancient harbour, where fishing trips can be enjoyed, or try your hand at fossil hunting in the area. The scenic coastal path offers excellent walking opportunities and spectacular views of the stunning Jurassic coast, whilst the gently shelving sands and sparkling waters of Lyme Bay provide the perfect place in which to relax and unwind. A holiday destination to savour!
Accommodation
Two bedrooms: 1 x double with en-suite with walk-in shower, basin and WC, 1 x king-size with en-suite with walk-in shower, basin and WC.
Kitchen/diner with woodburning stove.
Sitting room with double sofa bed
Oil underfloor heating and radiators with woodburning stove.
Electric range cooker with oven, grill and hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, washing machine/tumble dryer, hairdryer.
TV, DVD player, video player, CD player, selection of films, WiFi.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Travel cot.
Off-road parking for 2 cars.
Enclosed courtyard garden, furniture.
Two well-behaved dogs welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shop 3.8 miles, pub 3.7 miles.
Note: The property is located on a privately managed estate.
Note: Logs for the woodburning stove are not supplied
Reviews (16)
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Paul
The estate is very dog friendly with nice walks and we met some lovely people. Parking. There is no off road parking! You park on the road outside the property, but there is only room if there is no one parked opposite or you will block the road. Beware the wrath of the neighbour on the conner next door if you park too close to "his parking space!" We love Devon & Dorset but this time it was unseasonably cold, down to 10 degrees for two days, and sometimes very wet. Not a problem for us, but the underfloor heating did not lend itself to these conditions at all, It was set somewhat cool and by it's design it does not respond quickly to heat demand. It's not pleasant coming back to a cold cottage on a horrible wet day, and not be able to feel any benefit from boosting the heating for at least two hours. There is no additional heating included, so there was nowhere to dry wet coats, so they stayed wet. There is a wood burner, but no fuel is provided and it would have cost me a small fortune to buy the fuel needed to fuel it, so ultimately our stay was not as comfortable as it could have been. The roof window leaks reported by previous visitors continue to leak. The property is listed for six people, but the third bed is a bed settee in the lounge/TV room, which already has a bed on the mezzanine above. The bathroom for it would be one of the en-suites through another bedroom. Hardly very practical, I'm glad we didn't take the family here. When we arrived, the bin was full, and despite us putting it out to be emptied on the allocated day, it was not emptied. A phone call to Lyme Bay Holidays resulted in no action, so the next visitor would be met with the overflowing bin at the gate. It's a lovely cottage in a stunning location but would I go again? I'm sorry. No.
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Jackie
Only problem we had was that the bars on the gate were so far apart that our Maltese dog got out luckily we were able to catch him quickly but could not let him out into the courtyard except on a lead and had to hold on to him if anyone wanted to go out of the door of the property. A little bit of netting across the lower part of the gates would have made the court yard more secure
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Reginald
we had to wash up before we used any and the kitchen bowl was dirty. The property is in need of a dishwasher felt the washing machine was a waste for a rented property, we also felt the surfaces hadn't been cleaned or the floor for some time and found ice cream wrappers under sofa cushion and windows were in need of a deep clean. appreciate the age of the property but too many cobwebs for our liking. However, the beds and bathroom were fresh and adequate except one of the on-suites had a very impersonal toilet. we had a heavy downpour of rain and the upstairs bathroom roof window was leaking badly as was the shower door which was difficult to open and close. all the above sounds petty but for £1900 for the week it was not a fair or acceptable price to pay,