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"The old forge cottage was stunning."
It was perfectly quaint with all the modern necessities. We were comfortable and felt at home. Mikes communication was welcome and not intrusive. Recycling seemed to be an issue for others but it was very easy to follow. I adored the home and would love to go back. If I had one small piece of feedback I would say the stairs need a fitted runner for grip. I stayed on the ground floor since my mum and dad could not join us. If I had been upstairs, as originally planned, I would have struggled with the stairs. Polished wood and rope banister would have been a disaster for me. But honestly, that’s just a sideline. The place was beautifully maintained and the perfect mix of old and new. The wooden stools and the collection of mini pillows were adorable! Thank you
Reviewed by Stuart5.0★Aug 2024
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"Lovely, well- equipped, comfortable, characteristic, clean, well maintained and felt very welcoming for our family."
Loved the personal touches - very thoughtful and appreciated the phone call on arrival night. Would recommend to friends and family without hesitation.
Reviewed by Alex4.4★Jul 2024
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"This is a gorgeous cottage full of charm."
Very comfortable and everything you need. The shower at the back had excellent power and no shortage of hot water (we didn't use the front one!). Loved the bedrooms upstairs with the sky lights and the beautiful sounds of the church bells. A lovely warm cottage to come home to after a day of sight seeing. Set in a lovely little village with a lovely local pub. We really enjoyed our stay, thank you.
Reviewed by Richeal5.0★Jun 2024
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"The cottage was charming."
It was really clean and well maintained. It was well equipped and everything was clearly labelled and organised. The showers were good and easy to use. The small bedroom downstairs didn't have much clothes storage but then it is an old cottage with quirky spaces. The kitchen /diner was perfect. A lovely place to stay in a quiet village with a nice pub and handy shop.
Reviewed by Andrea4.7★May 2024
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"A cosy cottage over a few days of horrible weather offering our family respite after hikes across the Moors."
Thank you for all the little extra touches - perhaps the only thing worth adding would be a hand towel for each of the shower rooms would have been useful, but we managed! Great communication from the owners - Thank you!
Thank you for your kind comments. A hand towel is supplied for the kitchen but we don't put a hand towel in each shower room as all guests are supplied with their own bath towel and hand towel.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Victoria5.0★Apr 2024
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"I was concerned about parking outside the cottage but it was ok, and some very large vehicles went past with no problem."
I don't know what I was doing wrong but couldn't get the door open when I came back from shopping and was very stressed about no mobile phone signal. My son did a video call on whatsapp to try and help, then two passing good samaritans opened the door for me. I had no problem subsequently.
Reviewed by Elizabeth5.0★Mar 2024
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"The Old Forge is such a nice place."
We had a great time.
Reviewed by Denys5.0★Aug 2023
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"Property was as described and very clean, warm and welcoming."
Showers were good and towels provided were lovely - soap provided.
Only one small point that no shaver points in the bathrooms.
Kitchen/Diner was spacious and very well equipped, and well provided with T Towels, dishcloths, washing up liquid etc
Welcome gift was also very welcome - thank you so much x
Reviewed by Debbie5.0★Jul 2023
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"The cottage is very comfortable and warm, with all modern kitchen and bathroom facilities."
Reviewed by Peter5.0★Apr 2023
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"Gorgeous cottage in sweet village with decent shop and pub."
Ilsington is well placed for exploring Dartmoor
Reviewed by Kerry5.0★Apr 2023
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"It's quite difficult to find interesting, quirky, and comfortable smaller holiday cottages that are suitable for the elderly."
I booked The Old Forge as an 80th birthday treat for my mother (who now struggles with stairs) and she was absolutely over the moon with the accommodation – with the lovely downstairs bedroom and shower rooms (there are two so we had one each!) and with the quality of the interiors, and everything you could ever need provided for. It must be one of the nicest cottages I’ve ever stayed in – and I felt like a kid again, climbing the little staircase up to the wonderful upstairs bedrooms. The village is so lovely, with a shop and proper village pub ‘The Carpenters Arms’ – where we were made to feel extremely welcome by the owners and locals. I hope we can return in the future.
Reviewed by Emma5.0★Mar 2023
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"We had a great stay at the Old Forge which had everything we needed for a comfortable and relaxing week."
Ilsington is lovely village, with a useful shop and a good pub, The Carpenters Arms. The location is perfect for quick access to Dartmoor.
Reviewed by Clare5.0★Feb 2023
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"We booked The Old Forge over New Years and had a wonderful stay!"
It was in such a beautiful location and incredibly cosy and welcoming inside. The property got warm very quickly which was great considering it's age. The kitchen was also very well equipped and one of our group even braved making a full roast dinner in there! Having two bathrooms was super handy with 6 of us staying there, and even the little touches like umbrellas in the porch (which we unfortunately needed to use) were so thoughtful! We would absolutely stay here again in a heartbeat! Thank you for such a fantastic stay :)
Reviewed by Abigail5.0★Dec 2022
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"Thank you for a lovely stay at your cottage."
We really couldn’t fault it, a very comfortable and enjoyable time was had by all.
Only one observation, we did have an issue with the bathroom sinks being slow to drain away.
Thank you for your feedback. So glad you all enjoyed your stay. The bathroom sink drainage has been remedied now. Sorry you had a problem with it and thank you for letting us know.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Robert5.0★Dec 2022
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"Comfortable, cosy cottage with access to lovely walks and great restaurants."
Reviewed by Jane5.0★Oct 2022
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"Quite probably the best property we've stayed in over 10+ years of holidays around the UK."
The Old Forge is beautifully laid out and thoughtfully decorated; and it's even better equipped than our family home!
The position next to the Churchyard is fabulous, and we really enjoyed the peace and quiet in Ilsington, despite being only a short distance from Hay Tor and the best of Dartmoor. The Carpenters' Arms just across the Churchyard is a great pub with friendly owners and locals and very good food, and the village shop is excellent. Up the road the Hotel does an excellent afternoon tea, and the spa looks great.
We highly recommend The Old Forge and would definitely return here.
Reviewed by Chris5.0★Aug 2022
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"Wonderful holiday cottage."
well equipped, very nice kitchen, nice garden and cozy and comfortable rooms. village shop although very small, remarkably well stocked.
if I would have to name one potential improvement: soft cushions in the garden seats would make a stay even nicer (we had nice weather so we spent a lot of time in the garden). thank you for having us!
Thank you for your feedback which we always welcome. I am sorry that you did not find the cushions, they are in the hall cupboard. We are so pleased to hear you had lovely weather during your holiday.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Frederike4.4★Jul 2022
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"Fabulous bolthole to explore Devon."
The house was well equipped and comfortable, much bigger than it looks. Perfect for our family of four, but spacious enough for 6. Highly recommend if you are looking for a quintessentially English retreat - even church bells on the doorstep.
Reviewed by Allison5.0★Jun 2022
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"A lovely cottage."
Quirky, full of character yet comfortable and well equipped. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here while mountain biking around Dartmoor.
Reviewed by Karl5.0★Jun 2022
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"What a perfect place for visiting Devon and especially Dartmoor walking."
The cottage, like the owners are, is warm and welcoming.
We had everything that we needed and more for our delightful stay at The Old Forge.
The village of Islington is charming and having a local community run shop and welcoming pub round’s everything off.
Would love to return without hesitation.
Geoff and Shirley.
Reviewed by Geoffrey5.0★May 2022
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"The Old Forge is a lovely, comfortable, warm cottage for a lovely break."
Set in a picturesque village with Dartmoor all around is a big plus.
Reviewed by Jill5.0★Dec 2021
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"Cosy cottage but plenty of space for family of four, very well equipped, clean and tidy, good location,"
Reviewed by Michael5.0★Dec 2021
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"The cottage was the perfect, quiet hideaway."
A great base to get out and about. We would come again
Reviewed by Andrew5.0★Aug 2021
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"Great place to stay between high moors and coast."
Beware of sat navs, it tends to direct you down very narrow lanes with little if any passing places. Very good village shop and very reasonable prices. Lovely pub also. Very Covid secure. Ideal for two generations of family. Thank you very much for a very enjoyable holiday.
Reviewed by Michael5.0★Aug 2021
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"Beautiful cottage which was deceptively larger than I’d imagined."
We had everything we needed and more. We loved the cottagey feel and the beautiful surroundings. The local pub was excellent and the village shop was surprisingly well stocked. We didn’t go to any supermarkets as we had all we needed from the little shop. The memory foam mattresses are probably due for replacing but other than that everything was perfect.
Reviewed by Mike5.0★Aug 2021
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"The TV was very difficult to
Operate due to some wobbly and dodgy sockets at the back of the human box."
This meant that reception came and went which was very frustrating. I always feel that when paying a significant amount for a rental that the kit in it should be similar to home and with 5 of us using our phones constantly there really should be a WiFi enabled music system. Same goes for the TV really.
Thank you for your feedback, we have spoken to the owners and they have responded with the following, we are sorry you had trouble with the TV and WiFi. The Ilsington area suffers from relatively slow download speeds because the local telephone exchange in Haytor has not yet been updated to fast broadband. The TV works well in Standard Definition but there is often insufficient bandwidth for HD which causes pixilation and buffering. This is beyond our control, there is however, a WiFi booster in the cottage and also a Bluetooth music system. Both the TV and Humax box are of good quality, relatively new and the gold plated HDMI connection between the box and the TV is of the highest quality. Update - The Old Forge now has Full Fibre Broadband
Property Owner
Reviewed by Jonathan4.7★Jul 2021
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"A delightful cottage in a very special and quiet place."
We were reassured that the wonderful local pub and shop still employs social distancing rules. Be mindful of narrow roads and drive carefully, but so worth being off the beaten track.
Reviewed by Lucy4.4★Jul 2021
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"Lovely cottage, very clean and comfortable."
Good area for exploring dartmoor and coast. Local village pub good.
Reviewed by Philippa5.0★May 2021
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"This is a great cottage, a home away from home."
Very clean and comfy place to stay. Good location to visit Dartmoor and the coast. Clear instructions from the owners about how things work if there are any issues (which they weren’t), and on how to leave the cottage at the end of your stay. Would definitely recommend
Reviewed by Tracy5.0★May 2021
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"Wonderful cottage."
Well kept and extremely helpful/ welcoming owner.
My main gripe was that I used Vbro and ended up with Sykes and so had to pay extra for that but then I assume it was the owners choice not to list it directly with Vbro and I wouldn't have found the cottage otherwise.
Reviewed by Susan5.0★Apr 2021
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"Comfy beds, well equipped, clean, great location."
Just what we hoped for.
Reviewed by Ben5.0★Apr 2021
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"Cosy cottage with great local facilities - pub, country house hotel and village shop, all within walking distance."
Loads of great walking from the door or a short drive away.
Reviewed by Andy4.7★Oct 2020
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"Good location for walks and exploring Dartmoor: well equipped, clean, tasteful decor, lots of helpful information about the cottage and the area made available, friendly contact from owners."
Convenient pub and well-stocked local shop.
Reviewed by Terry and Gill4.7★Sep 2020
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"A lovely cottage, well kept and cleaned for our arrival."
Local pub (literally just round the corner) was very good as was the food (not a huge menu but had 2/3 vegetarian options) and friendly staff. Parking by the cottage means under trees full of crows etc so car will take a good clean afterwards!!
Reviewed by Andrew5.0★Aug 2020
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"The cottage is beautiful and in a lovely village with a good pub and local shop."
It is comfortable, well equipped and clean. We all enjoy sitting on the patio at the back, listening to the birds singing and the church clock chiming. My older relatives appreciate the downstairs bedroom and shower room with grab rails. Also, having 2 shower rooms is very useful.
Reviewed by Julie5.0★Aug 2020
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"The old forge is a lovely cottage in a beautiful little village."
The cottage has everything you need and was clean,tidy and warm. The two seperate toilets and showers were very handy and there are well thought out additions throughout the cottage. The moor is only just up the road and there are footpaths very nearby. The local pub has good ale,cider and food. We had a great time over the New Year holidays. We would definitely go back.
Reviewed by David5.0★Dec 2019
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"The cottage is an ideal place to stay whilst visiting beautiful Dartmoor, it's cosy and practical but stylish and quirky ."
Islington is a friendly village with a good pub and shop.
Wouldn't hesitate to stay again if we come back to Dartmoor!!
Reviewed by Julie5.0★Oct 2019
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"A very cosy cottage with everything you need."
It is in a good location to visit the Moors or coast. The village shop and pub is a short walk away. We had good meals at the Welcome Stranger and the Half Way Inn. It was a nice touch to have a bottle of wine and a pint of milk. I will definitely book this lovely cottage again.
Reviewed by Denise5.0★Jul 2019
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"Just two marginal inconveniences: 1) parking at the cottage is complicated."
2) it would be great if one could get through to the care taker via phone. Cottage itself was superb, comfy and great to stay in! :-)
Reviewed by Nadja4.7★May 2019
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"A perfect location for Dartmoor, lovely cottage, fully equipped in a lovely village."
Everything we could have hoped for.
Reviewed by Kirsten5.0★Apr 2019
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"All went well, with ease."
No problems.
Reviewed by John5.0★Feb 2019
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"Pros
Very comfortable and well thought out house."
Well equipped throughout and in the Kitchen there is nearly every aid.
Location in a small quiet village but with a pub and good shop within easy walking distance.
Different colour towels for each person so no chance of mix up.
Hooks on the back of every door for practicality
WiFi that works
The hot water failed and was fixed very rapidly.
Eventually one of our boys, 41 years old French admitted to going through the English menus on the the thermostat and possibly causing the problem.
Cons
These are very minor cons
Close to road. One wall and several windows are directly on to the road. Not really a problem as
1. The sound insulation is very good.
2. Theere are only about 5 cars per hour and it is not a problem.
3. There are only about 2 people per hour who pass on foot.
Access to the village is by some single track road so passing can be interesting. Again traffic is very light so the chances of encountering another vehicule is low.
Only one medium sized frying pan. If you are cooking eggs for 6 people it has to be done in batches.
Reviewed by Shaun5.0★Aug 2018
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"Excellent cottage in a local village Thanks"
Reviewed by James4.7★Jun 2018
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"Heavy winter duvets should be changed lighter, low tog for summer use."
we bought two low tog duvets much more comfortable.
Reviewed by David3.8★Jun 2018
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"This is a beautiful cottage both inside and out."
It is well situated for us, being in the village and near the moors. We find having two shower rooms particularly useful, especially having grab rails in one. The kitchen is well equipped and all the rooms are comfortable. We love sitting out on the patio and listening to the church bells. There was plenty of information to hand and we had no difficulties using anything. We had a fantastic week - thank you.
Reviewed by Julie5.0★May 2018
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"The owners of the Old Forge had anticipated all our needs and much much more."
..A beautiful cottage with a delightful courtyard (we had all our meals out of doors as the sun shone for us...)and, inside, the furniture together with excellent china, glass and cutlery more than met all our expectations, down to tasteful stylish furnishings and lovely pottery on the windowsills with the feeling everywhere of being in a centuries-old much-loved home. The kitchen was well equipped which suited us as we spent the days out delighting in Haytor, Widecombe, Parke, Hound Tor and many other local places, on the way exploring whole fields of bluebells and buttercups and delighting in the ponies and sheep who wandered not only on the moors but also in the road...and then we came back to cook in the evening, eating either in the courtyard or in the dining room which had a large pine sideboard table and chairs, interesting paintings and wall art and a wooden floor. The village shop, open 12 hours a day, and run by volunteers, stocked a very wide range of comestibles including local cheeses jams and chutneys.
Everything was perfect.
Reviewed by Peter5.0★May 2018
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"Forge Cottage was set in a beautiful village."
Cottage had all the facilities you need for a comfortable break. The village pub and shop were excellent. Roads were a challenge but that is Devon, if you can drive in Devon you can drive anywhere.
Reviewed by Mary4.7★May 2018
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"Very comfortable cottage that was full of charachter."
Very well located for walking on Dartmoor and local shop and pub. Our three teenage children were happy with it too.
Reviewed by Wendy5.0★Apr 2018
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