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"We absolutely loved our stay at the Thatched Cottage!"
It was perfect for a relaxing weekend away. It was lovely to be welcomed with some treats from the owners and a pack with lots of information about the cottage facilities and local restaurants (thank you!). The views surrounding the cottage were beautiful. The rooms were very cute and spacious. Overall, would definitely recommend!
Dear Georgia, we are so happy you enjoyed your stay at the cottage. Thank you for all your lovely feedback, we are glad you enjoyed the treats and found the information useful. Looking forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Georgia5.0★Nov 2024
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"**A Lovely Cottage with Character**
We absolutely loved this beautiful cottage, full of fantastic period features."
The original wooden beams, low ceilings, and old stone fireplaces really gave it charm. The living room was cozy and comfortable, with a pool/table tennis table that was a hit with the older kids.
The kitchen was well-equipped with everything we needed, and the welcome basket was a thoughtful personal touch. The bedrooms were spacious, clean, and well-furnished, with plenty of extra bedding available.
The view was breathtaking—endless green fields stretching out in front. There was comfortable outdoor seating where we could sit and enjoy the scenery over a cup of tea.
Overall, we had a wonderful stay and will definitely be booking again. It felt special to stay in a cottage with so much history, dating back to the 1600s. Highly recommend!
Dear Ali, thank you so much for your lovely feedback, we are glad you enjoyed your stay and appreciated all the features of our cottage. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Ali5.0★Oct 2024
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"The thatched cottage had everything we needed although in terms of rooms it was a tale of two halves."
The rooms from the kitchen onwards and the bedrooms above the lounge were very much more modern and up to date than the rooms at the other end.
The downstairs bedroom walls were damp and both that room and the bedroom above felt like they needed modernising and a lot more attention. The bathrooms and toilets to these bedrooms were very dated and didn’t look that clean and the showers very basic compared to the other bathroom.
The hot tub was amazing and lovely and warm.
The garden felt a bit unloved and unkempt and the walk to the hot tub over grown a bit.
We did enjoy our break and we said the beds were comfy and we slept well but just parts could do with a bit of an update and attention.
Thanks for the welcome pack that was a lovely touch.
Dear Anna, we are glad you enjoyed your stay, the hot tub and the welcome pack. Thank you for your feedback, we will be investigating any issues in the downstairs bedroom immediately. We have planned maintenance work in the new year, which will transform the upstairs room and facilities. We look forward to welcoming you back to the cottage in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Anna3.1★Oct 2024
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"The cottage has fantastic views but is looking tired and needs some decoration and maintenance and lacks cleanliness in areas of the house."
It is good that the property accepts dogs but be prepared to have to put the dogs in the car for any walks as the road outside is very narrow and very busy with all sorts of traffic from cars to large lorries and tractors and with the lack of any pavement it is very dangerous with the speeds these vehicles are travelling.
We were very lucky with the weather which enabled us to sit outside and enjoy the fantastic views, I’m not sure that I would return to this property again though due to the location being right on an A road with constant traffic and the lack of dog walks.
I don’t know if it’s a standard thing with Sykes cottages but the check in time of 4pm and check out time of 10am is not great in my opinion, it makes the leaving day a rush to get everything done, strip beds etc etc.
Dear David, thank you for your feedback. We will be addressing any cleaning issues immediately and have planned maintenance work in the new year.
As a holiday cottage we welcome dogs, as we know that a lot of dog owners who vacation in the UK appreciate this, as it saves on making other arrangements. We are not advertised as pet friendly, as we know that both our grounds, which do not have high fences and the A road that's near the property, are not suitable for walking dogs. We have found that having the option there, gives dog owners the choice. Some guests contact us before booking, to check whether the cottage is suitable and we give as much detail as possible, so they can make an informed decision on whether it is suitable for their dog. Our location is clearly marked on the map on our listing, many guests find us very easy to access, especially in this part of the country, where a lot of cottages are difficult to locate. It is also common to find that most rural roads in this area do not have footpaths, but as guests come by car, they are all happy to take a short drive to the many parks and walks available in the area. We have had many guests staying with their lovely dogs, who have really enjoyed the cottage and its locality.
We will ask Sykes about removing any instructions to strip bed linen, as this maybe a covid protocol, which is no longer required, but as far as we are aware this is not something we request of our guests. We are glad you enjoyed the lovely views that our cottage has to offer and we hope that you would reconsider revisting us again in they future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by David3.1★Sep 2024
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"Cleanliness needs looking into."
The studio room at the top wasn’t up to the standard of the rest of the property. Carpets very dirty, very dusty and cobwebs everywhere you look. The shower was dirty and the vent in shower could do with a thorough clean.. shower also leaked into kitchen . Had to ask for more bed linen and also ask for more light bulbs . In my opinion the cottage is a beautiful place but would not return. We have used Sykes accommodations on 3 previous occasions and have always been very happy and satisfied.
Dear Carole
Thank you for your feedback, we have addressed the issues mentioned with our cleaners. Unfortunately due to personal circumstances our usual cleaner was not available to do the changeover prior to your arrival, so there was a miscommunication about beds that needed to be set up. As soon as this was brought to our attention, the cleaner popped back to rectify this and we had feedback that you were happy with everything. We do urge guests to contact us with issues during their stay, so that where possible we can rectify anything that has been missed or needs investigating. We did arrange for the light bulbs to be changed, but as the person couldn't access the cottage whilst you were out, they did leave them there and having not heard anything further, we assumed you had received them. We will make sure that a new supply of bulbs are left for guests to access.
We have planned work in the new year to change the layout and update the shower/toilet in the studio area of the property. We hope that these changes will make a difference to that part of the cottage and encourage you to make a return visit.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Carole2.8★Sep 2024
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"We had a wonderful stay here."
The grounds and cottage are beautiful and the views are breathtaking. We particularly loved the old features of the property, especially the wall casts which we believe they possibly date back to the 1600’s but unsure. It would have been nice to have read the history of this beautiful cottage.
The property was very clean throughout and very well equipped, although there was some wear and tear and a few stains on the carpets upstairs, it didn’t bother our stay at all. The bedrooms were a very good size , the beds were comfortable and accommodated our large family beautifully.
The hot tub was hot on arrival and set in a fantastic location on the property. The views from
the hot tub are stunning.
The welcome pack was a wonderful touch too so thank you very much for that.
The kitchen was well equipped with everything we needed to cook big meals and the added bonus of Sky and the pool/table tennis table kept the kids entertained.
We would definitely return to this beautiful property and highly recommend it to anyone.
Dear Rebecca, thank you for your lovely comments and feedback. We're so happy you enjoyed your stay and all the features of our cottage. The Thatched Cottage was built approximately in 1650 and it still retains some of the original features from the Tudor era, which adds to its quirkiness.
We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Rebecca4.7★Aug 2024
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"Beautiful property with stunning views."
Perfect for a break away
Dear Chrissy,
Thank you for your lovely comments. We are happy you enjoyed the cottage and the beautiful views. Looking forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Chrissy4.7★Jul 2024
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"The cottage was lovely and very comfortable, the first night when the heating was broken was absolutely freezing and the fan heaters couldn’t be left on all night, the Attic room was so cold that night that my daughter couldn’t sleep in there so bunked in with her sister."
The problem was resolved the next day when the plumber came.
The cleanliness score was really down to a couple of things and recommend this feedback is passed onto whoever is contracted to clean the property. A used covid test and lots of used tissues were found in the bottom bedroom. Used false eyelashes were on the bedside table in the bedroom in the attic. A large stain was evident on the main bedroom carpet-looked like attempt made to clean it. The rest of the cottage was great and the welcome pack was a really lovely touch. Hot tub was perfect and ready for use on arrival. Would stay again.
Dear Rachel
Thank you for your feedback. We were only made aware of the heating issue on Sunday afternoon and our plumber went out to fix this before your arrival on Monday, setting it up so that the heating could still be switched on. As a part had to be ordered for the boiler, we kept you informed of the issue, which was resolved on the following morning. We are sorry for the inconvenience on the day of your arrival and we will look into supplying further electric heaters at the cottage.
We will raise the issues with cleaning, with our housekeeping team immediately.
Glad you had a good stay and got to enjoy the hot tub. Looking forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Rachel3.4★Feb 2024
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"It felt like the property owner had made every effort to make a comfortable and enjoyable stay."
The cottage’s heating had been turned on ready for our arrival and the hot tub heated up. The welcome pack was much appreciated.
The views are spectacular and we arrived to the most stunning red sky.
The kitchen is very equipped and it’s so good to be in a cottage where they really have catered for the number of people staying.
I would definitely recommend this cottage. Perfect for a large family get together or for friends.
Dear Naomi, thank you for your lovely comments. We are so happy that you had a comfortable stay and got to enjoy the cottage. Looking forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Naomi5.0★Jan 2024
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"We loved our stay at the Thatched Cottage - a truly beautiful and unique home with modern finishings meaning that our stay was both special and comfortable."
The property had ample room for us all meaning we felt connected but not on top of one another, including when cooking and dining. We loved the view and location - easily accessible by car, close to local amenities but once you're in the property you feel utterly secluded and tranquil. A perfect spot for a break away. The only feedback we had was about the hot water going off midway through the second day meaning that some guests had to have cold showers, however we soon learned that there is an electric shower to make up for this and the hot water came back later on with no fuss. The owners put wonderful finishing touches of a festive greetings card, some Prosecco for NYE, local apple juice and some biscuits which of course was not at all expected but so appreciated. Thank you! Would definitely stay again.
Dear Bethany
Thank you for your lovely comments and feedback, we are so happy you had a wonderful stay at our cottage. We will look into the hot water issue, the water is set to come on twice daily, which is normally sufficient, as two of the showers are electric, therefore it is only the kitchen, sinks and the main bathroom that run from the heating system. We are glad you managed to use the other facilities to solve the issue, but would have been happy to help if you contacted us. We very much look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Bethany4.4★Dec 2023
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"Absolutely stunning cottage!"
Me & my family stayed here over Christmas and were blown away with how gorgeous & quirky it was and the views were unbelievable, we had a fantastic time. The owners kindly gifted us with a Christmas hamper and it was such a lovely to surprise to see the house had been decorated for Christmas! The beds were so comfy and smelt fresh. Every single room in the cottage was immaculate, there was a toilet/bathroom next to each bedroom which was great. The living room is cosy and the kitchen was well equipped. The hot tub was ready to use straight away and the views from it were amazing! Honestly one of the best places we’ve ever stayed and will definitely be returning in the summer!
Thank you again for the most wonderful stay it made our Christmas Day so much more special.
Dear Leah, thank you for your lovely comments, we are thrilled that you had such a fantastic time at the cottage, especially over the festive period and we are happy that you enjoyed the hamper of treats!
We very much look forward to welcoming you back again and certainly recommend a spring/ summer stay at the cottage so that you can see the garden and landscape in it's full glory.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Leah5.0★Dec 2023
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"Words cannot express how fantastic this property is!"
Any issues mentioned by previous reviews with regards to the facilities and cleanliness have certainly been fixed - we were really impressed with the presentation and condition of the property especially considering its age. There were 8 of us staying in the property in total, plus one dog, and we all adored the place. It's a true character property - when you first arrive, it's like a maze - full of quirky corners and features. I felt like an excited kid running around looking in every room. With a lot of holiday properties you get minimal decor, but this cottage is packed full of personality.
The bedrooms were all lovely, really comfy beds and soft bedding - insane views from the one I stayed in especially (with the blue headboard). The bathroom next to that bedroom was also really modern and clean with a ceiling-mounted shower. Plenty of places to sit and cosy up in the living room as well as a TV with Sky. The heating does a really good job of getting the whole house nice and cosy, a great feat considering it was November!
The outside of the property is unbelievable. Full of gorgeous plants and greenery which the dog loved exploring. The hot tub is set back from the property so you get uninterrupted views across the fields. The view was so incredible a bunch of us got up before sunrise on our last day so we could enjoy it in the hot tub! The hot tub was fab quality, really clean and plenty big.
To top it all off, the owners are fantastic - it was lovely to arrive to see milk in the fridge along with some cookies and apple juice. The whole place smelled divine with loads of reed diffusers placed throughout. And when I accidentally left behind my parents 30 year old edition (!!!) of Scrabble, they sent it straight back to me no problem and even called Sykes to check I'd received it (which I now have - THANK YOU!)
Thank you so much for an incredible stay at the Thatched Cottage - we will be back!!
Dear Bethany, thank you so much for your lovely comments, we are so happy that you had a wonderful stay at the cottage and have truly appreciated all its features and quirkiness. We shall pass on all your feedback to our housekeeping team, gardeners and our guy who cleans & maintains our hot tub. We are so glad you got your Scrabble board back OK, we understood it meant a lot to you and we were happy to arrange that. We very much look forward to welcoming you back to the cottage in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Bethany5.0★Nov 2023
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"Very pleasant cottage, plenty of room."
Very comfortable lounge. Well equipped kitchen.Bedrooms comfortable. Lots of space for 8 people .
Welcome basket was much appreciated.
Hot tub was lovely and had been turned on prior to our arrival so we could use it straight away which was fantastic. We had an absolutely wonderful holiday and will certainly book again.
Downstairs bedroom/ en-suite plumbing needs looking at, every time you flush toilet or turn on taps, a loud prolonged noice. Possible air in pipes.?
Thanks
Dear Suzanne, thank you for your feedback and your lovely comments regarding our cottage. We are so glad you had a wonderful stay. The flush was replaced on the ensuite toilet prior to your stay, our cleaners notice the issue with the noise when they returned after your stay. Our plumber has been back and this has now been resolved. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Suzanne4.4★Oct 2023
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"The Thatched Cottage near Crediton is a lovely character Cottage with amazing views, but unfortunately there are a few things that let it down during our stay."
The down stairs bedroom toilet was broken along with the toilet seat , the shower head was full of mould & dirt , the shower need a good deep clean as all the grout & silicone is covered in mould spots .
The wardrobe was very damp unable to hang clothes in .
I was going to stay in this room as I have a balance issues and was not intending to use the stairs but unfortunately couldn’t stay in the downstairs bedroom with these issues.
Luckily we booked for 4 people and not full capacity so we could move to other bedrooms, if not we would have been even more disappointed.
We was going to ring and report the problems on the emergence landline which in the information pack at the cottage should be found under the stairs , as there is little or no signal on the mobiles at the cottage, but their was no emergence phone underneath the stairs .
Also the password for the internet wrong , it’s a Capital A on the second password, not lowercase. ( I can see now that this was also reported in a previous review)
The first hour of our Hoilday was spent cleaning as cups , glasses & grill pans were all sticky .
The cutlery draw was disgusting with dirty stains , (we removed the cutlery and left the dirt in this draw for the cleaners to see along with a note highlighting other issues so they will hopefully be addressed before the next booking arrives. )
Also the draining rack needs replacement as rust/dirt in between the draining slots .
The Garden furniture all needs maintenance , cleaning or replacement, the stepping stones down to the Jacuzzi are lose and move under foot , causing a trip hazard, the jacuzzi lid needs replacing as falling apart when folded back as the zips are broken, & looks very unsightly while sat in the Jacuzzi and the garden is over grown in parts and needs attention in the ponds and the dead trees need cutting down , we had windy weather on some days and branches were very precarious.
On booking the cottage we looked for particular filters / listing requirements , one of which was open fires , but you are not allowed to light the fire , so this needs to be removed from that filter. ( totally understand reasons why with it being thatched but needs addressing on the filters as clearly you cannot have an open fire . )
For the cost of this holiday I would have expected a welcome pack , or at lest some dishwasher tablets , some kind of thoughtfulness, like milk , Devon fudge , dishwasher tablets , or bottle of wine , these do not have to be perishables that are thrown away , they could be for the next occupant if not used , in every cottage over the years we have ever booked at different price levels there has always been a welcome pack , just a kindness that means a lot , this was lacking .
On positive notes the views were amazing, the cottage has a charm and coziness , the upstairs bedrooms were lovely and you can enjoy the views from there too .
The upstairs bathroom has a lovely shower and all was clean in this bathroom.
Very peaceful and relaxing location, even though close to the main road , as the cottage faces the other way overlooking beautiful rolling fields, great sun raises and watching the weather changes as such a vast view .
I think for the price of this holiday I was expecting high standards , so was very disappointed that cleanliness & maintenance let down this beautiful cottage, and definitely had an effect on our hoilday enjoyment .
I do not expect to go away on holiday to be cleaning , and removing rubbish bins at the end of it , I expect the cleaning to be in the price , first cottage where we had to remove bedding , and make sure dishwasher all done and put away before leaving , maybe relying on the last people to clean things is why the cottage now needs a deep clean .
We would always leave things tidy , but this was not clean when we arrived, definitely loads of things need to be addressed , maybe an adjustment in price is needed until these things are addressed .
Dear Sharon, thank you for all your feedback. We apologise for the issues you have experienced. We have had tradespeople in this weekend to investigate the issues with the ground floor bedroom and ensuite. Work is due to take place at the beginning of October to rectify this. The toilet seat and flush were in working order on the last changeover, so these are things that we were only aware of after you checked out, so we will ensure this is fixed as well. The hot tub is having a new lid installed this week, this had to be specially made to order, so we have had to wait for it.
We have only recently had feedback regarding the WiFi, so we will try to get to the bottom of this and ensure correct login details are displayed.
We do understand your frustration with cleaning being missed, our housekeeping team will address these with immediate effect.
Thank you for your lovely comments regarding the cottage and its views. We will endeavour to put things right and hope that you will return to our cottage again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Sharon1.9★Sep 2023
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"Positives-great location for amenities, gorgeous views you won’t get bored of and is genuinely a lovely cottage but…."
Negatives-seriously unloved really needs time and money updating the majority of the cottage inside and out. Needs a proper proper deep clean to get rid of mould especially in bathrooms(not disrespectful to cleaners as they only get a small amount of time in between clients to give a basic clean)-the stains on the living room carpet doesn’t look very professional when charging upwards of £1000 per week
Very surprised no welcome pack was given not even the basics but I think this sums up the owner of all expense spared at the thatched cottage. Note to anyone going ignore the wi fi code in the welcoming notes pack-its wrong! Look at the back of the box itself and save yourself half an hour!
To sum up by far the worst cottage we’ve stayed in with Sykes but has the potential to be the best
Dear Roger, thank you for taking the time to send us your feedback. We are really glad you enjoyed the exceptional views and the locality during your stay. Due to the age and size of the cottage and it's grounds, it can be challenging to maintain. We always strive to make improvements where possible, but our priority is always the safety of our guests, therefore much of our recent investment has been on fire safety due to the thatched roof. We have had many happy guests who have appreciated the quirkiness of our cottage and the amazing views. We are aware that there are some aspects, as you mentioned, which require improvement, which is reflected in the price we charge. Normally we would have 8 guests staying at the property, therefore we can appreciate for your stay with two guests, this may seem excessive. We do everything we can to clean and maintain the cottage to a standard where our guests can enjoy a comfortable stay. We will address any issues that you have mentioned regarding cleanliness with our housekeeping team and we will be addressing some wider maintenance in due course.
We are sorry that you had problems with the wifi login, the one on the hub can be used, but we provide the login for the booster, which then allows you to have a better connection, we invested in this system to try our best to provide all guests with the best possible wifi in this rural setting.
We understand that you may have expected a welcome pack, but this is something we have trialled in the past and found that there is a lot of food wastage or we do not have staff to coordinate the purchase of perishable items. We do therefore provide a supply of tea, coffee and sugar and we have found that guests are generally happy with this. We hope that any issues you encountered will not put you off returning to our lovely cottage again and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Roger1.9★Sep 2023
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"A fabulous cottage in a wonderful location."
Lots of room and well equipped. We had a great stay and the good weather meant we could make use of the great outdoor space including the hot tub. What would have made it perfect were clearer instructions to find the property. The sign on the gate is tiny and it took us nearly an hour to locate it. Also a lot of the outdoor lights weren't working so a torch was needed when using the hot tub at night. Otherwise a lovely stay.
Dear Jacqueline, thank you for your lovely comments about our cottage, we are so glad you enjoyed your stay.
We are working with our electrician to fit suitable lighting for our outdoor areas, especially leading up to the hot tub. We will also contact Sykes to suggest if they can provide more detailed instructions on how to find us, along with a what3words location finder. We look forward to welcoming you back to the cottage again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Jacqueline4.7★Sep 2023
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"Beautiful setting with great views."
We had our dogs on leads at all times in the garden as it is not enclosed anywhere and the dogs were very curious about the new scents. The children loved the house as hide and seek was fabulous!
Dear Lorraine, we are very happy you enjoyed your stay at the cottage. Thank you for your lovely comments. We look forward to welcoming you back to the cottage again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Lorraine5.0★Aug 2023
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"Beautiful place to stay!"
Has everything you need. We will definitely be staying again. The only grumble was that the ground floor bedroom was extremely damp.
Dear Marek, we are very happy you had an enjoyable break at the cottage. Thank you for your feedback, we will be carrying out general repairs on the cottage soon and will get any issues with the ground floor bedroom investigated. We very much look forward to welcoming you back again.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Marek5.0★Aug 2023
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"We had a wonderful stay."
The cottage is amazing and reflects the age and history of the place. The views are spectacular, the property, grounds and setting makes us want to return.
The kitchen was fantastic and extremely well equipped to cook for everyone.
We were a bit confused about the outside lights which were in the trees etc. They would look wonderful if we were able to switch them on.
The hot tub and view was fantastic, as the light fades could do with a solar light or something to see the steps on the walk back to the property.
The well established gardens and plants are super.
The weather wasn't on our side to spend a lot of time outside. We did use the lovely seating area just outside the lounge.
Further wooden chairs etc could do with an up lift.
So happy with our stay, thank you
Dear Philip, we are very happy you had an enjoyable stay at the cottage. Thank you for your feedback, we are currently looking into suitable alternative outdoor lighting to replace any current ones. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Philip4.4★Jul 2023
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"We had a very relaxed stay at The Thatched Cottage."
8 of us, but there was plenty of room. It is just off a main road, but we didn't really notice any noise from this.
It is a lovely old building; there is a little damp spot in the dining room, but this didn't bother us and should be expected given the age of the building. All the beds were very comfy and there was plenty of storage.
The big disappointment is the outside. The gardens were very overgrown which spoilt the view when sitting outside. The outdoor furniture was also not the best - the two loungers were broken so you can't raise the back, the wooden furniture is a poor condition and very rickety and the outdoor bar on the decking has seen better days! We also couldn't get the majority of the outside lighting to work, just one lamp from the living room (instructions where all the switches are would be good).Not all the solar lights work on the steps to the hot tub, but there are torches in the house.
Inside, we had to fix the flush on the toilet in the downstairs ensuite as it was extremely noisy - a simple adjustment and it was fixed. The shower in the upstairs annex bedroom leaked through to the kitchen - this was reported so hopefully is now fixed.
Despite the issues above, we did have a great week. If holidaying in that area again I would certainly look to book the cottage again.
Dear Kev, we are so glad you enjoyed your stay at our cottage. Your feedback is much appreciated, we are aware of the patch of blown plaster in the dining room, due to the material used for the walls of the cottage, there is specialist work required to rectify it, which will require 2-3 weeks to carryout, where the property needs to be vacated. This is in no way effecting the functionality or safety of the cottage, therefore we will be scheduling this work in as soon as possible, so we can honour our current guest bookings.
We have raised your concerns with our gardener, who is scheduled to come in fortnightly to maintain the garden. As you can appreciate it is a very large garden, with extensive grounds, we try our best to keep up maintenance of all these areas, whilst keeping as much of the mature plants as possible, so that guests can have some privacy as well. As for the outdoor furniture, we will get our housekeeping team to check for any broken items and look at replacements. Our electrician is looking at further lighting options for the garden, but due to the location and surroundings we do have some restrictions. Thank you for reporting the leak, we did have our plumber investigate this.
We look forward to welcoming you back to our cottage again.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Kev4.1★Jul 2023
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"It was a fabulous location."
We opened the back door to wonderful views. A very enjoyable holiday
Dear Jennifer, we are very happy you had an enjoyable break at the cottage. Thank you for your feedback, we look forward to welcoming you back again.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Jennifer4.7★May 2023
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"Over all we thought it was great and views across the valley, great."
Only criticism, a couple of damp spots indoors. And loose steps to hot tub in need of repointing
But we did have a great weekend. I'd certainly go here again.
Dear William, we are very happy you enjoyed your stay and the fantastic views. Thank you for your feedback, we will have our gardener check for any loose slabs and secure these on his next visit. Due to being a 17th century cottage, we do regular maintenance at the cottage and will look into any damp issues and address these. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by William5.0★May 2023
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"The most beautiful house, accommodated 8 of us for a surprise get away (5 adults, 3 children and a dog)."
Each room was clean cosy and inviting and definitely had the wow factor. Everything was provided and fully stocked with all items needed and more. The garden was stunning and there was so much room for family games. We were sad to leave at the end of the weekend. The hot tub was the perfect touch. The only one thing I would suggest and it is a tiny suggestion and by no means a complaint - would be for a little more lighting leading up to the hot tub as using it at night was quite dark to see where we were going and heading back to the house. Definitely recommend this house for a perfect family retreat. We would certainly book again.
Dear Ele, we are very happy that you had such an enjoyable stay and loved the cottage. Thank you for all your feedback, we currently have solar lights along the path leading upto the hot tub. We'll check if these are all working and look into how we can improve the lighting. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Ele5.0★Apr 2023
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"Lovely property in a beautiful setting."
Views absolutely stunning. Had a lovely relaxing family holiday here and would definitely recommend it.
Dear Janet, we are extremely happy that you had a relaxing stay at our cottage. Thank you for all your lovely feedback, we look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Janet4.4★Apr 2023
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"It was a beautiful property with plenty of space for our family and our dogs, in a picturesque location, our only criticism was the bedrooms were cold, some extra covers would easily remedy our issue."
Dear Ann, thank you for your lovely feedback about our cottage and we hope you had an enjoyable stay. We will take your feedback on board and look at ways to provide extra bedding/ heaters. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Ann4.4★Feb 2023
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"It was a wonderful cottage with a lovely homely feel about it yet plenty of space for 2 families to share and not feel like we were on top of each other."
We had a really enjoyable stay.
The only negative comment was that the hot tub lid seemed to be a little broken so there was a metal bar across the tub at all times, even when the cover was removed, but we did still manage to use it.
Dear Katie, thank you for your lovely feedback and we are really happy that you enjoyed your stay. We will look into the issue with the hot tub, the metal bar supports the lid and should fold away when opened, thank you for bringing this to our attention.
We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Katie4.7★Dec 2022
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"The property is absolutely massive!"
It is brilliant. The kitchen is really well equipped with everything you could need. The beds are really comfy. The only couple of things I would add was the upstairs bedrooms were very cold on the first night (it was -5 degrees outside), but the bedrooms were generally colder than the rest of the house, so would benefit from some additional blankets. Otherwise what a great stay!
Dear Hannah, thank you for your feedback and lovely comments about our cottage. We are so glad you had a great stay and look forward to welcoming you back again.
Unfortunately as you mentioned, it was a particularly cold week when you stayed. We will look at extra provisions in the bedrooms, to ensure a comfortable stay for future guests.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Hannah4.4★Dec 2022
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"Thank you - we had a very comfortable stay - the view from the hot tub
was amazing."
Everything was very clean and fully equipped kitchen - although could do with some oven gloves. Luckily the weather was kind to
us but in the summer this would be a great place to be.
Dear Janet
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, we are very happy you enjoyed your stay and found everything to your satisfaction. We apologise for the missing oven gloves, we will let the housekeeping know. The cottage is fantastic all year round with the views we have and in the summer it is outstanding, we hope to see you back again soon and you get to experience the cottage at a different time of year.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Janet5.0★Oct 2022
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"A really lovely spacious cottage inside, clean and tidy with beautiful views."
There was a little road noise but you soon get used to it.
The exterior was looking a little tired in places. The hot tub was lovely and clean and a lovely addition to enjoy which had great views even in the rain!.
Dear Sarah, thank you for your lovely feedback, we are constantly trying to improve the guest experience whilst staying at our cottage. We are very happy that you enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you back.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Sarah4.7★Oct 2022
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"The Thatched Cottage is a gorgeous property with lots of features, quirks and amazing views."
The only thing to let it down was the lack of a decent welcome pack and the cleanliness. Other Sykes Cottages we've stayed in offered a bottle of fizz, a large selection of teas and coffees and buscuits, cake, etc. Having lived in an old thatch cottage for many years I understand the challenge of keeping it clean, but it felt a bit like it had just had a quick whizz round with a duster and hoover. That being said I would highly recommend the Thatched Cottage based on how beautiful it is inside and out, and of course, the hot tub with those views!!
Dear Tony, thank you for your feedback and we are very happy that you enjoyed your stay at the cottage, with all its quirks, breathtaking views and hot tub. We are sorry that you were disappointed there was not a welcome pack. We have tried various things in the past, but we have found that often guests do not use the items, which can result in a lot of waste due to expiry dates. We do provide a small supply of tea, coffee and sugar sachets for when you arrive, but we have found guests do prefer to bring their own. We will certainly bare this in mind going forward and will look into different options. As regards to cleanliness, we had literally just had work completed on the change of flooring in our dining room, kitchen and hallway. Our cleaner spent most of Friday and Saturday prior to your check in, giving extra attention to the cleaning, due to the anticipated dust from the extensive carpentry work that took place. We apologise for this, but we expect there may have been some areas missed or further dust that settled after the clean, we will bring this to our cleaners attention, to make sure that this is addressed. We hope that this has not put you off returning to our cottage again and we looking forward to welcoming you back.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Tony4.1★Oct 2022
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"On arrival my two teenage granddaughters immediately tried to access wi-fi using the password provided in the cottage information folder."
Alas it did not work.
At approximately 5.20 pm I phoned the number provided by Sykes, which was answered quite quickly. I explained that the wi-fi did not work and was told I would be transferred to another Sykes department. After holding on for about 10 minutes I gave up and rang the other number provided. After about 20 minutes holding on waiting for an answer I gave up.
In the meantime a granddaughter discovered a 'Sky box', and using the password on the back was able to access wi-fi.
It seems that the service provider had been changed from BT to Sky but no one had updated the information folder.
Not a good start to our holiday in this very expensive cottage.
Later the same evening we discovered that the 'hi tec' bath plug did not work, which meant that we could not bath our toddler, albeit the shower did work OK.
We did not report it to Sykes as we believed that no one in Sykes would answer the phone.
Reviewed by Clive3.4★Aug 2022
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"We had a lovely week in this beautiful property and wouldn't hesitate to return."
The views at the back of the property were stunning and the hot tub was the icing on the cake. As the weather was so hot it would have been nice to have had some sort of shade over the hot tub but this didn't spoil our enjoyment.
Dear Guest, thank you for your kind words and helpful feedback. We will certainly look into how we can have a cover over the hot tub without obstructing the views. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay at the cottage and the stunning views. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by D5.0★Aug 2022
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"Was concerned after a recent review but the house is beautiful, very clean and well cared for with fabulous views and wonderful gardens."
The hot tub was left on for us. It is sparkling clean and looks very new. In the garden, there are so many places to sit that you can always find somewhere shady and there is a huge choice of types of seating. Great kitchen and very comfortable living room with loads of seating. Couldn't fault any aspect and well worth the money.
Dear Kathryn, thank you for your kind words. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay and found everything to your satisfaction. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Kathryn5.0★Jul 2022
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"Please find below the issues we had at the property during our stay:-
First of all, this is not a peaceful location in the countryside as the description of the property would leave you to believe."
Whilst the front of the property benefits from a gorgeous view, the property is situated right on a major through road which is in constant use both day and night. The road takes heavy traffic which can be heard even inside the property and totally negates the lovely view. We took 2 small dogs with us and whilst the property is advertised as dog friendly, I would not say that it is suitable for dogs. The garden is not secure and there is very easy access to the busy main road if they are explorers. Also no walks from the cottage either, everywhere is a drive.
2) On arrival at the property, the outdoor garden furniture all needed to be scrubbed down with soap and hot water before it could be used. The deck was filthy and the gardens whilst benefitting from lovely mature plants and trees looks really neglected and in need of tlc. The washing line was also completely broken. Empty bird feeders and lots of areas that need a general tidy up that are storing old/broken furniture.
There are two small ponds which are so dirty with stagnant water I'm amazed that the fish are not dead. Again really needs tlc and they could be a lovely feature.
The garden chairs need to be replaced or at least have new cushions, they were all dirty and some broken. No cushions provided for the loungers.
Also only one parasol which is in the picnic table, no shade/parasol for the large seating area at the other end of the garden. This is much needed as the garden is south facing and gets very hot.
The bar would be a nice feature again with some tlc, the lighting needs to be addressed and electricity supply restored for it to be utilised. No point in having it as it is.
3) The hot tub was not clean, it had loads of grit and flies inside when we arrived. This should have been clean water freshly changed for us. The net was broken so could not clear them out. Also unable to change the temperature of the hot tub, it was a very hot weekend and we would have liked to enjoy a cool tub.
4) The property inside was also dirty, clearly it is not being cleaned as it should be with thick dust evident in a lot of places. The carpets are stained and in need of replacing. A lot of the furniture is very dated and in need of replacing, it needs decorating and updating also.
5) The bath in the main bathroom was dirty on arrival and the toilet seat really loose.
Empty hand wash bottles and empty Reed diffusers are not very welcoming! Artifical flowers covered in dust not great either... the handheld shower could not be used due to a big hole in the cable, the water poured out everywhere. Very poor design with no shower screen or curtain. Fixed rain shower head which is too close to the wall and very difficult to get under as it is in the bath.
6) The annexe bedroom did not have a lightshade, just a bare bulb and the toilet and shower are completely unfit for purpose. On arrival the door to the shower was broken (we fixed it so it would shut). The stairs leading to this room are also more like a ladder than a staircase, extremely steep!
7) several of the fans were not working despite a recent PAT test and the toaster only worked on one side.
The dishwasher did not wash properly ( needs rinse aid and salt we think) all these things the cleaners should be checking on.
8) The downstairs ensuite facilities are again not fit for purpose. Damp, mouldy and stained ceiling, dirty grout and a shower that's ancient and in desperate need of replacing.
9) We travelled as a family with teenagers in tow, the WiFi was really intermittent and not accessible at all in some of the rooms (annexe bedroom included). This was very problematic for us! although appreciate in an old building with thick walls getting a good service is difficult.
This could be a fantastic property if you don't mind the constant traffic noise, however it needs a thorough deep clean, major modernisation and decoration first. It also needs to be maintained by cleaners who have an interest in the property and an eye for detail.
During our stay a lot of these issues were fed back to sykes and the owner who was very pleasant and accepted my feedback constructively. A token offer of £122 refund has been provided. On reflection, and with the extent of the issues that we had I actually don't feel that that amount is appropriate. The photos and description of the property are very misleading, it was a special occasion stay that was very expensive and very disappointing.
Please can you take this forward for further compensation please or perhaps a credit amount against a future sykes property.
Kind regards,
Nadine Wills
Dear Nadine, thank you for your detailed feedback following your stay at our cottage and we very sorry that you have experienced these issues.
Our cottage is situated close to an A road, this is shown on the location map on our listing. We have had guests staying at our property for sometime and the noise has never been an issue. Due to the very hot weather and with windows open, this maybe the reason for noticing it more on your stay. Prior to your stay you contacted us directly to check if the cottage has a secure garden. We allow dogs to give guests flexibility to bring pets, but we do not advertise having a secure garden. I did send you an aerial view of the property, clearly indicating the position of the road, any openings and any low boundaries and asked you if you wanted to reconsider your booking. You did respond to say that your dogs won't go too far and that you're not worried at all after seeing how much garden there is and that the road border is fenced.
The Thatched Cottage is a 17th century cottage, with a lot of its original features maintained to add to it's quirkiness, therefore modernisation may lose this, but we will take into consideration all your points regarding cleaning and this will be addressed with our housekeeping team. As mentioned to you previously, the hot tub is always drained, cleaned and refilled on each changeover, therefore it would have been fresh water for when you arrived. It is very difficult to prevent a few insects getting into the water, our cleaners do their best to cover the hot tub whilst it refills, but the gap for the hose, somehow invites unwanted guests in. The grit that settles at the bottom is inevitable with hot tub refills in an open environment and once jets are switched on the water is filtered and should become clear.
Wifi is a huge issue for all properties in rural settings such as Crediton and we have invested in additional boosters to help with this. We have found that this has been effective and have had no feedback from previous guests regarding any issues. We will look into this further to see if there is anything more that can be done.
Our electrician has popped back to the cottage this week to check all appliances and everything is in suitable working order. He has also installed an extractor fan in the ensuite bathroom to address any issues that arise due to condensation, as guests do not open the bathroom window.
We thank you for bringing to our attention the issues that you have experienced and apologise for any inconvenience caused. We have actively tried to address anything for immediate action and will work with Sykes to look at how we can use your feedback to further improve our property for future guests.
Property Owner
Reviewed by Nadine1.6★Jul 2022
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"The cottage location was peaceful and in beautiful surroundings with fields all around except a main road behind it."
The main road was not an issue though with little noise.
The cottage was completely on its own and very private with a gate you can shut at night at the end of the long drive.
There was 6 adults on our holiday and with plenty of space you can be together or have time alone if you wanted it.
The bedrooms where huge with plenty of storage and the flat can cater for a family with two double beds in it and separate from the rest of the house.
The only issue we had was in one bedroom there was some insects we had to Hoover up when we arrived.
There are lights in the garden in trees and bushes but they did work which was a great shame.
Reviewed by Suzanne5.0★Jun 2022
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"Lovely spacious property gardens are beautiful really enjoyed the views and our stay could only have been better by the weather
So much character an charm throughout great place."
Only down side was limited walking due to busy roads next to property. But shobrooke Park a short drive was beautiful to take the dogs to.
Enjoyed local area thought 3 little pigs pub at Crediton was great and new inn was stunning.
Quay side and Cathedral at Exeter was also well worth a visit and not too far.
Reviewed by Edward5.0★May 2022
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"A beautiful cottage with stunning views."
Everything catered for. A relaxing and enjoyable stay with more than enough space for our party of 7.
Reviewed by Rachel5.0★Mar 2022
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"Absolutely loved our stay here felt like home from home really relaxed stay the ..."
Absolutely loved our stay here felt like home from home really relaxed stay the cottage and garden are beautiful and the hot tub was the cherry on top of the cake, would definitely come stay again
Reviewed by Nakitajade5.0★Feb 2022
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