Our initial impressions of the cottage we’re good. We felt it was basic, but clean and suitable for our week away. We have read that turning into the parking space was tricky, but we both managed it with minimal stress in our estate car. We have visited the area nearly every year for 20years so we know the roads and beaches relatively well. We were overjoyed to learn that the weather was set to be warm and sunny all week and we managed 8 days on the beach. The cottage is well placed for both surf at Sennen and calmer beach days at Porthcurno. Lands End is a short walk and St Just a quick drive up the road.
On our fist evening I found the previous occupants dirty towels hung on the bedroom door, which then set doubt in our minds as to how clean the accommodation actually was. During the week my husband swept the downstairs floor and found several items of rubbish behind the sofa that didn’t belong to us. A mug had been replaced in the cupboard that hadn’t been washed up, and several plates had food crusted on them.
We were never told about the recycling system until the 6th day we were there. I couldn’t find any information in the cottage on what I should’ve done. The bedlinen in the second bedroom was of very poor quality. The kitchen had what I can assume was once a chopping board but was in such a poor state I had to chop meat and vegetables on a plate, and given how blunt the knives were I’d guess I wasn’t the first. None of the mugs or plates mugs matched which gave the place a run down feel. The immediate area around the cottage although ok, was plagued with a smell of fishing equipment which was coming from the property lived in on the site of the cottage.
The Rayburn although lovely to see meant that the cottage was so hot it was almost unbearable sleep at night. We were told it burns all the time and to just open windows. This made very little difference. My family won’t return to Ivy Cottage, for the price we paid for a week it needs a big overhaul and some care given to the finer details. We have stayed in other cottages for less money that have been spotless and well cared for.