Cool Stone Cottage

This house offered such a calm, spacious base for our trip.

The rooms felt open and welcoming, and the beds were genuinely the comfiest I’ve ever slept in - the kind that help your whole body settle. Being just steps from the estuary meant we could drop into those picturesque, soothing views whenever we needed a moment of pause. The locals were wonderfully hospitable, creating that gentle sense of belonging that stays with you. Instow is also incredibly dog‑friendly, and our furry companion was welcomed everywhere we went. We had direct communication with the owner due to a previous issue, and they handled it with real care and accountability, making sure everything was put right. A restorative, heartfelt place to stay — we’d return without hesitation. Thank you!!

Lovely clean cottage, close to bus links, it is on a main road, but double glazed so noise was minimal, parking outside if there is a space, otherwise in a car park.

There was building work being done next door so very noisy, which started at 8am! but as the weather was good we were out and about. The beach at Instow is fab but the sea is toxic so can’t go in. ☹️ We have been here before, but were disappointed that no tea or coffee was available (previously it was there for us) on our arrival. All good overall though.

The property is up there with the best, lovely in all ways, but what is the point when you can't enjoy it, the worst holiday of my life.

Felt like the house was coming down, and the dust and fibreglass shards were everywhere, the dog nor we could use the garden nor relax in the house because we couldn't hear ourselves think. The advert said the house was going to be worked on march and April next door, that's why we booked June, they are totally demolishing the inside of next door which is attached to this place,

We had a wonderful week at Cool Stone Cottage.

Great location in Instow. Very comfortable and stylish decor. Good size living area. Well equipped throughout. Loved the area out the back of the cottage - great for sitting in the sun with a drink or two. We managed park outside the cottage all week, but I can imagine it might be a little tricky in the summer. Would absolutely recommend. Lovely place as a base to explore this beautiful area of Devon.

Cottage is perfect, it is spacious with comfy beds and a well equipped kitchen and a lovely courtyard patio at the back.

It is in a fantastic location, just 5 mins walk to Instow beach and perfect for cycling or walking the tarka trail. It is a great place to stay and explore North Devon. We had a lovely week at the cottage and will definitely be coming back.

Excellent property, has everything you would need for a relaxing and comfortable stay….

beds and pillows were extremely comfortable! Great location too .

A really lovely cottage with a cosy homely feel.

Beds super comfy and large kitchen full of everything you need. Garden is a little sun trap that we also enjoyed. Parking can be tricky but we managed to have one car parked all week. Would definitely stay again location was perfect.

We had a lovely stay at Cool Stone, with perfect weather and ideally located for getting around the coastal area and especially timely for the Gig rowing event at Appledore.

Thank you to your housekeeper for making contacting just after we'd left to travel home, we'd left a bag by the door!

Lovely cottage,cosy and warm.

Well equipped kitchen . Nice sunny courtyard. Really enjoyed are stay here. Location was very good for beach, pubs and restaurant.

We have stayed here many times and it never disappoints.

A comfortable and well equipped house close to everything you need.

Lovely stay house very comfortable and well equipped and good spot to explore north Devon coast.

Pot luck with the parking managed most days as have small car noticed other vehicles parking up and heading for across the road not other cottages slightly annoying.

It's a wonderful cottage in a perfect location.

The cottage has everything you need for a great holiday. From top quality bedding to an extremely well-appointed kitchen. Don't worry about parking, it was never an issue.

We had a fabulous stay at Cool Stone Cottage.

Parking was no problem for us but might be later in the season. Traffic noise is an issue, particularly early in the morning but I feel this is reflected in the price. Personally we were not bothered by it but I can see how others may be affected. Instow is a fabulous location for the whole family / the beach us sandy and safe and the tarka trail is right there for fab cycling trips.

House was lovely, there was a bit of an unpleasant smell by the front door, maybe the mat at the bottom of the stairs, or the drain by door.

Great little cottage, in a good location.

The beach, pubs/restaurants and deli/shop/cafe all within walking distance. We found the cottage to be very clean and well equipped, Christmas decks a nice touch. Kitchen was modern and of a good size with plenty of crockery, glasses and a good range of cooking essentials. The bedrooms were spacious with large comfy beds, duvets too thick and heavy for us (personal choice), lacked hanging space if there for more than a few days. There are two lovely modern bathrooms, description says one is en suite but they are definitely two separate bathrooms, this wasn’t a problem as there was alway a 2nd toilet available without having to go through somebody’s bedroom. The lounge is lovely and good size but would benefit from some better furniture, the sofa is not really big enough for 3 adults and not at all comfy the other chairs whilst look nice are not suitable for sitting for any length of time. Unfortunately we had bad weather and ended up spending more time in than out so lounge was used more than we intended. The main downside for us was parking as we had 2 cars in our party and it was a struggle getting one space let alone 2, the public car park was close by but always full until around 6/7pm. There is also a lot of traffic noise from early morning which I would imagine might annoy some people in the summer with windows open. If parking and traffic noise are not a problem for you then I would definitely recommend this cottage as so many positives. Also big thank you to Chrissie the house keeper, who called to advise when cottage was ready and gave us lots of local info.

A fabulous clean, spacious and well-located cottage.

We would definitely book this cottage again.

Fantastic cottage, fab location and absolutely spotless.

Had everything you could possibly need right down to dog bowls. Read that is was noisy due to traffic but I wouldn't say its a problem it's on a main road!? but that's the beauty of it being so close to the beach and other places. Beds were soooo comfortable ( going to replace my mattress now!) Lovely little touch to leave dog and human treats x only thing I would say is the sofa is a little small if there are six of you we were four so it worked, but a bigger more comfortable sofa would make this beautiful cottage an absolute

We have stayed in other cottages in Instow, but we liked Cool Stone Cottage best of all.

It was very well equipped, had comfy beds and furniture. The kitchen facilities were excellent. The house was spotlessly clean. We appreciated the enclosed patio; it was a safe place to store bikes. By far the best place we had stayed in in Instow.

Hello Sykes, Having used you and your sister company Helpful Holidays for many years I have to confess disappointment about the the detail and description given for our latest booking Cool Stone Cottage in Instow.

Yes the general description is fairly accurate, but the main point of criticism is NO MENTION the property is on top of the MAIN road. Not a problem for some, who sadly, may have hearing problems, or, live on a main road but for many a complete, nightmare. The road, not measured, is approximately 4m from the bedroom windows. So, on warm summer night with the windows open the noise is dreadful. The situation is compounded by a main Bus Stop opposite the window. I have come home from what should have been a wonderful holiday suffering from sleep deprivation. This omision, proximity to a main road, should be addressed and clearly stated in the details so clients are aware and have a choice. Our other "gripe" and our fault for not checking. There is no guest cloakroom, toilet, downstairs. Surely a must in these modern times. I also find it almost inconceivable no other reviews have drawn attention to these issues. Surely it cannot just us finding this a major disappointment

The cottage is in a very good location and has good public transport connections.

There are many interesting walks in the immediate area and further afield. The beach is very attractive though it is on an estuary with lots of boats moored so perhaps a bit limited for swimming but fine for paddling. There are quite a lot of dogs on the beach. The cottage feels spacious and there were no surprises compared to the online description. Instow is not very big but there a few pubs and restaurants and a shop which are quite close. The cottage seemed to have everything we needed for the holiday. We had a very pleasant holiday.

It’s a great cottage in a great location - ideal for families and dogs….

Very well kitted out with comfy beds and high end appliances… only issues we had were with tv signal (but you can stream via BbCiplayer etc) and internet (but Jurassic fibre says it’s coming soon!)…

Very warming and comfortable environment and helpful owner, the only comment we have and its not negative, is that there are many more things there than are mentioned in the pre occupation write up, like the barbeque and wind break, books, games jigsaws and the like, that if mentioned might allow guests to not bring the kitchen sink with them in their cars

Lovely family holiday and great location.

Ideal for the dog and access to the beach. Lovely pubs and fabulous shop (John's) within walking distance.

Can thoroughly recommend Cool Stone Cottage as a place to stay.

This large cottage is extremely well furnished and equipped with everything you need to make it a home from home. Beds and sofas all very comfortable. Two bathrooms with lovely showers and lots of hot water - so great for 5 adults. It is in a great location, couldn't believe how close it was to the sea. The Tarka trail is just across the road so you can walk either way to Biddeford or Barnstaple, lovely cafe at Fremington quay. Close to some lovely beaches and worth visiting Westward-Ho!, Ilfracombe and definitely go to Staunton Sands - the Beach Grill nice to sit on terrace and have a drink. Would recommend having a meal at The Quay - they have some lovely fish dishes, all locally caught fish and The Instow Arms. The property is on the main road with no allocated parking and I can imagine parking is an issue during high season but in October we didn't have too much trouble. We bought a weeks parking ticket from the Parish Council as at times we had 3 families staying at the property. The car park is a 5 minute walk down the road so really not an issue.

Beautiful property, very clean, welcome pack on arrival which was marvellous , that extra thought, milk, butter, bread , jam , biscuits, property was ready earlier , housekeeper txt d us.

9 minute walk to beach, The Quay Inn, good simple food, towards end of beach, The Boathouse good menu and position. Great place would go there again. Chrissie the housekeeper, always available and owner if needed.

We had a lovely week at Cool Stone Cottage.

The cottage is in a great location, just minutes walk from the beach at Instow. The interior is beautiful, better even than in the photos and it was great to have an enclosed outdoor space, particularly as we had our dog with us. We didn't have particular problems with the parking, though it was just outside high season. Would definitely return.

The cottage itself was very comfortable and nicely decorated and the welcome pack was a nice surprise, but I don’t feel the listing made it clear how close to a busy road it is, or the difficulties we might have parking.

The members of our party in the front of the house had a lot of difficulty sleeping as it was hot and they needed the window open. The kitchen could do with bring better stocked - there was no grater, no large bowls for pasta and no kitchen roll.

Lovely cottage with everything you need for a comfortable home away from home.

The road outside though was busier than ever and road noise and parking was an issue for us.

On the whole a good experience and we would return

Spacious house for a dog friendly family stay.

The beds were really comfortable. Easy walking distance to the deli and beach. We are hoping to return in the future but will bring our bikes.

Cool Stone Cottage was a lovely house to stay at.

Extremely well equipped kitchen, very comfortable beds, useful having a bathroom and a shower room both fitted with very effective showers. Secure outside area, very good for a toddler and a dog. Five minute walk to the beach and very close to the Tarka Trail for our daily walk. We will definitely stay at this property again just need to decide whether next spring or autumn

Cottage was as advertised, clean, well equipped kitchen, beds comfortable but could do with new sofas as the one there and the 2 chairs were not so good.

Great location for beach/pubs, etc in Instow and exploring Devon coast. Parking not an issue most of the time.

What a fabulous place, everything was perfect and we did not want to leave.

Fantastic cottage , beautifully decorated , comfortable beds , had everything we needed.

Great location too

The cottage had not been cleaned or the beds made.

There were piles of dirty towels on the floor etc. Luckily I was able to contact the owner who arranged for linen to be delivered and cleaners who came and made up beds and cleaned the bathrooms. A great shame,not a great start to the week and obviously the floors had not been cleaned,not nice with a 1year old crawling...

The parking was never a problem but we were promised a parking card which we never received.

Overall the cottage is great spacious plenty of room for five adults and facilities great for holiday needs. The owners have put a lot of thought into the decor.

Beautiful well appointed cottage in a great location.

We had no trouble with parking outside the house most of the week. The house is bright, spacious and well decorated. The two bathrooms are very convenient, beds are extremely comfortable and towels fresh and white. The kitchen is well equipped and there’s even a first rate smart tv with Netflix etc which kept my adult children happy! We loved the ferry across to Appledore and enjoyed exploring the coast. A wonderful week away!

Very good location, the house is in excellent condition (recently modernised) and I would recommend this house and place to anyone looking for a quiet get away in a beautiful part of the country

Cottage was really nice, very homely.

Only areas for improvement, another sofa in the living room, more comfortable chairs in kitchen and courtyard could be made more inviting. Booking process and checking in and out were very easy!!

Cool Stone Cottage has a beautiful home from home feel.

Lots of room for family and entertaining. Great location just 2 mins away from the quay, and 5 mins from the beach. Being in the doorstep of dog friendly beaches and pubs was also great. We will be returning! Thank you.

Lovely house.

Very nicely presented. Clean. Some well appreciated extras - the Xmas tree and decorations, the cookies tea, coffee etc.

We found the cottage to be comfortable and really nice to come back too after a tiring day visiting Devon.

The house has been tastefully modernised without losing the character of the building, location could not be better as just a couple of minute walk to either the beach or The Tarka trail. Plenty of eating places ranging from two Inns where you get good food at reasonable prices (Wayfarer and the Quay Inn) and small cafe at Johns,also delicatessen. So overall a place to come back to time and time again. Would certainly go back.

Everything was as expected.

Parking facilities was the only letdown. For this reason only, we will not book this particular property. Cleanling materials would be useful as there was nothing to clean bathrooms with. Nobody likes leaving it for a whole week and that's not really something one would think to pack!!

Our second visit to Cool Stone Cottage.

Would highly recommend.Good location with nearby restaurants and pubs.

The cottage was very clean and beds very comfortable with no ends which is what we look for as husband and son-in-law are tall.

Unfortunately the cleaner had not been told the trundle bed needed making up (booked for 4 adults and 2 children) but came out quickly to make up the bed on Friday evening. The only reason we will not book this place again is because of the large property next door is up for sale and it wraps round the back of the property and has 15 bedrooms, may be noisy.

Highlighting the cottage is on the main road would have been something I would have expected.

The quality of the interior was excellent.

The Cottage is well equipped and comfortable.

It's more spacious than it might appear from the photos and, with two reception rooms and a large kitchen downstairs, the four of us never felt cramped. It's tastefully decorated and we loved the light and airy kitchen. We were blessed with excellent weather (early July 2018) so took full advantage of the local beaches and walks. Instow's beach and waterfront are delightful, with views across the estuary to Appledore and a choice of good pubs. The Coastal Footpath/Tarka Trail is two minutes walk away and the regular bus service stops just outside the door: we used this a few times - although there is parking outside the Cottage it is in demand and we preferred to leave the car safely there rather than risk losing the space, only driving out if we wanted to take the body boards to beaches further away. Altogether a restful, relaxed break.

We had a wonderful holiday with our dog.

The weather was fantastic and the cottage was lovely with everything you needed going to book again for next year.

Had a wonderful time.

Location was great and the dog lived the beech which was just down the road.

The cottage was tastefully decorated & the beds were very comfortable & spotless clean .

The facilities were brilliant .It was more than we expected & could not complain about anything . Parking was a bit difficult at times &the road was very busy .Apart from this we had no problems ...

Everything was has we would like, just I little hard to find the key when you first get to the cottage.

We had a lovely holiday.

The Cottage was very nice, we will certainly be coming again.

Cool Stone Cottage is excellent and we enjoyed our stay very much.

We were so impressed we have already booked another week in September!!If you have a dog Instow is the perfect destination as everywhere is dog friendly.

Very cosy cottage - has everything you might want from a stay away.

Instow is a great location any time of the year - pity about the lack of parking throughout the village

Beautiful cottage - loved the decor and how the owners had thought of everything!

We took photos for decorating inspiration!