Smugglers Cottage

Dear Guest We are delighted you enjoyed your stay at 'Snugs' and, as people who don't own a dog, are more and more appreciative of the garden as a safe haven for dogs and children alike and source of respite for busy families. We are continually indebted to our great gardener, Jake! When we get the chance to stay in Snugs ourselves, I always leave the wheeled bags downstairs and lug clothes and toiletries upstairs in 2 heavy duty shopping bags, I find it less daunting. The rear security lights were recently rebooted by local contractors Nixor as they were coming on continually with every movement of the oak tree branches in the breeze, but I can get these adjusted again when we next come down. All the best, Jane and John

Dear Guest It is reviews like yours (or should I just say your review, as we have never had one quite as unequivocally positive as yours) that signpost us through the gloom to a brighter future with Smugglers' Cottage. We were at the point of deciding to sell, hence the blocked out 2027 dates, but your review has turned things around for us and we will now definitely proceed with a series of works in the forthcoming quieter months around opening the cottage to guests for the foreseeable. We would be delighted to host you again at 'Snugs', and will look out for your name on the advanced bookings schedule. With our Very Best Wishes, Jane and John

Dear Guest We are sorry you had some issues while staying at Smugglers' Cottage. We will be taking the property off the rental market in the autumn/new year to carry out some dedicated building work (certainly not just DIY) on it, very difficult to date because of the volume of bookings from guests who appreciate the age and character of the house, the extensive garden, adequate parking space, woodland and coastal access and generous welcome pack. On that subject, and in response to your comments, I have discussed with our housekeeper and we will be reviewing the welcome pack to include just the fundamentals you missed. She will also be arranging window cleaning, hob light and loosening the front door. and we will get the staircase rope replaced with something more solid. I am sorry you didn't enjoy your stay, we live in London, rarely get time to visit Smugglers and can only respond to issues raised by guests

Dear Guest We are sorry your visit to Smugglers’ Cottage did not meet your expectations, and I hope you didn’t hurt yourself while there! I myself am arthritic and have had 2 major joint replacements but am fine with the stairs, perhaps I am mindful of the various occupants through time for whom a steep staircase would have been the least of their worries. In addition, Smugglers’ Cottage was the last in a number of potential holiday lets we viewed, all old thatched houses, and it may surprise you we settled on this one as it was by far the least hazardous to move around in! I will however reconsider the guest fee and revisit the property description with Sykes, re emphasising the low ceilings and steep staircase alongside the benefits to dogs and children of the garden. We are making a rare visit to the cottage this weekend with a deluxe mattress topper and more kitchen equipment inc cutlery, chopping boards and utensils and will be meeting an electrician with a list of jobs, including the ones you highlighted, in mind. The kitchen worktop probably needs stripping and recoating and I have spoken to our housekeeper about the rubbish you came across, this being the first time this has been reported, but she said all rubbish is always taken so I can’t comment there. I will certainly consider a deep clean of the cottage. As for woodlice and cobwebs, unfortunately these creatures are determined to gain access and quickly do so between cleans, in our own house we regularly host worms and frogs that somehow get into the kitchen from the garden via 3 other rooms!

Dear Guest Thank you for your feedback and I'm sorry your stay at Smugglers' Cottage fell somewhat short. We are indeed in the process of getting a mattress topper for the master bed. I have spoken to my housekeepers about the cleaning and I am sorry if the furniture appears a bit battered, it does seem to be deployed as a combat zone between children and dogs. We rarely find the time to come down and stay in �Snugs� ourselves but on our next trip we will stock up on more cutlery, appropriate chopping boards and smaller frying pans as you suggest. The hair dryer was reported missing by the cleaners and instead of bringing another one down we will arrange delivery of that asap. I know nothing of the failed conservatory lighting but we are meeting a builder at Snugs next month and have put this on my To Do list. Apologies again. Best Wishes Jane and John

Dear Guest I am sorry your sleep at Snugs was uncomfortable. The bed is indeed 2 singles with the option of interlocking to make a double as the original idea was to have the option for 2 single sleepers but when I asked my contractor to fit a headboard to protect the Hare Wallpaper I didn't consider the bed would become a permanent double! Anyway we have subsequently introduced a memory foam topper and have slept on this ourselves, it is a great improvement. Best Wishes Jane and John

Your review really cheered us up this morning! We can't thank you enough for your kind words and encouragement and are delighted you enjoyed your time at 'Snugs'. Please do let us know if you are ever planning to return. As regards the refuse removal, we have started paying Business Rates rather than Council Tax so our housekeepers take all rubbish, but a notification for this is indeed well overdue. I will type a notice for our cleaners to put up next to the kitchen bin and look into replacing or removing the dustbin outside. Many thanks again and all the best, Jane and John

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your stay at Smugglers’ Cottage did not meet your expectations. The cottage has welcomed guests for two years and consistently receives positive reviews (average 4.5/5), with many guests highlighting the welcome pack, peaceful setting, large garden, and period charm. Regarding your concerns about mice, we take any potential infestation extremely seriously. Neither our housekeeping team nor previous guests have ever reported signs of mice, and the previous owner maintained the property meticulously. Our team was also surprised by the mention of cobwebs, as these are normally addressed during changeovers. It is worth noting that thatched roofs naturally attract small wildlife, which is typical of rural cottages, but this is distinct from having house mice in the loft. We acted immediately once notified of the Wi‑Fi issue and arranged for TalkTalk to investigate. As we do not live locally, we rely on guests and cleaners to alert us to faults so we can respond promptly. The beds have not been a common source of complaint, though we appreciate comfort is subjective. Due to the steep staircase, very large mattresses are difficult to install, but we are now considering mattress toppers as suggested by our housekeeping team. The furniture is chosen to suit an 18th‑century thatched cottage and is accurately shown in the listing photos. As most of our guests are active families with children and dogs, we prioritise practical, durable furnishings that complement the cottage’s character. We are also preparing for a significant renovation programme, including repainting the radiators. Progress has been slower due to the listed status of the property, limited contractor availability, and high booking levels. Our focus to date has been essential maintenance such as roof care, damp management, and safety. We appreciate your comments and will continue to use guest feedback to guide improvements.

Dear Guest Thank you for your constructive review! We did actually look at a large number of similar cottages before settling on Snugs, and it may surprise people to learn we found Snugs has both an easier staircase and more headroom than all of them! We have subsequently conferred with our housekeepers, they have told us they take all rubbish from the bathroom and kitchen bins with no option to recycle owing to workload, and they will keep on top of bin liner supplies. They have cleared the shower drain too. We have reviewed the wifi - very irritating I agree - and we have subsequently supplied the cottage with more kitchen equipment and microwave dish cover. Think I'll leave more of my recipe books down next time we visit... VBW Jane and John