Little Orchard

I am mystified by the previous review.

The cottage had a lovely welcoming feel, was very clean in all areas, had everything one needed and location was perfect. Admittedly I did not crawl around looking under furniture/beds or inspect every cupboard/drawer but hey I was on holiday and had much better things to do. The garden was also lovely to sit in and relax but obviously previous reviewer had no time to relax as must have spent all their time making notes for their astoundingly inaccurate and unfair review. The walking from the house is really good, I and my dog walked to Forde Abbey from the cottage all on lovely footpaths. So to sum up, it was very clean everywhere, enough space to relax inside and out, everything you need is provided, oh and parking is fine we got a Volvo V70 and a Tucson in one area, so there was at least 1 space left. Thoroughly recommend and would happily book again.

We did read the critical December 25 review before booking, but given the owners response and the subsequent positive reviews, we hoped that most of the issues had been put right.

Sadly, that was not the case and nearly every aspect criticised in that review remained for us to experience. The firmness of a mattress is very much a personal thing. All four in our party found the mattresses comfortable. However, areas under and down the side of some beds had not been cleaned and cupboards and drawers were full of clutter. The bathrooms seemed clean, as was the plentiful supply of towels. The hot water did take a long time to come through. However, and disappointingly, we experienced nearly all of the other dust, dirt and hygiene issues reported in December. While it is nice to see items on shelves, the period furniture and fittings and numerous pictures on the walls, all of which give the property character, they are also potential dust traps and accordingly need regular cleaning. We had reason to slightly move an earthenware casserole dish on a kitchen window cill, only for it to reveal months of dirt and dust behind it. The lampshade over the dining table was also covered in dust as were most others. Frankly, we were uncertain what was clean and what was not. In the kitchen, the fridge freezer and the microwave were clean. The kettle switch had to be held down for some while before it wanted to stay on. On the other hand, every cupboard and drawer in the kitchen was full of stuff, some, such as the utensils, were so antiquated and rusty in a draw full of crumbs that they were not fit for use in a property being let in this way. We would only use what we were able to wash clean first. There wasn’t a single cupboard or drawer for us to store our own food. The worse aspect in the kitchen was when we discovered the oven shelf and trays unwashed in the dishwasher, covered in grease and the dishwasher filter that looked like it had never been cleaned. The smell was awful and that, combined with uncleaned drawers and crockery put us off cooking in the kitchen completely. One of the drawers in the air fryer had not been cleaned either. The curtains in the living room were dusty and some with cobwebs. There were sweets down the side of the sofa cushions. There was more “stuff” under the sofa, which again probably prevented access by a hoover. Some of the TV remote buttons had stopped working. In general there was an odd collection of items - some looking like old personal effects - in just about every drawer and cupboard in the house. Outside, one driveway is very narrow and difficult to get into. There is a deep channel across the entrance and the front bumper on our car bottomed out until we put some bricks in the channel. The other driveway is wider, taking one car with ease, but could probably only accommodate two small cars if you are relying on taking three. The lawns at the front were mown with plenty of nice plants. However, there was a retaining wall at the front. This had a low wall (around 0.6m high) with a flat ledge on the inside and around a 3m drop onto the road below outside. The gap beneath the entrance gate would not contain a small dog. At the side of the front garden there was an old compost heap with some sharp corrugated iron sheets and other refuse and the back garden was just covered in sharp stones. The two sheds contained mostly “junk”, which somewhat spoilt the charm of the place. The garden furniture was all wooden and looked like it was left out all year round. Its condition was decidedly uninviting. IMO the garden was not sufficiently safe for unsupervised dogs or unsupervised young children to roam or play in. The refuse collection rota had not been updated since September 2025 We also noticed and left a note reporting a broken child safety lock on the window in the middle bedroom, which was only just above the floor. We are realistic enough not to expect perfection. We left with a feeling that much of the contents were the property of the previous occupant(s) and that the new owner(s) had not taken the time and effort to remove unnecessary items and bring it up to the standard required for a commercial let. A thorough “spring clean” was also seriously overdue.

We visited in April and had a wonderful stay.

Using the log burner each evening added to the cosy cottage experience we were hoping for. The rooms are charming with lovely views, and the large garden was a big hit with the children! I would happily recommend Little Orchard to anyone looking for a rural getaway or a base to explore the Jurassic Coast. We’re looking forward to returning in the future. Many thanks, Richard

Really lovely cottage, nice style and plenty of room with enough pots and pans to cook up a storm.

Local park within 2 mins walk was perfect for the boy to play football. Thank you.

Lovely little cottage and great garden.

Good location, the village was very pretty and locals friendly. Local seaside towns were where we spent most of our time and there are a lot to choose from. Relaxed sitting by the fire in the evening.

Filthiest property I have ever stayed in - long term build up of grime as well as evidence from previous visitors including food crumbs on furniture, pubic hair in the toilet bowl, grease and food debris in oven and other appliances, empty crisp packets and socks under the beds, plus so much dust on every surface it triggered my asthma.

I could list many more examples of poor housekeeping and have photographic evidence of such. Bed mattresses are hard and uncomfortable, chair with broken leg in lounge, no hot water unless you boost the system and wait for 45 minutes which would be challenging if you were a large group and was not mentioned prior to booking. Sheds in the garden full of trash. Too much clutter in the house for a holiday let gathering dust and dead flies, drawers full of stuff. Shame as this house has so much potential and is a lovely location, but it has been seriously neglected. We were so grossed out by what we found that we showered and cooked in a relatives house and opted to spend as little time there as possible, and despite the clear lack of effort to prepare the house for its guests and keep it hygienic, they have the audacity to request that guests also strip the beds before leaving - ordinarily I would not mind, but when the place is in that state I kind of think it is a cheek!