Dog Friendly Cardigan Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Craig - Verified booking

  We’ve just made our third booking to stay at Stable Cottage once again.

  We found it after our previous holiday let in the area sold up and we needed to look for alternative accommodation. As we have a border collie it was important to find somewhere that was welcoming and had somewhere safe for her to pad around. When we initially found Stable Cottage on Sykes’ website we were a little hesitant because of the note regarding the narrow access lane to the cottage stating max width of 1.85m. I knew that my car, a large estate car, was wider than that and wasn’t keen on parking my car away from the property. However, a Google Street View search showed me other cars parked up the lane that were larger than mine so we gambled on it being fine. The access lane is indeed snug at a pinch point at the bottom, and you’d want to be confident in the extremities of your car, but I was able to get the car up and down without too much issue. The car was too long to turn around so I would reverse back out. The second time we came we were in my wife’s car which is much smaller and we could had enough room to turn around in the generous parking spot for the cottage. The cottage itself was ideal for our requirements. It has all of the facilities we look for. The kitchen is well stocked and if we want to cook at home we can do. The sofas are comfy to relax on of an evening. The TV has all the channels we need, and the Wi-fi is strong to the main areas of the cottage, although a little weaker in the downstairs bedroom. The garden is fully enclosed so it’s safe for our dog to be in, and large enough to kick a ball or throw a frisbee for her. There is a short gap between the door to Stable Cottage and the garden gate so do supervise your dog when you let them out as they could wander up the path to other properties, but once in the garden and the gate closed it is totally enclosed. There is a large bathroom on the main living floor, along with the living room, kitchen and second bedroom which has two single beds. The main bedroom is downstairs, with its own toilet and shower cubicle. There is a bit of a musty smell in the downstairs bedroom, which is symptom of the nature of the building and should perhaps be expected of this period of property. The downstairs bathroom is very small, tucked under the stairs, so you need to mind your head. But, the shower is really nice with plenty of hot water. From our point of view, Stable Cottage is ideal. As a professional product tester and reviewer for Amazon it is always my duty to highlight elements that might not be so welcome to everyone, even if I can overlook them myself. The access lane is indeed narrow, and not everyone will be comfortable with threading their cars between the pinch points. There is a pay-and-display car park a minute’s walk from Stable Cottage, and a week’s ticket can be purchased at the machine which I noted was actually very good value. There are a number of slate steps up to the door of the property which should be noted, and can be slippery in wet conditions. Stable Cottage has a slightly odd layout, in that you enter through a communal door at ground level, proceed through a corridor and emerge back out into the open, up some steps and then turn right up a few more steps to the door of the property. You actually enter the property on the first floor. That may not entirely suit people with restricted mobility, so it’s worth me noting. I’ve noted the main bedroom has a slight musty smell, and the bathroom off of it is very small. But, that’s the limit of what I can think of as being negatives. And like I say I can over look those when balanced against the positives of the cottage itself and its location. I’ve personally been holidaying in Ceredigion since I was a baby in the late 70’s, and my family for many years before that, so we’re very familiar with the area and have many places of interests to go to and wonderful places to eat. So much so my wife and I married at the local Cardigan Castle several years ago. The location of Stable Cottage is only a 1-2 minute walk up the lane to Cardigan high street which is full of decent shops, pubs, sandwich stands etc. and there are a number of superb restaurants in the town so if you fancy a drink you don’t have to worry about driving. Crwst is one of the finest cafes in Wales, and has received many awards and is also dog friendly. The Pizza Tippi on the banks of the river serves fantastic pizzas, the Copper Pot and 1176 at Cardigan Castle serve stunning high-end food while Yr Hen Printworks is a Michelin accredited restaurant. There are a number of pubs that serve great food too, such as the Grosvenor, and if you just want a take-away there’s the Pendre fish & chip shop on the high street along with a Chinese, a couple of Indian’s, and Rominos pizza and kebabs which we’ve been to on many occasions. A short drive over the river and around to St Dogmaels you’ll find The Ferry Inn which is another excellent restaurant. Cardigan has a great little theatre/cinema called the Mwldan, 2-3 minute’s walk from Stable Cottage. There’s a decent Tesco supermarket, with petrol station, and an Aldi too. The renowned Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve can be reached on foot from the cottage, and Poppit Sands is a short drive away and is a vast beach that is very dog friendly. For us, Stable Cottage has proven to be a great base for us set off for days out at our regular haunts up and down the coast of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, and to come back and take a stroll to a favourite restaurant to wind down in the evening.

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• Kev - Verified booking

  REVIEW OF Y FELIN COTTAGE, CARDIGAN WALES MAY 2023 Overall Summary: We stayed at Y Felin for 7 nights in May 2023.

  This was our second cottage holiday with our adopted rescue dog. She is highly reactive to many situations, so we booked Y Felin as it was quite secluded and out of the way - and it catered for dogs! (Although, for us, with a reactive, dog the fence surrounding the side of the garden was not particularly high and we had to keep our dog on a lead whilst she was outside….just in case !!) It proved to be a great base from which to explore the Cardigan area of Wales and, at a pinch, you could probably walk into Cardigan but, unfortunately, that wasn’t an option for us. The cottage itself is set on the roadside in a small hamlet and has a peaceful secluded garden with views over open countryside and woodland. The garden housed the hot tub which we hadn’t had in any of our previous holiday cottages Surprisingly for us, it turned out to be a great place (and regular way) of relaxing at the end of each day following our exploration of the local beaches. It was a nice option to have. With secure parking for at least 2 cars, it’s only minutes from the main road (and a couple of large supermarkets) up a short, single track, lane. There is minimal passing traffic. The property itself is very well furnished and homely and has pretty much everything that guests could need. Open plan in layout and decorated and furnished in a traditional style it had a couple of sofas, a small armchair and a 6-seater dining table inside, a picnic table and a table with 6 chairs on the small patio outside, together with a well-equipped kitchen. We also found that the small utility room that housed the oil-fired boiler and the freezer was an ideal spot for drying out our damp clothing and footwear at the end of each day. The log burner in the lounge area looked very homely and a good supply of logs was supplied, but there was no need for us to use it during our stay. It has 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. That said, one of the bedrooms was more of a converted garden room with French doors leading out into the garden (It had 2 single beds in it but no wardrobe space). The double bed in the master bedroom was very comfortable. Ffion was a good host and, as she lives just up the road, was always on hand to sort out any issues which occurred during our stay quickly – and to our satisfaction. If you want a base to stay in when you’re visiting this part of Cardigan then Y Felin could be for you. That said we did feel that there were some areas that looked a little tired and where a lack of attention to detail let the cottage down a little. For us, these were: • A layer of dust in some areas. (Granted, the cottage had been empty the week before we arrived but we would have expected that to be picked up in a check before our arrival). • There were only 11 coat hangers supplied for the 3 bedrooms (and potentially 6 people). • The kitchen was well equipped but with most of the cupboard and drawer space being taken up with kitchen equipment, crockery and utensils there was very little space to store groceries etc. • No washing or dishwasher tablets were supplied. We do understand that this might not be a problem for some people but it would be a nice touch for the time we were there (and save having to buy a large pack of both from the supermarket). • There was no handwash or soap supplied in the bathroom. • One of the dog bowls supplied was dirty and clearly hadn’t been washed since the last visitors had used it. • The clothes airer supplied was old and broken. • The doors into and out of the garden bedroom were sticking and very difficult to open. • The key to the French doors out into the garden was missing. • One of the 2 light bulbs in the cooker hood was missing. • The shower head and the towel rail in the bathroom were showing signs of wear and corrosion. • The toilet pan was not secured to the bathroom floor so moved slightly when you sat on it ! • The barbeque was a little old and tired as was the table and chairs on the patio. • The provision of a small “Welcome pack” would be a nice touch. It would be a great way to showcase some of the local produce and wouldn’t cost much to put together. (That said, if the cost was an issue then it could easily be added to the fees for hiring the cottage- and go pretty much unnoticed). We have to say that none of these issues had a significant impact on our holiday but most (if not all) of them could be easily remedied and help create a much stronger impression on future visitors.

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• Alison - Verified booking

  Gellifor is situated up Ffordd y Cwm, a steep and narrow road in St Dogmaels.

  There is plenty of room to turn your car around and park by the property. The views from the property are superb. The key safe is easy to find and open without trying to open the very awkward metal gate. The welcome pack was a basic selection to start you off on your stay, no milk or bread or eggs though. The kitchen is well equipped with plenty of cutlery, pots, pans, crockery etc. Excellent fridge with a small freezer compartment and good oven and hob. However the bread board requires replacing, as it is splitting, and the wooden spoons need renewing.The kitchen and lounge both have the lovely view of the Teifi estuary. The en suite bedroom has a comfortable bed though the pillows need replacing as they are rather unsupportive. One pillow didn’t have a pillow protector on and the mattress protector had an old blood spot on it. The navy blue throw which had been put on the bed had muddy dog pawprints on and dog hairs. Yes I was aware that this is a dog friendly property when I booked but this is still unacceptable. I put the throw in the bath with a note that it required a wash! The main bathroom has an excellent shower. The tv and wifi reception were good. The leather sofas are a little past their best as they are a tad saggy, particularly the two seater. The owners may like to consider either replacing the lounge cushions or just buying some new fillers as the blue ones are flat almost! The outside of the property as you arrive looks untidy with various chairs and a table, and the door step, even though safe to use, was unbrushed. I didn’t venture into the garage where the washing machine and dryer are situated, so cannot comment on these. All the small radiator drying racks need replacing as they are way past their best, paint coming off and a bit rusty. The instructions for recycling at this property are confusing. There is a bin for recycling goods but no information on what the council recycles. No lid on the blue bin so paper and card would get sopping wet. In the end we just brought everything home that our local council recycles and put it in our own bin!The black bin for non recycled waste and the blue bin are at the front of the house and not at the side as the instructions imply. I opened the post box and put the post in the kitchen, it had rained very heavily and the post had got wet. This property must have been wonderful when it was first let, and could be again with just a little tlc, a few things renewed, and a bit of tidying up. Despite the few niggles we still enjoyed our time at the property and in the area regardless.

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• Paul - Verified booking

  These are comments, not criticisms and should be taken in the context of; we enjoyed our stay in the area and the main criteria for us is that we would return to the same property if we revisited the area.

  However, the blurb doesn't mention that next door is a decrepit looking bungalow with rubbish and waste bins strewn everywhere and is inhabited by strange people, not a good impression ! The impression given is that this a quiet, private property, but there is someone elses garden immediately behind the property, the view to the estuary is minimal and traffic from a nearby road is easily heard. Access to the property from the the town is a rat run of parked vehicles and the final 200 yards is very narrow and twisty - care must be taken when driving. Inside; Whilst it didn't bother us unduly, the previously mentioned cobwebs in the lounge really shouldn't be there in a property that's touted as being upmarket and isn't cheap to rent. There is mould in the sealant around the bottom of the shower and this looks pretty disgusting and should be redone. The bath encourages water spillage between it and the wall and is therefore smelling of damp under the bath. The property is expected to be handed back in clean condition, so the tools provided to do that should be maintained in better condition. The brush head in the Dyson was clogged with fibres which I had to remove in order to get it to pick up properly and ther was no crevice attachment for it. The whole property lacks any sound deadening e.g rugs (understandable) but that makes for an echo chamber and partly due to that we had to use subtitles on the TV because the sound was dreadful. The faux leather settees in the lounge are uncomfortable and slippery. The kitchen is poorly laid out and lacks workspace. There are a few other niggles as well, but having said the above, we understand that this is a rental property and will never be kitted out and furnished in the same way we'd like our own house to be. On the plus side, the property was well kitted out. Instructions on how to operate everything seemed to be in place. The heating worked well and it was easy to warm up the property. The bed in the main bedroom was very large and comfortable and the bedlinen and also the bathroom towels etc were of good quality. The big bonus for us was the property having a bath, which was one reason we chose it. We only have a shower at home, so my wife, who has auto immune conditions, found that having a bath was bliss and helped her condition.

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• Rod - Verified booking

  A clean, comfortable property that met our expectations.

  We had an issue with the cooker that was not working when we arrived. We called the cleaner's number and were informed in an answerphone message that 'non-emergencies' would only be covered in office hours. We left a message explaining the situation. We heard nothing back over the weekend. We rang the owners' phone number on Saturday evening and again on Sunday. No one picked up our call and there was no answerphone to leave a message. I rang the cleaner at 10.00am on Monday to repeat the message that the cooker was off and we didn't know where the switch was to put it on. By this stage we had not had a hot meal since Friday evening. We were eventually informed that the cooker switch was on the kitchen wall behind the microwave - it wasn't. By further investigation I found the cooker switch on the opposite wall in the kitchen behind the tall fridge freezer, totally obscured from view. In order to move the fridge freezer away from the wall, I had to first empty all the contents from the fridge and freezer to locate the cooker switch. We were very disappointed that 1) the previous occupant had gone to the trouble of switching off the cooker at the hidden wall point and not communicated this to the cleaner and 2) that neither the cleaner nor the owner were available to talk to us over the weekend. Effectively this completely spoilt the start of our holiday, as there were no local facilities available to provide us with a hot meal. The local fish & chip shop was closed until Tuesday and the village pub has been closed for the last two years. Other that this particular issue over the lack of available communication with the owner and cleaner, the property was very comfortable, clean and met our expectations and we would recommend it to our friends.

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