Dog Friendly Okehampton Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Kaylee - Verified booking

  Here are some tips for locating this charming cottage: When you consult the map on Sykes Cottages, which mistakenly estimates it to be before the right-hand bend.

  Be sure not to stop at the first thatched cottage you see and the property you need is actually located at the very end of the road (about 1.5miles in), which, like many lanes in Devon, may appear unclassified. The property’s What3words address is: ///shipyards.nurture.wisdom. As you turn in and drive down the gravel driveway, you’ll find the cottage with a large gate in front of you, surrounded by a few other properties on the land, one of which belongs to the owners. We were warmly welcomed by Malcolm, who we saw each morning as he let the ducks out to protect them from foxes. Malcolm is friendly and a treasure trove of local knowledge. After a while, we were also welcomed by Zoe who popped her head over the fence to greet us. Adjacent to the property is a large field that leads to the Tarka Trail. Most mornings, our dog loved playing in the field until the sheep arrived. Even then, Malcolm generously offered us access to the field that separates our property from theirs, which was incredibly kind, especially on days when our dog needed extra exercise. A note for dog owners: dogs are not allowed upstairs (if your furry friend typically sleeps with you). We also noticed the house rules about not leaving dogs unattended, as there were some noticeable scratches on the doorway, its likely this is to prevent damage from pets that struggle in unfamiliar places or have separation anxiety. The information book provides some options for nearby eateries. We particularly enjoyed The Kings Arms in Winkleigh—just a heads up, though: most local restaurants don’t serve food until 5:30 p.m., and reservations are often necessary. We didn’t explore too many local dining options, as the cottage is conveniently located for trips to North and South Devon and even Cornwall. One unsuspecting highlight was the Puffing Billy Cafe in Torrington, about 30 minutes away, where we indulged in a delightful cream tea too! For the extremely light sleepers in our group, the sound of the buzzing cesspit and the creaky stairs did disrupt their rest, so if you're a light sleeper too you may opt for ear buds. We recommend discussing your return times with the owners too, particularly as the winter months approach, if you'd prefer a hot shower or bath on your return to adjust the times for a warm one. Fortunately, Malcolm was quick to accommodate the changes for us. The cottage is well-equipped with everything you could need for a comfortable stay. Based on previous reviews, we opted to bring a few of our own items, as it noted that some essentials weren't provided. However, there is a Coop in nearby Hatherleigh. The surroundings are stunning, and the night sky is absolutely breathtaking! All in all, thank you for a lovely stay in such a beautiful place—it’s incredibly spacious and perfect for dogs!

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• Himali - Verified booking

  Absolutely idyllic, picture perfect and quaint cottage, with amble space for a lovely winter week getaway from city living.

  The cottage was extremely cosy, lovely roaring fires with ample wood kindly supplied by owner. Also, we had a lovely welcome treat of Devonshire cream tea upon arrival, thank you, Charlie, very kind to indeed. The beds/bedding was very comfortable and cosy, underfloor heating was a great hit with our travel cat, who spent most of its time sprawled out on the conservatory floor!! This room was wonderful for breakfast and reading, and we spend the few evenings playing board games we found available here too. The hot tub on the cold winter nights was luxuriating, and was very much in use ! We used herbs we found growing in the garden in some of our cooking, adding to the total comfort of cottage life. We also found the cottage to be a great base for exploring, National Trust Castle Drogo, less than 25mts away, and Dartmoor National Park walks. We also found a beautiful restaurant Bearslake Inn for scrumptious dinner, and The Tors pub with great hearty food after a great walk on the Moors, only a mere 15mts drive away from the cottage. Summing up, Rose cottage ticked more boxes than we had even wished for, we loved the property and highly recommend those wishing an idyllic get away in such a beautiful thatched cottage. Thank you Charlie for your hospitality.

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• Nadia - Verified booking

  Gorgeous homely cottage.

  Super nice owners that are on hand if needed. The surrounding grounds, cottage and barns also beautiful. Just be aware of track/lane down to cottage in wet weather is slippery and muddy. Also Google with Post code took me to half way down lane. Ignore that just keep going right to the end and new drive being done. I found hot spotting my Internet from ee provider worked very well with my amazon fire stick. I did a little work on laptop too. The fur kids loved running through the field, stream and woods. Watched the world go by with the friendly ducks.(owners put away and let out each day, which my girls took while to except it was OK so no need to Bark!silly monkeys) You are fully enclosed in once gate is shut so very settling as a dog owner. Wood floors so easy with dogs. Lovely bath and powerful shower. I forgot to take salt and pepper and hand soap, but easily pick up down in village shops or Okehampton. Good spot to go to dartmoor and surrounding area. Or pop across the coast. Then come back for hot chocky in front of the lush log burner. Definitely a lovely cottage to stay and relax in :)

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• Lee - Verified booking

  We really enjoyed our time at Rose Cottage.

  It is a beautiful cottage inside and out. We found the facilities to be excellent. We ate in most nights and the kitchen was well equipped, although a lack of cutlery. The lounge was comfortable and snuggly with a roaring fire. We loved the hot tub and made use of it most nights. We had an issue with the heating upstairs in the bedrooms which is on a separate system. The down stairs is all underfloor heating which is excellent. The upstairs heating wouldn't kick in and seemed to be on a timer. The rooms went down to 10 degrees when we woke in the morning. We contacted Charlie who took it off the timer but it took 3 days of the heating being on permanently to finally get up to 18 degrees. The only issue we found with the property was the busy road right outside. The cars at night race past so fast and can be so loud through the vents on the windows. I had to buy some ear plugs to help sort this. We would recommend Rose Cottage as we had a lovely stay and visited some lovely places and quality pubs throughout the area.

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• James - Verified booking

  Absolutely fab!

  The owners are lovely too and provide some basics - tea, coffee, milk, fruit juice, some fresh tomatoes and a scrummy home baked loaf. The Hut is SO cute and romantic and so many little touches - my puppy loved the dog bed and leapt straight in! It’s lovely and quiet, with only the odd rumble of traffic if the wind blows towards you. It’s mainly the tweeting of birds and splashing of the river you’ll hear. There’s a couple of owls that hoot away every night and the cockerel will crow each morning. Blissful. If you don’t have a car, bear in mind that there are no facilities in Jacobstowe itself. Busses are every half hour or so, in either direction. The nearest supermarket is in Hatherleigh. Our one and only disappointment was the fact the nearest pub - in Exbourne - was closed due to Covid which is just unfortunate timing. We both really needed this total break from ‘real life’ and loved every minute. We were hoping for a new lockdown to be enforced before we could go home!! Even the puppy was sad to leave.

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