Sealark

A good stay, how could it not be in Salcombe, but the property is very tired.

We stayed once before in 2022 and found it in need of work then. Three years on and it’s now very tired and in need of work. Damp in bunk-bed room. Wet patch on master bedroom floor, that never dried up. The same broken bin. Dirty dishes in cupboard upon arrival. Could be a great place to stay, but rather dirty and unkept feeling unfortunately.

First of all, the location in Salcombe is excellent, right in the centre and not situated on a hill.

It must be said that loading & unloading at the start & end of the holiday was a nightmare - nowhere close to leave the car except in double yellows. The parking permit is a bonus - & once we’d parked the car, some way away from the accommodation, we didn’t use it again. Obviously that might not suit everyone. It was a bit noisy - clearly the road is a popular place to meet up at night! The family shower room is inadequate - shower is tiny & only a rainfall shower from above, so inappropriate for children & anybody wishing to have a shower without getting their hair wet. I also didn’t really understand the en suite being attached to a room with bunk beds - it would have been better to have both bathrooms off the hallway. We also found there was very little cupboard space for our own food & supplies - although there were loads of cupboards they were full of crockery etc - actually far too much for the use of the 6 who would fit in the apartment. It could also have been cleaner - I’m no Queen of Clean but if a place is being hired out at what is a substantial amount of money, then I don’t think there should be dusty shutters or grubby velvet headboards. This sounds negative - but we had a great week there, the above really were just little niggles.

The property is over the Fat Face shop in Fore Street and if you are facing the property, the gated entrance is found down a narrow path to the right of the shop.

The access codes for both the gate and the key pad were sent by email once we booked the property. There is a small car park approx. 30m further up Fore Street, which for a small charge we parked in just to unload the car and get everything to the property. The long stay car park permit was on the dining table waiting for us and we then moved our car to the long stay Creek car park which is located past the Co-op. The property was lovely, clean, and with a very well equipped kitchen. We cooked all our evening meals there, having bought our vegan supplies for the week with us. The fridge has only a small freezer compartment. We ate lunch on the go and we never had a problem finding vegan options in any shop, cafe or restaurant. The owner kindly supplied new tea towels, a few dishwasher tablets and a 100ml bottle of washing up liquid. All bath towels are supplied but not swimming towels. The beds were very comfortable and the two small bathrooms were great for us. There was a small amount of damp in the main bedroom fireplace and ceiling which I am sure the owner will address, as overall, the property has been well cared for and was nicely decorated. The TV is big and made for a great Eurovision evening. The radio is in one of the wall kitchen cabinets. There is a shelf of videos and books which was a nice touch. We did not use the wood burner as the weather was great, but it's a nice feature. The clothes hanging space was limited but there is plenty of drawers which was just right for the two of us. There is some covered building work approximately 20m behind the property. Although it is visible, it did not bother us as there are lovely blinds and shutters to arrange as you wish for privacy throughout the property. Noise was not in any way a problem, indeed the property was surprisingly quiet considering it is on the main street. For us the position was perfect as it was right in the heart of Salcombe, with the ferries shops, pubs and cafes all on a level walk. (No hard slog up to a rental at the top of the hill at the end of a day for us!) We had a fantastic week exploring some of the South Coast Path which was stunning and beautiful. We would recommend popping into the information centre to pick up the maps of some of the circular walks: Gara Rock, Bolt Head, Snapes Point, Bolt Tail, Thurleston. Don't miss a ferry trip to South Sands to explore Overbeck Gardens; the views are superb. Thank you for a fantastic week. We would not hesitate to recommend this property or to book it again. On one more point. I left a small rucksack at the property when we left, but after a quick call to Coast and Country Cottages, this was returned to our home address within days for a reasonable £30.