Highdown Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon

Just returned from a week at Highdown. It's smaller than the pictures look but other than that you get what you see. It's location is fantastic if you're happy to walk hills back and forth to beach. The owner is really quick to respond to questions and very helpful. The property could benefit from a refresh and update on decor but it's a seaside house and had it been modern, with 2 kids running in and out from the beach I'm not sure I would have been so relaxed!

We stayed here in June 2021 almost immediately after the end of the 2nd lockdown. What a fantastic week we had. We agree with a couple of the reviews that the bungalow is a little dated/old fashioned but that is part of its charm. The garden was great with lots of fresh herbs for adding to our meals. The parking is tight but we managed to get our campervan in. The view from the terrace towards Burgh Island is beautiful and is lovely for a barbecue. The rooms were comfortable and clean. It was great to have the big fridge freezer which easily held every thing we needed. The walk up from the beach is steep but good for working up an appetite!

Our experiences were similar to the post on 14 March 2018 Highdown is in a poor state and needs total renovation, fixtures/fittings and all furniture need updating. Cleaning protocols for covid are totally disregarded. Property smelt fusty , bed linen did not smell fresh. During our stay the owner made contact as previous guests had reported hearing mice in the loft, which we also heard. Rear of property is very neglected and untidy, out buildings in poor state unsafe for young children. Garden not adequately enclosed for dogs. No evidence of any health and safety/risk assessment assessment, fire certificates, PAT testings, electrics last tested August 2008!

Wow.... Bigbury-on-Sea is beautiful. Highdown is situated at the top of a very steep hill. Beautiful views to Burgh Island, which is worth a walk over, even just to have a drink at the Pilchard Inn. Little cafe/takeaway down on the beach car park which is pretty basic but lovely food. There is a food store within walking distance on a caravan park along with Fryer Tucks fish and chips (also very nice) but it is along quite a narrow cliff path. WiFi was very hit and miss but kind of expected that to be honest. Make sure you visit Pickwick Inn (pub) which is so lovely. Great food, lovely atmosphere and very dog friendly. Beware of the narrow lanes in the area, cars go pretty fast round them and although there are pull in places it does get a bit scary at times. Highview itself is a lovely bungalow. Pretty dated but we quite liked that. Could have been a bit cleaner but very cosy and warm. Loved sitting in the little dining area looking out to the sea even when it was raining. The garden is lovely too, wraps around the whole bungalow and is very safe for dogs. On two occasions we did have a chap come right through the garden to the shed at the back apparently to collect laundry? If he’d of knocked and said he was about then we would have been happier but to suddenly see a man walking around outside was a bit unnerving. The patio area again is lovely but not for small children. There’s quite a drop down a grass bank at the front of it. All in all we went away as a family of four (2 grown up children) after having an illness for most of the year to have some quality time together and a well earned rest and that’s exactly what we did. Would we go back there again? Yes definitely

The property was dated and a couple of the table lamp shades were broken, but overall the property was ideal for what we needed.. Perfect location to a fantastic beach.

Comfortable, well equipped for a short stay, fantastic location.. House was freezing on arrival which was a shame late at night, and the WiFi didn’t really work.

Everything was perfect, Highdown might be dated as one reviewer hinted at but it had a lovely warm atmosphere that soon as you walked through the door it said Welcome.. We were able to relax and feel at home straight away. It has all mod cons, but no phone or mobile signal. I would advise any one with anything a bit bigger than a people carrier to give this one a miss as the entrance is narrow so is the lane outside. Other than that I would give it 5 stars.

Had a lovely holiday.. Everything was as stated would only suggest extra refuge bags & possibly an extra black bin. Otherwise excellent value for money & good views of the sea!

Stayed at Highdown for a week. The place. Is absolutely perfect with glorious views. Very clean and welll presented. Would definitely recommend

The bungalow is very dated and smells terrible.. The only pluses were the fantastic scenery and weather. Failing those we would have come home. We only had one small, thin bath towel each and there were no deck chairs to sit on in the garden. We were very disappointed but I will check the reviews in future!

We have been fortunate to have stayed in a few Sykes holiday lets, and have never been disappointed.. However, we would not have booked Highdown last year if we had read the recent reviews written. But here is an update - Highdown is old and tired looking, but we felt the owner had read the same reviews and had made an effort to make changes. The property was clean, thick soft white medium size fluffy towels (no hand towels), tea towels, hand soap, and washing up liquid was provided, and the kitchen was well equipt. We found the master bedroom's mattress to be comfortable, and also there were two radiators to use if you found the property not warm enough. The only complaints we would make are, the little utility room with the large fridge freezer has a funny smell and this problem needs investigating, and there was no shower curtain / screen. Meaning that every time we used the shower, we had to mop the bathroom floor. (We must admit that we did not contact the owner regarding these problems, because we could not get a signal on our mobile). The welcome tea / coffee / sugar / milk and biscuits after along journey was very much appreciated. Thankyou. Bigbury on Sea is a beautiful location.

Property is in need of full update, it is tired and obviously has not been subject to redecoration for some years. On entering the property we were greeted by a swarm of flies. At the end count after some 2/3 hours we had killed over 30 flies! The tin opener did work at all, there was only coal slack left in a bag in the utility room, and no kindling or firelighters. There was also a 'fusty' smell when entering the property. The location is the only saving grace, and if you have a larger vehicle than a standard saloon, the entrance gate is extremely tight. A Range Rover, or BMW X5 sized vehicle would have difficulty getting into the driveway. In short, property is 'down at heel' and requires updating. We would not return or recommend!

No frills cottage in a great location.. We were concerned about previous reviews and as is clear in the photos, Highdown is an older cottage which still feels more like a residential than a rental property. The owner had worked hard to make the place clean and fresh for our arrival, even down to a new coat of paint in the utility room. Good points - the house was generally comfortable (although the mattress in the master bedroom should be replaced), the kitchen was well equipped (though no pantry provisions except salt and pepper) - it was not at all spacious, as stated in the description but certainly adequate, there is a large fridge freezer in the utility which is useful, the wifi and TV were excellent, the conservatory when sunny was delightful, the fire was cozy and the garden a nice size (although not completely dog-proof - a tenacious terrier would squeeze through the front gate in a second). The driveway was tight, but we managed to get our Landrover 4x4 in with a bit of skilful manoeuvring (on my part). Less positively, we arrived in a wet and windy Easter week and storage heaters hadn't been turned up so the house was very chilly. On colder days I think the heaters struggled to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the day and into the evening. The bathroom needs some storage (shelves, a bathroom cabinet?) as there was nothing to accommodate the smellies of 6 people and the provision of towels were a disappointment. Not sure why they state they are provided when all you get is one thin medium sized towel to last a week and no hand towels. I suggest you take your own. The owner however was responsive and did provide an extra electric radiator and a couple of hand towels on request. All in all we had a nice stay as Bigbury on Sea is a heavenly location for kids of all ages and dogs - The Journeys End pub has superb food. I wouldn't rent this cottage again as I think its rather basic and overpriced, but if you have realistic expectations it is a nice base from which to explore the area.

The cottage is tired, dated and smells musty.. The heating is inadequate, especially in cold weather and there were no logs left for us as listed in the handbook. The towels were old, thin and stained and with one small towel each, we had to buy our own. The mattresses are old, lumpy, saggy and neither of us slept well all week due to back pain. Although we were left milk and biscuits, there was no washing up liquid or cloth, soap, hand towel which would have been helpful and what we usually get in a cottage. We also noted that none of the electrical items had been PAT tested. The top window in the small twin bedroom didn't open and there is a cracked window in the lounge/conservatory. We did however love the area and would go back there but just not in your property.

The location was perfect and just a short walking distance to the beach. The house was very comfortable.

The location was perfect and just a short walking distance to the beach.. The house was very comfortable.