Recent reviews for our cottages
Pilgrim Corner: “…everything you could wish for, and more.”
Shirley & Clive, Andrea & Pete, Stella & Kevin, Julie & Paul, Darcey and Lilly the dogs, November 2023
“Pilgrim Corner is hands down the most beautiful accommodation we have ever stayed in and also has a wonderful homely feel. I will definitely recommend it to friends and family. Many thanks.”
Aimee, October 2023
“We came here for some Exmoor walking with our three grown up children. The weather had other ideas however and although we had good walks on Friday and Monday, on Saturday and especially Sunday we had torrents of rain and flash floods in Minehead. Luckily we stayed dry and cosy in the beautiful and comfortable Pilgrim Corner at the top of the hill. We were very glad of the generous sofas in the sitting room and the friendly kitchen table to gather round for meals. On the rainiest day we did one of the 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles. Stargazing from the hot tub was another highlight. A great stay and we would definitely come again, thank you!”
Ana, Edmund and co, September 2023
“We have had an amazing week’s stay at this beautiful cottage. The privacy of the garden and the hot tub are a brilliant feature and the interior of the cottage is stunning throughout. We had some lovely days out including the beach, Lynton and Lynmouth and Butlins was great for the younger members of the family. Everything has been catered for and Lucy and the team have thought of everything. The property is well-stocked with everything you could need. We will definitely be rebooking Exmoor Character Cottages. Thank you so much.”
The Malones, August 2023
“We thoroughly enjoyed Pilgrim Corner! Used the facilities, including the hot tub in the garden, the golf course, and the local tennis courts. Minehead was a treat with lots to enjoy for the week. The gardens are gorgeous, the kitchen fabulous. A great stay all round. Thank you.”
The Dawsons, July 2023
“The perfect place for a family week. The garden was spectacular, the cottage was cosy in the evenings with the woodburning stove. So many thoughtful touches – from the interesting books to read, toiletries in the bathrooms and details of local walks to the cosy rugs and lovely welcome treats. Thank you!”
The Smith family, June 2023
The Clarks from Enfield, May 2023
“We have had another wonderful stay here at Pilgrim Corner. We love the finishing touches. We had an amazing cream tea at Selworthy and Sunday lunch at the Bottom Ship in Porlock. The cottage and gardens are so beautiful. We love it here, thank you.”
The Barters, April 2023
“This is the seventh time we have stayed at Lucy’s cottages and of course it won’t be the last! We feel very at home in this luxury cottage and with walks and golf and amenities nearby we love coming here.”
Carol and John, March 2023
“We had a wonderful stay at Pilgrim Corner. The cottage was beautifully clean and furnished and the kitchen was functional. We loved the welcome cake and message – a beautiful touch. This location is well suited for walks to explore the natural beauty of Exmoor. Thank you for making our stay so magical.”
Surinder, Sukvinder, Adeeb and Amal, March 2023
“We have had a lovely stay at Pilgrim Corner. A beautiful cottage in a perfect location. We loved the fact that everything was so clean and well thought out. We explored Minehead, had a lovely lunch at The Old Ship Aground and also visited Dunster which was great. We feel very sad to leave after a perfect New Year’s break. Thank you so much.”
Laura, Paddy, Tom, Emma, Emily, Evie plus Elvis and Freddie the dogs, January 2023
“Five friends from South Wales with busy lives after a cosy, festive cottage break – and that is exactly what we had staying here and more! Thank you for such a lovely welcome and making this cottage a joy to stay at.”
Gabrielle, Tom, Shane, Dylan and Aaron, December 2022
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Check the availability of each of our cottages and book online.
The Oval: “The perfect match of old-world charm with modern convenience…”
Jez, Mandy, Ruby (13), Harry (9) and Molly (5), November 2023
“What a wonderful holiday home! We were enthralled when we arrived on Tuesday evening to discover this exquisite cottage. Not just a piece of history, but equipped with everything (including a Nespresso – much appreciated) you could possibly wish for. It’s certainly a home-from-home (although I wish I had your range cooker!). We really made the most of the cottage. We can’t believe our luck at finding this gem. We will definitely be back.”
Dawn, Paul, Hayley, Kevin and Amelia, October 2023
“We loved Dunster. This is a wonderful home heaped with history and in an equally amazing village. We loved the walks in the area, Horner Woods, the coastal route along the cliff from Porlock Weir (a lovely place), to Culbone Church. Stepping inside the church was like stepping back through time. Two very happy ‘paws up’ from Fraser our lab for the 10km walk around Dunkery Beacon. We also really enjoyed and would recommend Cleeve Abbey. The cottage was wonderful, thank you Lucy. Everything has been thought of and every need anticipated. Thank you so much for allowing us to bring along our dog to experience this area with us. Lastly thank you for the great restaurant recommendations – Reeves, The Stag’s Head pub, The Royal Oak – all wonderful. We’ll visit Hathaway’s next time. Somerset has surprised us. We really love it here. Thank you for everything.”
Diane, David and Fraser, September 2023
“The Oval is a beautiful place to stay. We were so comfortable here with everything we needed. It felt like such a luxury. Dunster is a special place and we have visited many times over the years as a family. Most recently we walked from Dunster Beach to Blue Anchor which was a lovely walk. We stopped to eat at the Driftwood Café where the coffee and food was very welcome after a such a long walk. We also visited Watchet which is a beautiful quaint town with the East Quay Arts centre which we recommend visiting. A little jewel inside the centre is the Two Rivers Paper Mill where you can watch the talented team make traditionally hand-crafted paper. Thank you to Lucy and the team for taking such are in keeping this cottage so well-equipped and comfortable for your guests.”
Danielle, Jackie and Paul, August 2023
“Clean, tidy, excellent facilities, host excellent with good communications and very informative. No issues of concerns about recommending or staying here in the future.”
Carol, Mark and friends, July 2023
“What an amazing cottage! So well-equipped and nothing you could want for. There is so much to do in the local area. We would highly recommend the Ploughman’s Lunch at The Copper Kettle in Dulverton and fish and chips on the harbour at Lynmouth. We had a wonderful week, sad to be leaving but hopefully we will be back. Thanks for everything.”
Beth, Paul and family, July 2023
Lisa, Andrew, Olivia, Sue and John, June 2023
“We’ve had the best time in your beautiful house. From the welcome cuppa, and cake to our own happy hour! We had morning coffee at Tessa’s Tea Room, then a stroll around the village, and a visit to the Castle is not to be missed. We can also recommend a trip on the open top bus to Lynton and Lynmouth for a great day out. We will treasure our memories of Dunster and in particular our stay at The Oval. Thank you so much.”
Dot and Mike the Aussies, May 2023
“Another amazing stay here at The Oval and over far too quickly. Our youngest was in a cot when we first stayed at The Oval and he turns 10 in July! We’ve stayed here every Easter and still love it as much as we did 10 years ago. There is nothing we don’t love about this cottage, it’s just perfect! Our Easter break was very similar to other years, but why change the things you love doing? We’ve enjoyed many evenings at The Foresters Arms (still our favourite pub) and cream teas at Tessa’s Tea Room in Dunster and The Whortleberry Shop in Porlock. Dunster Beach is always a must while we’re here and our dog absolutely loves it. Now our children are getting older we did a bit of research into other activities we could do in the area and we discovered Wimbleball Lake. What a find! We loved kayaking and paddleboarding and Dunster the dog enjoyed the many beautiful walks around the lake. The icing on the cake, whatever we’ve done during the day while in Somerset has always been coming back here to The Oval, lighting a fire and opening a bottle of wine! We’re looking forward to seeing in 2024 here in December.”
The Fosters, April 2023
“We booked at the last minute for the Welsh half-term getaway. It was just what we all needed. Such a relaxing week in beautiful surroundings. Lucy truly had thought of everything to help make our stay comfortable. The Snowdrop Valley was well worth a visit. The kitchen and stove were a joy to cook on. We loved the wood burner.”
Cath, Steve, Morgan and Caitlin and Pepper the black lab, February 2023
“We booked The Oval as a last minute retreat, and arrived armed with easel, paints and music to get some work done. Once we lit the fire and started to enjoy the ambience and cosiness of The Oval, they all got left in the car! We just had a wonderful time and Pearl our whippet thought so too. Thank you Lucy and team for making it so perfect.”
Philip, Louise and Pearl, January 2023
“A fabulous few days leading up to New Year. We would love to come again to experience the warmer weather. We really enjoyed the log fire. Very impressed with how clean the whole cottage is. We would recommend the Breakfast and Brunch delivery – it was out of this world. Thank you for making the property so festive for our few days.”
Bruce, Liz, Kyran and Keri, December 2022
Read more guest reviews for The Oval Dunster.
Check the availability of each of our cottages and book online.
The Old Sweet Shop: “…the sweetest of Old Sweet Shops!”
Erika, John and family, November 2023
“We loved our time here so much that we came back! It feels like our own special place. A few little extra surprises to add to our delight such as the Faith in Nature toiletries! We all went and brought some to take home – what a lovely way to remember our second stay! This time we explored Dunster using a Treasure Trail Detective Case File to be solved and would recommend it as a great way to find out about the village. We are now thinking of our next stay. Thank you Lucy and team.”
Barbara and friends, October 2023
“Jaws dropping on arrival! An amazing idyllic cottage with amazing décor. This gives a homely feel with enough space for everyone to find a place to chill and then later gather for dinner and board games at the big family table. Tea, coffee and biscuits consumed!! The tub was lovely – hot and relaxing and very much used during our stay. The beds let you just sink in for a lovely sleep, mornings waking up feeling refreshed! It’s gonna be hard going back to ‘real life’ again. We’ve had an amazing holiday and give you our many thanks for letting us stay. Until next time!”
The Cross family and the Poochinis, September 2023
“We had a fantastic week! Lucy and the team were very welcoming and the biscuits were yummy. The cottage is very clean and everything has been thought of with lovely extras (shampoo etc). We all enjoyed the hot tub, it was fabulous! The toys and board games were very helpful when we didn’t have the best weather. This is the best cottage we have ever stayed in and we would absolutely come back again and recommend it to others. Thank you!”
The Ribbens family, August 2023
“Thank you so much for this house and your hospitality. We had a wonderful week. The kitchen is perfectly equipped, the towels are so fluffy, and the mattresses are from heaven. Because of the not-so-summery weather we spent quite some time in the hot tub – for the kids (6, 11, 14) this was the best feature of the house. It’s a short stroll to Minehead and after a 20-minute drive you are in the middle of beautiful Exmoor. We visited Porlock and Porlock Weir, Dunster and the Castle, Lynton and Lynmouth. The highlight was an evening walk to Dunkery Beacon, where a herd of ponies crossed a very short way from us. In only one sentence: we had a perfect week at The Old Sweet Shop! Thank you so much.”
Jutta, Annie, Sophie, Sam, Joy, Mascha, July 2023
“The cottage is gorgeous! We love it! We’ve had such a relaxing few days here and to finish each day in the hot tub was bliss. My three-year-old grandson enjoyed the toy box – you have thought of everything to make the cottage a wonderful holiday home. Minehead never disappoints. I grew up here and couldn’t wait to leave when I was 18 but I have enjoyed coming back regularly over the last 50 years. Thank you so much for a lovely visit. We will be back for sure!”
Sue, Anna, Jack and Oscar, June 2023
Izabela, Wayne, Georgina, Jessica, Liliana and Buddy the pooch, April 2023
“We enjoyed our second stay in The Old Sweet Shop, this time to celebrate my 60th birthday and I couldn’t have picked a better cottage to enjoy the occasion with my family! We visited Dunster Castle and Tarr Steps and my grandchildren enjoyed their day at Butlins with their parents. We enjoyed our usual walks around North Hill and Bossington Hill and were lucky with the weather! Thanks to Lucy and the team for your personalised attention and for the special touches for my birthday. We can’t wait to return to The Old Sweet Shop for more family fun!”
Hilary, Graham, Laura, Allan, Alice, Jess, Will, Harry and Jacko the cocker spaniel, March 2023
“What a quintessential romantic cottage. Everything is perfect and nothing is missing – you have thought of everything. We had a fantastic stay for Lisa’s 50th. We recommend you eat at Reeves in Dunster, walk the Tarr Steps and see the snowdrops in February. Lucy went to a great deal of effort getting the balloons for our arrival! In Minehead we recommend Café 21 for a drink and Vladi’s for pizza. The log fire is perfect, the hot tub fantastic, beds bloss and the place is spotless. Thanks for the memories.”
Phil and Lisa, February 2023
“Wonderful cottage, spotlessly clean. Shame about the weather but we enjoyed the cosy fire and relaxing lounge. A great place to see in the New Year!”
The Hazeldine family, January 2023
“What a beautiful stay in this magical home. I have never stayed in a place so clean and so tidy with all the beautiful touches. From the thoughtful sign on the armchair for my dad to the cuddly toys on each of the beds. The kitchen had everything we needed to cook the Christmas dinner and we enjoyed the open fire and Christmas tree to make it feel so homely. Thank you for the mince pies and milk in the fridge, such a lovely touch. This has been such a lovely stay for eight of us with the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in! We will most definitely be back in the future. Thank you so much. What amazing hosts you have been!”
Lucy and the Keith family, December 2022
“A very quaint cottage in a peaceful location near to, well, everything! Very clean and excellently fitted with all the little extras. We had a lovely long weekend break with our family. The weather was mixed but to be expected in Britain at this time of the year! The welcome gift of chocolate cake and milk was much appreciated. Nice to just get away from it all and chill out together. Very friendly and helpful hosts and staff as well – thanks Lucy! Will recommend and hopefully return in the future.”
David, Christine, Katy, Hana and Anders and Mutley the dog, November 2022
Read more guest reviews for The Old Sweet Shop.
Check the availability of each of our cottages and book online.
Stone Barn: A converted barn oozing character & style
John, Carol and Christine, October 2023
“Stone Barn is lovely, we couldn’t ask for more. Nothing is too much trouble for Lucy and her team. We arrived in Biblical weather conditions so many roads were flooded but Lucy was on the phone to help and to make sure we arrived safely. We had some lovely walks with a dog – even if a little windswept!! This was a break for my father’s 80th and he was over the moon, especially being able to use a hot tub. We will definitely recommend the barn to friends and hope to return.”
The Norman family, September 2023
“A lovely stay in Stone Barn despite rather ‘ordinary’ weather! We enjoyed a trip to Dunster Castle, some rainy and sunny dog walks up on the moors, and to Conygar Tower. Our 14 year old had a great two-hour hack from Burrowhayes Farm Stables – we would recommend. We loved Porlock Weir and The Harbour Café, as well as pizza on the terrace bar at The Porlock Weir Hotel. Your tip about crabbing at the steps past the bridge was great. We hired e-Bikes from Exmoor Adventures and had a super afternoon covering hills we’d never have managed otherwise – we will do that again. We also loved Bossington Beach and the rainbow coloured stones. The burgers at Stones in Minehead went down well. And the daily hot tub was a real treat – thank you.”
Fiona, Patrick, Olivia and Ewan, August 2023
“Wow what a wonderful cottage in a beautiful part of Minehead. We enjoyed the hot tub most days. We had many a game of bowls in the lovely cottage garden. It’s an easy and pleasant walk into town and the seafront. We visited many places within easy reach of the cottage including Porlock Weir, Lynton and Lynmouth, Woolacombe Beach and Dunster. Dunster County Show was really good, and our little dog Darwin won rosettes in the dog show! The cottage is equipped with everything you could possibly need. A wonderful stay, thank you.”
Lyn, Rob, Gemma, Ben, Imogen and Ellie, and Darwin the award-winning dog, July 2023
“Another extremely enjoyable week at Stone Barn. As always, a spotless cottage with every appliance and amenity possible. We love the peaceful setting with the lovely little garden. Trips to Horner Wood, Lynton, Lynmouth and Watersmeet completed an excellent stay on Exmoor. Thank you, Lucy and Team.”
Val, Dave and Andy, July 2023
“We have had a lovely week and been so lucky with the weather. We took lovely visits to Lynmouth, Watchet (on the steam train), Dunster Castle which was beautiful and the kids loved the arcade in Minehead. Our dog loved a run around on the beach at Minehead, and was welcome wherever we went. The hot tub was amazing, especially with the church bells. Thank you for making us so welcome!”
The Andrews, June 2023
Kirsty, Sonny, Ann, Gabi, Ian and George and Charlie the dogs, May 2023
“A wonderful stay at Stone Barn. A beautifully laid out garden that allowed us to sit quietly and read the newspaper and enjoy the morning sun. Minehead shopping area is vast and varied. Dunster village is beautiful with a lovely antique shop and lots of gift shops. The Castle is well worth as visit as is Porlock Weir. We had a trip to Bishops Lydeard on the steam train which was my favourite! The weather hasn’t been kind to us but we had plenty to keep up us occupied. Stone Barn’s hot tub is delightful, and we have totally made use of it every day, even if raining! This holiday home is lovely and very well-equipped, catering for every need.”
Martin, Julie, Del and Denise, and Roxy the Labrador, April 2023
“We have had the most lovely honeymoon here at Stone Barn! We can’t thank you enough for making our stay so special. The accommodation and equipment are immaculate and you have really thought of everything. The location is perfect and we have enjoyed many walks to the beach. The hot tub was perfect for a relaxing evening and the dogs loved the garden. We can’t wait to come back!”
Mr and Mrs Moore, Frank and Mabel the sausage dogs, March 2023
“We have loved our time at Stone Barn! The accommodation is fabulous and we loved all the attention to detail, especially the guide on local walks provided. The Valley of Rocks, the cliff railway in Lynmouth, crabbing at Porlock Weir and fossil hunting on Kilve Beach were all highlights. The hot tub is a dream! We would love to visit again.”
Chris, Alison, Eliza and Harry, February 2023
“Lovely location to welcome in 2023 – the sunrise on New Year’s Day from the window was very beautiful. It’s a lovely, well-equipped cottage and easy to wander from the Barn. We loved the hot tub. The church bells on New Year’s Eve were a bonus as were the crazy swimmers on New Year’s Day!
The McGerty family, January 2023
Read more guest reviews for Stone Barn.
Check the availability of each of our cottages and book online.
