Hiscox Cottage

Beautiful home and stunning location, sofas and beds were all comfortable along with the views were lovely.

My feedback would be that the house just needs some TLC. Cupboards don't close right cause hinges are loose, round the kitchen sink the rubber seals coming away and can see the mold/dirt under it. Fridge was working but not great, the food we kept in there wasn't really cold when we got it out. Seal round the shower door was hanging off so while taking a shower water kept coming out. The garden is lovely and maintained, although we found that the washing line, along with the concrete holding it in the ground fell out the floor and wouldn't stay up straight. The outdoor chairs most of them the arms are broken off, the bars wete bent so couldn't use them so the only seating outside was the wooden bench but one of the bars underneath came out so th3re was a screw hanging out of it.

Lovely house but very remote, not as dog friendly as advertised

Comfortable cottage in a beautiful location.

The layout presented some challenges as the first floor is entirely open plan and accessed via stairs from the lounge / kitchen. Therefore a lack of privacy (and noise) may be an issue for some.

A wonderful peaceful week in beautiful farmlands and countryside.

The cottage was perfect and ideally located for local activities. There was two adults and three dogs. The cottage was exactly as described and contained everything needed for our stay.

Good comms with owner.

Property very clean and tidy on arrival. Well-equipped. Main bedroom is actually more spacious then it appears in the photos. Great views across the valley and a lovely quiet location. The large conservatory is wonderful for weather-watching. The twisty-turny two-mile odd drive from the main road can be a bit of an adventure but that's rural South Devon for you! Would recommend this property to others.

A gem of a cottage in a beautiful and peaceful location and we had a perfect winter break.

It must be heaven in the summer to sit outside and enjoy the stunning views. The only thing missing in the cottage (and this is a comment, not a complaint, was a hairdryer). Loved Hiscox Cottage!

This is a very fine property in a lovely rural farm location.

It is well suited for those who are looking for a quiet relaxing holiday. The property is well cared for but as with all holiday lets late in the season signs of wear are bound to appear and not necessarily noticed by the owner therefore feedback is important. The downstairs bathroom is in need of some work, in particular the cracked floor with loose tiles and a split wooden toilet seat. The heating cab a bit tricky but if user instructions are left for occupants then that can encourage fidelitus, and this can make matters worse. Therefore ‘auto’ mode needs to be reliable. All in all, we had a great stay.

Perfect in every way.

Location was fab. Beautiful views. Clean, comfortable and well resourced…everything we required. Easy for us to keep clean e.g. lots of cleaning products, hoover, brushes etc… All white goods in perfect, clean condition. Great for our little 4 pawed members of the family…lovely walks, back garden grass for a good run, ruff & tumble etc. Would highly recommend this property. Thank you very much…

We had a lovely holiday in this beautiful Cottage.

The owner was helpful and very friendly. Our only negative comment would be that the photos of clay pigeon shooting and archery should be removed from the listing since the was no sign of either activity.

A beautiful property in every way.

The owners had gone above and beyond to provide everything for our holiday to be enjoyed in a totally relaxing environment. Lovely countryside surrounding the property where you couldn't help but relax. Only slight downside were the narrow lanes to reach the cottage but as we became more familiar with these they weren't as bad!!

We really enjoyed our stay in this idillic location.

The cottage is spacious and well equipped, and we especially enjoyed cooking on the small Aga during our stay. The wonderful views from the conservatory and balcony and the quiet walks on the lanes close by along with frequent trips to the beautiful coastal towns and villages that are all with a short distance made for a thoroughly pleasant and relaxing holiday. I’m sure we’ll come back!

Beautiful cottage well equipped and clean Very comfortable with amazing views would definitely recommend and want to return The roads up to the cottage are very narrow and remote but well worth the journey

Hiscox Cottage is a very comfortable and well-equipped cottage in a delightful location.

The views over the valley from the conservatory are especially impressive. My only reservation was that the first floor bedroom roof is sloping so I had to watch my head (I am just under 6 foot). For dog owners, there are pleasant short walks around the farm, although accessing the public footpath network is a bit more challenging (gradient-wise). However, Bovey Down and Morgenhayes Woods are only a short drive away and the walks there are excellent. We tried all the roads in and out of Southleigh and they are all narrow and winding (watch out for tractors and delivery drivers). The recommended access route from the A3052 is probably the best one as it has more passing places.

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Cottage is beautiful, very well equipped, and spotless. The enclosed garden was excellent, and our 3 dogs loved it. Looking forward to staying again.

We had a wonderful stay at Hiscox cottage, the cottage is spotlessly clean and comfortable, and the views from the conservatory are amazing.

The owner Joanne lives next door and is always on hand in case of any issues. The cottage is really well equipped with everything you need from cleaning products to tea, coffee and sugar. Only slight issue is the bed downstairs is very squeaky and probably needs replacing. Most satnavs will drop you in the village, however following the owner’s directions it’s easy to find, if you’re an Apple user putting in Hiscox cottage will take you straight to the door.

weather was amazing we hit the heatwave great but the parasol in the summer house did not have a heavy enough base to put it up.

plus were getting on a bit a cushion for the outside bench would be a great asset we love eating out the views were spectacular. very comfortable property secluded quite and most of all felt so homely cant rate it enough. we have booked for next year.

Me and my family had a great time, was a lovely quite retreat, just what we wanted.

Setting was idyllic surrounded by countryside. Cottage was well kept and very clean. Lovely place.

The property and the views were outstanding , it was so peaceful and relaxing and it was lovely to know the owners were next door if needed.

The Rhea was great fun very entertaining, We saw buzzards across the valley, saw an owl in the daytime, the lanes were very narrow and seemed to go on forever, fortunately my husband is a confident driver so didn't phase him but I would have struggled. Great place though!

Superb location very peaceful, magnificent views, it is important to follow the owners directions to the cottage as access lanes are very narrow.

No problems with the electric shower or hot water as mentioned by previous reviewers. We particularly liked having access to several small towns/villages with beaches, shops and eateries without having to drive too far. Every facility in the cottage worked well, lovely private garden and summer house plenty of parking space. Bring your Bino's as lots of bird life to be enjoyed. This our first time renting a holiday home (we have just retired from 24 years caravanning) this quality of rental gives us great confidence to do it again.

Our stay at His ox cottage was amazing, nothing was too much trouble for the owners and caretaker.

The cottage was very clean and comfortable and everything that you may need was provided for. The grounds were amazing too. One of the best cottages we've stayed in

Beautiful converted barn with all the amenities.

Very friendly and very helpful owner, who tried her best to accommodate all our needs. Lovely bottle of wine to welcome us. The views from the conservatory are outstanding. The lanes leading to the farm estate are exceedingly narrow. Overall an amazing retreat.

We had the most fabulous week here.

The cottage is gorgeous and the views are stunning. Sitting in the conservatory watching the day away was my favourite thing to do! We brought my husbands parents away with us. Mum had dementia and Parkinson’s but she very much enjoyed sitting in the conservatory chatting about the landscape and views. The facilities are fab and there is pretty much anything that you might need whilst on holiday. Our dog had the best time and having a fully enclosed garden was an additional bonus. I have to say also that considering the location of the cottage, the internet is outstanding! In fact better than ours at home! We run a business and needed to be able to remotely access things through the week, we brought a single but didn’t need it as it was so good! We made good friends with Ollie the Rhea and saw plenty lot other wildlife too. Jo was an absolute delight and we cannot wait to come back. Jules & Mark

Had a lovely week in this beautiful cottage with amazing views .

Could have sat for hours in conservatory admiring the scenery ! Would recommend one hundred per cent and can’t wait to come back .

E loved Hiscox and left it clean and spruced.

Two small thonfs: 1. It is diifficult to run a hot bath. In kitchen, very hot water continuously provided by Aga, however upstairs the water temperature is sporadic. I ran a bath turning tap.on and off continuously. 2. The eectric shower temperature, although caretaker came to fix, just drops to 38 degrees every time - a bit too low! Many thanks L

Beautiful views.

Lovely cottage with very good amenities

We loved our stay at Hiscox Cottage.

It was even better than we had anticipated! The accomodation was lovely and the views were incredible! I loved seeing the rescued animals in the paddock. I could have happily spent all day in the cottage watching them and enjoying the views. We enjoyed exploring the beaches nearby and were lucky with the weather. Joanne was very welcoming and we appreciated the bottle of wine!

A lovely property, really well equipped to make the holiday totally relaxing.

The views fro the cottage are amazing, we never tired of sitting in the garden looking over the farmland.

We loved our stay at Hiscox Cottage.

Our granddaughter loved the goats, alpaca and goats and we all appreciated the facilities of the property and views from the house. Thank you also for arranging hot sunny weather all week which made such a difference. Our granddaughter enjoyed spending every day on Exmouth Beach.

Lovely place stunning views felt very relaxed.

. the dogs loved it

High standard accommodation in beautiful surroundings would recommend 5 stars !

!! ,

Lovely setting through quiet Devon country lanes.

Feels very secluded and away from everything but is within very easy reach of lots of great places to visit. Really enjoyed the week - thank you. I am sure we will be back.

Been before and will go again possibly in the future, very comfortable and beautiful views and owners very helpful and generous.

You will notice I have not given the top mark for 'Accuarcy of the Listing' because Hiscox Cottage was so much better than the listing suggested.

Anyone that knows me will tell you I rarely get excited about having a holiday in the UK. The drive to Devon was very sad for us. It was the first holiday we had been on in the UK without our beautiful dog who sadly passed away in March. The view from Hiscox Cottage is simply stunning. So pretty. From the Dining Room/Conservatory in the cottage the view is so perfect it looks Super Imposed. The cottage itself is so comfortable. It has everything you need and more. It just felt like home. Driving around and exploring the area was so enjoyable. Coming back to Hiscox Cottage was just as enjoyable. What more could you want? How many times do you come back to two very cute Goats, a beautiful Alpaca and a Rhea (Ostrich) who just made us laugh so much. Don't worry people. These lovely animals aren't in the cottage, They are in a very nice field attatched to the cottage. For us, they really added to the experience. Can't wait to see them again. We stay in a beautiful cottage in North Yorkshire which we call our 'Jewel in the North'. After only day 2 we nicknamed Hiscox Cottage our 'Jewel in the South'. We cannot speak too highly of the owners of Hiscox Cottage. Joanne is just such a genuine person who obviously enjoys what she does. We left her two text messages and she got back to us immediately. Hiscox Cottage is situated on a 'working farm'. Really? You could have fooled us. The place is immaculate, as are the local areas. By the end of the week we just didn't want to leave. Would we go back? In a heartbeat. Can't wait. It is such a lovely place. All credit to the owners of Hiscox Cottage. You don't get that good at what you do without a lot of hard work. Thank you so much for a great week.

Very relaxing holiday.

Spotless cottage with everything thought of. It had the most amazing pastoral view from a large, but cosy conservatory, where we spent most of our time. It was very convenient for the attractive East Devon coastal villages, (Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Beer, Branscombe, Sidmouth etc.) which we enjoyed visiting. Going at spring time was a bonus as not only the hedgerows were a picture, but nearby Blackbury Hill fort had carpets of stunning bluebells.

Beautiful rural location, close to beaches and rolling hillside especially idyllic in Springtime.

Great for dog owners like ourselves. Owners, left us to it but were on hand if an issue, which there wasn't. We had the most relaxing time away which was what we needed. Great Wi-Fi. Amazing views. Thank you.

Great place to stay

Pictures do not do this property justice.

Absolutely beautiful property in a breath taking location.

Lovely cottage in a beautiful area.

Peace and quiet personified. A couple of very minor points: The shower is not very powerful and there is a small leak under the bath. We would have appreciated larger bath towels. We really enjoyed our stay and thoroughly recommend the experience.

What can we say ?

This is an absolutely beautiful cottage on a lovey farm and we had an amazing time. The Views that can’t be caught on a camera are just amazing. Everything you need is there. And the owners and staff can’t be any more helpful. You are free to roam the farm and view the animals. If you are looking to relax you cannot find anywhere better in my opinion. We went with our little dog and he absolutely loved it, he sat in the conservatory looking out at the view as we did, and he loved going out and walking the grounds, there are fields where he could have a run around and it was just perfect for us all. We had some eggs from the chickens (thanks so much). We really do need to go again no doubt about it, it was total relaxation. We didn’t really have a need to go to talk to the owners because everything we needed was there and they were busy, but they only live next door and they made it clear if we did need anything they were there, just to knock… But they left us alone relaxing. The couple of times we did want something the farm staff were most helpful. There is a very good welcome folder in the cottage with lots of good information, and lots of phone numbers for local facilities including a phone number for a caretaker. On arrival there was welcome bottle of wine which was very nice. Thank you. So in all we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and it all passed far too quickly. The cottage sleeps 5 on two levels and a lovely large garden and a games room. Hopefully we can return again soon. Our thanks to all for a very relaxing time.

The beautiful cottage, the peace and the location

We had a very pleasant stay, but concerned when a game shoot took place, of which we had not been made aware, which scared my dogs so we had to go out for the afternoon.

Dogs in kennels on farm barked continually ruining the tranquillity of the place. Although details said there was access to 180 acres, it was very difficult to know where you could go, with so many fields occupied by livestock. Details also don't say that this property is on a hill and everywhere has very steep inclines. Not good for unfit people! Access Road from A3052 is tricky. Better access from road to Farway/Honiton.

We left after the weekend, the access road should have been in the details, 2 miles single track, locals drive very fast , hardly any passing places , we live rural but that wasn’t good should be in the details, plus owners dog can get in the garden with no recall , very very very disappointed ,

We had brilliant time.

Soo peaceful. Thanks xx

Fantastic views, lovely cottage.

Bed mattress's could be firmer.

Beautiful views and great garden to kick a ball about in.

Washing and drying facilities allowed laundry to be done on holiday instead of saving it all up for the end. Good hot water and shower pressure (such a relief as not always the case on holidays!). Shame sofa cushions were removed due to COVID as i think these are needed due to sofa comfort.

We loved this dog-friendly cottage.

Everything you could ever wish for in a self catering let. Fantastic views over surrounding area and not far from the lovely village of Beer

The holiday home is perfect it’s spotlessly clean ,well equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay .

The owner is lovely, friendly and very helpful but not intrusive at all .There is lots of space surrounding the cottage,Its a beautiful relaxing place .

Dining room chairs need replacing.

No seat springs and very uncomfortable. Bath upstairs not practical for showers. Needed a stair gate as not safe for children. Not very clean, lots of cobwebs, Hoover was rubbish, dead flies, spiders and dust in the bed frame could be seen. Table tennis was fab though. Kitchen equipment very good. Excellent to find washing up liquid, and cleaning products.

Hiscox cottage has the most amazing views from the conservatory where we spent a lot of time just relaxing.

The cottage is most thoughtfully and generously equipped and the hosts were helpful and friendly. Would recommend the cottage for a peaceful break especially for a couple.

The owners Joanne and mark were very friendly and nothing was too much trouble.

It was a beautiful cottage with all amenities that you would need. The view was beautiful and the animals were interesting. Our dog loved the walks as there was lots of open space. The weather was the only trouble but it did not spoil the holiday. We all loved it.

Understandably the pandemic affected comfort by not having cushions, throws etc but the cottage is in a fantastic setting, views are beautiful, the alpaca, ostrich and goats at the front are amazing and great entertainment !

the facilities are all we needed, more than in fact. The choice of a bath or shower was appreciated. We had some horrendous weather which failed to spoil our time here and may well return.

Hiscox cottage is an excellent property with outstanding views, lovely enclosed garden for the dog and all the facilities you could want.

Lovely clean cottage, very spacious and beautiful surroundings.

Our 3 dogs loved it in the big enclosed garden. Everything we needed for a weeks stay. The owners were lovely and very accommodating. The guys loved fishing in the nearby lakes while us girls loved to shop in nearby towns! Beautiful weather, great company. Would definately recommend to friends and family. Thank you :)

The property was lovely - as expected.

Devon roads are about as wide as my driveway and as I had to use them daily they were very nerve racking to drive down. Only 2 downsides to the property - one was the upstairs bedroom with ceiling so sloped I kept bumping my head on them so used the downstairs bedroom instead. The downstairs bedroom was fine except for the bed which was uncomfortable and very noisy. The views were spectacular and the animals were amusing, especially the ostrich as 'he' seemed to dislike everyone.

Perfect hosts ,very warm and friendly but not intrusive.

Lovely spacious holiday home with everything you need for an enjoyable stay . We felt very Covid safe would definitely recommend the property

Love this place what a view and very peaceful the cottage was very clean and had everything we needed the garden was perfect for our 2 well behaved dogs they loved it we really didn’t want to leave the fresh eggs were lovely for breakfast and what a lovely greeting we had from the animals right outside our door this place is well recommended thanks to the owners Mark and Joanne

The property and location were excellent and the owners were lovely people - nothing too much trouble; would not hesitate to return at some future date.

Whoever designed Hiscox cottage left nothing that could be improved.

The East Devon rolling hills view is of course fabulous but the cottage itself had been carefully designed to make anyone's comfort paramount. I tried to find fault but honestly found nothing - with one tiny exception: the water pressure for the upstairs bath could do with improving, though provided one planned ahead ie one turned on the tap 20 minutes before bath required, gives no problem. The neighbours (presumably owners) were charming. The Llama, Peacock and unnamed Goats were also charming! A perfect place for a break. My wife and I plus Labrador and Lurcher could not have wished for a better place to relax and would definitely recommend Hiscox Cottage to anyone who needs a peaceful and comfortable place to unwind. I'm only sorry at 83 I have given up shooting, otherwise I would definitely like to put my name down for a gun in the shoot. Andrew and Sheelin Cuthbert..

lovely people at the farm that made us feel welcome from the outset of our short break.

Another lovely holiday at Hiscox Cottage.

This is our fourth visit and wherever else we may go we are always drawn back to the cottage. Could not wish for a better location. Warm hospitality from Joanne as always.

The view from the cottage is stunning.

Didn't get to meet the owners which was a shame. The twin beds were so uncomfortable my children slept on the sofa and the fridge made so much noise we couldn't hear the TV.

The location of this cottage is superb.

The views are amazing. It is off the beaten track and you have to negotiate the typical Devonshire narrow roads. Facilities in the cottage were as you would expect. The host was a vey nice lady and was approachable, close by but not intrusive.

Joanne and Mark the owners are lovely and welcoming people who’s attention to detail is outstanding.

Hiscox Cottage has amazing views and is finished to the highest standard. It felt like a home from home and we will definitely be returning.

Hiscox Cottage has fantastic views from the conservatory and a lot is made of that.

Unfortunately there were a few issues; there was a tear in the sheet under one of the pillows, the downstairs bathroom was very musty and smelt damp and the shower didn’t appear clean. I wouldn’t recommend Hiscox and wouldn’t return even though the view was fantastic.

Everything about our stay at Hiscox Cottage was perfect.

Joanne & Mark were perfect hosts and Jamie was incredible in organising our activities! The cottage was clean and well equipped. The views were incredible and we had a different walk with our dogs every day in the beautiful 180 acres of Higher Wadden Farm. Surrounded by beautiful creatures and scenery made every day perfect! Lovely and central for visiting the lots of beautiful places Devon has to offer! We intend to return and highly recommend this amazing place! Thanks to Joanne, Mark and Jamie for making it perfect!

We really enjoyed our stay at Hiscox cottage.

It was lovely to see all the animals whilst enjoying the views from the conservatory. There was also plenty of walks directly from the cottage in the beautiful countryside. The cottage was very clean and tidy and would definitely visit again

Hiscox was everything we hoped it would be and more.

This was our first time renting a cottage so we were unsure what to expect. If Hiscox is the standard that cottages look to give then the bar has been set very high, very very high. Without doubt we will return and would be very slow in looking anywhere else than here. It is also fair to say that Sykes themselves provide exceptional customer service and we we’re very impressed from the very beginning of our search. Nothing was to much trouble and they even rang the owner while we waited to check things for us. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. We did have fantastic weather as well so everything worked in our favour!!!!!!

A very well equipped and comfortable cottage

A very nice cottage situated in a really nice position on a working farm.

Owners very helpful & the level of local & property information was excellent. Apart from the fact that the Weather was not good we had a relaxing & enjoyable week and would stay here again.

The accommodation was brilliant and there were lots to do regardless of the weather; books, games and lots of local walks.

Only a short drive from the coast and supermarkets including, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury locally. The best of both styles of holiday, activities or stepping back into total relaxation.Lots of good food inns to choose from and the local village has all the basic facilities including a dog friendly pub serving good basic food at reasonable cost.

We found this property as described.

The views were great. Very comfortable, clean and warm .

We were greeted with a bottle of wine which was very welcoming.

A really beautiful cottage with wonderful views the presence of various animals roaming just feet from us was a plus! Would highly recommend.

Lovely, well equipped cottage with stunning views across beautiful countryside.

Welcoming and helpful owner Joanne. Animals provide an added interest, particularly Percy the peacock who visited every day for his chocolate biscuit.

Very well equipped accommodation.

Fantastic views of the countryside from the conservatory. Jo, the owner, was so lovely, friendly and helpful. Our ages ranged from 10 to 77 and we all had a wonderful time there.

Very relaxing in idyllic setting - just what we wanted thank you

We have stayed at Hiscox cottage many times and hope to stay again in the future.

It is like home from home, the views are stunning and the cottage is beautiful. The kids love the animals and the dogs love the walks! The location is perfect for visiting coastal towns like Lyme Regis and Sidmouth with their many dog friendly shops and eateries. Thank you for another great holiday :-)