Hearthstone East Cottage

This house has so much potential.

It is full of character and charm, and could be an amazing place to stay. The garden is also lovely and spacious, and the host kindly allowed us to check out at 11 a.m. instead of 10 a.m., which we really appreciated. Unfortunately, the biggest issue was the cleanliness. The tables, kitchen counters and even the dishes felt sticky to the touch. I brought my own cleaning cloth and spray, and after wiping the kitchen table the cloth was completely black. Although the garden itself was beautiful, the outdoor furniture was so dirty that we couldn’t comfortably sit outside or enjoy the space. The bedding also raised concerns. When I lifted the duvet, I found three black hairs in my bed, which made me question whether the sheets had been changed before our arrival. The shower drain was clogged with what looked like months’ worth of hair, causing the water to drain very slowly, and there was mould inside the shower cubicle. One of the shower areas (which was more of a shower nook than a proper bathroom) had no working light, making it unusable. The welcome gift was a nice gesture, but there were only two coffee pods for four guests staying five days. The sugar sachets were so old and stuck together that they couldn’t even be opened. There were also no dishwasher tablets, even though guests are asked to wash all dishes before checking out. We had brought our own tablets, but I imagine many guests simply run the dishwasher without detergent, which may explain why the dishes were not properly clean. The parking area is also very small and difficult to access. Overall, this property could be absolutely wonderful, but the lack of cleanliness completely overshadowed our stay. Considering the price we paid, we expected a much higher standard.

We chose to stay in this cottage since the family love old, quirky places and this has tons of quirk and character!

If you prefer modern, immaculate places then look elsewhere. Despite the disappointing mixed weather, we made the most of our stay with trips to local landmarks (such as National Trust Coleton Fishacre which is nearby) and did plenty of walking, including the steep road from the rear of the cottage, which eventually took us to Man Sands NT beach. Although we like walking it should be noted that it’s a 20 minute brisk stroll to the harbour, so those less mobile would need to drive or take a bus. The reason for 4 and not 5 stars is, as other reviews have commented, parts of the property looked like they needed a good clean, like the kitchen floor and stairs. It was also missing a spare battery for the smoke alarm which needed replacing, and the recycling / food waste was confusing. Food waste bags were provided but there was no caddy to leave them in, and there was no box marked for plastic recycling. Overall we enjoyed the holiday and would recommend it. Thanks.

Beautiful property, lots of original features.

Loved out stay

What a lovely place to stay.

We spent a week here, 5 adults, 2 kids and 2 dogs with plenty of room for us all. The kids loved exploring all the different ways to move through the house and so did the dogs. The garden is beautiful, full of colour and wildlife, the new build at the back is amazing. Kids spent so much time in there playing darts and hanging out while watching the dogs play on the grass. The driveway was big enough to fit 2 cars on it and the bins were easy to get to so when bin day came round we didnt have any problems. The cottage has the perfect mix of original old school character and modern amenities, the wonky floors, strange sized steps, creaking floor, massive wooden beams and secret doors are what make this place special. You can really imagine the different families that have called this place home over the years. We even spent one evening sat at dinner, around a table with enough room for us all, coming up with stories on who used to live in the house and what the tales are that went with the paintings. The aga in the kitchen was brilliant. If your not a fan of cobwebs then don't look to closely because you will find plenty, some of us were not bothered by this but others thought it could of done with a more thorough clean but someone cobwebs weren't going to ruin it for us. Everything else was perfectly clean and not a problem at all. There's plenty of bathrooms for everyone and they even have a little shower, sink and fridge downstairs off the kitchen that we allocated to the dogs. There is plenty of things to do locally and all at very good prices, we tried the Caymen Golf which did pitch and putt and foot golf at a great price. It's a nice walk into town to see the golden hind and go shopping. The dogs loved the local park/green for there daily walks and ball games, as did the kids! We came away from our little cottage holiday home and we're all in agreement that we need to go back because the place is so lovely.

Stunning cottage,very pleasant and helpful owners .

Cannot fault anything. Highly recommended.

This was a wonderful property in a great position that was in walking distance down to Brixham harbour.

The cottage is beautiful in and out and has all the facilities necessary for a wonderful holiday. We loved the thatch and the overall character of this 15th Century house. It was in an excellent location with easy walks to the cliff paths, short drives to National Trust Properties of Greenway, Coleton Fishacre, Compton Castle and the English Heritage Castle of Berry Pomeroy . Thank you Jo and Jim for letting us stay in your beautiful cottage. ....an d we were very impressed with the summer house that Jim has built down the bottom of the garden ...great for the lovely summer evenings....and it provided us great evening darts battles! We hope to be back, Lynn, John, Tobias and Gabriel - along with Reuben and Bertie the dogs

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Hearthstone East Cottage.

There were 6 of us for the bank holiday weekend so 1 bedroom was left unused (the bedroom with the shower in). On arrival a quick call to the owner and the access code gave us access to the keys. All rooms were well prepared and furnished to a good spec and in sympathy with a 600 year old cottage. There was plenty of crockery and cutlery for us all though some cutlery needed a quick rinse before using. It is a labyrinth inside and so we spent some time finding our way from room to room but because the bedrooms were all so nice there was nobody having to compromise on their accommodation. The location is ideal for access to Brixham and Torquay, though a car is required. The 2 car spaces at the rear were really only suitable for 1 large SUV (we had 3) but immediately behind the property there was plenty of parking space on the road, though be ready for a steep climb uphill; -) We had a mix of weather so weren't able to use the garden very much but it looked very pleasant. It's worth noting the flagstone stairs down from the garden at the rear are as steep as the access instructions state. So parking on the road by the side entrance gate is the way to go for taking suitcases in and out. Would highly recommend for a family or group of friends without mobility issues. Thank you for letting us stay at your historic cottage.

We really enjoyed this quirky cottage.

despite its age it was clean, cosy, and spacious. Appreciated the historical notes. Very interesting. Talking to neighbour Lance was also fascinating as he carefully renovates next door in keeping with the Grade II listing. Ideal for special celebrations. Kitchen well-equipped. The fire already laid up. However, surprised that other basics seemed to be overlooked*.All nearby NT locations well worth a visit. We were lucky with the weather. Thank you! *Thanks for the pint of milk on arrival. The jars for initial tea/coffee/washing machine tablets etc were empty; no washing up liquid or spare rubbish bags etc. These and specific instructions for house (rather than generic holiday company sheets)/manuals/recycling arrangements would have been helpful. The local comments need a little updating. The dining chairs need checking - many are wobbly and may need re-glueing.

We had a fabulous time in this beautiful character cottage.

The secure garden was great for our dog and it was a nice walk into town. The quirky cottage was on several levels which may be a problem for those with mobility issues, but has a bedroom and bathroom downstairs. The real fire was a great addition as was the rocking chair. The power shower was absolutely amazing! Off-road parking was a bonus. Shops within walking distance and the Burton Pub nearby did good value food.

A quirky, cosy, cottage that is full of character and charm.

It had everything we needed for a lovely break and was within walking distance of amenities. We had a great time.

Hearthstone East is a lovely quirky cottage with a deceptively large amount of space.

Peaceful setting on the outskirts of lovely Brixham and just a 15 minute walk down to the harbour and town centre with coffee shops, food, drink and visitor facilities. Thanks to the owners for the recommendation to visit Berry Head - well worth the walk. Make sure you have a cream tea in the cafe! Very dog friendly and a secure rear garden was a bonus and added to the enjoyment of this lovely place.

What a lovely place to stay.

Nothing negative at all except I am well over 6 feet in height and spent most of my time stooping to avoid head contact! Lovely features and comfy beds. We found the up and down steep stairs for the bathrooms a bit daunting at night but we would stay there again in a heartbeat nonetheless. Thanks for the choccy cake!!!

We completely fell in love with this cottage.

It is steeped in history and there is something interesting everywhere you look. The garden is beautiful, right up my street. The owners have clearly spent a lot of time and effort making this great for holidaymakers too with everything you would need. The beds were super comfy, I haven’t slept so well in years. 3 different generations of family stayed during this trip and we all loved it. Will definitely be returning. It’s also in a great spot just a short walk to the harbour and has a great park for kids just across the road.

Overall, we had a lovely stay, and the property is very charming (the comments below are nit picking but could be easily fixed!

) the area is lovely and a perfect base to explore south Devon! The house is on a relatively busy road, with cars and motorbikes driving through quickly (and noisily!) This isn’t the fault of the owners but the listing could make it clearer. The general cleanliness of the property needed improvement. Much of the cutlery needed re washing as it was dirty, there were areas of the house which clearly hadn’t been vacuumed/dusted in some time. The shower in the main bathroom was covered in lime scale and water marks so clearly hadn’t been cleaned in some time (also couldn’t use the shower as it didn’t drain - to be fair, we didn’t report this as only discovered towards the end of our stay, and there were other showers to use). The twin room on the top floor is unusable (in our opinion) by small children/people with mobility issues as it’s at the top of a very steep and windy stairway - again not the fault of the owners and is part of the charm of the cottage but could have been made clearer. The bed on the ground floor (off the living room) was very comfortable however the double bed on the first floor is in desperate need of replacement. Despite staying at the end of June, the garden furniture had not been cleaned. There was also an issue with parking as one of the two advertised spaces was occupied by the owner of the neighbouring property. There appears to be some confusion between the two property owners over who is entitled to use these spaces - luckily the issue was very quickly resolved during our stay but can see that it would be a possible issue, particularly if the neighbouring property is occupied (currently not lived in but is being renovated).

Fantastic property, full of character, loads of room not cramped like some cottages and fully equipped with everything we needed for our holiday, large garden with plenty of different areas to sit, even the dogs didn't want to come home.

Looking forward to returning in the near future.

A very lovely spacious oldie worldie cottage with a very large open Hearth Fire, Beds are extremely comfortable, rear garden would be ideal to sit out in during the summer months with plenty of seating and tables at the various levels of the garden.

The beams in the property are low and anyone over 6ft would need to stoop to avoid bumps...10+ for me and my son. The decor and furniture are in style with the cottage. Parking for 2 vehicles was not a problem up the hill to the rear of the property, would suggest off loading luggage etc at the front of the house. We are looking forward to visiting again.

We enjoyed our few days in the cottage.

It was comfortable and full of character and as described in the listing. Our four legged friend loved the secure garden and the cottage was fully equipped for larger parties. Ideally located for Brixham and the surrounding attractions of south Devon.

The cottage cleaning,does not appear to be high on their list.

When emptying the bins on Thursday for collection the 2 bins outside were packed full and even the garden bin is full with general waste. We only stayed a week and had to put out all the bins, despite only using 1 bag. Brixam is a beautiful area and the cottage is in a good location. The cottage is a lovely quirky place to stay with nice areas to sit outside

We had lovely time and it was exactly what we imagined.

We also appreciated the coolness of the cottage.

As a party of 8 (3 generations) plus a pet dog we had a very enjoyable stay at Hearthstone East Cottage.

It was very quirky but very comfortable. Good position for visiting other local resorts and attractions.

A lovely quirky cottage within walking distance of a Spar and further on Brixham Harbour.

The owners were very helpful and our stay over Xmas was enjoyable with the cottage decorated for our arrival, and cosy in the rainy weather we experienced. Unloading the cars was difficult due to the cottage being on a corner and the rear garden rising to the parking space, but it would not put us off from staying again. Overall - excellent.

A most enjoyable stay in this quirky cottage, the hosts were very helpful in ensuring a minor issue was dealt with really quickly ensuring a lovely holiday.

We had a wonderful week at Hearthstone East Cottage, it had everything we required in terms of comfort and facilities, with a pretty garden and lovely outdoor eating space.

It was great to be in such an ancient building too and interesting to read about its history. Would definitely stay there again.

Stayed at this cottage before .

Ideally situated for visiting other seaside resorts. Quirky but ideal for our holiday. Visitors must be aware of low ceilings otherwise you may have a few brised heads.

Cottage in general was very comfortable for 4 adults and two toddlers.

We found the Cottage would be so much better if it were toddler proofed a little more stair gates inside and out. And the kitchen was not easy to get around and could have appreciated more frying pans as well as a French press. Owner was very communicative and appreciated them posting back some items that we had left. Superb location for getting to many secluded beaches.

Super clean cottage, really helpful and kind owners!

This was a multi generation visit with a baby through to grandparents and it was lovely. Thank you.

A quaint cottage albeit rather quirky!

A good base for exploring south Devon with Brixham harbour just a 20 minute walk away. The cottage catered for all our needs and has a lovely garden for enjoying the sunshine.

Fabulous property and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Being there at Xmas was especially good for a family get together.

Lovely stay, charming cottage, everyone loved it, thank you so much!

Only constructive point is that a few said the sheets didn’t smell fresh/ clean.

The property is lovely however needs a little tlc especially in bathrooms and general cleanliness.

Very expensive

We had a lovely stay.

For the most part, the house is well equipped for a family staying for the week. Our children loved all the different staircases. They also loved the magical fairies in the garden - a very nice touch! A bit nit picky, but with children in mind, it would be great to have a non-slip mat for the bath and as there is no shaving point, perhaps the provision of a two pin plug for those (like us) who need to charge electric toothbrushes.

Fabulous holiday.

Cottage was amazing, full of history and character. very pretty garden. We felt at home straight away - just wish I had booked 2 weeks!

We had a fabulous week in the cottage.

A fascinating building full of history. Good location to explore the area and the cottage had everything you needed.

The cottage was everything we wanted peaceful, relaxing and very well equipped.

We will definitely be back hopefully next year. Shirley, Mark, Claire,David and Rose.

The cottage itself was lovely, however it wasn't clean, felt grubby and with 2 young children one of them crawling we couldn't let him crawl on the kitchen floor as it would stain his clothes.

Our socks were black after a short while of walking around in the cottage. It was spiderweb everywhere in the ceilings.

The cottage was lovely, full of character and very comfortable.

It was very well equipped including a library of books. It provided an excellent base for the surrounding area which had something for everyone.

A beautiful cottage, a great park 3 minutes away with 4x community tennis courts which was fantastic.

Fantastically equipped kitchen. We all had a wonderful time.

Hearthstone is a beautiful, spacious and fascinating cottage in a great location for the South Devon coast and all it offers.

As a party of 8 adults and a baby, we had a plenty of space in both house and garden. An ideal house for a fantastic holiday.

Dear Jo and Jim We had a very enjoyable stay at your beautiful cottage!

It is a little gem in a very beautiful corner of this world. The children were thrilled to hear about the historic details that you collected, it added special significance to the place. Also, thank you very much for so quickly sorting out the little problem with the locks and for the offer of an extra day. Yours, Enrico

We loved our stay at Hearthstone East Cottage.

It had such a homely atmosphere and was perfect for our family holiday. It is such a characterful property with lots of history and felt like we were stepping back in time, but still had all the modern facilities and worked for 8 of us. The parking was excellent, particularly as we had travelled down in multiple cars, and it's in a great location with easy access to pretty much everywhere. The owner was so friendly and helpful when we called to get the key code, she was incredibly enthusiastic about the cottage and we can see why. We all loved it and we would love to stay here again.

Fantastic accommodation - cosy country living.

Just as you would expect from a historic property but with mod cons thrown in! Thoroughly recommend this property!

Love the cottage so much I’d like to up sticks and live there, and Joanna and Jim are lovely, helpful people.

The cottage isn’t far from the beach if you don’t mind some Devon hills, and I love the fact it’s dog friendly. The cottage has a very warm, positive vibe and in terms of ‘character’ you simply can’t do better. It’s the quintessential old-Woldy cottage.

Very beautiful cottage, decorated with taste.

Like the Tardis, it's bigger in the inside than it looks on the outside :). I would recommend this renting anytime

Well positioned cottage 20 minute walk from the harbour.

Full of quirky features. Easily accommodated 6 of us and 2 dogs. Brixham itself is a good centre for sightseeing. Lots to do in close proximity.

A lovely cottage with lots of character.

A comfortable and enjoyable stay with a great location for surrounding areas to visit. Fantastic weather which made our week so much more enjoyable.

The cottage was wonderful - on a road though which was not mentioned but very comfortable and homely :)

Hearthstone cottage is a very comfy quirky cottage.

Which is very well equipped. It has everything you can possibly need. It has a lovely garden for the dog and loads of seating for us to kick back and relax on. It’s in a great location for exploring the surrounding areas. As it’s central to all the main towns. The welcome pack left by the owners was very much appreciated

The cottage generally was let down by its "scruffy" appearance, whereby upon arrival to the property our first-impressions were of almost abandonment from outside.

The wrought iron front gate was in a state of disrepair and little more than barely usable (not helpful with a family of 5 with a 2yr old toddler and a dog), the front garden was generally overgrown and unkempt which was very disappointing. The same comments can be made of the rear garden, this was woefully overgrown and the patio area at the top of the garden should be condemned due numerous paving slabs being loose and susceptible to trips and falls which could have considerable consequences! The lower part of the garden immediately as you exited the back door required over two hours worth of manual labour, sweeping and cleaning patio furniture to make it usable.......not exactly what you want to be doing on the first day of your holiday! Inside the cottage was better and generally as expected and we felt comfortable spending our evenings either around the kitchen table or in the living room, the beds and bathroom linen were fresh and comfortable but the general level of cleanliness in the cottage could have been better, lots of cobwebs and dust on and around all the ornaments and nick-nacks and not enough cleaning equipment to deal with available or a "contact this number XXXXXX" to allow us to either resolve ourselves or get someone in. There may also be some room for improvement on the description of the local amenities, in particular the the public house that was mentioned being just down the road. The Bell Inn is NOT for families neither should it be suggested as a place to go, it was probably one of the roughest, tattiest and worst public houses I have ever had the misfortune to patronise. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *******Owner Response******* Firstly may I thank you for taking the time to give me feedback, as owners we genuinely take onboard what our guests impressions are and where appropriate improve our facilities to ensure comfort of future guests. Now if I can comment on the main points of your feedback. 1) "scruffy appearance, overgrown & unkempt gardens" - We were shocked by these comments however once we had spoken to our gardener we understood fully what had occurred. Our gardener had broken his arm and had not been around to the cottage in a few weeks, so quite rightly it was overgrown, we sorted this out immediately and going forward put procedures in place for the new gardener to send us pictures of completed works. We have also bought a stylish brand new 8 seat rattan table and chairs for the patio area. 2) Front gate not shutting - This has been repaired, so too has the side gate which was a bit stiff so a new handle has been put on it. 3)The 3 wobbly paving slabs in the garden have been re cemented in. 4) Our cottage is historic and so full of character, however we take on board the "nick nack" comment and removed many of the "dust collectors". 5) We also had too much crockery which may have looked a bit mis-matched so the excess has been removed so it looks less like a 2nd hand car boot sale stuff and more appealing. The Bell pub, which does have very friendly publicans and locals, is undergoing renovation & is now tatty and scruffy this has been removed from recommended places. 6) One of the toilets is off of the kitchen however as a grade 2 listed 16th century property we have to work with the rooms we have. The W/C door is on the left and one step down of the kitchen. I'm sorry that you could not find my number from the welcome pack as we always advise our customers to contact us day or night if you have any questions or issues. As I would much rather arrange for housekeeping or gardener to come and sort out any issue immediately rather than be unhappy at the end of stay. I have now pasted my Phone number on the top of the welcome pack. We do love the cottage and really want everyone else to enjoy it too.

Owners were very friendly and helpful when I telephoned.

Its a great quirky house which is what we were looking for. Anyone used to en suites or two bathrooms beware ... one bathroom (although one bedroom had a shower and there was one in the utility room), but only toilets were in the bathroom and off the kitchen ... no one in my family wanted to use a toilet off the kitchen when kitchen was full of people eating, so breakfast time was a bit of a legs crossed waiting for the loo.

Very cosy and interesting cottage.

The owner although in Brighton was attentive and responsive.

This is a beautiful cottage.

Very comfortable and good location. We all had a brilliant time.

Really lovely cottage within easy reach of the harbour and all other sites and facilities.

Cottage was excellent and just what we needed for a new year hideaway, thank you also to the owners who were easily accessible via mobile telephone and were extremely helpful and wanted to tell us lots about the area and the house.