Dart Valley Cottages - Dartmouth

D W.

Prior to our visit to Primrose. Outage, Dittisham, we had read some very negative reviews online so expressed our concerns to Dart Valley Cottages in advance, and were assured these issues would be addressed.

We arrived with a little apprehension but this was unfounded. The cottage had clearly been subject to a full refresh with redecoration throughout, two new electric showers, brand new bed and bath linen, a new Smart TV and a thorough clean up externally with the garden tidied and furniture replaced.

Primrose Cottage is situated in the South Hams waterside village of Dittisham. This is a very scenic spot, with views of the river from the cottage and its four acres of communal grounds. The village is, however, accessed via very narrow and steep lanes, typical of the area, and the village is not ideal for exploring for those with mobility issues. The cottage, however, is only a short walk from The Ham on the riverside and this provides a flat level walk to the quayside and ferry along the foreshore (when the tide is out). But this undulating environment makes for beautiful scenery and views.

The cottage has convenient private car parking allocated right outside - a real premium in a location such as this. Primrose Cottage is one of the better in this development being an end cottage. This allows it an open fireplace, side windows and a much larger paved outside terrace to the side for sitting and dining. This is secure for dog owners with a gate down a few steps to the private lawned garden overlooking the communal orchard and village beyond. This has been well tidied and the garden furniture nicely renewed.

The cottage provides a useful downside WC (essential for us) and two showers, both of which have recently been replaced. The en-suite shower is very small and the water pressure very poor, so only really appropriate for those unable to climb into the bath to shower. That shower is perfectly adequate.

The cottage as a whole was very clean, as was the kitchen, which was well equipped. There were also basic essentials like washing-up liquid, detergent for the dishwasher and washing machine, kitchen towels and toilet paper and hand wash. There was evidence of historic damp issues in the downstairs WC and by the French doors, but this was not an issue during our stay.

Our only issue would be the lack of any welcome pack on arrival, which was a first for us, as everywhere we have stayed before they have provided some welcoming essentials or at least a bottle of wine after the lengthy journey. This would be a welcome addition.

Other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Primrose Cottage and recommend it, but it may not be ideal for those with mobility issues.

Katherine K.

Fantastic location close to the centre of Dartmouth but set back from the road. Well thought out and comfortable rooms with plenty of space for 6 people.
Give careful thought about parking - or travel without a car if possible - as parking in the garage is needed out of consideration for other residents, and the garage is a traditional UK narrow one! Will fit a Skoda Octavia but maybe leave modern wide cars somewhere else.
Altogether a lovely place to stay and I hope to return sometime.

Gerard D.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at 16 Clarence Hill. Dartmouth is a great location and we had superb weather.

16 Clarence Hill is a lovely location with the property well maintained. It was really helpful to have a parking spot right where we were staying. The house remained cool in hot weather and it was a real bonus to have access to the secret garden and use of the BBQ. The property was very comfortable for 3 of us and our dog, clean and well catered for with a well equipped kitchen. It is also really well located for Dartmouth shops and restaurants to walk to in minutes. There are 2 nearby parks for dog walking.

The only negative was that the house next door is presently covered in scaffolding. This didn't really obstruct the views from the house but it did make getting our car in and out of the relatively tight parking space (on a very narrow street) tricky. Dart Valley cottages only mentioned the scaffolding when I phoned them about something else a week before our stay, which was disappointing. We were however left a nice welcome gift I assume to compensate.

Things to consider before staying here:
1. The house has a lot of stairs and could be challenging for anyone with physical difficulties, especially the spiral staircase up to the attic area and bathroom
2. Parking a large SUV in the parking spot would be very difficult. We managed OK with a small/medium SUV
3. If you want to park the car and walk everywhere this is a great and convenient location

Susan H.

Hawke Cottage - March 2025 - this is a beautiful, thatched cottage in the grounds of Dartmouth Golf Club. Although not golf players, we had use of the indoor swimming pool, spa and tennis court plus an option to go over for a meal at the hotel there.
Our initial search looked for a property with parking on site as Dartmouth properties can have parking issues. This gave us the perfect solution as only 10 mins drive from Dartmouth.
On arrival, we were stunned by the high quality furnishings. The cottage is very pretty and has a lovely, private patio and garden area at the rear overlooking the rolling Devon countryside. Every detail was well thought through which gave us a very relaxed, comfortable and enjoyable stay.
Thank you to the owners for their beautifully equipped cottage and to Dart Valley Cottages for their well organised and constant contact across the stay. We felt well and truly looked after.

Rosie M.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at 10 Clarence Hill. It’s a well appointed holiday rental. We weren’t able to use the outside area due to the weather but the smart TV faves us plenty to watch on wet days. It’s an easy stroll to the shops and the car park permit is such a bonus. We couldn’t believe the street was 2 way! Thankfully we never encountered anything coming the other way. We only used the street to drop off and pick up.

The carpet downstairs would benefit from an upgrade otherwise it was perfect. Thank you

Abi L.

The cleanliness of the property was absolutely awful. Upon arrival we had to clean the kitchen floor because our socks were getting stuck to something sticky. We found half a piece of toast behind a curtain in the bedroom and we had to give everything in the kitchen a deep clean before using it. We couldn't use the property as we would have liked (self-catering) as it just wasn't clean enough. Dart Valley cottages manage the property and upon alerting them they did offer to send a cleaner back around but we had already cleaned the floor and we were constantly finding more and more items and areas that were unclean. I mean even the window seal behind where the curtain hangs hadn't been cleaned for months and there was black mould in the shower tray. We even had someone else's chicken nuggets left over in the ice tray! It is quite unfair for us to have to accommodate the cleaner during our stay when basic cleaning should be maintained. We rented a house because we wanted to be self-catered for, if we wanted cleaners everyday we would have gone to a hotel. I feel sorry for the people who own this property it being managed/cleaned so poorly! We engaged with Dart Valley Cottages and shared photographs and videos of the issues we raised. However they are not taking any responsibility just stating they offered to send the cleaner back around...what a very poor customer experience. AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!

Anne C.

We had a wonderful few days at The Old Orchard. It was spotlessly clean on arrival and there was a very helpful visitors' manual left out. The house is equipped with EVERYTHING you might need. There were even basic condiments available which was very much appreciated. The garden is beautiful and the weather meant we could have breakfast outside. Communication with the management team was smooth and helpful; we would love to return.

stars

lovely location very close to river dart; local ferry boat inn is a short walk and you can't beat the riverside location with ferries going downstream 🙂 Primrose cottage had a nice garden and space inside as described. It could do with a bit of TLC on decoration. we learnt that the village is called Ditsum locally. getting anywhere involves hills, narrow lanes, windy local roads but worth it for the beauty of dartmoor and the local coast.