“White Duck Cottage was very comfortable and the location was good for exploring the north coast of Cornwall.”
The outside hose for rinsing wetsuits was very handy! It was disappointing not to find recommendations (beyond a folder full of marketing leaflets) for more local amenities especially walks, how to access the beaches (nearest of which is via a building site) and eating places, including opening hours, nearby. For example, we visited in October and found a very nice tapas bar, only open Thur-Sat. The cottage itself had everything we needed, a couple of things worth mentioning: the oven needs cleaning, we used the it only once - cooking smells lingered for 24 hours! The bedding (bottom sheet and mattress protector) were very worn and looked grey after just a couple of sleeps such that we washed everything mid week.
We were also dismayed at not being able to recycle ANY of our rubbish! We worked out this is because holiday rental waste is handled separately (this was not explained in the cottage handbook) and so we took our recycling to the centre in St Erth, a short drive away.
Overall, sadly we are not likely to recommend or return to White Duck Cottage.
We like to ensure that our guests have the best possible holiday. This part of Cornwall has a lot to offer. Our ratings from those who have left reviews so far this year average 4.9 out of 5. The road to the local beach does indeed pass beside Hayle’s exciting new North Quay development, which is partly in occupation, and you can walk along the reconstructed historic quayside with its waterside footpath, and views across the estuary. This is a regeneration project made possible by extensive EU funding. There is in fact specific information at the cottage about the best beaches for different weather and surf conditions. The cottage also has a huge OS map on the wall showing all the beaches and beach car parks, from Lands End right up to and beyond St Agnes and Falmouth. Public footpaths are also marked. Two walks are mentioned in the house literature.
We don’t give restaurant recommendations for several reasons: guests’ tastes vary, pockets vary, some will drive for a night out, while others will walk. There are very many cafés and restaurants in our area, and so much information about them on the internet. The internet also has the advantage of being up to date: for example you can see on the internet the opening times of the local tapas bar. For general information about things to do and places to visit we recommend in our guidance that guests consider looking at the excellent Visit Cornwall Website.
Recycling arrangements are fully described in the house handbook, all taken care of by our Contractors. Last week we used the oven with no problem: we do give clear instructions how to run the kitchen extract fan, which discharges very efficiently from over the cooker directly to the outside. Nonetheless, an additional oven clean has been ordered following the comment. And the question over the sheets is being looked into.
As always we are grateful for the feedback. We do email our guests before they arrive and ask them to let us know without delay if they find anything which is not quite right. Then it can be dealt with immediately, and thus not spoil their holiday. We are on hand to attend to even the smallest thing with the minimum of fuss.
Property Owner
