The following comments have been left by previous guests at Riverside Court.

2009 Season

30th December – 3rd January. It was a very welcoming arrival and especially appreciated the mince pies. Loved the location . Went into Bideford for New Year’s Eve, which had a good atmosphere and great fireworks at midnight. Recommend the Westleigh Inn (although may need to book at weekends). We also had a drink at Riversford Hotel which has fantastic views. They also do a great Sunday Lunch (need to book). All in All, a Great holiday.

14th – 21st November. Lovely property with great views and everything we could want. We had a really good meal, well cooked and plenty of it, at the Riversford Hotel and only 5 minutes walk away.

3rd – 6th November. A good mini-break. The house was warm and cosy with the interesting and ever-changing views of the river. The South West Coastal Path to Appledore and Northam Burrows is highly recommended – even in a force 8 gale!

3rd – 10th October. Back again for our third visit – still a lovely house with everything you could want in it Weather not bad for October, but with the view of the river there is always something to see – even in the rain. The Hunters Inn at Newton Tracey still very good for Sunday Lunch. With any luck we will be back again next year.

12th – 19th September. How lucky were we! Not a drop of rain all week so consequently everywhere was lovely! If you get as far as Tintagel, walk to the far end of the high street to the bakers which bake the best pasties ever! Instow beach great for dog owners. Mr Ho, Chinese, not very good. Trawlers fish & chips was good. A lovely holiday in a lovely well equipped home from home.

22nd – 29th August. Lovely location and central to lots of excursions. Recommend body boarding on Saunton beach (you can hire/buy wet suits and boards). Great fun for the whole family! Cycle ride along to Fremington Quay is flat and easy along the cycle path with the promise of a good tea shop at the end! Great crabbing at high tide over the back wall (mackerel makes for great bait!) – didn’t have any success fishing. Appledore very pleasant for an evening stroll and a quiet drink whilst you watch the tide roll in (or out!). A good place to stay – although had a slightly unpleasant smell which made us wonder if the previous occupants had been smoking indoors! Despite that we would still stay again.

15th – 22nd August. Lovely house looking out at the river. We’ve been lucky with the weather and managed two days at Saunton Beach. ‘Pig on the Hill’ was “OK” but service wasn’t great. Highly recommend the ‘Hunters Inn’. Very friendly and wonderful food. One afternoon travelled to Clovelly. Lovely place, but thought expensive to get in to walk around the little village.

8th – 15th August. Lovely, well equipped cottage. Tea & Coffee on arrival much appreciated. Excellent location, with lovely views over the river. Husband and sons have spent every evening fishing from the garden. Croyde beach beautiful. Hoops Inn a little expensive but excellent food. Recommend. Great holiday. Would highly recommend to friends and family.

1st – 8th August. Lovely, well equipped cottage. Lovely views over the River. Town only a short walk away. Saunton beach beautiful, £6 parking all day. ‘Pig on the Hill’ pub great for food and one of the only places you don’t have to book. Fantastic holiday!

18th – 25th July. First time here because of our new puppy ‘Oscar’. Very nice cottage and a good base to visit all areas. The beach at Instow great for dogs (no lead) and the ‘bar’ and ‘boathouse’ both great for drinks & food. “Honey Moon” nice Chinese takeaway/Restaurant and they deliver!! It’s been a long time since we’ve had an English holiday but we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the walks with the ‘puppy’. Check out the coastal walks from the cottage in both directions and you’ll be ready for that drink! P.S. Most of the pubs allow you to take your dog inside! Great Holiday and completed the cube puzzle after two days, although it will drive you mad.

27th June – 4th July. Well equipped cottage, great views. Very nice meal at East of the Water (Chinese) across old bridge at Bideford.

20th – 27th June. We have spent a comfortable week here, enjoying the good weather and lovely views. We enjoyed excellent food at Lathwells in Bideford and the Orchard Hill Hotel just up the road (the pannacotta is to die for!). We also had a pleasant meal at the Riversford Hotel locally.

30th May – 6th June. Comfortable cottage, lovely views of the river, easy access to other places of interest, disappointing weather. To improve the cottage some cushions for the furniture [Owner: cushions added] and beware the handles of the saucepans get red hot!! We have had a lovely week here overall and will recommend to family and friends. P.S. The Hoops Inn – lovely food and good service.

2nd – 4th May. We have spent a few lovely days here – weather has been good and cottage all that we wanted – very comfortable. Enjoyed walks into town – only takes a 5 min walk via coastal path near to the house – excellent.

18th April – 2nd May. An enjoyable stay in pleasant surroundings.

4th – 11th April. Comfortable warm house with lovely views, although the workmen grit blasting the wall was very noisy for most of the week. Lovely beaches at Woolacombe and Saunton, much better than Croyde. Recommend the walk out to Baggy Point, especially if it’s sunny. Appledore picturesque and worth a visit, as is Hartland Quay and the Point. Couldn’t face paying to get into Clovelly though.

2008 Season

6th - 10th October. House very comfortable and warm and conveniently situated for the shops. Lots ofn things to do and see. The weather wasn't kind to us, very cold. We all had a lovely cottage pie at Sawmice Inn near Berrynarbor that warmed us up. Could do with a small nest of tables for living room.

11th - 18th October. Lovely weekend - glorious weather. Enjoyed visit to Hartland Quay and expecially Broomhill Sculpture Park. Nice meal at Spice and very good meal at Lashelles - though fish not quite as fresh as it could have been plus quite pricy. Banks excellent for a cream tea - very reasonable price wise and lovely tea. Coffee perfect. Clean, warm and good location. Lovely coastline - sadly too many places shut before end of October.

6th - 10th October. We have very nuch enjoyed our stay, the cottage is comfortable and homely with everything you could need, including friendly neighbours. Lovely to be able to have the heat on when it got a bit chilly in the evenings. We had an excellent meal at the Boathouse at Instow, unfortunately as it's our last night we won't be able to go again!.

27th Setpemer - 4th October. Has a really relaxing time here. Cottagewas lovely, coulddn't ask for more. Weather has been really nice apart from one day, but it was the first week in October. Clovelly is lovely but very steep expecially coming back up, not too suitable for very young children or the less mobile. Ilfracombe was disappointing, lovely beach at Woolacombe though. You can go fishing at Appledore, regardless of skill its a good laugh. Would book with Farm & Cottage Holidays again. Very Impressed..

20th - 27th September. Has a brilliant relaxing time, cottage has everything we needed. It is a good location, Keef (the dog) loved Instow. Weather was good most of the time, no rain just a bit chilly at times. Neighbours friendly and helpful. Its all passed too quickly, would definitely like to come back for longer next time.

13th - 20th September. Enjoyed our visit and has some good weather. Bideford carnival very good. Would recommend a visit to Lynton and Lynmouth and the cliff top railway to Valley of the Rock. (Nice little cafe to get drinks and snacks). Boscastle had some great sea views from the top of the harbour.

6th - 13th September. The cottage enjoys a good location and excellent views across the river. It met all our holiday needs. We had lovely meals out at the Thatched Inn and the Pig on the Hill (limited menu here though). Then we tried the Boathouse at Instow. Found this to be a class above and returned there on another two occations. Mr CHips is an excellent Chippie. The weather was not all we might have hoped for but no complaints from us. We had a very pleasant holiday..

23rd - 30th August. North Devon has so much to do - for young and old - it would be mad not to explore it. All the very well organised information was extremely helpful. The house is well situated of course but its a real trick missed not to have a small summer room - it would make the place really super. Its a comfortable place but the sofas are a bit tired and small and lined curtains would be a bonus [Owner: We can't justify the very high cost of a conservatory (£15,000 - £20,000) as we could not charge higher rentals for it. We agree it would be great if you lived there all the time, but it is not essential for holiday guests given that they spend most of their time out and about. We replaced the sofas in 2009].

16th - 23rd August. Perfect little cottage for our family of 3 - lovely views over the river - very relaxing. Bideford is an excellent location for travelling to surrounding areas. Our first visit to Devon and we absolutely loved it despite the horrid weather - it rained all but 2 days! We recommend Torrington 1646 if you're into your history, try and pick fine day as they do a musket demonstration outside. Clovelly beautiful, very quaint and quirky. Big Sheep good if you have young kids. Lots to do at Ilfracombe, Exmoor Zoo very nice, small but perfectly formed! Model railway very good and some of it is indoors if weather bad!! We're off the Milky Way today on our way home - hope weather is decent. For eating out at night we liked the Spice, Bideford, they do English if you don't like Indian or Thai, The Olive Tree, A386, Bideford is very good if you fancy going posh - just have a main course if you don't want to spend too much!! we also had a Chinese at Han Court, Fremmington and it was delicious and very child friendly. Hope you enjoy your stay as much as we did.

2nd - 9th August. House very comfortable and a good base for exploring. The beach at Croyde is very good. The weather was often good there when everywhere else it was raining. Also very good rock pools for the children to play and great surf. The beach at Instow is also nice, but more open and breezy. Had 3 very good meals at the Westleigh Inn at Westleigh. It gets very busy so either book a table or arrive early. They take orders from 6pm (Dog and child friendly!).

26th July - 2nd August. Enjoyed our holiday, the cottage so clean. The Thatched Inn pub is highly recommended to visit lovely food and dog friendly. Covelly a lovely day out, but do not do it if it is wet. Neighbours very friendly.

19th - 26th July. Enjoyed our holiday - excellent weather. Visited many places, Clovelly, Porlock, Bude and Lynton and Lynmouth to name but a few. Therefore found the cottage to be in a very good location. With four adults we found the seating in the lounge uncomfortable [Owner: We replaced the sofas in 2009].

5th - 19th July. Had a lovely holiday - cottage excellent - very comfortable and excellent river views. I would suggest a small portable heater for cool evenings rather than having to use central heating. [Owner: We prefer not to have a portable heater for safety reasons]

28th June - 5th July. Child friendly cottage which was great. Fantastic location for things to do. Enjoyed Instow beach, Milky Way worth a visit. Has a great holiday even with the so so weather.

21st - 28th June. A nice well equiped little cottage (although it might benefit fropm the addition of a tea cosy) in a good location to some lovely beaches and good surfing. Had a great time with sunny weather until the last day.

7th June - 14th June. A week of glorious weather. Rosemoor's roses were magnificent. An excellent base for seeing the many interesting places, Hartland Abbey's walled garden was beautiful and the Grampus Inn and Lee and experience despite the hairy drive down the narrow lanes. Can highly recommend the Decks restaurant at Instow for evening meal. Very comfortable, well equipped house. A very enjoyable week, but will need longer to do the area justice.

31st May - 6th June. Very good location and an excellent cottage. Look forward to coming again.

17th - 24th May . Lovely cottage and well equipped. Was great to have a stairgate on hand. The views over the river are fantastic. My only recommendation would be for safety plugs on the sockets not in use. [Owner: safety plus added]. Would highly recommend the cottage to family and friends. Clovelly was beautiful although I wouldn't recommend using pushchairs! Hard work on the way up. There are some nice walks around Hartland point where you can see the lighthouse and shipwreck. Ilfracombe makes for a good day out. Beach is dog friendly. There's some nice tea rooms for cream tea. Would recommend the very last one you come to opposite the church. Dog friendly and service is great. There's a really nice, quiet beach at Lee. Dog friendly. Not much else there though. A trip on the train at Woody Bay is highly recommended. Its not far from Lynton and Lynmouth. They run both Steam and Diesel trains. There are some great walks around Lynton and Lynmouth and the cliff railway is really good too. The pig on the hill serves great food. Great for children and has outside eating areas so you can take the dog. Really enjoyed the holiday and I'm sure we will be back.

10th - 17th May. A lovely cottage in an excellent position on the river. we were so lucky to have such great weather for most of our stay. Some really good places to eat in Instow. Do try bthe Boatman for some great fisk dishes, All in all, great week.

17th - 20th April. Excellent accommodation & very well organised. We can recommend The Spice and East of the Water restaurants. Can you fix the weather for our next visit?

2007 Season

22nd September – 9th October 2007. Very relaxing holiday. The weather has been very kind for this time of year, with mostly sunny days. The position of the cottage is excellent, very clean, and well equipped, we have no complaints. We have not been back to North Devon for some 40 odd years, but will be returning next year with luck. We enjoyed our two week stay so much, that we extended it by a further 4 days. We have also made some new found friends, who we hope to keep in touch with.

8th – 22nd September 2007. The splendid view from the house and the excellent bird watching in the river, helped to make this holiday perfect. We thought the walking along the Tarka trail was good. First time in North Devon for 25 years. We certainly won’t leave it another 25!

1st – 8th September 2007. A very welcome break and lovely settings in a very nice house. Can recommend the Thatched Inn in Abbotsham – good value and lovely home made pies (we went there twice)!!! Quigleys restaurant was also very nice, but found the pub part to be very unfamily/child friendly. Appledore and Clovelly are very well worth visiting, but found Westward Ho!, Croyde disappointing (nothing to do if you have toddler children) but good for hikers/walkers!! Barnstaple is good for high street shops, Weatherspoon and a very nice Italian restaurant next door. P.S. After all of the rain, and the terrible summer in the UK we had 7 days of glorious sunshine.
P.P.S. We had a very good Chinese from Paramount which is in Bideford, also the best cream tea we had was in Banks’ in Bideford. It doesn’t look much from the outside and leaves a little love inside, but the cream tea was gorgeous. If you visit Appledore, I hope you will lose a piece of your heart, because I did. The place is magical.

25th August – 1st September 2007. Good location and very nice views. Milky Way very good value for money. Big Sheep only good value for kids under 10! Ducks will visit morning and night and will let you know they need feeding! Shame about the stains on the carpets. (Owner Comment – Yes it was a shame, now cleaned).

18th – 25th August 2007. The weather started off awfully but from Tuesday we had a glorious 4 days. Went to Putsborough beach twice, which is about 1½ miles from Croyde. This was excellent for rock pools and boarding. Also went to Northam Burrows (Westward Ho!) which was great. Visited both the Big Sheep and the Milky Way which were excellent value for money and plenty for the kids to see and do. The crabbing was great from Appledore as was the fish and chips. Best meal out was the Thatched Inn at Abbotsham (just past the Big Sheep). We booked a table during the day, and food was excellent and good value for money and kids were welcome. This was a great house in a perfect location and we would hope to come back next year.

11th – 18th August 2007. We’ve enjoyed our stay here – would have wished for better weather!! Clovelly – do not attempt in bad weather! The cobbles are very slippery especially when carrying child and pram and a dog to look after!! However great Land Rover service up and down the hill! Beaches – Westward Ho & Saunton Sands both beautiful and allow dogs, however surrounding area at Saunton much nicer. Croyde is beautiful. Manor Inn Pub. Good food, sky telly with footie matches + dogs allowed! Instow – lovely, dog friendly beach. The Wayfarer Inn had fabulous food. Great seafood, amazing pudding (try choc lumpy bumpy) and at very reasonable prices. Couldn’t get a table at the Boathouse!! Big Sheep = Very pleasant here – nothing amazing but worth the visit – laser quest excellent fun (for the over 8’s especially my husband) Tarka Trail. Hired bikes in Braunton – so much fun and a great day out. Baby seats and chariots available. Braunton great for shopping – lots going on there. P.S. Be careful of the tides – They turn very quickly and the current is incredible strong.

4th – 11th August 2007. Really lovely house, brilliant setting, Kingsburg Chinese takeaway in Northam (info in  -folder) wonderful food – at present does not accept credit cards! Westleigh Inn also very good. Westward Ho! beach is huge and you can take dogs on it. The fish & chip shop in Appledore is fabulous – but can be very slow on Friday night! Best to use the light above the mirror in the upstairs bathroom at night as it doesn’t turn on the fan on. Overall a brilliant house. P.S. Pay a visit to the fudge shop in Bideford. P.P.S. Please feed the ducks in the morning!

28th July – 4th August 2007. We have had a lovely stay, partly due to the great weather. Such a contrast from our home in Wiltshire which was hit badly by the floods. The Boatman at Instow was excellent – we visited twice, it is good to walk along the seashore after a good meal. There is an outdoor paddling pool on the right hand side of the Tourist Information. It is open until 5.45pm, it’s free and suitable for children up to 12 years plus kids can take in all their inflatable water toys!

14th – 21st July 2007. Lovely clean and tidy cottage but could do with a longer sofa – bit of a squash for two adults!! Eating wise, Mr Chips on the Quay side in Bideford was excellent value. Indian Prince Indian takeaway (delivered) was very nice. The Pig on the Hill was also nice. The cream teas in Banks Coffee Shop in Bideford High Street was excellent – so much clotted cream!! although the décor could do with updating. Days out to the Big Sheep and Clovelly are recommended. Westward Ho! is OK but be prepared, the sand stays wet all day and when the tide goes out the sea is around 500 metres away! great for rock pools though – take a wind break. Atlantic Village is good for any extra holiday clothes you might need and cycling on the Tarka Trail is recommended – flat, paved and traffic free. All in all, a very busy and enjoyable week. Would come again.

30th June – 7th July 2007. Good location – very convenient for coastal visits. Would ditto the previous comment about heating as we suffered from rain & cold this week, tho’ we made the most of places to visit. (Owner comment: please call the housekeeper if you have problems turning up the heating). Particularly enjoyable was Clovelly – wear sensible shoes, Port Isaac, Westward Ho! beach, Boscastle – take time to visit the Visitors Centre for more info re the floods. Morrisons is very convenient and also the walk to the town is very pleasant – especially when the sun is shining!! Make sure you take plenty of change when travelling around as all the parking is pay and display. The ducks will arrive on the river wall in the evening so keep any “bready” treats to feed them. Oh - Appledore is well worth a visit if the sun is shining and the tide is high. Good time had by us all..

23rd – 30th June 2007. Great Cottage – wonderful location, however should consider that twin room not always occupied by children, hence a mirror is essential. Perhaps you could give consideration to changing the lampshades from uplighters to downlighters as the lighting is far too inefficient. Had a good weeks holiday and enjoyed visiting the surrounding area and recommend the Bideford Folk Club on Thursday evenings for an entertaining night out at the Poachers Inn.

16th – 23rd June 2007. Lovely cottage with everything you could need. Weather not good to us though… torrential rain every day except the day before we went home…!! Guests need to be able to turn the central heating up when needed though – we spend most evenings (because of the weather) in, and had to wrap ourselves in blankets on occasions! (Owner comment. Please call the housekeeper if you are having problems. Don’t sit in the cold!). Bideford cycles are good value for money, the Tarka Trail is lovely and away from traffic – try the trikes for a good laugh! Good food had at Quigleys (Bideford) The Kings Arms and Roosters – Hoop Inn nice but expensive – Good days out at Dartington Crystal and Honey Far, disappointed with Big Sheep as a lot of events rained off. Overall, apart from the weather, a good time had by us all.

9th – 16th June 2007. Nice House – ideal situation. Whatever happened to the stair carpet? We have eaten splendidly all week; most memorable are Lathwells (the choice of many natives), Cafécino – good food and a very lively atmosphere and the Penhaven Hotel for Sunday Lunch with pre-lunch drinks on the lawn by the duck pond. Food at the Hoops Inn is fine but very expensive; it is only a pub.
Overall an excellent holiday (Owner - Stair carpet cleaned).

26th May – 2nd June 2007. Lovely cottage – great situation. Boathouse at Instow  - good meal but get there at 6pm to avoid long wait for table. Great Beach at Woolacombe. Westward Ho! also good, but sand stays wet all day!

19th-26th May. Nice cottage. Very well situated. Recommend beaches at Instow and Croyde for sitting. Westward Ho! for walking (but no beach if tide is in) – take a windbreak for Westward Ho! For eating, the Boathouse at Instow has big portions at reasonable prices and a nice atmosphere. Very crowded on Friday when we went. Cycle hire at Bideford is worth doing – the Tarka Trail is flat and away from traffic. Weather changeable but still had lots of sun. Breakfast on patio a real treat! (P.S. Mirrors in bathroom and hall are too high for people of average height!)

2nd – 19th May 2007. Weather mixed. Nice views from upstairs windows. Excellent meal in “Decks”, Instow – Expensive but worth it (not open Mondays). Country Cousins good value carvery, good service – Westward Ho! Mr Chips in Bideford. VG fish & chips. Had an enjoyable time. Hairdryer would have helped me!! As I don’t take one on holiday. List of local churches – Catholic Church hard to find, even the local “bobbys” didn’t know where it was but were very friendly. Northam Road & North Street corner. Nice quiet area. Enjoyed Atlantic Village (shopping), Barometer World VG, worth a visit (Tuesday to Friday 9am-5pm).

2006 Season

30th September - 7th October 2006. Lovely Cottage. Thanks for the stairgate and being child friendly. Pig on the Hill is good for a decent pint/food and is child friendly. Westleigh Inn (Westleigh village) much the same. Chillies take away is very nice and deliver too. Clovelly is very picturesque but give it a miss if you have small kids or difficulity walking (half a mile of cobbled streets straight down). Appledore, Ilfracombe, Instow and Bude are worth a look. Torrington and Dartington Crystal good fun - give the glass blowing a try. Milky Way good for kids and adults alike.

23rd - 30th September 2006. Our experiences. House - very practical ideally situated for walking to Bideford. Clean and comfortable. Surrounding areas - Appledore and Instow lovely. Westward Ho! a disappointment. Clovelly great, but Croyde by far the best village around. Ilfracombe and Bude worth a visit. Do have an indian takeaway - fantastic (Chillies in Book).

16th - 23rd September 2006. House ideal for holiday base - very clean, quiet, and the view is very relaxing. Bideford grows on you after a few walkabouts. The roads remind me of San Francisco streets. Clovelly visit is a must. You can imagine how it was all those years ago for the people that lived there - no water, no electricity, wow!! and all that smuggling! Ilfracombe - interesting. I have a friend who lives there who helps with the town events. Exmoor is wonderful too. I just wish I had come here when I was a younger woman so that I could join the walkers. Very enjoyable week's holiday.

2nd - 16th September 2006. Weather quite hot for time of year. Clovelly is worth a visit, but do wear sensible shoes - sandals and high heels not a good idea. Lynton and Lynmouth good place to visit. Also Tapeley Gardens at Instow - nice walk and good views. Bideford carnival was excellent.

18th - 26th August 2006. Had a lovely time, weather variable. Had good food at 9 the Quay, Appledore, and Boathouse, Instow. Woolacombe beach great for body boarding. Arlington Court a nice respite from crowds at Combe Martin. Fishing trip fun, but only caught crabs!

13th - 19th August 2006. The Big Sheep is really fun for everyone. The sheep racing was funny and you could place bets on your favourite. The army laser game was really really good. I paid £2 for ten lives and I lasted about 20 minutes, girls will enjoy that! I'm a girl and that was the best part of my holiday. Diggerland was fun. I was driving a mini tractor and my mom and dad were passengers. My dad had to help a bit though. I went on a ride where you are strapped into a bucket of the digger and you spin round. It rained really heavily and we got v.v. wet. Clovelly is worth a visit, and the laser games and digger land are fun for boys as well!

29th July - 5th August 2006. Lovely location for a holiday rental. Tintagel - Nice views and walks. Boscastle - good to see shops getting back to normal after flood. Got to see it. Port Isaac - if you saw Doc Martin on the telly you'd like this little harbour. Tiny road to drive down. Lynton - Pretty village - do the water lift to Lynmouth, pretty village down there. Ilfracombe - give it a miss unless kids like arcades and burgers! Woolacombe - lovely sandy beech. Bideford - Morrisons is walkable from here - 10 to 15 minutes. For kids Victoria Park where there is golf, café, paddling pool and plenty of "green" five minutes up the road.

15th - 22nd July 2006. Nice clean house with lovely views, friendly neighbours, especially when we set the fire alarm off first morning and one of them came to the rescue! Visited both the The Big Sheep and Atlantic Village, the first was the better of the two. Great fun for all ages.

8th - 15th July 2006. Lovely cottage - well equipped plus nice and clean - lovely cream tea at the Gnome Reserve!

24th June - 1st July 2006. Very nice clean cottage. Good position and quiet neighbourhood. Excellent Sunday lunch at the Boat House, Instow in the bar. Top Deck - High Street Bideford, near Pannier market, very good for a light lunch. Atlantic Village - shops OK, food very poor. Seafood at Boat House very good. Country Cousins also good. Enjoyed our stay.

10th - 17th June 2006. Very comfortable and well equiped and with lovely views of the River. We have visited the Tamar, Westward Ho!, Sandy Bay - lovely picnic spots. We enjoyed meals at the Thatched Inn and at the Hoops Inn. Weather has been perfect too.

27th May - 3rd June 2006. A lovely sunny week. The children really enjoyed the Big Sheep. We would recommend Tea-on-the-Green at Westward Ho! (by children's playground) - excellent cakes. We also enjoyed the Coach & Horses at Buckland Brewer and the Boat House at Instow.

20th - 27th May 2006. Lovely cottage with great views of the river. The bed was so comfortable I wanted to take it home! [Editor: Thanks for restraining yourself] The only thing that I missed was a cheese grater but other than that there was everything that you need. [Editor: cheese grater now provided]. I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to stay in the area.

8th - 15th April 2006. This is a perfect place to be based to explore North Devon. A walker's paradise. Don't miss Watersmeet, Lynton, Lynmouth. Clovelly also has some wonderful walking trails. The Tarka Trail towards Torrington is also a great walk. Good places to eat (and we tried them all)! The Boathouse in Instow, Quigleys in Bideford and Tantons Hotel, Bideford. Give the Elizabethan in Westward Ho! a miss. This was recommended to us by a neighbour but was over priced and the food was not good at all. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would recommend to others!!

2005 Season

22nd - 29th October 2005. Our second visit this year to this comfortable well equipped cottage. We hope to return again in the future. Eating wise we like the Thatched Inn at Abbotsham, the Coach &Horses at Buckland Brewer, the Hoops Inn on the A39 between Bideford & Clovelly, the New Inn at Fremington and the Han Court Chinese Restaurant at Fremington.

13th - 20th August 2005. The weather has been kind to us this week - lovely sunny warm days. We have been to Westward Ho!, Clovelly, Ilfracombe but spent a lot of time at Instow beach. It seems much quieter and safer with small children, Great for flying kites and big space to run about. Water also seems safer as no big waves and its shallow for a long way out.Appledore is also worth a visit. Some lovely little streets and shops and fun for crab fishing when the tide is in. The cottage is lovely too nice new and clean. Fremington is good for bike riding hire - on Tarka Trail. P.S. Neighbours are very friendly too.

30th July - 6th August 2005. This cottage is en excellent base for exploring North Devon. Ilfracombe is lovely to visit, but no sandy beaches there. The best beach in our opinion is Saunton Sands, it never seems to get crowded. Croyde, a little further up the road is also lovely.In Ilfracombe there is a lovely tearoom serving meals & cream, teas that we would recommend, it has a lovely garden to eat in and there are birds all around. It is called Curiosity Cottage.The Big Sheep is a fun day out with some very informative shows. As my son will soon verify on the next page.This cottage is a lovely holiday rental property, I would definitely come back. The only improvements I would make are a full length mirror in the master bedroom & some extra blankets for cooler nights. [Editor. Improvements have been made for 2006 season].BIG SHEEP. The Big Sheep is also very good. 5 minutes away. The duck trail was very funny. The laser game was the highlight of my holiday. Great for kids & adults. Only £1.00 for 5 lets you run through bushes and under trucks. Its unbelievable how big it is. Not just for boys! Very secure and fun. I lasted 1hr on first game, 2nd 1/2 hr. Brilliant. Wicked. New for 2005. The sheep show is also very funny. Find out over 5 different types of sheep. You can also watch sheep shearing. Not just for Kids.

18th - 25th June 2005. This is a lovely cottage, we have really enjoyed everything about it. We had fabulous weather and a fantastic thunderstorm. Our first trip to this area, but we really love it. Thank you. Also the boat house at Instow (Marine Parade, Instow, Devon EX39 4JJ. 01271 861292) does fantastic sea food if that is your oyster.

Note: The comments left by guests regarding third party venues are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by us.