Willow Cottage, Loswithiel

Had a week staying at Willow Cottage with my wife and two children (4 years and 4 months).

Would definitely recommend it as a fantastic place to stay.

The cottage was immaculate on arrival. It looks as if it has been recently refurbed and all has been done to a really nice standard. The house manages to blend traditional style with some contemporary finish and works really well.

The lounge is a good size with a nice dining area and a small but adequate kitchen, The bathroom is downstairs which might put some people off but don't let it.

The two bedrooms upstairs are really nicely finished with immaculate bedding and comfortable beds.

There is a small courtyard garden so not really anywhere for kids to run around outside but we were out every day so not a problem for us.

Parking is an issue. But not a big one. The house is at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac and you will probably need to park round the corner in the community centre car park. It is only a five minute walk away so don't panic. Just make sure you can reverse your car.

Lostwithiel itself is lovely. Not a huge amount to do but a few nice shops to have a browse round and places to eat and drink. Don't bother with the chip shop, was not impressed. The Co-Op in the village is open long hours and well stocked.

DejaVu antiques in the village is well worth a look if you are looking for some quirky things.

Beware if you want to get breakfast in the village. Only the florist/coffee shop opens before 10. Mind you, the bacon rolls in there are very good.

If you want somewhere to stay, a little off the main tourist trap which is good value for money, book Willow Cottage now :)

We chose to stay in this cottage in August as we had a family event nearby and wanted to tag on some tourist visits to Eden and Heligan.

The cottage is decorated in a modern style, with simple decor. The downstairs living space was good and well laid out and the kitchen was nicely done with really good equipment levels and the bathroom was spacious, clean and new. The courtyard was sunny and private. An unexpected bonus was the fast BT broadband enabling a good wifi connection.

It is located within an easy drive of main local attractions - we would particularly recommend visiting Lanhydrock and Heligan, but did not enjoy Eden. Lostwithiel itself is attractive in the main, with a quirky street full of junk/antique shops (mostly junk!). A good Co-op provides for core groceries and a cashpoint, but the local butchers, bakers and deli are well worth patronising - particularly Lidgate the butcher.

The downside of the cottage - and it was a pretty big one - was the parking. You have to reverse to parallel park in an extremely narrow street which is difficult and the neighbours (particularly in the house at the very end of the street facing along the street) don't seem terribly keen on visitors using "their" road. They actually tried to stop us from parking in the street one evening! We found this rude in the extreme considering we were temporary residents and despite the fact that we spent a considerable amount of money in the village shops, pub and on the cottage itself - an economics lesson needed on how tourism brings in income?! The alternative was to leave the car in the Community Centre car park, 5 minutes walk around the corner but as it was not overlooked at night I was nervous of the security risk. Also when there is a event on at the Centre, it seems to become a free for all, with no regard for parking in the spaces, so we were blocked in at one point for a couple of hours and no-one seemed to be bothered.

The other downside of the cottage was the overwhelming smell of damp, particularly coming from the understairs cupboard and permeating the whole cottage. Luckily the weather was warm enough for us to have windows and the door open to mitigate this, but I had to wash all our coats when we got home to remove the smell.

Such as shame as this could really be a lovely place and the owner has made a great effort to refurbish the cottage in a modern and comfortable style. Alas the parking, and the damp smell, combined with quite possibly the least comfortable sofas I have ever sat on, would stop us returning.

We will, however, stop in Lostwithiel again when we are passing - the butcher is well worth a detour for the best pork sausages and racks of lamb I have come across in a long while.

A last minute booking but the owners were very helpful and very pleasant to deal with (which often reflects on how good a property will be in my experience).

We found the cottage amazingly clean and crisp. I used to work in the cleaning sector and so I'm very fussy but this really was exceptionally good. A major, but lovely and sympathetic refurbishment had obviously been undertaken to get the accommodation to this level.
The heating had been switched on prior to our arrival to warm the cottage, and a large basket of logs, kindling and firelighters were stacked up for us and ready to go. Very impressive service and I rate service as a most important factor.

All facilities were very good. Tons of hot water and heating and pleasantly surprised to find a good washing machine and dishwasher, and though we didn't need them it's good to know they're there if we venture back (and we certainly plan to). The location was amazingly quiet too which was something we're not used to but which we enjoyed greatly. We were also impressed by the quality of the bedding.

We found parking spots close by every time we came back from trips, though out of politeness to the locals I tend to vary where I park each time due to having experience of people parking outside of my own house.

The natives were friendly and the town was lovely. A good jumping off point for visiting other places, walking, etc. I could have spent a day in the town quite easily if I hadn't been scowled at by my friend and ordered to drive her around.

In short.... an excellent property, very well managed and a joy to stay at.

We would definitely return.

We have just had a short break with our daughter and family in this lovely cottage! Very well equipped and nicely furnished with use of the heating plus a basket of logs included in the rental. It was extremely quiet and peaceful with no noise at all. The cottage is situated at the end of a narrow one way street. Slightly challenging on the parking front but nothing that couldn't be solved! The cottage is ideally situated for visiting various attractions in Cornwall - we chose two - The Eden Project and Fowey. Both lived up to expectations. We would definitely choose to stay here on another occasion!

We loved staying at the Willow cottage! This little stone house has charming character and has also been renovated to a very high, modern standard.
The fittings are all excellent, e.g. a powerful rain shower and great soaker tub, smeg gas stove, dishwasher, big new fridge, wifi, nice tv, all the kitchen items we needed etc. We were big fans of the style of the house - very scandi chic, with crisp white walls, painted beams, simple furniture, stylish fittings, and slate floors. Best of all, the house was spotlessly clean. None of the worn chesterfields, stinky shag rugs, mouldy fridges or mildew-ed sheets that you fear in a holiday rental.
Christian has thought of everything to make the stay comfortable, for example there was wood supplied for the wood burner, but also kindling sticks, newspaper, heavy gloves, matches and those lighter bricks - i.e. everything you could need. There are also dvds, books, board games etc for grey UK days. We found little vases of local leaves and flowers beside the beds.

The cottage is located up a most charming little walking path at the end of a little street, and sits on a lovely spot overlooking the village. Christian provided excellent directions - it would be hard to find the place without them. We parked mainly at the community centre across the main road in Lostwitheil (a 5 minute walk away) because I wasn't sure I could reverse onto the tiny street without hitting someone, but on the last day I tried it and had no trouble. Given the path and staircase to bedrooms, it's not recommended for those with significant mobility issues.
The cottage could take a while to heat up on the cold days we visited - esp the stone floors - so bring slippers and use the wood burner and cosy blankets provided.

After a 5 hour drive we were very happy to find the cottage clean warm and really welcoming. We couldn't of asked for anything more. It is also very quiet in the evenings and with the bed being very comfortable we had trouble getting up in the morning. The log burner was easy to get going and made it really special in the evenings, listening to music and eating dinner.

The location is good for travelling to the tourist attractions with the furthest away being Lands End, which was 1 hour 30 mins away.

Parking in the street isn't perfect but if you can drive then it shouldn't be a problem. And if there isn't any spaces in the street, then local pub that backs on to the street were happy to let us park there. Otherwise a 5 min walk to the public car park. Easy

We will for sure stay there again if we go to Cornwall again.

A very quiet location and very close to all amenities in Lostwithal.

Perfectly situated - Lostwithiel is an interesting and picturesque town. The cottage is beautifully appointed with a lot of thought put into the decor, yet it remains a cosy cottage.

Ideal centre for exploring major attractions. Pleasant little town.

The Cottage was within easy walking distance of all amenities, pub, shop, etc. An ideal base for exploring this particular region.

It was perfect! A lovely home in a great location, ideal for sampling Cornwall. I will definitely go back - very relaxing. This is my second booking with Sykes and I won't be bothering to look elsewhere as I know Sykes is superb.

The cottage exceeded all our expectations and Lostwithiel was an excellent base. We were also very lucky with the weather!

Lostwithiel was very convenient for exploring the rest of Cornwall and the cottage owner very kindly delivered some meat and eggs for us from the local farm - it was all excellent.

Convenient location and very friendly area. Cottage was absolutely immaculately clean. Would hope to book and stay again.

Lovely luxurious cottage that was perfect for a romantic weekend away.

Beautiful property with ample fixtures and fittings and plenty of extra touches. A 5 star listing.

We had a great time.

The cottage was very well-maintained, pleasant and inviting.

The cottage was truly beautiful and in an amazing location.

A very well decorated cottage. Good location near to the Eden Project. I enjoyed using the wood burner. The cottage was warm and cosy.

It was exactly as wanted and the cottage was an ideal location for exploring Cornwall.

The cottage was a good central location to enable us to visit a wide range of Cornwall's attractions.

Comfortable cottage, spacious and light in an excellent central location.

A thoroughly charming cottage, with a wonderful mix of period features and modern style. Impeccably clean and well equipped.

It was very central and most parts of the town are within walking distance plus a great advantage to be close to pubs and restaurants,

Clean, stylish and in a pretty situation. The area was quiet, the cottage thoughtfully equipped and the owners were very helpful.