Downalong

4.0★

12 Guests
6 Bedrooms
4 Bathrooms
Pets Yes
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Features

Off road parking
Washing machine
Dishwasher
Games Room
Sky TV
Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing

Cleanliness

Comfort

Facilities and Maintenance

* Based on a combined average customer score

16 Customer Review(s)

Peter
June 2024

“Our second year staying at Downalong and once again we had a great holiday .”

The high quality accommodation , the great location and excellent sports facilities were very much enjoyed by all my family and partners and it was nicely finished off with some decent British weather !!

The high quality accommodation , the great location and excellent sports facilities were very much enjoyed by all my family and partners and it was nicely finished off with some decent British weather !!

- Peter, June 2024
Lois May 2024

“We had a great stay at Downalong.”

The owner has provided everything you need to enjoy the property (plenty cookware and utensils, ping-pong bats and lots of balls, cushions for the outside seating, barbecue, very nicely done bathrooms, a brilliant drying room, plenty towels, sonos speaker system etc). And it is a lovely property for good weather (the terrace area gets sun from pretty much sunrise until about half an hour before sunset) and there's plenty of space inside for rainy day hanging out too. A couple of things that might want looking at before they break: Quite a few missing bolts on the stools around the kitchen island - if they get fixed they'll last much longer A few missing / loose bolts on the outside chairs need attention - again so that they don't break unnecessarily The catch on the bin in the kitchen is a bit temperemental. It does work but it will go eventually and Brabantia do supply spares for a few pounds as opposed to buying a whole new bin - you might want to get one at some point. There are no wire racks for the top oven (that we could find). It needs one or two or it's hard to use it. There are couple of fixings in some of the rooms that need to be fixed. But great place, happy feel to it and would strongly recommend.

- Lois, May 2024

Thank you so much for your feedback. We are so glad that you enjoyed your stay and would love to welcome you back anytime in the future. We appreciate your comments and suggestions and these have been raised with our team here in the local office. - John Bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owner. Property Owner
Paul December 2023

“A beautiful home in a fantastic location let down by poor cleanliness and ongoing maintenance issues that you wouldn’t expect at any holiday let especially not one in this price bracket.”

TV’s all stopped working mid stay and were still being looked at when we left. No information in the property folder about the hot water and heating systems. We had no hot water in downstairs bathrooms for a couple of days until Sykes staff turned it and heating to continuously on. Two downstairs bedrooms then became unbearably hot despite thermostats being set to 18 degrees. A further visit by someone who looked at TV and heating claimed to have fixed this but did not, so heating had to be turned back to Auto timings and bedroom windows opened for a few hours before bedtime to try and cool the rooms. 25 degrees is too hot and to someone who has underfloor heating at their own home suggests either failed actuators or stuck zone valves. A top oven/microwave with no shelves, a chair with stains and springs protruding under the seat and a kitchen drawer with a vast mixture of odd utensils probably collected over the years, some that clearly need discarding, all give a poor impression. Someone should replace several downlight bulbs that don’t work and a few labels on the many light switches would help. The light switch for the downlights in the boot room needs checking as it causes the lights to flicker off and on unless held down, so best left off and use the switch outside the room. How do you turn the outside lights on; would be useful when unloading the car. The John Bray emergency phone number in the folder was not answered. Thankfully Sykes phones are staffed at weekends, but it seems to me that appropriately knowledgeable staff weren’t sent soon enough, or at all. It’s not reasonable to expect general maintenance staff to know how to fix complex underfloor heating systems and tv distribution systems that vary from one property to another. After the first visit specialists needing sending immediately to get the issues properly diagnosed and fixed rather than allowing the issues to remain and drag on until after our holiday was over and those paying even more for Xmas week turn up.

- Paul, December 2023

Thank you for taking the time to feedback on your stay. We're very sorry that you had to experience these issues during your visit but thank you for your patience and understanding whilst we tried to sort them out for you. Sadly, these issues were more complex than first thought so took longer than expected but all have been sorted now. Your comments have been passed on to the team here at John Bray Cornish Holidays. We hope we can welcome you back to north Cornwall in the future. - John Bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owner. Property Owner
Jackie October 2023

“We really enjoyed our stay and couldn't fault the property at all.”

- Jackie, October 2023

Thank you for your kind comments, we look forward to welcoming you back very soon. John Bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owners Property Owner
Thomas September 2023

“We had a lovely stay there.”

- Thomas, September 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We are very pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay at the property and look forward to hopefully welcoming you back in the future - John Bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owner. Property Owner
Peter June 2023

“All my family , their partners and my in-laws loved the property and it provided everything we were looking for in a holiday property.”

As a sport focused family the tennis court was great and the access to the bays at Polzeath and Daymer Bay was perfect for surfing , kayaking , paddleboarding etc. The property was very well appointed and when we identified a few minor issues these were immediately dealt with by John Bray to our total satisfaction. On leaving all my family agreed they would love to come back.

- Peter, June 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We are pleased you enjoyed your stay at Downalong. We do hope that we get the opportunity to welcome you back to Cornwall in the future. John Bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owner. Property Owner
Tessa June 2023

“Unfortunately I have many complaints about this property which I made clear to John Bray at the time.”

I am afraid the following issues need to to addressed: New boiler; I had to call the engineer three times after many tepid showers. Maintenance; lightbulbs missing. Indoor sofa's worn and stained. Only two working table tennis bats. Outdated and complicated tv system. Outdoors; Garden borders very untidy around the patio. Cleanliness - Outside Patio; Broken chairs scattered, ash left in plastic bags, patio not swept, broken parasole, broken football nets. Cleanliness - Inside; Ants on kitchen worksurface, dishwasher only half emptied, cutlery drawer a mess, all very old kitchen utensils and pans. It is a shame because this property is in a lovely position, but it was not a pleasure to arrive at and we found ourselves immediately having to tidy it up, particularly the outside patio area.

- Tessa, June 2023

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry you experienced a number of issues during your stay. Since your stay, the boiler has had a full refurbishment and servicing. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we tried to resolve these issues for you. John Bray on behalf of the owner. Property Owner
James June 2023

“Property is great - a perfect large family venue.”

There was no hot water for a few days in the downstairs but the facilities team fixed it quickly once notified. One or two of the gas rings aren't working easily. Overall however we all loved it.

- James, June 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We are pleased you enjoyed your stay at Downalong. We are sorry for the hot water issues but pleased we were able to rectify this quickly. The boiler has since been refurbished and serviced, there has also been a new hob put in place. We do hope that we get the opportunity to welcome you back to Cornwall in the future. John Bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owner. Property Owner
Jonathan February 2023

“Downalong is a truly magnificent property and the perfect setting for our family holiday.”

The property itself has so much to offer and we made good use of the tennis court, table tennis and pool table (it’s a shame the trampoline was taped off). We also enjoyed the beaches at Daymer Bay, Rock and Polzeath. It was a bonus that we didn’t need to use the car to get to these beaches but could reach them via the nearby coastal path. We had a wonderful time. However, a few issues that need to be addressed. Dog muck had been left on the lawns. I had to scoop it myself so our children could play outside during some sunny February weather. When more was discovered on the first full day of our holiday, I contacted John Bray. Someone arrived to scoop the remaining piles at 9.15am on Friday just as we were leaving the property. The oven hobs were temperamental, several not working at all (something I read in previous reviews but had been assured was addressed). Finally, we love that the property is free of clutter, it’s one of the joys of getting away to a clean open space. However, the property lacked basic items of furniture like bedside tables. The twin room just had a lamp perched on a metal chair. As I say, we had a wonderful time at Downalong, but these little issues were a frustration.

- Jonathan, February 2023

Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by these issues. Your comments have been passed on to the team at John Bray Cornish Holidays and to the owner to rectify, there has been a brand new oven/hob put in place alongside a number of new bedside tables as suggested. We are glad that you still managed to enjoy your visit despite these issues and would love to welcome you back to North Cornwall in the future. - John Bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owner. Property Owner
Susan October 2022

“House and garden were lovely, plenty of room, well positioned, guide on how to use everything in the house would be useful, only downside - it was a pity about all the cobwebs and empty water bottle found under bed in downstairs bedroom on arrival.”

- Susan, October 2022

Thank you for taking the time to feedback Downalong. We are glad to hear you had a lovely stay. Your comments about the cleanliness have been passed onto the housekeeping team, this will be looked into promptly. John Bray on behalf of the owners. Property Owner
Stephen April 2022

“Lovely, spacious house, ideally situated and perfect for a family holiday.”

The outdoor space could have been tidier on our arrival and the grass clearly hadn’t been cut for a while, nor was it during our ten day stay in peak growing season. However, almost all feedback re the house extremely positive. Small negatives: no weighing scales in the kitchen, blunt ‘sharp’ knives. Strange that the only bathroom not to have a shower is the master suite. We had a great time.

- Stephen, April 2022

Thank you very much for your feedback. We are very grateful that you have taken the time to make us aware of your suggestions to improve your time at Downalong. We take all of our feedback seriously take every comment onboard. We are happy to hear that you had a good time nevertheless and we hope to welcome you back in the future! Property Owner
Laura April 2022

“We loved the property and it was perfect for a family holiday.”

We noted some of the previous feedback about the cooker / oven and would like to provide feedback on that also, The oven was not in good working order. The shelving not secured to the sides and as a result an entire tray of cooked food fell into the oven and caused a lot of mess etc. The dishwasher kept giving us a blocked F11 fault and we purchased a dishwasher cleaner from the SPAR and ran it through but it might be worth owners doing this after week long visits to make sure the appliance in good working order. The air-conditioning/heating was very difficult to work out and as a result the rooms would be too warm at times. A number of the bedroom blinds were either close to breaking or broken and probably need some attention. What would be REALLY helpful is a full manual of the household. A compendium that lists in one place all the facilities of the house and how to use them (and what to do if something goes wrong) as each home has its own quirks and trying to work out cook tops/ovens/dishwahsers/airconditioning units etc is time consuming and frustrating. A handy go-to manual of all things and troubleshooting for the property would be really helpful. That said, the team at John Bray were extremely helpful and prompt in providing assistance with handymen on the issues we reported and we were very grateful. We loved our experience overall and the property and would love to return again for a longer stay. Thank you!

- Laura, April 2022
Lorraine T.e. April 2022

“Another wonderful holiday at Downalong.”

Superb position and every comfort provided for all generations! Much appreciate the new trampoline for the little ones. Would love to come back next year.

- Lorraine T.e., April 2022
David December 2021

“The property was very tired, and needs some updating particularly at the rates being charged.”

When we arrived outside was a complete mess. I have photos if you would like them. It was not a great start.

- David, December 2021

Thank you for your feedback which is extremely helpful to us. We apologise your holiday did not start well and I assure you we do not like to hear this. We are in contact with the gardening team to get to the bottom this. John Bray Cornish Holiday on Behalf of the owner. Property Owner
Katrina November 2021

“This house is fabulous, the pictures do not do it justice.”

It is in an ideal position near the beach and village. Lovely grounds ideal for dogs. Close to some amazing walks along the coast. The house has vast amounts of space for families to stay. The cinema room is ideal for people to relax away from the rest of the house. Small giggles- 1 hob burner doesn’t work, some shelves in the fridge door are missing and no potato masher lol

- Katrina, November 2021

Dear Guest, thank you for taking the time to leave a perfect feedback, we look forward to welcoming back very soon. John bray Cornish Holidays on behalf of the owner Property Owner
Isobella October 2021

“The house is fantastic as is the location.”

This is the second time we have stayed at Downalong and it had the same issues as last time which is really disappointing as the visits were 18 months apart. The top oven has no shelf, one job doesn’t work and there are no instructions on how to use the complex oven and hob. Also this year there is a lack of door shelves in the fridge which was particularly annoying. Everything else is great but these problems in the kitchen do slightly spoil your holiday

- Isobella, October 2021

Thank you for leaving your feedback. We are sincerely sorry you had an issue with the hob and the shelf in the fridge, the matte is being dealt with. John Bray Cornish Holiday on behalf of the owner Property Owner

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Summary

Downalong has gone under a wide range of refurbishments and refreshments ready for the 2023 summer season! These include a fully refurbed and serviced boiler, a brand new hob/oven & painting throughout
Six bedrooms: 1 x ground floor king-size double with en-suite bath, shower over, basin and WC, 1 x ground floor king-size double with en-suite bath, separate shower, basin and WC, 1 x ground floor double with en-suite bath, separate shower, basin and WC, 1 x super king-size double with en-suite bath, basin and WC, 1 x king-size double, 1 x twin
Bathroom with bath, basin and WC
Cloakroom with WC and basin
Open plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting room
Utility
Cinema room
Games room with pool table and table tennis
Tennis court
Trampoline.
Under floor heating, multi fuel stove
integrated oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher
TV with Sky basic, DVD player, WiFi, pool table, table tennis
Fuel and power inc. in rent
Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
Ample off road parking
Large lawned garden with paved terrace, Garden furniture, BBQ, Firepit, tennis courts, sunken trampoline
Cafe 0.3 mile
Beach 0.6 mile
Pub 0.7 mile
Shop 1 mile.

The property

A true hidden gem! Downalong is a contemporary property designed by an award winning architect. Designed to seamlessly merge with the surrounding landscape, this appealing coastal house is set in a fantastic private position, yet within only a few minutes walk to the peaceful, family friendly beaches of Daymer Bay & Greenaway on the North Cornwall coast. This popular self-catering coastal holiday house sleeps 12 guests in 6 bedrooms with ample parking and room to store a boat and sailing equipment. Downalong offers a well-considered space that flows effortlessly from room to room. The impressive open plan living room is the hub of the house where guests can gather as a group to rest and unwind. A versatile space, slide back the bi-fold sliding doors to extend it on to the paved terrace. Relax by the fire pit and lounge outdoors on balmy evenings, recounting the day's adventures. A snug /TV room provides extra space for children or teenagers to chill out after an energetic family day out on the beach. Downalong offers six stylish bedrooms, three of which are situated on the ground floor, making this an ideal property for guests with limited mobility or two families sharing.This attractive self catering holiday home is the perfect seaside base for all seasons and only a short drive from the exhilarating surf beach at Polzeath and the pretty fishing harbour at Port Isaac. For homebodies, Downalong provides as much in-house entertainment as outside, with a games room complete with snooker and ping pong tables, as well as a stunning private tennis court set in the generous landscaped garden that surrounds the holiday home. A few minutes walk from this holiday retreat is the St. Moritz Hotel with its restaurants, gym, pool and indulgent Cowshed spa. Head to nearby Trebetherick Stores for your groceries, or pop over to Rock village for the local butcher, fishmonger, bakery and delicatessen. Adventure seekers will be spoiled for choice; learn to surf and bodyboard at Polzeath beach; try windsurfing, snorkeling and swimming over at Daymer Bay, or head to Rock for sailing, waterskiing, wakeboarding and exhilarating pleasure boat trips to spot puffins, seals and dolphins off this stunning coastline.Ground Floor: Entrance Hall Games Room Open- Plan Kitchen/Diner/Sitting Room TV/Snug Room Utility Room Bedroom 4: Kingsize Bed (5ft) with en suite Bath with OH Shower Bedroom 5: Kingsize Bed (5ft) with en suite Shower/W.C/Bath and interconnecting door to bedroom 6 Bedroom 6: Double Bed (4ft 6) with en suite Shower/W.C/Bath and interconnecting door to bedroom 5 Separate W.C 1st Floor: Bedroom 1: Master bedroom with Superking Bed (6ft), Dressing Room, Balcony and en suite Bath/W.C Family Bathroom Bedroom 2: Kingsize Bed (5ft) Bedroom 3: 2 x Single Beds (3ft) Pets welcome by arrangement and restricted to downstairs areas only. Please note: guests are welcome to use the tennis court and trampoline but this is used at their own risk.

Floorplans

1st FloorGround Floor

Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £400.

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About the location

DAYMER BAY

Polzeath 1.3 miles; Rock 2.3 miles.

Daymer Bay and the village of Trebetherick were both loved by Sir John Betjeman and are unquestionably special. With a huge appeal to both the young and not so young, Daymer Bay has recently been voted one of the best beaches in the world! St. Enodoc Church, once buried in the sand, is within comfortable walking distance of Daymer Bay and is the resting place of Sir John Betjeman. Daymer Bay holds great appeal for wind surfers, kite surfers and paddle boarders, with the gentle waves rolling up the estuary. There is enormous fun too for small children with buckets and spades and fishing in the rock pools. At low tide you can walk across the sand to the village of Rock to indulge in a spot of retail therapy or a bite to eat at one of the many delicious eateries, or catch the short ferry ride and explore the delights of Padstow. Up from the coast path as it runs from Daymer Bay is Highcliffe, nestling between Polzeath and Trebetherick, both of which boast a number of pubs, restaurants and village stores all offering a wide variety of fresh quality produce. The properties at Highcliffe have the advantage of being within easy reach of Daymer, Polzeath and Greenaway - Greenaway being the name given to the clifftop area, beach and small cove with rock pools overlooking the Atlantic beyond that lies between Daymer and Polzeath.

Daymer Bay, Cornwall (Ref. 1080535)

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Features

Reviews & Ratings

“Our second year staying at Downalong and once again we had a great holiday .”

“We had a great stay at Downalong.”

“A beautiful home in a fantastic location let down by poor cleanliness and ongoing maintenance issues that you wouldn’t expect at any holiday let especially not one in this price bracket.”

“We really enjoyed our stay and couldn't fault the property at all.”

“We had a lovely stay there.”

“All my family , their partners and my in-laws loved the property and it provided everything we were looking for in a holiday property.”

“Unfortunately I have many complaints about this property which I made clear to John Bray at the time.”

“Property is great - a perfect large family venue.”

“Downalong is a truly magnificent property and the perfect setting for our family holiday.”

“House and garden were lovely, plenty of room, well positioned, guide on how to use everything in the house would be useful, only downside - it was a pity about all the cobwebs and empty water bottle found under bed in downstairs bedroom on arrival.”

“Lovely, spacious house, ideally situated and perfect for a family holiday.”

“We loved the property and it was perfect for a family holiday.”

“Another wonderful holiday at Downalong.”

“The property was very tired, and needs some updating particularly at the rates being charged.”