Marcella - verified booking

"Quaint, would recommend with reservations, the cottage was not particularly clean on arrival and the oven and kitchen utensils contained burnt - on food matter. The crockery and cutlery had been washed but food residue remained. The courtyard had gutter protectors laying spike end up which could have been stood on. The Shower even with the hot water supply running with ample hot water barely got to Luke warm temperature ranging to Arctic cold.The cottage is advertised as being able to use the immediate forecourt with a bench to utilise, this was provided however; this was impossible to use as the overgrown weeds and nettles made it prohibitive. Coupled with waste food bins and other refuse bin boxes being in the same space attracting flying insects.If you desire a holiday whereby you are not concerned by parking your vehicle within a 1/4 mile distance to this location then this will be fine for you. We had read the reviews on the parking issues and accepted that the car would need to be parked on the road where you could find a slot..... However; the local population were hostile to parking issues that tourists cause and this made for parking resulting in a nightly search with angry exchanges if you parked near a locals residence.Overall the cottage is tired requires maintenance and could be almost idyllic. If this had been cared for and readied for this years season of holiday makers and not appearing as though it was at the exhausted state one would find at the end of last years summer season. Consequently we have not rebooked for next year but should the areas mentioned be rectified this cottage would be worth considering.Almost forgot there once was a pub now a block of flats and there is a corner shop..... That never opens!!!!Again not as advertised it is possibly worth reviewing the locations amenities as it would appear that in one Season so very much had changed?!"

Andrew - verified booking

"I'm conflicted in this review but want to be totally honest (otherwise what is the point of these reviews...)The cottage location is excellent and we had some stunning walks down to the coast and then along the coastal path (which to the east follows the top of the downs). We also had an excellent dinner at the local pub, enjoyed the Christmas morning church service in the village church and cooked an excellent Christmas dinner in the cottage's well equipped kitchen. In addition the cottage is set back from the road through the village, has good parking and has good access from the garden. So lots of positives.The negatives are few but important. The cottage is like going back in time to your grand parents, its needs new flooring downstairs (the carpets look old, as does the three piece suite). Equally the shower in the bathroom has good pressure but no real mixer & no thermostat, hence the temperature wanders around. The worst thing though are the beds whose mattresses are old and spongy. We started in the main room but I slept poorly because at 6 feet and with a foot rest it was hard to get comfortable. I also woke up with backache - something I never suffer from - presumably because of the spongy mattress. We then moved rooms to the one with two single beds, they were a bit better but we all left the house after 4 days grumpy because the sleep quality was poor. Note that I spend probably a week away per month in hotels around the world so I'm used to different beds, however I really think that sleep quality is important and hence IMO the mattresses all need replacing. To conclude I wouldn't return to this cottage until the above negatives had been resolved."

Matthew - verified booking

"We had an very nice stay at the Old Forge.There were a couple of minor maintenance issues (broken oven door handle, several blown bulbs and a non functional radiator in the main bedroom). The two bedrooms that adjoin the road next to the pub are not well insulated from the cold or sound so we found it nippy at night (we stayed in late October) and woke a few times around midnight as people left the pub.However, with the log fire lit, the house was very cosy and it was a great base for exploring the area. We visited Charmouth, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Portland, Dorchester, Lulworth, Corfe, Studland and Swanage without much trouble or traffic problems.There are plenty of nice walks from the property and we never had a problem with parking. Overall, we were happy with our choice to stay here and would probably stay again. A few little issues, but good value for money."

Tessa - verified booking

"A fantastic home for our family Christmas the owners had put up a beautiful Christmas tree and outside lights for the festive season, making it so homely and welcoming. The open plan living space upstairs was excellent for entertaining, whether you were preparing the dinner or playing games. The bedrooms were really comfortable with plenty of wardrobe space and drawers.We barely used the cars during our stay, walked through the nearby fields to West Bay to watch the Boxing Day swim and to the New Inn pub at Eype for a meal and Christmas Day drinks at lunchtime - staff were welcoming and the food was excellent. The owners were lovely and had thought of everything we might need from the kitchen utensils to towels for the dog after walks. It was a fantastic stay that was over too soon. We will definitely be back in the future."

Katharine - verified booking

"We enjoyed our stay very much and really appreciated the facilities: swimming pool (especially), games room, tennis court, trampoline and access to the lovely woodland. On arrival it was lovely to discover a container of milk in the fridge, packet of biscuits and sachets for an instant drink! Just a couple of comments to make: the kitchen equipment was adequate but rather sparse. We had booked in a person who was staying for a few nights only and we were told a convertible settee would provide a further bed. There was extra bedding for this but there was no under blanket/mattress protector so the person, who arrived later, brought her own. However the convertible settee proved to be too uncomfortable to use and so we had to re-jig the sleeping arrangements with one child agreeing to sleep on the floor."