Guests say
Ivy Cottage is praised for its excellent location near the sea, with easy access to restaurants and beach walks. The property's kitchen is well-equipped, and the garden, though in need of maintenance, is appreciated for its privacy and wild beauty. The cottage's character and potential are noted, despite some areas requiring attention.
The property is generally clean with nice linen and towels, but some guests noted issues with cleanliness in specific areas such as the kitchen and under sofa cushions.
The cottage's location is highly regarded, being close to the sea, harbour, restaurants, and shops, making it ideal for beach walks and dining out.
Guests found the beds comfortable and the dining room spacious. However, concerns were raised about steep stairs and the quality of mattresses, which affected the overall comfort.
The kitchen is well-equipped, but the property's maintenance is criticised for overgrown gardens, steep stairs, and dated furniture. The 'en-suite' facilities are also considered inadequate.
There is no mention of gifts or special touches that would indicate thoughtfulness from the hosts, so this category cannot be scored.
About this property
Ivy Cottage is a detached cottage, dating back to the 19th century, tucked away on the picturesque Mersea Island, Essex.
This traditional cottage boasts off-road parking for two cars, a well-maintained garden, patio with small pond and is situated just 150 meters from the waterfront. This delightful property sleeps six guests in three bedrooms, making it an ideal base for families or groups of friends seeking a coastal holiday on Mersea Island. After exploring local attractions, make yourself comfortable in the lounge, flicking on the TV and Amazon Fire stick, easing into the evening. Take over the kitchen and prepare a hearty home-cooked dish, whilst the dining room offers a place to enjoy meals together. Venture upstairs and discover the bedrooms, offering a double with toilet and wash basin, and two twins. A shower room sits on the ground-floor. There is also a utility room with a washing machine and tumble drier, a freezer and additional fridge. Enjoy fresh mornings from the rear garden, offering a set of table and chairs for alfresco breakfasts before you explore this beautiful island. Known for its unspoiled landscapes, Mersea Island boasts stunning stretches of coastline on the River Blackwater Estuary, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, including beaches, marshes, and mudflats. This location is therefore ideal for nature lovers and birdwatchers, as well as picnics on the beach, crabbing on the jetty, and all manner of water sports with hire facilities available. Mersea is a true Island with one road to the mainland that can be cut off at high tide. The cottage is situated in the old part of the village in the west of the island, close to eateries serving local seafood, including the world-famous Native oysters. There are also cafés and pubs all within walking distance of the cottage. At East Mersea there is a vineyard and a country park with an adventure play area. A little further afield are the villages of Flatford and Dedham set in Constable Country, perfect for a stroll across the meadows or rowing on the River Stour. Take a day trip to Colchester, where you can immerse yourself in local history at the 11th century Colchester Castle, St John’s Abbey and St Botolph’s Priory. Head to the bustling city of Ipswich, where you can shop 'til you drop at the bustling Butter Market or take a stroll through Holywells Park and admire the beautiful gardens and abundance of wildlife. Break away from everyday life and uncover this hidden gem, Ivy Cottage.
Around seven miles square, beautiful Mersea Island is one of the most easterly islands in the UK. The island enjoys an abundance of wildlife and is ideal for walkers, bird watchers and watersports lovers alike. The east of the island offers unspoiled, remote locations, filled to the brim with wildlife and home to lovely beaches, whilst the west enjoys a wide selection of shops, cafes, restaurants and watersports opportunities. The island is famous for its oysters, to be bought from huts or enjoyed in the local restaurants and is situated just nine miles from Colchester, a lovely town offering a castle, museums, a zoo, excellent sports and leisure facilities, a cinema, great shopping and good restaurants. A little further afield is Ipswich, with an excellent shopping centre and interesting places, including Christchurch Mansion, museums, galleries, and the trendy Waterfront marina with wine bars, restaurants and river boat trips. A fabulous Island, ideal for a holiday to remember.
Accommodation
Three bedrooms: 1 x double with toilet and basin, 2 x twin.
Ground-floor shower room with walk-in shower, basin and WC.
Kitchen.
Dining room.
Utility.
Sitting room
Central heating.
Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer.
TV and WiFi.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Highchair available.
Off-road parking for 2 cars.
Garden patio with furniture and small pond.
Sorry, no pets and no smoking.
Shop 0.7 miles, pub 0.1 miles, beach 1.4 miles.
Note: Steep staircase, not suitable for those with limited mobility.
Note: There is a pond in the garden, children must be supervised
Nearby points of interest
- West Mersea Beach
- Colchester Zoo
- Colchester Castle Museum
- East Anglian Railway Museum
- Bicester Village
- University of Essex
Reviews (6)
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Kate
Communication with owners was excellent, Sadly though our overall enjoyment was let down by the following:- Overgrown and neglected garden with dirty outside windows with lots of cobwebs. mattresses on beds are poor, spongy, topper mattresses on some which makes for very uncomfortable sleep. Dated ramshackle furniture in bedrooms Sofas not cleaned properly, clumps of hair floating around on cushions and filthy underneath sofa cushions. No instructions for turning on heating Only one wardrobe between 3 bedrooms! tired stained sofas With a little TLC this house could be nice and homely. Sadly though in it's current state we won't be revisiting this property.
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Diane
The house was very close to the sea and we enjoyed some lovely beach walks. The food at The Coast Inn was delicious and a 3 minute walk away, so absolutely perfect for dinner and they do a nice cooked breakfast. The house was clean and the linen and towels very nice. I appreciate it is a character property, however, the place does need some tlc. The "ensuite" was a toilet & sink in a cupboard and didn't have any shower. So all 6 of us had to share the main bathroom downstairs. Wasn't ideal but we managed! The garden is beautiful and private, but unkept. This place has potential and some improvements could be made. West Mersea has plenty to offer and is a great location for a little holiday.
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Susan
Downstairs lino needs replacing particularly in the kitchen by fridge - looks dirty.As stated the stairs are very steep - hand rails on both sides but not lined up equally - could be adjusted. Patio slabs uneven. Pond is so overgrown with plants that it is not obviously seen so it could be a danger to small children. Found I had to wash some saucepans as not clean & big sticky mark on base of saucepan cupboard I cleaned. Good location for walk down (couple of mins) to boats,pontoon,restaurants etc. Rubbish collection is an issue. It says in info book it is collected on Weds, to double bag it & put bag out -not the wheelie bin. This we did late Tues night as we were not sure what time the bin men came & woke to rubbish all out the front where foxes had got into it. Cleaned it all up & re-bagged to put in wheelie bin. On driving off Thurs morning saw neighbours up the road had put bags out. Needs clarifying what day it's collected & also if there's time to put it out in the morning rather than the night before.