Devon Self Catering cottage, Swallows Reach, Halwell, sleeps 10

Family 4 day break
Upon arrival everything went well with key handover. First impressions looking around the rooms of the property it was clear to see the building was lacking some regular maintenance and upkeep. Small problems but these issues make or break your experience and holiday. We witnessed Taps leaking in kitchen. Lower room toilet seat hanging off. Curtains severely worn and falling off hooks showers dripping and a Toaster not fully functional. There was a picture in the living room of a headless woman we found rather strange. Outside the property the pathway the right side path was barely visible due to overgrown plants this was always an obstacle and in some instances dangerous. This is a working farm so expect plenty of flies floating around all rooms which after time are very annoying having landed on food. I will say that the toilet seat and curtain issue was fixed on day one after complaining. However both these problems were noted by owner and he did nothing prior to our visit to rectify before we arrived. This did seam strange to me. Although the above sounds negitive there are plenty of positives. The views are lovely the pool and games room are also a nice touch. The rooms are of good sizes . Kitchen well equipped . Sofas comfortable and all in all a nice place to use as a base. My opinion is the owner knows of certain issues but doesn't seem to address them until several people complain .the toaster has had several complaints yet its still in use. Overall we had an enjoyable break and if the above small maintenance issues were addressed my review would be very different..
Daren D
2020-09-10

Family holiday
Just returned after a 7 nights stay at Swallows Reach. The converted barn is very spacious for a large family, accommodation was clean, and the views from the house were amazing. Fantastic dog walking too. There is plenty to do in the area and we ventured out every day being lucky enough to have a sunny week. The property sits at the end of a group of properties, it was quiet and private. We had a wonderful time. Unfortunately there were a few things that could be improved, toaster not fully working, dishwasher trays broken, light bulbs internally and externally not all working- however these are small things and they did not impact on our stay. The property overall externally now looks like it needs some TLC, garden furniture needs sanding and staining so no longer looks as per the photo on the website. The garden however is very well kept. The swimming pool temperature was too cold to really enjoy a swim and there are various holes on the pool floor where tiles have broken off and are missing in both the main pool and toddler pool which I feel is a H&S issue, this allowing the hardcore base of the pool to be exposed. The ladies changing room however, is very clean and the shower lovely and hot. The play park is unusable as the equipment is damaged and needs a good clean. The trampoline area though looks great and very well kept. We did venture into the games room but deliveries had been made of a new mattress and some boxes so felt that we really shouldn?t be in there as it was being used as storage too. Bedrooms are large and bathrooms are great, clean crisp linen on all the beds. The beds in the upstairs family room that myself and my husband used along with our little girl were very uncomfortable, there are 3 single beds appropriate for children. Beds and mattresses are not very good quality which leads to bad nights sleep and bad backs! Our 16 year old son said his feet hung off the end of the bed in the same style room on the ground floor. A book detailing what to do with rubbish, where to collect logs for the burner etc. would have been helpful on arrival. But, saying all that, the property overall is lovely but with some improvements and some tweaks has the potential to be outstanding - the milk and chocolate cake left for us on arrival was a nice thought and very much appreciated
Tracey C
2019-10-24

Excellant
The accommodation was excellent. All bedrooms are en suite which was good as our party was 10 people. Plenty of comfortable seating in both lounge area and dining area. I have never been in such a well equipped holiday rental before. There wasn't anything lacking. Owners are lovely people who help if you need it but leave you alone to enjoy your holiday if you don't. Would not hesitate to recommend this accommodation as it is a good location to other places of interest also. Will definitely come back again.
barbarahE2430LE
2016-12-30

Great base and great facilities
Swallows Reach is a nice holiday home with good facilities, the pictures do not do it justice. There's pretty much all the mod cons at the house and a large enough fridge and ample cooking facilities to keep everyone happy. The swimming pool is excellent and never busy in our stay, trampoline and play area great. Nice track over the hill to Halwell, dogs can be let off the lead on this track provided you keep them within sight, and they can't jump over or through the gates. Do not be put off by the single track up, only once in a week did we have to give way. Both Totnes and Dartmouth are a short drive away (15-20 mins), both lovely. We would heartily recommend the Round Robin from Dartmouth (Ferry to Kingswear, Train to Paignton, Open top bus to Totnes and River boat to Dartmouth well worth £25.50 for adults) Blackpool Sands beach (shingle no sands but lovely), the Sharpham Wine and Cheese vineyard and taste tour. Top tip: make sure the late/light sleepers go upstairs and not the ground floor, the kitchen sounds are easily heard below. There is Wifi in the games room and good enough to keep teenagers happy, but if you can't do without the internet on an hourly basis then you might find this a pain to walk from the property to the games room. Swallows Reach is almost 5-star, a few refinements and a welcome pack would make it so.
Ralphus2704
2016-07-20

Fantastic family holiday home, so welcoming and accommodating
We stayed at Swallows Reach for the half term break - 7 of us in total, including 3 children aged 4, 11 & 13, as well as our puppy. Bickleigh Farm is a beautiful location, with owners who are both welcoming and accommodating. The setting is a combination of converted farm land for the cottages, immediately alongside working farmland. Features include heated indoor swimming pool, indoor games room with pool, table tennis and wifi. There is an outdoor play area, as well as a couple of grass areas to play including a large trampoline. Swallows Reach itself is the perfect combination of the old style outer stone farm building, with modern interior. En-suite bathrooms, fitted to a high standard. The first floor has an open plan lounge area leading to the large dining room table and open kitchen with range oven. Bedrooms are on the ground floor and second floor. The building feels spacious, and adaptable to needs for the family - relaxing, versatile, spacious and able to offer fun for the children and individual space if required too. A lovely stay and we greatly look forward to returning to stay at Bickleigh Farm again in the near future!
Michael A
2015-07-09