“Outstanding Accommodation”
We stayed at Squirrels Dray for a 60th birthday celebration at the end of September and it was quite possibly one of the most amazing self catering properties we have stayed in.
The setting was great - a bit off the beaten track (but not for Cornwall!) and next to the campsite, with a hot tub, aviary and views down the valley to the sea. The interior was beautiful, care had obviously been taken in making it appeal to guests, with muted blues and sea-related decor throughout, with the most impressive seashell chandelier I have ever seen! It makes an impressive first impression when you first walk in as it is decorated to a high standard throughout and really has a wow factor when you first see it.
The facilities at this property are great and there is an info book with walks to the beaches and information on the badger hide (which we couldn't use as there was a bees nest in it and my only criticism would be that this should have been removed and not just left in situ with a note on the door saying to enter at your own risk) and hot tub. The kitchen was well stocked although missing a couple of items we would have expected to see - washing up liquid and oven gloves being the main ones - but there was a dishwasher and freezer and plenty of crockery and other utensils. It was lovely to find a welcome pack milk, bacon, eggs and sausages in the fridge when we arrived, a very thoughtful touch which we definitely appreciated!
All the bedrooms were great and had their own en-suites which was perfect. We had the ground floor bedroom and it was lovely to open the door in the morning to the courtyard and walk out to the benches to read the paper. There was also some native rabbits who came to visit in the early mornings but were too wild to entice closer with scraps of carrot peelings :-(
The hot tub was amazing, we made sure we made use of it several times even though it was quite chilly in the evenings - it was great to sit and relax with the multi coloured lights in the dark! There weren't any instructions on how to use the hot tub other than standard hygiene information, which meant we had to fiddle around with the controls and never really knew if it was turned off or on fully. It would have been good to have had an instruction guide on using it properly. However, it was very large (accommodated 4 adults with room for plenty more) and very warm and was a lovely addition to the facilities. We had a small BBQ one evening and there was plenty of outdoor seating and tables for us to sit out if we wanted to. There is an aviary with various brightly coloured birds in next to the hot tub, and they have rabbits in the bottom of the cage. An unusual touch but a good and interesting focal point for the garden.
The area was very quiet - we were a bit out of season so there weren't many campers at the adjoining campsite - but it was so peaceful. The cottage is in the middle of two others but we heard no noise and had no disruptions from them, even though they were both occupied. It was lovely that people could take dogs as well as this is the perfect part of the world for walking them. The only criticism I would make about the location is that the rear of the property very closely overlooks a messy, unsightly farm barn with broken down cars in the long grass and general farming rubbish scattered about. You don't notice it unless you look out the rear of the house from the bedrooms, and with far nicer views to the front it's unlikely to matter, but it is still a small negative given the beautiful setting at the front and the general standard of the accommodation.
If you stay here I would recommend doing the walks to the three local beaches as recommended in the cottage info guide (although be warned that Hemmick Beach is down an extremely steep road and the walk can be taxing coming back up) The instructions are clear in the cottage guide book and they are well worth the effort. I would recommend allowing more time than the info pack says though, as the walk into Gorran Haven and the Harbour takes approx 20-25 minutes and not the 10 minutes the book states! And it is all downhill on the way there....
All in all I would recommend this property without hesitation. When we booked I thought it was a bit pricey for the time of year but it was worth every penny for this fantastic holiday cottage. I cannot recommend it enough.
- 2015micheller, October 2016
