The Old Priory Cottage

It took us 20 years to finally stay here after first finding it, and it didn’t disappoint. The cottage is within walking distance of Dunster Castle and the village, and the church carillon every four hours adds to the atmosphere. Sitting in the garden with a cream tea, listening to the birds and imagining the past, was just lovely. It’s warm and cosy, with a garden full of flowers and hidden corners. Jane was a helpful host and brought us fresh raspberries from her allotment. Earwig the dog was no problem at all; we hardly saw her. The cottage is full of character and feels like a time capsule in this old historic house. If you want sleek modern rooms and state-of-the-art fittings, this probably isn’t for you. If you’d like to experience a slice of 1200s history, with everything you might find in your granny’s attic, it has that in abundance.

A real retreat and a step back in time, right in the heart of Dunster, Somerset. The 12th-century Benedictine priory is delightful and charming, and Jane is a wonderful host who makes a fabulous breakfast. It’s close to Exmoor, sandy beaches and Minehead. Highly recommended. I enjoyed it enough to book my next visit for the end of June before leaving.

We had to leave this holiday early. The letting agency helped us relocate and gave us a full refund, and the second place, through duddings holiday lettings, was fab and had friendly dogs on site. That’s not how I wanted to spend the precious time we’d set aside for a rare family holiday, though. We asked whether anything could be done to make things better with the dog, but the owner said nothing could be done and we would have to leave. The shared garden is the way into the property, and the resident dog Earwig roamed around without supervision. She wasn’t reliably friendly. On several occasions, she barked aggressively, growled and snapped as we came back. We have two children, and this really worried us. They didn’t feel free to wander around, and before we changed accommodation they wanted to barricade the door. The owner had said the dog was friendly, but that the children shouldn’t be outside unattended. I wouldn’t leave them alone with her. We’re used to dogs and like spending time with well behaved, good natured dogs belonging to friends and family. It felt as though the dog’s freedom to roam mattered more than how her behaviour made us feel when entering or leaving the property. A real shame.

We’d never stayed in such an old cottage before, and it was a very different choice for us. It just wasn’t to our taste, and we didn’t feel comfortable there. There’s nothing wrong with it if that’s your kind of place.