The Ivy

We had a lovely week at The Ivy.

Its location just outside Happisburgh was perfect for touring The Broads, the local coast and country walks. There were many lovely pubs within a 30 minute drive. The house is very clean and comfortable, however we were disappointed that the welcome pack of milk, tea & coffee was not provided as per our arrival details, especially as we had traveled for over 5 hours and planned to do our shopping after we arrived. Although The Ivy was comfortable there were a few items missing (some of which were shown on the listing photographs) which would have made our stay more comfortable and some that you would have expected in accommodation of this standard. For example, there was only one bedside light per bedroom, there was no wardrobe or hanging space n the second double bedroom and no shelving or cupboard in the en-suite. Hooks in the utility would have been helpful to hang wet coats and boots after a rainy day out. Dishwasher tablets and washing up liquid were provided but no cleaning products for the kitchen or bathrooms, nor any cleaning clothes. These however did not detract from our overall stay and hopefully the owners will take these comments on board.

Overall the cottage is a great place to stay, short distance to Happisburg beach and lighthouse, clean with ample parking and secure garden for the dogs or kids.

The cottage has a spacious open plan area which is ideal for a family or friends to relax together on holiday. Plenty of space for us but we’re only a party of 2 plus 2 dogs. Very comfortable beds. Well equipped kitchen with a large fridge freezer and ample storage cupboards for groceries to cater for a large party. Great choice of table games which doubles as a dining table. Furnishings and decor modern and stylish. I disagree with comments regards needing table lamps and plants in the lounge as some cottages can become cluttered. We found leaving kitchen lights on dimmers for relaxing in the evening was fine. However ensuite needs space for toiletries, towels hoops and toilet brush and both showers need shelves for shower gel and shampoo. No wardrobe space in 2nd king bedroom which would be a disappointment for larger holiday parties but didn’t affect us. Hallway or utility room needs coat hooks and shoe stand/tray particularly for poor weather days. There were no instructions for bin days, what recycling items or which bins, each district is different but someone did put the bins out on the day. No instructions given as to what to do with bedding/towels etc, again each cottage has different rules but would help the owners. Feedback was vague regards hot tub and thought we’d get further info on arrival which we didn’t. There are two attractive wall clocks but neither work, probably just need a battery. There was a kitchen cupboard missing with damage to the wall which I assume had been done by previous visitors. We had a problem with the Sky TV connection after a few days that we couldn’t solve with the usual reset etc but this was resolved by Laura who owns the cottage. The Hill House Inn is situated in the village if you don’t mind walking down the narrow country lane, TBH we were too tired after our daily walks that we were happy to relax at the cottage. The Fair Maiden Shellfish seafood shop in the village sells great seafood platters. We got small which we were told serves 2 or 3 but was big enough for two meals for the two of us. Pricey but worth it. Lots of good beaches nearby but car parking charges apply at them all. The points are meant as constructive as The Ivy is a lovely cottage and if I was visiting the area in future I would definitely stay again.

The property is in a lovely location in Happisburgh, very rural and peaceful.

It is very clean, sofas very comfortable, a good layout and nice sized rooms so it felt spacious for the 4 of us plus our dog. However it could be so much better with a few additions as we felt it was missing some really obvious things such as no bins in the bathrooms, no lamps in the main living area which made it feel very un homely in the evenings, no bedside table or lamp in the twin room which is very unusual, we tried cooking several times but the equipment was so minimal we really struggled, not even a wooden spoon, no coat hangers for coats. Although the hot tub wasn’t listed, it is disappointing it’s there with mentions of it in the guest book but it’s out of bounds now. Overall we still had a nice weekend but we wouldn’t return unfortunately.