Magnolia Cottage Osmington

Good location

Beautifully appointed and modernised, spacious, comfortable cottage.

The only minor negatives for us were the absence of a liquid hand soap dispenser in the kitchen and only a tiny hand soap in the upstairs bathroom. Travelling from Weymouth / Dorchester, once in Osmington drive past the Sunray pub (now open and extensively renovated) and immediately after Chapel Lane, which is on the left, turn sharply right into the East Farm Cottages driveway which turns back on itself. No sign for the Cottages is visible from this direction. To reach the Farm Shop and Tea Room, which serves delicious coffee, walk from the cottage down the driveway to the point where it meets the road, where on the right, take a short footpath and turn left at the pedestrian gate at the top onto the farm drive. To make the oven work, the cooker time clock needs to be set and running, with no arrow showing next to it on the screen. Cooker manual available in the property. When reversing from the designated parking place, take care to miss the thatch overhang and then the decking with the large rock in front of it.

Fantastic rustic cottage that was clean and tidy and as described.

5 minute drive to Weymouth and an amazing farm shop behind the cottage. I would stay here again and it was a spacious 2 bed cottage.

Magnolia Cottage really is a 'proper cottage'; latch doors, creaky floorboards, the works.

We were surprised how warm it was, expecting it to be a bit draughty, we arrived with throws for the evening, but we didn't need them (and throws were also provided!). The cottage was very clean and provided most of the things we needed. The sloping ceilings were an issue and all three of us were caught out. The twin room was better as you could access the middle of the room with a normal height ceiling, but the main bedroom was more problematic, as whichever side you slept on, when you got out of bed and stood up .. whack, there's the ceiling! However, it happened less as the week went on and we became accustomed to it. We are quite a tall family, between 5'8 and 6'2. The kitchen was well-equipped, but there was a niggle ... the kettle badly needed descaling. Take your own tin opener! The lounge was a good size, but the sofas were low and quite hard, which made them uncomfortable and getting up, particularly for my dad, was a bit challenging. Parking was easy, but the property is on a main road, so take care pulling out. The cottage is close to Weymouth, Dorchester and Bovington. A fantastic little farm shop is literally a couple of hundred yards away, selling delicious treats and decent coffee. We had a lovely time; like i said, this is a 'proper cottage', but i don't think our heads would cope with a second visit.

The property is ideally suited for the local attractions on offer in Dorset.

It was very well provisioned with all necessary equipment. The beds were comfortable and there was a large fridge/freezer which enabled adequate supplies of food to be stored. We had a problem with the washer dryer but this was very quickly attended to.

Magnolia cottage is a nice and cosy little thatched cottage, set in a cluster of other similar cottages.

Located near the main road in Osmington, but in a quiet spot. Positive things: nice kitchen and layout, good beds, quiet environment, nice furnishings, bathrooms all fine. Negative things: the property was not very clean when we received it, with some dirty cutlery, plates and pots. There were quite a lot of cobwebs and spiders in different places, not just around the ceiling, but also lower down. It is a country house but it didn't seem to have been cleaned very well. Also several things were broken or not working well - the laundry rack and the kettle, among others. When I tried to contact Sykes Cottages about the laundry rack, I had to chat with an AI bot on WhatsApp, which resulted in nothing. I did however eventually have success through emailing another address. Overall: a nice place which would have been nicer if found in a slightly better condition.

1.

The kettle is unsafe - the lid pops open at the start of the boiling process which would be extremely dangerous if a child is in the vicinity. It is also caked in timescale - this happens - but kettles can be replaced at a reasonable cost . 2. The ironing board cover - both layers cannot be secured to the actual ironing board. 3. No instructions for the TV 4. The amount of flies caused a nuisance but the cottage is next to a dairy farm . There was a squashed fly on the picture above the bed in the main bedroom when we arrived ( and left ) 5. The key box would not re lock

Whilst the cottage was great and located to access all local attractions and activities I would definitely recommend however my disabled son left a bear behind and trying to contact Dream Cottages about it was near impossible everything is automated but if you do contact a real person they take details and never respond really poor customer service.

I loved the cottage and do not want to leave.

Will definitely come back.

We loved our stay in this beautiful home.

The location is perfect, we did find it a bit dusty in places, like the nest of tables. If we payed 1k for a week we would not have been happy but overall it was very clean and nicely decorated, you can tell its well loved. It was nice having good quality appliances that work well. The sound insulation could be better in the bedroom as we could hear next-door alot. Would we come back 100% thanks again for a fantastic holiday.

Magnolia cottage is a lovely cottage in a great location to visit all the surrounding areas.

It wasn't as clean is I'd expect it to have been - cobwebs in areas that had clearly been there for a while, a lot of dust in places particularly the bench in the hallway, and under the small set of tables in the living room. When stripping the sheets on the last day the mattress protector and the pillow protectors had yellow stains on them and the actual bed sheet that had been tucked under the mattress had black dirt partially along one edge. Also there were a lot of crumbs on the counter tops in the kitchen. It is a comfortable cottage for 2 people, I just think the cleanliness needs to be addressed.

A well equipped, quality furnished and tastefully decorated quaint cottage, however, the lack of attention to detail on cleanliness really lets it down.

It was not apparent that a deep clean had taken place recently. The presence of flies was off putting. We had an issue with the boiler firing up intermittently throughout the night. Although this was addressed the problem wasn’t resolved. The fridge was not cold enough. The maintenance team did intervene quickly and helped by installing a table top fridge temporarily. The parking space allocated incurred big bird droppings every morning on my car which became so bad that I had to get my car jet washed when we left. It was alarming that we were able to hear the neighbours through thick stone walls and I’m afraid we are not a lover of their cats. The location of the cottage was ideal for exploring the beautiful Dorset coastline. A farm shop just a short walk around the corner and The Smugglers Inn pub nearby a welcome retreat!

The cottage was everything we could have wished for.

Many thanks. Only a couple of very small suggestions - a couple of spare loo rolls would have been comforting (though in the event not needed!) and one or two more hooks/places to hang towels after showering etc. would have been nice. The biggest problem was finding the place as the Sly Fox pub no longer exists!! Also coming from Southampton and not Weymouth made the directions rather hard to follow. However an excellent cottage all round, would thoroughly recommend it

We really liked the cottage, well described and perfect for what we needed.

The beds were comfy and the kitchen was wet equipped. Unfortunately, the cleaning wasn't the best and it could do with a proper deep clean rather than the surface type clean that was done for our arrival. The kettle had an enormous amount of limescale build up and desperately needs cleaning. The electric fire didn't work which would have helped keep the downstairs warm as it got quite chilly of an evening. The parking space is very small, you have to unload people and things before you park as there's no room to get out, we do have a big vehicle though. The neighbours didn't like us doing this and commented to us which made us feel like we were upsetting them or doing something we shouldn't. We also would have appreciated being told before booking that there was cctv, we noticed a camera half way through our stay. Generally it was really nice although slightly let down by a few things that could easily be resolved with a little care.

Cottage great nice and roomy facilities good however directions need updating as pub no longer exists and we do like a pub within walking distance

Would have been helpful to have salt and shakers provided.

Shower control not working properly, runs very hot, and will not turn down. Had to keep turning water off to have comfortable shower. Otherwise excellent facilties. Excellent situation for visiting intesting places in Dorset.

Generally, a good place to stay for a week, more so for a couple than a family, since the stairs are quite steep and could be a risky for smaller folk.

The Master bedroom: The Queen size bed ( 6ft wide) is very comfortable and while firm, does yield for a good night's sleep but does not restrict movement around the room - very nice. Taller folk will soon be aware of the sloping thatched roof. It has to be noted that the floorboards move a lot and this means a lot of squeaking whenever you move around in this room - this can be heard right across the ground floor so at night, it can be noticeable to the point of annoyance. I feel that the neighbours must be able to hear this given our own experiences: The second bedroom does not suffer from this at all. It must also be noted that the toilet of the adjoining property backs onto the wall of the headboard - folk in the master bed will unfortunately hear quite a lot of flushing and other actitivies including much door closing ( slamming) late at night / early morning. Light sleepers will find this disconcerting. The Lounge is airy, the sofas are decent and the TV is a very good size. The many windows allow good light although you are visible to neighbours approaching their property. The car port is right next to the cottage roof / next door's kitchen window and reversing out, one needs to take note of the overhang and the small patio which tyakes a day or so to learn - larger SUVs will notice this and it might be worth mentioning to avoid disappointment. The instructions for finding the property do need to be updated and improved. The pub / Stable Bar are long gone (sadly) so it should be removed as a landmark from the documentation. Coming from Preston / Weymouth, the first drive past Church Lane is the drive for East Farm itself, by the old telephone booth - and this too has a sign on the wall for 'East Farm' which will catch the latecomer out on a dark night. A better instruction is that immediately past Chapel Lane, look for the slate sign for 'East Farm Cottages' on the right side and note it is a sharp turn back off the road which can catch the driver out if not prepared. Coming from Poxwell, Craig's Farm Dairy is the marker for slowing down and looking for the East Farm Cottages sign on the lhe left which will appear very quickly after the farm shop entrance. Leaving the driveway to go east can be tricky in peak times, as the bend to the left is nearly blind; a confident and swift departure when the road appears clear is recommended. The owner may wish to know that a neighbour allowed their small dog to excrete without collecting. On the day of our departure we had a deposit directly in the path from the front door to the drivers' side of our car and undder the eaves of the property; only luck and sharp eyesight prevented an unwelcome incident. Whether this was carelessness or even deliberate I cannot say but the location was in such a strategic place that the dog must have either been off the leash and un-monitored, or else walked round the property to the car port and allowed to act - it was well off the route out of the driveway... It was not cat or fox faeces.Worth noting in case of a repeat performance. We really enjoyed our stay - you are one wall away from the Farm Dairy so you will hear and smell the cows as they are milked. I grew up with this, but city-dwellers may find this novelty interesting!

Excellent cottage, very clean and had up to date equipment.

Things that may need doing for the future to make thing perfect. 1. A hop up in the kitchen to reach the shelves. 2. Picture of the staircase and entrance hall on the initial viewing. 3. New nonstick frying pan. 4. Creaking in the upstairs floors rectified. The only real disappointment was that the village pub across the road was closed. ? For refurbishment we presume. The cottage folder was precise and full of information. The wooden and tiled floor downstairs kept the cottage reasonably cool in the hot weather. Having a bug zapper in the kitchen did keep the flies down in the building. It was a cottage you was glad to get back to at night. Overall a good base to work from to reach all parts of Dorset..

Cottage was beautiful everything you needed like home.

The only complaint was the musty smell, which we managed to track down. It was the mop in the cupboard. Obviously it had been left wet and not left to dry as it was scrunched up in the bucket. We washed it out and left it outside to dry out and that solved the problem.

There is a number of things that need to be addressed.

1. There is a very strong smell of damp in the property, which wasn't addressed by leaving the windows open. 2. The fridge/freezer was too high for my wife to reach the top shelf. 3. The bottle tray support in the fridge door is broken & therefore insecure. 4. The bottom freezer drawer is broken. 5. The melamine tray in the kitchen is badly repaired and has a sharp corner. 6. There are no towel rails anywhere and nowhere else to get towels or anything dry. 7. There was a campervan parked outside the kitchen window which blocked light from the kitchen. 8. People from other properties walking past the windows made it feel like we were in a goldfish bowl especially as there were no net curtains.

Sofas were uncomfortable.

Limited cleaning materials provided; e.g. bleach for loos, pads to clean cooking utensils. Bedding and towels very good BUT, mattresses were far too soft; single bed falling out of bed if turning. All in all very uncomfortable; limited opportunity to get adequate rest. Car parking spot - immediately under bird roosting area resulting in car festooned in bird faeces. Not good

It was a lovely cottage in a lovely village.

The downstairs was bigger than we expected and worked perfectly for us. There were a few things missing on arrival - dishwasher tablets and tea towels - but this was very quickly sorted. I could have done with a few pan stands and maybe some weighing scales but otherwise the kitchen was well equipped and organised. Loved the chest of games which kept our 7 year old entertained. Lovely local walks too.

Clean, well maintained with absolutely everything we needed we really enjoyed our stay.

Ideally situated for walking with coastal path nearby.

Lovely comfortable cottage felt at home as soon as we walked through the door had everything we needed and more a truly relaxing 2 weeks.

Fabulous cottage.

Can’t fault it at all. …I felt so much at home. ..that I wish I could live there!

The cottage has a nice dishwasher and TV but is lacking supplies like proper handsoap, more than 2 toilet rolls (only very cheap quality as well) and has no hair dryer.

The mattress in the bed has a divet and the sofa is completely worn through. The bin in the kitchen is broken (pedal not working). Given the price, I expected more.

Whilst the cottage is pretty it is in a very tired state and need of refurbishment , we had to give the shower a good scrub before we could use it .

the overall appearance was OK but closer inspection revealed poor quality of cleaning, not dirty but not clean either, considering we couldn't gain access until 5 pm for Covid cleaning it was somewhat disappointing and we went around and cleaned all surfaces ourselves

Lovely cottage with good facilities in a great location for touring this area!

Excellent location and very comfortable.

Good quality furnishings in home. A few of the online reviews complained about camper van parked outside - it was no problem as it belongs to neighbours. Only small problem for us was our car got covered in bird droppings where we had to park underneath tv aerial on cottage.

The bedrooms were clean and very comfy.

We dropped something which went under the sofa where we found a lot of dust and fluff, a pencil, scrabble piece and babies dummy. The shower was not clean and even though we tried to clean the plug hole with a plunger, we were standing in an inch of water every time which was not pleasant. A camper van always parked at the back window which meant those curtains were always drawn as no privacy. We found the pots and pans very scratched. All this was made worse because we couldn't enter until 5pm due to extra covid cleaning...I think not. All this is unusual for a Sykes cottage. We have been to 11 cottages and usually have high praise. Not this time I'm afraid

Fantastic location , very comfortable cottage .

Only downside was the outside area - it wasn’t made clear there was only a bench at the front of the property & the camper van at the back covering the back windows was a shame too ! However we would still visit again.

We enjoyed our holiday at magnolia cottage.

lovely cottage in very pleasant surroundings .Plenty of things to do and see in surrounding area. Just one small thing it would have been nice to have had some cleaning liquid especially for the toilet.

It was a perfect cottage in a lovely location.

Would happily recommend this to our friends

We used the cottage as a base for completing our walk of the South West Coast Path and despite a very warm sunny week we were able to finish the path.

We had a really lovely time in the cottage we stayed at - it was beautifully presented and well equipped with what we needed for the duration of our stay.

There were just a few things (not a complaint just to be made aware of): -The kitchen hob has some tough stains on 3 out of 4 of the rings as such we were a bit apprehensive to use in case it started smoking or something. We attempted to clean them but to little avail. We were able to use 2 in the end. There also wasn’t a manual for the oven that we could find so we avoided using it as it wasn’t a oven we were familiar with. - We weren’t sure if the extractor fan in the bathroom was working correctly or not as couldn’t hear it when we turned it on with the light. - One of the magic lamps in the twin room wasn’t working correctly and making a loud buzzing noise when switched on. In all honesty those things were incredibly small and did not have a major impact on our weekend break at all. We had a lovely time and would heartily recommend a stay at Magnolia cottage to anyone wanting to stay in the area.

A lovely cottage and a really pleasant stay with the family.

Would be even better if the electric living room heater was converted to a real log burner. We brought logs and kindling with us for the occasion, though didn’t look closely at the photos beforehand!

Location was great the cottage was so quiet and warm after being out all day and weather was cold and wet I have stayed in many cottages and I can say this was the best one yet I have stayed in

Love this cottage so comfy and clean our 3rd visit won't be our last

Nice cottage, well equipped with kitchen utensils, Our allocated parking was being used by another vehicle, the out look was terrible as there was two dumped cars which never moved and at the rear of the property another large vehicle covered two of our windows.

On returning home my husband went to check oil etc and found that a rat had eaten his engine bonnet lining. Beautiful cottage terrible location

Parking is a bit tricky and shame that you end up just looking out over car parking out of both the front and back.

The whole ambience of staying in a thatched cottage and the location was perfect !

Very poor directions,needs more visible signage to the cottage .

Parking for a second car needs signage on the wall stating for Magnolia cottage only as someone was parking there regularly. WIndows of cottage were filthy. Cottage very dusty .

The cottage is really gorgeous and comfy.

The decor was very tasteful and comprehensive. There was nothing missing for us and we felt very comfortable for 1 week.The price was absolutely justified.The location near to the coast was very comfortable too.

We were blessed with sunshine every day and reminded how beautiful this part of Dorset is.

Magnolia Cottage provided a super base for our seven days sojourn. A memorable holiday in every way. Thank you!

Lovely cottage with all comforts and imenities.

Only thing was at our designated car space by the cottage our car got covered in bird excrement so a cover between the roofs of cottages would be good. Perfect place to stay for places if interest.

We enjoyed our stay at Magnolia Cottage very much.

The inside of the cottage, was good quality and very clean and tidy. It certainly lived up to our expectations. Our one disappointment was was the lack of good outside space. We had hoped to be able to sit in a small garden rather than at a table in the car park turning area. Over all though, we would still rate the cottage good.

Lovely cottage.

Cosy and very comfortable. Great location with easy access to the coastal path and pub 2 minutes walk away. Only disappointment was that we couldn't stay longer

The cottage was situated in a handy position, The Fox, a lovely atmosphere and great food.

Also, for a cliff top walk, into Weymouth. It was lovely and warm in the cottage, so clean and tastefully decorated. Having a downstairs loo was so handy. All modern facilities. And, we were greeted by 2 adorable cows,looking over the gate at us! Highly recommended.

A very clean, beautiful cottage. Great location. Stayed May 2016

A lovely cottage in a nice village only 5 minutes in the car from Weymouth. Very comfy beds, great showers and everything you need for a self catering cottage. Very child friendly with stairs gates and travel cot. Would recommend this property. Stayed July 2016

Superb cottage will book again! Stayed May 2016

Fabulous cottage, perfect base for a memorable holiday. Felt so at home and safe, hope to return. Stayed June 2016

Great week and a lovely cottage, perfect in every way! Look forward to a return visit next year.. Stayed June 2016

Lovely cottage, very comfy beds and a great shower. Perfect location to see all the sites. One of our best family holiday's ever! Stayed July 2016

Have had such a perfect stay at this beautiful cottage which catered for all our needs and more, very cosy! Great facilities, comfy beds and a very clean home from home feel, hope to return! Stayed August 2016

Lovely cottage, extremely clean and very comfortable beds, great stay, thank you! Stayed September 2016

Beautiful cottage, felt very at home, wonderful location for exploring!! Thank you. Stayed September 2016

Really lovely holiday cottage perfect, my new wife made it even better we both enjoyed the long walks as we had good weather as well. Stayed May 2017

Lovely cottage in a great location, all needs catered for. Would recommend to everyone looking for a relaxing holiday/break.

A really lovely cottage in a perfect location. Our young children really enjoyed their stay and the cottage catered for all our needs. Thank you. Stayed May 2018

Super Cottage. Very clean, well-equipped. Very comfy beds. Compact and well laid out. Good location. Stayed June 2018

Another first class stay at.Magnolia cottage , it really is a delightful cottage, the cows peer over the fence on their way to and from milking which adds another touch especially if you have children , the cottage is well equipped for children also.it is very central for all the bays etc . And you can leave the car behind and just walk .We intend to return sometime. Stayed June 2018

We were very happy with the cottage, it was extremely well equipped especially technology (smart TV, ipod player, good wi-fi), very comfortable and well stuated for exploring all of the Dorset coast, we did however miss having a private outdoor space probably due to the weather being so fantastic. I would definitly use Dream Cottages again as the whole booking process was very professional. Thanks for a great week. Stayed June 2018