We made the arrangements for the Down Cottage with Susan a year in advance of our trip to southern England. We chose the Shawford/Twyford location because of its closeness to Winchester, a perfect location for our planned trips to Cardiff and Brighton and places in between.
The cottage was easy to locate. Susan had provided us with excellent directions, and there was easy on/off “motorway” access. We appreciated the milk, tea, and cookies that awaited us. An Aldi is located in Winchester and also a Poundland, the English equivalent of Dollar Tree. Sainsbury, a super-Target type store, was also nearby.
We did have a few problems with the Down Cottage, however. It lacked some of the basic essentials for a vacation home. There was no broom, only a dust pan and little, handheld whisk broom. I’m sure one would have been provided had I asked. Although there was a fantastic stove, there was no microwave or toaster oven which would have been useful for warming leftovers from the wonderful pubs and restaurants nearby.
The shower is beautiful and the water pressure was very good. There was a mantle and shelves for bathroom supplies and towels, which were large and soft. I would have appreciated another tabletop next to the sink to hold soap, toothbrush, etc. The one provided was very small.
The bedroom was large, but there was not enough clothes storage. The dresser had three small drawers and only a few pegs with 5 or 6 random hangers. There was no place to hang clothes. Luckily, I had brought extra hangers and hung mine on the wooden curtain rods.
Unfortunately, the internet did not work consistently. We would log into the house internet, then, after getting on a site, it would stop. We’d find the internet connection again, and it would stop again. We had no difficulty at either of the two previous cottages we stayed at in Cornwall. My mobile reception was better, but it, too, was not consistently reliable.
Because I have chronic back pain, I was not able to sit on the love seat at all. There was no support. The side chair also was uncomfortable for me, but I put a pillow and folded blanket on the seat and it was okay. I also found the bed a bit too hard for my back. The stairs, although steep, did not cause any problems for me.