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Harbour Lights, Torquay

Guest Rating
Rating
4.8
out of 5
Sleeps up to 8
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Resting in an elevated position, at the entrance of Cockington Valley, only a mile from the centre of Torquay and just over half a mile from the Centre of Cockington Village, Harbour Lights is a wonderful 1930s detached property, lovingly cared for and styled to provide accommodation for a large family or group wanting to escape to the picturesque south Devon coast. Ample off-road parking can be found at the top of the steep driveway, the property features views of Cockington Valley, Torbay and the Sea. Entering the property you are greeted by an impressive, arched hallway, boasting beautiful damask wallpaper, and a choice of two sitting rooms to relax in during the evenings.
 

About Harbour Lights

Resting in an elevated position, at the entrance of Cockington Valley, only a mile from the centre of Torquay and just over half a mile from the Centre of Cockington Village, Harbour Lights is a wonderful 1930s detached property, lovingly cared for and styled to provide accommodation for a large family or group wanting to escape to the picturesque south Devon coast. Ample off-road parking can be found at the top of the steep driveway, the property features views of Cockington Valley, Torbay and the Sea. Entering the property you are greeted by an impressive, arched hallway, boasting beautiful damask wallpaper, and a choice of two sitting rooms to relax in during the evenings. Both reception rooms offer a welcoming place to unwind into your evening, with a choice of large sofa and two armchairs to cosy up on while enjoying your favourite shows on the smart TVs, while the first sitting room benefits from a large bay window and games console and the second houses a woodburning stove within a stunning decorative fireplace and large panoramic windows with views across Torbay and the Sea. The impressive kitchen provides all the appliances you could wish for to create delicious home-cooked meals for the group, with the focal point being the large Rangemaster cooker, complete with double oven and 6-ring hob, while the American-style fridge/freezer offers ample space for storing treats. Enjoy meals together in the dining room, with the large dining table comfortably seating the whole group, while the desk in the corner is perfect for anyone needing to catch up on a bit of work or quickly scan through emails. Enjoy an early morning coffee from the comfort of the large conservatory, or head out onto the enclosed patio and lawn garden to soak up your tranquil setting. On the first floor there are three bedrooms, all of which are spacious, offer ample storage and their own TV, with a king-size double boasting a balcony and impressive sea views, a second king-size double with a bay window that overlooks the sea, and a twin room with an en-suite shower room. The family bathroom completes the layout, providing a choice between freestanding bath and walk-in shower to begin each day with. Making your way back to the ground floor, a connecting staircase leads from the main house to a self-contained apartment, which is ideal for a couple or perhaps grandparents wanting to enjoy some quiet time away from the larger group. This space offers an open-plan living room with an inviting corner sofa and wall-mounted Samsung Smart TV, as well as a dining table and well-equipped kitchen, king-size double bedroom with ample storage and a shower room with walk-in shower. Patio doors lead to an enclosed south facing patio, which is ideal for relaxing and taking a break from the rest of the group. Harbour Lights is well placed for discovering a host of amenities within walking distance, including a handful of shops for grabbing any essential items and pubs serving food, should you wish to take an evening off from cooking duties. Situated in the centre of the 'English Riviera', a stretch of spectacular coastline running through Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, also known as Torbay, one of the most popular destinations for UK holidaymakers, it's unsurprising that a host of glorious sandy beaches rest well within a mile of the property. Livermead Sands is closest, as is Torre Abbey Sands, Torquay's most popular beach, while Preston Beach and its green are slightly further afield. Explore Torquay's many attractions: Cockington is a beautiful thatched village and country park, featuring the historic Cockington Court, a working forge and stables, the Rose garden, tea rooms, the Drum Inn, and a craft centre which includes glassblowing. The English Riviera is designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark, one of only seven in the UK and 140 in the World, and is recognised for its outstanding beauty, unique geology and coastlines. Geoparks share the story of Earth’s history, why not explore the Geopark’s spectacular coastline with Reach Outdoors, an Award winning outdoor activity company, or paddleboard along the Jurassic cliffs and explore caves and hidden beaches. Visit Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boats, take a steam train from Paignton and cruise up the River Dart, on your journey why not stop over in Dartmouth and view the Dartmouth Naval College or enjoy one of the many Seafood Restaurants. With shopping, eating and dining and visitor attractions, the English Riviera is certain to keep you entertained, and other great things to see and do include; Paignton Pier, the English Riviera Wheel, SplashDown Quaywest Waterpark, Kents Caverns and Paignton Zoo. Alternatively,r enjoy a Cream Tea in Babbacombe, after taking a trip to the beach via the Cliff railway. If you fancy travelling further afield South Devon is full of exciting places to visit including Medieval Totnes, Dartmoor National Park and Dartmouth, Slapton & Blackpool Sands, Exeter, Plymouth and much more. Harbour Lights is the perfect base for an unforgettable escape to the South Devon coast.
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Harbour Lights Reviews

Great quirky large house on the edge of Cockington, and about 500yds back from the searoad. Place was clean, warm, comfortable, and wonderfully quiet. The conservatory caught the morning sun, and the two outside seating areas worked for lunchtime, or later in the afternoon. The welcom basket with milk, bread, jam, and cakescones? was a nice touch. Beds were comfy, showers worked well, linen was clean and abundant towels. Drive might be a bit steep for the less mobile, but no problem for the kidz!
Russell
A lovely comfortable house with lots of outdoor space.
Caroline
Great House, extremely comfortable and warm. This was our second time and just as good as the first. Very clean and amenities great. Spent lovely afternoons in the conservatory enjoying the son and evenings in the main living room. The welcome pack with all of the lovely treats was a very nice and welcome touch. Walking distance to Cocking and the Harbours in both Torquay and Paignton. Thank you.
The property was perfect for all our needs. We were a 3 generation, x3 family group and had all the space we needed. Location was excellent and the arrival welcome box generous and gave delight. The kitchen was wonderfully equipped and had everything we needed for 2 small children. Garden was safe and easily accessed for little ones. Beds very comfortable and house was spotless and comfortable. We were delighted with our stay.
Christopher
We really enjoyed the house everything was just perfect thankyou. Just one small thing with the weather being hot it would of been nice to have had a couple of sun loungers in the garden.
Its a beautiful house with stunning views. Its reasonably well equipped and has plenty of comfortable seating indoors for a large family. The beds are all very comfortable and the house was clean and tidy when we arrived. The welcome pack was the best weve ever had in decades of renting holiday lets. What lets the place down is basic maintenance. The steep stone stairs to the lower floor are hazardous and we could not use that floor as planned for our elderly parents. The advert is not clear that use of this floor involves a descent down stone stairs with a piece of loose carpet over the top stair. That floor seems not to have been used for a long time as it smelt musty. The shower tray is extremely slippy and needs a nonslip mat. Because our disabled parents could not use this floor, we had to give them the twin ensuite so that they would at least have their own bathroom. They usually sleep together in a King size bed and so we worried all week that they would fall from the single beds. Upstairs, the main bathroom shower hose is broken and needs replacing. The most disappointing element was the gardens. They have not been maintained at all and there is no comfortable seating a picnic bench and a rusty metal patio set are not suitable for a large family to relax. There was also no means for outdoor cooking. For those reasons, we did not use the gardens at all. The upstairs roof garden was dirty and full of soil from the gutters. Once again, this could not be used.
Rosamond
The house looked beautiful in the photos, and even more beautiful when we saw the real thing! Every room is beautifully decorated and furnished so there was no squabbling over who had the best bedroom, they are all gorgeous! Tempting as it was to remain in the house and gardens, it is a short walk to Torquay or a longer but absolutely wonderful walk, mostly along the coast path, to Paignton and a little further to Goodrington beach, where there is so much to amuse the children. We had a fabulous week.
Russell
The host provided a very thoughtful welcome surprise of wine, flowers, chocolate and nibbles. The house was great and with a large family friendly layout and separate self contained annexe, our party had space to relax and enjoy a happy Easter in 2024. Notwithstanding previous comments on the driveway being steep, we found it incredibly challenging to navigate in and out even for small and medium sized cars , but, overall we had a very enjoyable stay.
We have had a fantastic Christmas stay. The house is very comfortable and of a high standard. We cooked in the very well equipped kitchen over the Christmas period and had everything we needed. When we arrived the house was decorated with two lovely Christmas trees and decorations giving it a wow factor. It is a fantastic house, ideally situated for walking into Torquay and Paignton. Thankyou also for the very welcoming hamper of goodies. We are a family of 8 and we have had a superb time at your property.
We had a wonderful holiday at Harbour Lights. The house was spacious, allowing six adults to enjoy time together and peaceful moments apart. The house is very well equipped and comfortable. Although the information said the drive was steep, we hadn't anticipated quite how steep it was! The only drawback for us was the lack of anywhere to dry washing outside and nothing to sit on outside other than the picnic table. A few simple deckchairs would have been great given we were fortunate enough to have a heatwave. Other than that it was great. Thank you
Lovely property, loads of space so a multi generational family were not under each others feet. The views are spectacular.
Nothing detrimental to a short stay but would redesign the kitchen layout if we lived there! ! We were two families with small children, one from the USA, and everyone was extremely impressed by the location and the property. It contributed to a wonderful holiday.
This was a really nice large family home which is kept to a very high standard. We really enjoyed our holiday there and would go back again.
An amazing property. The only thing I would suggest and I am being picky is that stairs to lower bedroom should have handrail on the left. Matt was fantastic. He delivered logs within an hour!
Yukiko
We enjoyed our stay. The house was clean and spacious. Decorated in a good taste. Good view from the windows as the house is high up on the hill. you can see the sea, which is about 5 minutes walk away. we could not see the owner due to the Covid situation, but he was helpful on the phone. Luckily the weather was good all week and we could see most of the places nearby. The welcome pack information provided by the owner was very informative. Wifi was good. The house was in the middle of the residential area, and very quiet. This location was a good thing for us, but some people might think it is inconvenient because the restaurants and shops are not quite very near.
We booked this last minute and what a great decision it was. The house is stunning and in a great location. All the rooms are furnished to a high standard and look great. We especially loved the conservatory! There was 6 adults and 2 children staying at the house and we never felt like we were under each others feet. Matt had emailed us a information pack before our arrival and it was really helpful. We would stop here again without a doubt.
Valerie
An excellent property with very helpful owner. highly recommended
Really enjoyed our stay here. Great location for the town but nice and quiet with great views from the bedrooms due to its elevated position. The house is as good as it looks in the pictures, furnished to a high standard and very comfortable. There is a separate flat on the lower ground floor with a double bedroom, kitchen diner and shower room, ideal for our grown up kids to chill at night. We particularly liked the two sitting rooms and conservatory giving options for relaxing and quiet if you wanted. The drive is quite steep in places but flattens off to enter the house. This did not cause us any problems and is a fair exchange for the great views. The host Matt was very friendly and responsive to messages. We had a great stay and would definitely recommend to others.
The accommodation was stunning and the location superb
Annette
Although this property was above our projected budget we booked as there was very little else available. What a great decision it was!! From the moment you walk in the door you are met with pure luxury. Decoration is beautiful throughout. A very thoughtful welcome package of cream tea and prosecco was awaiting us! Every room was spotlessly clean and there was so much space, my family could have spent the week there without actually seeing each other!! HaHa Both kitchens were very well equipped, as were all the WC's. We didn't expect towels and sheets in this current climate but they were provided and like brand new! Beds were so comfy, as were the sofas in all living rooms. No expense has been spared here outside seating at every level so always something in the sun if you didn't fancy the 10 minute walk to the beach. We really appreciated the children's toys and equipment there was a great selection of board games and cook books, we were almost wishing for a rainy day to stay in and make use of them!! Amazing. 100 recommended. One point to be aware of is that like any coastal area it is quite hilly. This was not our first time using Sykes Cottage and again we have been able to rely on their quality of holiday accommodation.
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Unit 7, Skypark Business Centre, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2UL