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Mermaid Cottage
Downalong, St Ives

£627 - £1650 per week
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Mermaid Cottage is a beautiful, recently restored, Grade II listed property, retaining many of its original features. This charming property is set over three floors, offering modern, comfortable accommodation where the owners have given plenty of consideration to guests comfort. Their historic knowledge of the cottage, along with a collection of old photographs, dating back to its roots as a fisherman's cottage, will give both historians and lovers of St Ives, the ability to enjoy stepping back in time, as you read through its past.

Nestled in the heart of Downalong, St Ives town, with its impressive array of shops and restaurants, is only a few feet away, yet the cottage is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Fore Street. St Ives' award winning beaches and the harbour are within a very short walk, where in the summer, you can enjoy those al fresco evenings.

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Where you'll sleep

Bedroom 1

Double

Bedroom 2

Zip and link

Entrance

accessed from Virgin Street via one small step into;

Kitchen/dining/snug area

dining table and four chairs, two seater sofa, lounge chair with footstool, fridge with ice box, electric hob and oven, dishwasher, washer/dryer, Nespresso coffee machine, Smart TV. Stairs to first floor.

Cloakroom

situated on the ground floor, WC and basin.

Shower room

large shower enclosure, WC and basin.

Bedroom 1

double bed

Sitting room

two seater sofa, two chairs, Smart TV, decorative woodburner. Stairs to second floor.

Bedroom 2

zip and link beds, (twin or superking size), TV, sea glimpses.

Additional information

The stair case to the second floor, which is original to this listed house and characteristic of the old fishermen's cottages in St Ives, is very steep. It is not suitable for those with impaired mobility, and for very young children. Included in the rental is an allocated parking space at the St Ives Rugby Club, which is a 15-20 minute walk uphill from Mermaid Cottage, please ask for more details, wood burner in sitting room is for decorative purposes only, WiFi, well beahved dog welcome, short breaks available.

 
 

We absolutely love our stays at Mermaid cottage. The best dog- friendly cottage in all of St Ives in our opinion. Perfect location, warm, comfortable and spacious. There's enough room for two teenagers and a dog without feeling crowded. Everyone’s happy!

April 2024

It’s our second time at this lovely cottage, for us it’s all about location, we have a 14 year old Labrador who can make it to both Porthmeor beach and the Harbour beach with ease, all on the flat. The cottage is superbly equipped, nice and warm and nice and clean, hope to book this cottage again very soon. If you are reading this review, I promise you, you won’t be disappointed, leave the car at St Ives Rugby Club and get on with your holiday. As for Aspects, the only company we have dealt with and never had any problems……

March 2024

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Holidays in Downalong

One of the most popular areas of St Ives, Downalong is an idyllic spot for a seaside retreat. Overlooking the picturesque Harbour beach and just minutes away from the beautiful beaches of Porthmeor and Porthgwidden, and the iconic Tate St Ives. Meander along cobbled lanes, dotted with traditional fisherman's cottages, and admire this quintessential corner of Cornwall.

Steeped in history, Downalong is a timeless haven that captures the fishing heritage and thriving art community of this enchanting area of St Ives. With all that St Ives has to offer on your doorstep, spend endless days exploring the sandy shores, stunning coastal paths and bustling harbourside.

Did you know...

Downalong is a historic Cornish term for an area of harbourside fisherman's cottages 'down along the harbour'?

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What our guests say...

We know how important honest reviews are when it comes to booking your holiday. To help you choose the right property for you, we publish all reviews left by guests who have stayed here in the past, with the few exceptions stated in our Review Guidelines. Please bear in mind that some facilities referred to by past guests in reviews can be removed or changed at any time.

We absolutely love our stays at Mermaid cottage. The best dog- friendly cottage in all of St Ives in our opinion. Perfect location, warm, comfortable and spacious. There's enough room for two teenagers and a dog without feeling crowded. Everyone’s happy!

It’s our second time at this lovely cottage, for us it’s all about location, we have a 14 year old Labrador who can make it to both Porthmeor beach and the Harbour beach with ease, all on the flat. The cottage is superbly equipped, nice and warm and nice and clean, hope to book this cottage again very soon. If you are reading this review, I promise you, you won’t be disappointed, leave the car at St Ives Rugby Club and get on with your holiday. As for Aspects, the only company we have dealt with and never had any problems……

Mermaid Cottage, what a simply beautiful Cottage, a serious amount of care and detail given by the owners, that’s for sure. We spent our time in the kitchen with our old Labrador, never used the log fire but a lovely feature of the property. The location is superb, 20 yards from St Ives bakery, right where anyone would want to be. We all know it is a trek to the parking at St Ives Rugby club, we just left the car there and didn’t use it for the week. Would we book this cottage again…..DEFINITELY….We would say it’s the best Cottage we’ve stayed in. Would we use ASPECTS again, without question, fabulous company to deal with……

The cottage had everything we could have wanted and more, from cook books to all the kitchen equipment to the books, games and puzzles. It felt like we were staying in a home rather than a bland rental, which we loved. Everywhere we looked there were little touches, all of which had been thought about, and made Mermaid cottage special. The location is great if you like staying somewhere a little quieter but still enjoy a short walk to the restaurants and shops, which are seconds away. We particularly enjoyed being so close to St Ives bakery and enjoyed popping to the bakery for fresh bread and delicious treats every morning (many cruffins were consumed!). We stayed with our two daughters (12 & 18) who were on the top floor and although it says in the info the staircase is steep it was perfectly fine for them. They were impressed to have a smart tv in their room and commented how great the Wi-Fi was throughout the cottage-essential for any teen or anyone needing to keep in contact with work. We really enjoyed our stay.

We had a very enjoyable holiday in Mermaid Cottage, which we chose as it was so close and convenient for Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Garden. The cottage was immaculately clean and very comfortable, with a very well equipped kitchen. Also, very useful to have a bakery right opposite for bread and treats. It's also very close to the beaches and harbour for those looking for a seaside holiday.

Only things to be aware of are it is a 15 min walk down and a 20 minute walk uphill to car parking, so do-able, but not particularly convenient. Also, the kitchen/dining room is very pleasant to sit and socialise in, but the upstairs sitting room with the fire feels rather small and inconveniently laid out.

Reply from Aspects Holidays

We are glad that you liked this fantastic cottage. Being a traditional fisherman's cottage, they do tend to be a little smaller and quirkier, with unusual layouts compared to more modern homes, but it is part of their charm, and part of what makes them so popular (apart from being in that fantastic location). We do hope that this, and the location of the parking was what you had expected from the website photos and description. Tanya, Customer Services

Mermaid Cottage is the best home from home I have ever stayed in and I’ve stayed in a lot of rentals over 20 years ! It simply has everything you need and is comfortable and cosy - I can imagine in both summer and winter it’s the ideal base for a family - and although the upstairs areas and bedrooms are quite compact the seating area down with the kitchen gives it a much bigger feel - I honestly would love to move in and I’m sure live very happily ever after !!! I loved the fire too - the decoration and the kitchen which has everything you need even when cooking Christmas dinner ! Thanks to the owners of this place for making it so super !!!!! I’ll be back ??

This was our third stay at Mermaid cottage and it didn't disappoint. We love it's position so close to all the beaches and shops but still quiet. The owners make little improvements every time and keep the decor up to date. Our first stay so close to Christmas and appreciated the lovely Christmas tree . Will return! Phil,Simone and Alfie the English Pointer.

Gorgeous cottage in the heart of St Ives. Beautifully decorated and contained all the modern appliances required. Although it is a relatively small cottage, everything had been well thought out and it felt like there was plenty of space for everyone, especially with having the sofa area in both the kitchen and 1st floor. The St Ives bakery is literally opposite so the children enjoyed fresh croissants every morning. There is no outdoor space which made drying towels and wetsuits a little more difficult as they had be dried indoors, creating a lot of sand in the kitchen area. Also although the location was perfect for us, it is on a pedestrianised street, literally off the main shopping area so be aware if you don't like being near too many other people.

Our third stay at Mermaid cottage and we were somewhat disappointed by the general cleanliness of the cottage and of the crockery etc left dirty by the previous occupants. They would do well to revert to the previous covid rules for cleanliness to ensure everything is left clean and ready for the next family/couple.

Location is perfect for beaches and amenities.

Reply from Aspects Holidays

We are so sorry to hear this; that is certainly not the 'norm' for this property and housekeeper, who has always received very good feedback, and would have happily returned to address any areas of concern had we been aware, so we can only apologise at this point. Your reference to reverting to previous covid rules for cleanliness, where housekeepers had to fill the dishwasher and put it on a cycle, leaving the clean contents in there for guests, so that they always knew that there was a selection of kitchen items that were clean and not touched by anyone else, wasn't something that could be maintained forever, and often resulted in more complaints, with guests believing that the housekeeper hadn't bothered to empty dishwashers, or thinking that not enough crockery/cutlery was available, not realising that half of it was in the dishwasher and clean. Housekeepers generally do spot checks now to ensure that previous occupants have left crockery/cutlery in good order, so we are sorry if these had been missed. Having now been made aware of this though, your comments have been discussed with the housekeeper and we will closely monitor further feedback, so thank you for bringing it to our attention. Tanya, Customer Services

A really lovely cottage, very close to the main streets of St Ives, but still very quiet. We really enjoyed our stay here. We opted to sleep on the upper level using the king bed which was really comfortable. Would definitely stay here again.

A lovely, comfortable & well thought out cottage. Spacious enough for 4 adults & dog & a great location.

Our second visit to Mermaid cottage . We love it’s location for convenience and Virgin St is so pretty.The cottage is extremely comfortable and furniture and equipment are all of a high standard. Will definitely return again. Simone Harris

Lovely cottage with an enviable location. It was great to be in the heart of the town with such easy access to local amenities and local beaches. We really enjoyed our stay and found the house to be well equipped and of a high standard. Aspects staff in town were also on hand to answer any questions which was very useful.

Mermaid cottage is an immaculate, exceptionally well renovated old cottage that oozes charm. It is perfectly placed for a fabulous holiday in St Ives and is well equipped with everything you may need. We loved every minute of our holiday and plan to return soon!

Mermaid Cottage is a hidden gem, just yards away from St Ives best bakery & all the other lovely shops & restaurants on Fore Street. The cottage has been beautifully renovated, and has e writhing you need for a getaway to St Ives, particularly for couples with older children or a dog. Perhaps not so suitable for young children because of the steep stairs. Very well equipped & a great size kitchen & living space on the ground floor, and a smaller lounge upstairs. We will definitely be visiting again. Thank you

The owners of this beautiful cottage have thought of absolutely everything to include. A welcome hamper was left on arrival including milk in the fridge which was a thoughtful touch. The property is in immaculate condition including smart TVs throughout. Location is perfect including sea view in top bedroom. Would recommend to anyone wanting a break away in St Ives and would definitely look to stay again in the future. Thank you Aspect Holidays and our lovely hosts for a fantastic stay!

Mermaid cottage surpassed our expectations. It's in a perfect location, was spotlessly clean, a really good size for a family of 4 and a dog. Dog friendly places sometimes feel a bit lower grade but mermaid cottage was lovely. We would definitely book this one again, and have recommended to friends.

A lovely cosy cottage, excellent location just a few steps away from the harbour and beaches. We had a very enjoyable stay.

Fantastic cottage in the heart of St Ives. Has everything you need for a break. Would love to return!

We loved Mermaid cottage . Best one yet in St Ives . Compact and done up to a very high standard with lots of thought put into it. Excellent and very handy position . Will definitely return .

As someone who can be incredibly fussy about holiday accommodation Mermaid Cottage exceeded all expectations. An Immaculate cottage with history yet comfortable, modern and contemporary on the inside. Stylishly furnished, super well equipped and arguably has the best location in St Ives. Cannot rate Mermaid Cottage, St Ives or Aspects Holidays highly enough!

Mermaid Cottage is a beautiful cottage with all modern facilities. It is closely located to three beaches of St Ives and very central. We cannot recommend this accommodation enough and we will certainly be returning in the future.