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Old Arch Cottage, The Digey

Old Arch Cottage, The Digey

3.8
out of 5
Ratings from 5 reviews
80% of guests
recommend
Cleanliness
3.6
Comfort
3.6
Condition
3.6
Location
4.6
Value
3.6
Customer
Service
4.0


Dating back to 1760, this traditional fisherman’s cottage is now a beautifully renovated home that tucks itself away on the cobbled Digey in the sought-after Downalong area of St Ives, creating a gorgeous seaside retreat for family holidays.

Laid out over two floors, Old Arch Cottage is deceptively spacious, and though refurbished to an exceptional standard, it still retains many of its wonderful original features. Exposed stone and inset pilchard smoking boxes nod to the property’s humble provenance, while the reclaimed ships’ timbers used for the ceiling beams and fireplace add a sense of cosiness and charm. On the ground floor at street level, there's a lovely open plan lounge / diner as well as a superb separate kitchen. Also on this floor, a shower room makes for speedy de-sanding after days spent down on the beach. Upstairs are the family bathroom and two bedrooms which include an airy master with comfortable king size bed and Smart TV, and a children’s room with plenty of books to read, a window seat with cushions, and a triple bunk bed.

Possibly one of Cornwall’s most famous coastal towns, St Ives is a dream holiday destination with excellent eateries, shops and galleries. Best known for its picturesque harbour and iconic Tate St Ives art gallery which sits right on Porthmeor beach, there are many other family-friendly attractions in the area too like the Trewyn Sub Tropical Gardens and The Barbara Hepworth studio and garden. The clear turquoise water of the bay invites visitors to surf, paddle-board, swim or kayak all year round while sandy beaches like Porthmeor and Porthminster are terrific for sandcastle building, sunbathing and strolling. And if you fancy exploring slightly further afield, the coastline around St Ives Bay offers walking routes along the coast path with stunning sea views, as well as a clutch of other beautiful beaches including Carbis Bay, Upton Towans and Gwithian.

Not very good

Review submitted on Mon, 17 Nov 2025
2.2
out of 5

Guest doesn't recommend this property
Cleanliness
2.0
Comfort
2.0
Condition
2.0
Location
3.0
Value
2.0
Customer
Service
2.0
We recently spent time at Old Arch Cottage, St. Ives and have now been asked for a review. It will be negative.
I appreciate some of our negative feedback maybe down to previous guests but a lot is due to neglect.
Whilst putting food stuff away we noticed the cutlery tray had bits of food scraps - also cutlery was still in the dishwasher.
The floor in the living/dining room by the table had around 6 inch stretch of paint flakes - turned out this was due to renovation work in the adjoining property.
The main bedroom had large amounts of dust behind the drawer unit.
The bathroom was clean but needs work.
We left early because I experienced severe flea bites. I am susceptible to bites but did not expect this in a Cornish rental - a flea landed on my book! I appreciate the property is dog friendly but would suggest some flea preventative treatment should be implemented during cleaning?
I did use the washer/dryer due to rain but jumpers came out covered in dog hair - maybe worth cleaner running a cycle while cleaning if dogs have visited?
I am not against dogs, have had one for the majority of my life but will never rent a dog friendly property again.
One of the reasons we wanted time away was due to the roof repair at our apartment building so we were dismayed when builders started working on the adjoining property. Isn’t it possible for rental companies to have notice of potential renovations as to warn holiday makers? Maybe owners could take the opportunity to update their own properties?
All in all sadly, a really disappointing stay.


PETER from Bristol stayed at Old Arch Cottage, The Digey for 6 nights in November 2025


Josh - Luxury Coastal replied 127 days ago
Hi Peter. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear that your stay did not meet expectations. We're very sorry to hear that you found some issues with the cleaning when you arrived, as that's not at all the standard we or the owner look to maintain. We would urge you to reach out to us or your local contact as we'd have been eager to resolve this for you. We understand however that you shouldn't need to do this in order to enjoy your stay, and we're very sorry that it wasn't resolved ahead of your stay as it should have been. Following this feedback, the owner has decided to implement changes to the current cleaning procedure with the housekeeping team to ensure this is not an issue that persists. We'd like to assure you that neither us or the team were aware of there being any fleas at the property, nor have we ever had a previous report any being at this property. That said we'll ensure this is reviewed thoroughly, and action will be taken should any be found. As for the construction noise, we always aim to inform guests of any known disruptions in advance. Unfortunately, work on neighbouring properties is often outside our control and not always communicated to us beforehand. That said, we encourage guests to let us know if they encounter such issues so we can do everything possible to improve the situation. We regret that this impacted your experience and will review how we can better anticipate and manage these circumstances. Again, we're very sorry to hear you were disappointed by your stay, but we're very grateful for your feedback. We'll ensure it's reviewed thoroughly so we can ensure the property is at it's normally-high standard. All the best.

Old Arch Cottage

Review submitted on Sat, 08 Nov 2025
3.3
out of 5

Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
3.0
Comfort
3.0
Condition
2.0
Location
5.0
Value
3.0
Customer
Service
4.0
Great location but in need of a bit of attention. Downstairs shower doesn’t work properly, cracks in a couple of windows and some areas in need of more of a deep clean.

Guest from Haywards Heath stayed at Old Arch Cottage, The Digey for 7 nights in October 2025


Josh - Luxury Coastal replied 136 days ago
Hi Catherine. Thanks for taking the time to leave your review. We're glad you enjoyed the location, and we appreciate your feedback in regards to the shower and windows. This feedback has been passed onto the team on site, and we'll look to action repairs in the property where appropriate. All the best!

Want to go back!!!

Review submitted on Sat, 29 Jun 2024
5.0
out of 5

Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
5.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
5.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Great little place in St Ives, beaches, walking, shops, pubs, restaurants all at your doorstep. Can’t wait to come back here again next year.

Christopher from Garristown stayed at Old Arch Cottage, The Digey for 5 nights in June 2024


James - The Luxury Coastal Team replied more than 1 year ago
Hello Christopher, thank you so much for your review regarding Old Arch Cottage, The Digey. We're delighted to hear that you had a wonderful stay and look forward to welcoming you again soon. Best wishes, James

Another lovely stay at Old Arch Cottage in St Ives.

Review submitted on Sun, 17 Mar 2024
4.7
out of 5

Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
5.0
Condition
5.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
5.0
Another lovely stay at Old Arch Cottage in St Ives. Lots to see and do and barely used the car! Walking the dog on the beach was the highlight. Can't wait for the next visit.

Adam from Norwich stayed at Old Arch Cottage, The Digey for 7 nights in February 2024


Emily - Luxury Coastal replied more than 1 year ago
Hi Adam, thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay here again and we would love to welcome you back. Best Wishes, The Luxury Coastal Team.

Lovely week in St Ives

Review submitted on Sun, 18 Feb 2024
4.0
out of 5

Guest recommends this property
Cleanliness
4.0
Comfort
3.0
Condition
4.0
Location
5.0
Value
4.0
Customer
Service
4.0
Lovely week in St Ives with the dog. Lots of bars and restaurants where open which was great and surfing was incredible.

Adam from Norwich stayed at Old Arch Cottage, The Digey for 7 nights in January 2024


Mary - Luxury Coastal replied more than 1 year ago
Hi Adam, thank you for taking the time to leave a review, we are so pleased to hear you had a lovely stay in St Ives and you enjoyed the surfing. Best wishes, The Luxury Coastal Team