That's so lovely to hear - we think its very cosy too. And the garden is such a great space for all the family and pets to enjoy. So pleased Jane and her family enjoyed their stay so much.

So pleased to hear Karen and her husband enjoyed their stay so much at Crabtree Cottage. She describes it perfectly, I couldn't have put it better myself. There are occasional buses to other attractions, but granted Mersea is an island and if you want to move about a bit more, then a car is a good idea for your trip. However there's plenty to do on and around the Island too. Karen is welcome back any time.

How lovely that Emma and her family loved the cottage and enjoyed their stay - always so wonderful to hear. It is a bit disappointing that Emma has marked us down for the sofa bed which was not actually broken, but I had advised was heavy and that previous guests had found it difficult to manoeuvre. Sadly the issue is Emma didn't ask in advance for linens to use on the sofa bed. Had Emma advised me that she'd planned to use it (even though there were only 5 people visiting and we have beds for up to 6) I could have advised it would need someone that can move it (not elderly people) and I would have offered to provide linens. Instead she called late at night asking for linens which I was unable to provide at such short notice, for obvious reasons. She said they had planned all along to use it - so it would have made sense to check in advance that it would have linens made available, and where it is situated (since it is in the middle of the lounge and so can't be left out - so needs putting away each day). I have now changed the listing removing the sofa bed to avoid further confusion for our guests.

So pleased to hear of happy guests - it is so important to us. We would welcome back Sue's family any time.

Glad you enjoyed your stay Emma.

The atmosphere is indeed very special both at Crabtree Cottage and the Island as a whole. Any time spent there (no matter how short) always feel like a real holiday and you leave well rested. So pleased you felt the same Cal.

Crabtree Cottage was our holiday home before we decided to share it with others. So yes, it has everything we ever wanted from a holiday home and more. We didn't want something that looked like it was created for paying guests with no thought to it feeling like an actual home. So pleased Philipa and her guests were very comfortable there and had such a wonderful stay.

What can I say - the highest praise ever! Thank you so much. We look forward to having Rob and his family back again some time soon.

It's always nice to hear how comfortable people find the cottage, we have tried to think of everything to make a home with all the creature comforts you'd expect. Thank you Jennifer.

On reading this review I changed my plans and immediately visited the cottage to understand why these disappointing comments had been written. Before arriving I'd wondered if the soft furnishings needed a clean perhaps, but they didn't. However I still ran all the cushion covers and throws through the wash to be sure. With regards to the oven, it is an old range style cooker that has seen better days but still functions perfectly well and was not especially dirty. However following this feedback the oven has now had a deep clean with Mr Muscle and looks good as new again. I have also replaced all of the baking tins again (as I often do).

Katherine and her family were the perfect guests. So easy to communicate with, very honest and full of integrity! Who could ask for better guests. It was so lovely to hear how much they ALL enjoyed their stay, all three generations! Perfect!

Lisa was a pleasure to host and we are pleased her group enjoyed their stay.

Brian and his family were a sheer joy to host. Its hosting guests like this that make me so happy to share our beautiful cottage with others.

Melanie was a pleasure to host, she is welcome back any time. So glad she enjoyed her stay so much (she almost forgot to leave!). 🤣

Thanks Kenneth, so pleased you both enjoyed your stay. I know you were really looking forward to it, so I am very pleased (and relieved) it lived up to your expectations.

What a shame Kay chose to only give us a 4 star review rather than 5. Her comments were all exceptionally complimentary both in her online review and in personal correspondence with me directly. Not sure what more we could have done to deserve the extra star! 🤷‍♀️ That having been said it’s great to hear she and her family had such a wonderful stay at Crabtree Cottage! The weather was perfect so I am sure they had a wonderful time.

So lovely to hear of more happy guests, especially after the last reviewer was clearly unhappy. Its good to know we can't be doing too badly to constantly receive 5 star reviews like this. Many thanks Andrew!

So pleased to hear of more guests enjoying their stay at the cottage and on Mersea Island. I do mention the fact you have to walk through one bedroom to reach the other upstairs, and the photos reflect this, but maybe it was missed. I hope it didn't spoil Alison's stay too much!

The issue with putting heating on before people's stay (when we operate a Self Check In system) is, we do not know what time the guests will be arriving. The cottage is often cleaned in the morning in preparation; so to leave the heating on all day long is rather a waste of a precious resource, that we are all trying hard to be more careful with. We do make it clear both in the listing and the information provided pre Check In that we do not provide Bed Linens and Towels. This is not sprung on people last minute. We also find the vast majority of guests are happier to bring along their own (even more so Post Covid).

Daren is welcome back any time. Its so lovely to have returning guests.

So happy to hear of people really enjoying their stay - pure joy for me to read!

There is indeed plenty of space for your dogs to run around! Our own dog certainly enjoys the garden.

So pleased you had such a wonderful stay and yes you did have lovely weather - lucky you!! Come back again soon.

So pleased to hear this.

After a long spell with no visitors during the Covid Lockdowns its lovely to hear of people getting back to enjoying the cottage and all that Mersea Island has to offer.

Thank you, we think so.

We'd welcome Lesley and her family back any time.

Guests like Leigh and her family are always welcome to stay at Crabtree Cottage. They really respected and looked after our home. Its great that she saw and appreciated all the effort that has gone into making the "perfect" holiday home and yes, we have tried to think of everything that you might need during a stay. Indeed the cottage is "quirky" and this may not suit everyone, so please do read the description to ensure a 550 year old cottage with quirks and charm is right for you. It seems to work for most our guests though.

So pleased to hear this.

I do mention the low ceilings in the listing, it can catch out particularly tall people. But it sounds like Sandra's group still had a wonderful time. Hopefully no major bumps on heads!

Music to my ears!

So lovely to hear this. I agree it is a very warm and cosy cottage on a cold evening!

Another happy visitor, what more could you ask for! We are always sad when we have to leave aswell!! Thanks Janice

So pleased to hear of sunsets on the deck, we miss those ourselves when we cannot visit! Great to hear the essence of the cottage being captured, its exactly how we describe it! Thank you

The location really can't be beaten!

That's lovely to hear and pleased it was bigger than anticipated. Its true the cottage is a bit of a tardis, it is much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside!

So pleased to hear of another happy holiday at Crabtree Cottage. Its nice to hear of people enjoying it just as much in winter as in summer time.

Such a helpful review, thank you so much.

Lovely to hear of people enjoying the cottage as much as we do.

Already a second visit for these guests and they are hoping to return again! That’s always so good to hear when people want to come back many times! Thanks for coming again and we hope to see you once again very soon! You’re welcome any time.

What a lovey review, how descriptive it is! For anyone that has not visited Mersea before they will certainly want to after reading this delightful review! Its always so nice to hear from guests that enjoy the cottage and Island as much as we do! We would love to have them back in the summer so they can see how its even better at that time of year!

Its so lovely to hear of another happy stay at our home. Unusually not being there for Christmas and New Years ourselves, its nice to hear of others enjoying the place as much as we do.

Another happy set of guests, that's always so nice to hear. Yes indeed its very cosy in the winter, but as you say its amazing in the summer out on the deck with a perfect view of the sunset with a glass in hand!