After a mad journey (around 5/6 hours), we arrived at Dove Cottage in the beautiful harbour village of Mousehole (not far from Land's End). We'd suffered an almost breakdown, 3 unscheduled stops (kids!) and an accidental detour through Dartmoor National Park (which was gorgeous, just not with a screaming baby in the back). We were so relieved to finally open the little grey door of Dove Cottage and I only hoped there were no teething or settling-in problems, and that we could finally, finally start to enjoy ourselves.

We opened the door to the most beautiful living/dining area, immediately feeling comfort in place of stress. The table adorned with scones & jam, a bottle of wine with glasses, mugs and hot chocolate sachets as well as milk and cream in the fridge, welcoming us after such a long day. We hadn't been to a shop thus far and didn't plan to that evening so it was lovely to have everything we needed until we could make the trip (wine = necessity).

Each and every room was decorated so beautifully, in the most serene white and beach-themed decor; we found everything we needed (highchair, bed guard) as well as things we didn't know we needed (a beautiful array of toys for the little one's - a wooden letterbox of which my youngest loved so much we've bought him one for his birthday). Upon entering the kid's room (bunk beds), I saw the book The Mousehole Cat propped up on the shelves and suddenly I was transported back to my own childhood. A play I'd been cast in at primary school, a play I felt such nostalgia about upon remembering, a play about a very special harbour village that turned out to be Mousehole; it was such a lovely start to a wonderful few days.

I couldn't imagine a better place for my littlest to experience the sand & sea for the first time; the harbour has a small beach that was never too busy and it was lovely seeing the local kids jumping into the harbour and swimming each evening. The village is small, with a couple of cafés, a local pub and a couple of small shops, but it's the perfect place to hole up together as a family and just take a breathe from the monotony of everyday life.

There's no parking available at Dove Cottage, but there are 3 car parks within walking distance - two that cost £3 for 24 hours but are smaller and a larger one that's £9 per 24 hours but is usually emptier. We were lucky enough to grab a space each time in one of the smaller car parks but a few times we nabbed the last space. In peak season, I imagine the larger car park would be a better option to ensure you can get a space.

I know it's nice to switch off entirely sometimes but we found that having wifi and Netflix was oh-so handy and kept us all occupied each evening. I've never felt more comfortable and at home in a place that isn't, and I loved every second of our time away, especially in Dove Cottage.

We were kindly given a discount on our holiday to Dove Cottage by Aspects Holidays in exchange for an open and honest review; all opinions are 100% honest and what we actually think (pinky promise).

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