Wren Cottage, a very cosy historic Coastal Cottage in a pretty little village

Positives: Wickham Market is nice town with excellent facilities especially for eating. The owner met us on time & gave information on the house & surrounding area. The welcome basket was very good with fresh fruit, milk, bread, meats etc.The cottage itself is very quaint with lots of period features. Negatives: As soon as we entered we noticed a very musty smell & furnishings like the carpets, rugs & sofas were very tatty & dirty. In general the level of cleanliness & upkeep was very poor & tired. There were areas of very poor repair that could be dangerous such as the damaged kitchen ceiling & a light that is hanging loose, and broken pane of glass in the kitchen door. The cleanliness for us was a big issue. The furniture felt grubby and sticky, the cupboards and drawers especially in the kitchen were filthy inside. The windows were all very dirty.The TV is set near the floor in a low cupboard which we found quite odd so didn’t use it. Upstairs was a bit better, with clean bedding & towels provided but still very grubby and unkempt. For the substantial price that we paid for 2 nights we expected a much higher level of quality & cleanliness and so were very disappointed especially as the stay was for a special celebration and surprise for family who stayed with us. The cottage could be beautiful but has been left to deteriorate badly. The photographs on the VRBO website are very misleading and show it looking immaculate & luxurious which is why we chose it. Avoid!