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Downe is an idyllic collection of eight holiday cottages which provide luxury self-catering accommodation.
Located in a stunning North Devon coastal location, Downe looks West and North over the Atlantic Ocean.
Every cottage is a converted listed farm building and the conversion has been done to create modern comfort and facilities in a period exterior.
Downe is situated on the Hartland Peninsula. The Peninsula is the perfect place to take a step away from the hustle and bustle of the 21st century. All around are cliff top walks and the quiet seclusion of undisturbed countryside framed by the Atlantic Ocean. It is a beautiful and, even in the height of summer, a deserted sanctuary. (The Hartland Peninsula is located in one of only two areas of England which are recognised by the Council for the Protection of Rural England as having no light pollution and no noise pollution.)
Downe Cottages are amongst the very best self catering cottages in the UK. Described by the Sunday Times as “the self catering equivalent of a five star country hotel” there are very few five star country hotels that offer the space, the comfort and the surrounding landscape of Downe. Downe provides a unique combination of the luxury hotel and the privacy and freedom of a self-catering break.
We are passionate about Downe and the beauties of the Hartland Peninsula. Many of our visitors become as enthousiastic about the area as us. If you wish to see some images of Downe and the nearby beaches do take the time to view the “One July at Downe” slide show. These photos were all taken by one of our regular visitors as part of her scrapbook of her family’s summer holiday. We think the photos capture much of the beauty and mood of a summer holiday at Downe. (Go and see her portfolio on www.kayyoungphotography.com if you like the photos.)
Adjoining the cottages and sharing the overall tranquility is Downe Health Spa, an exclusive retreat.
Downe Cottages offers a range of services that help you to make the most of your holiday:
- You can incorporate a selection of beauty or holistic therapies into your holiday.
- You can enjoy a Pamper Day in the Health Spa during your holiday, particularly if the weather is inclement.
- You can order Breakfast Baskets delivered to your cottage (homemade bread, marmalade, muesli, and fruit salad, locally sourced bacon and free range eggs).
- You can order from a range of fresh, locally cooked Gourmet Meals delivered directly to your cottage.
- You can add an extra element of surprise to a special occasion with a celebration cake or bouquet of flowers in your cottage on arrival.
You can use the links at the top of the page to navigate your way around the website, or you can go straight to the most popular pages using the links below:
- Detailed descriptions and photos of each of our cottages
- Location and views
- Things to do during your stay
- Pamper Breaks
- Order a brochure
One of Downe’s hidden virtues is that, although it is beautifully located in a idyllic rural retreat, there is so much to do during a visit to Downe.
The standard of cuisine within very easy reach is suprisingly high: a little country kitchen five hundred yards from our door provides an excellent restaurant experience; a pub one and a half miles from us provides quite exceptional meals reflecting the intelligence and imagination of a natural cook; a boisterous, casual restaurant overlooking the Atlantic serves wonderful fish and is twelve miles south of Downe; a smart restaurant with an international menu overlooking the Torridge estuary (which is in the Good Food Guide) is twelve miles north of Downe etc. etc.
In your cottage we provide a guide to all of the quality eating places within an easy journey (which we update three or four times a year) and the result is that one can eat out nearby at a different restaurant or pub every day for a fortnight and leave Downe delighted with every meal and every eating place. We think that’s a very important part of the holiday.
Within comfortable walking distance of Downe there is a Lavender Farm, there is a small stately home with gardens open to the public, a Saxon mill with seven acres of wonderful woodland gardens open to the public and both the Atlantic and the cliff top walks that are a feature of the area. We have some visitors who never use their car whilst at Downe and spend their days leisurely enjoying what is on the doorstep.
Within an easy car journey you have picturesque villages and gardens and historic houses. More than enough to fill a fortnight with genuinely interesting days.
Much of the South West Peninsula is also open to the visitor to Downe. If you wish, whilst staying at Downe you can easily visit the Eden Project, The Tate Gallery at St. Ives, St. Michaels Mount, The Lost Gardens of Heligan etc. etc. and we do provide a guide to a number of day trips (including suggestions where you might have lunch or dinner or even just a good coffee on your day out).
We do have some availability in the cottages this week and next - do phone us on 01237 441 881 or email us at reception@downecottages.com if you have a specific question about availability.
We do hope we have the opportunity to welcome you to Downe in the future.
