Cottages
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Downe is situated on the Hartland Peninsula in North Devon.
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.)
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 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).
Within the glorious setting of the Hartland Peninsual and looking out over the Atlantic, five listed Victorian stone farm buildings have been converted to provide eight luxury self catering holiday cottages:
- Wistaria Cottage (sleeps six, in three bedrooms)
- Jasmine and Ivy Cottages (sleep four in two bedrooms)
- Honeysuckle, Clematis, Vine, Japonica and Hydrangea Cottages (sleep two, in one bedroom)
A high standard of fitting and comfort is a feature of all the cottages, including:
- Log burners or cast iron living flame stoves
- Slate floors with rugs downstairs and fitted carpets upstairs
- Exposed timber beams
- Fully equipped modern kitchen with dishwasher, microwave and washer drier
- Spacious living and dining areas with locally made reclaimed pine furniture
- Full central heating and insulation for comfort in all weathers
- Colour television, DVD player, hairdryer and radio alarm
- Laura Ashley or Dorma colour coordinated bedlinen, curtains and soft furnishings
- Every bedroom is a fully sized double bedroom (with a five foot double or two three foot single beds)
- Every bedroom has an en suite shower bathroom
- Garage parking for every car
You can also make use of our central library of videos, DVDs and games.
Outside each cottage is a seating area with garden furniture. There are over seven acres of grounds including a two acre meadow and a play area for young children. The photographs on this page show some of the grounds that surround Downe.
For the benefit of future guests, we regret that pets and smoking are not allowed.
