Family-friendly self-catering
Children pick out wonder and awe in the smallest detail. These family-friendly locations come with muddy puddles, rock pools and garden games for all.
Little ones see everything through rainbow-tinted spectacles, and travelling with children should be a halcyon experience. What was once mundane becomes a shiny sparkle: the smallest puddles can turn into an exciting ocean voyage across stormy waves; those gnarled and twisted trees on a woodland walk are now tall turreted towers that must be scaled. There's nothing like exploring a new area with a child-friendly luxury holiday home as a base, heading out wellies on and a little hand clasped in yours, pointing in awe at clouds shaped like giraffes and glow worms lighting up the night. All the better enjoyed with grandparents, multi-generational group gatherings allow parents to sneak off and enjoy moonlit dips in heated swimming pools, or pop open a bottle of bubbles under starry skies while sinking into a garden hot tub. Time spent together is time well spent, after all, and memories are made of this.
Over Lemon River
Ashburton, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
Dartmoor is Devon’s wild heart; a place where heather cloaks the ground like an over-sized velvet eiderdown and granite tors scramble to meet big open skies. On fine days, ponies wander amidst the mysticism of faeries but when the swirling mists arrive, Over Lemon River is the perfect hideaway.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two dogs are welcome
Features: Al fresco living space with wood-fired hot tub and fire pit
The Creamery
Abbotsham, Appledore, Devon, UK
Far from the crowds, the Hartland Heritage Coast is a halcyon world of pebble beaches and Beatrix Potter wildlife backed by a deep blue sea. Set between Appledore and Clovelly, The Creamery was made for those hidden-away self-catering holidays in Devon.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,395 per week, £1,095 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome with a third small dog on request
Features: Fire pit and summerhouse reading room
The Pomegranate Tree
West Anstey, South Molton, Exmoor, Devon, UK
Surrounded by evergreens on the edge of Exmoor National Park, The Pomegranate Tree is a peaceful self-catering escape chock-full of 16th century charm.
Sleeps: Up to 4 (+2) guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,495 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small dog is welcome on prior request
The Riddle
North Bovey, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
Plot your country escape to this luxury holiday cottage in North Bovey; one of Devon's most idyllic villages set within the rugged beauty of Dartmoor National Park. The Riddle is the type of cottage you might find on the pages of a storybook.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,495 per week, £1,095 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request.
Ivy Cove
Holbeton, Noss Mayo, Devon, UK
Perfectly placed for both sun baking and storm watching, Ivy Cove is a luxury cottage near Noss Mayo where colorful modern design and spectacular coastal views go hand in hand.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,695 per week, £1,295 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, electric car charger
The Lost Music Hall
Created by a London dandy to serve as his secret retreat from society, this former music hall has been restored in all its Arts and Crafts glory to offer unique escapes in a hidden valley of Devon's South Hams AONB.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,350 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 & Up to 12 guests
Pets: Two pets are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (May-September) and games room with table tennis and darts
Novella
This cob cottage deep in Devon woodland is a storybook of a home, tucked down a lane and decked out in botanical prints, vintage embroidery and antique furniture, inviting imaginations to unfurl.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,350 per week, £1,050 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Hot tub, trampoline and outdoor kitchen (year-round) with table tennis available in the summer months
Rydon
Trusham, Teign Valley, Devon, UK
Enjoy some time out at this contemporary self-catering barn dwelling squirrelled away in the picturesque Teign Valley, Devon.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,350 per week, £1,050 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome (must be kept on leads in the grounds)
Features: Heated pool (from 6th May to 30th September)
The Brandy Thief
Lee, Ilfracombe, Devon, UK
Awash with history and swathed in character, this luxury coastal cottage is a dreamy retreat for explorers looking to hunker down in North Devon.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,650 per week, £1,250 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small to medium well-behaved dog is welcome and two on prior request
Cinnamon Cottage
A thatched luxury cottage in the quaint village of Higher Ashton in Devon where traditional thatch crowns elegant and intriguingly beautiful interiors within.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £950 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Castle on the Well
Charles, South Molton, Exmoor, Devon, UK
Fusing luxurious shooting lodge with a modern country twist, Castle on the Well hides within a patchwork of rolling Devonshire countryside, on the edge of Exmoor National Park.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,350 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: One small to medium well-behaved dog is welcome and two on prior request
Features: Fire pit
Dusky Cottage
Hope Cove, Kingsbridge, Devon, UK
Set between the yachting havens of Kingsbridge and Salcombe, Dusky Cottage sits on a country lane leading down to Hope Cove. Push open the sky-blue gate and you'll be smitten; this luxury thatched cottage is sure to capture the hearts of all the family.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,350 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Hot tub, summerhouse, climbing frame, swings
Linea
Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Devon, UK
Blending into the dramatic coastal landscape and perfectly positioned for watching the sun journey across the sky, Linea is a labyrinth of clean lines, shifting shadows and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £8,500 per week, £6,250 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool available all year, basement cinema room
Ellesmera Mill
This enchanting 400 year old millhouse is chock-full of old-world charm. Set in the South Hams near Dartmouth, the dreamy south Devon coast is almost within touching distance and short stroll through the valley leads to the sheltered cove of Blackpool Sands.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £2,995 per week, £2,550 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub, sauna, cinema room with table football
Barton Blanc
Occupying a secluded spot above mid-Devon's River Tor is this sprawling rural retreat. Look forward to walled gardens in 30 acres of bluebell woods, chesterfields set around roaring open fires and beautiful monastic simplicity.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £2,450 per week, £1,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, games room with bar billiards, pool table and table tennis
Maberly
Chillington, Kingsbridge, Devon, UK
Simple and elegant, this large South Hams self-catering house near Kingsbridge offers the most peaceful of countryside getaways.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (with two or more children)
From: £2,850 per week, £2,295 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request.
