Do you like to travel in September or October? As summer turns to autumn, red and golden leaves begin to add a warm glow to the West Country countryside. With the evenings getting shorter and temperatures dipping slightly, what better excuse to dig out your comfy knits and gather together around an open fire after a fun-filled day out in the popular South Hams area.
At The Stables, a mile from Ermington, sheltered by trees on a hilltop with tremendous uninterrupted views to Dartmoor, you can see lovely sunsets – a perfect spot for relaxing after a long bracing walk along the glorious coast three miles away at the river Erme estuary. There’s a superb indoor heated swimming pool too, as well as a rustic woodburner to warm your toes.
Swallowsmeet, near Battisborough Cross, is surrounded by rolling farmland leading down to the open sea. This impressive, excellently converted, ‘upside down’ house has been cleverly designed to retain original features from its former function as a stone-built barn to Alston Manor Farm. Lovely exposed scissor-beams and comfy leather corner sofas in the superb, spacious open-plan living/dining/kitchen area make for delightful evenings in after days out exploring. A great base for visiting south Devon’s beautiful coastline, beaches and pretty villages.
On a quiet lane in Washbourne you’ll find Bridge Cottage, a pretty, detached stone cottage sympathetically renovated to a very high standard. Berry Pomeroy Castle and Dartmouth Castle both make ideal nearby places to visit, and on the way back you can pick up some award winning, classic English wines and cheeses from Sharpham Vineyard. The area is rich with foodie pubs and restaurants for delicious lunches and dinners.
Number 4 Garden Cottages, in the heart of Kingsbridge, is in a brilliant position for restaurants, cafés and good pubs. You’ll enjoy walking up and down Kingsbridge high street, window shopping and ducking into quaint shops and galleries. Discover the many-creeked Kingsbridge estuary on a boat trip or head to the stunning beaches at nearby Salcombe and Bigbury-on-Sea for countless watersports.
Browse through our holiday cottages in the South Hams to find just the right place for a relaxing break in September or October.
