Great local knowledge is the key ingredient when hunting down a secluded
West Country cottage or holiday home with just the right amount of peace and
tranquillity, balanced with nearby attractions.
Driving through the winding West Country lanes as they open out
onto views across beautiful countryside and seascapes, it should feel like
you’re about to make an important discovery – so take a look at some of our
holiday cottages that have hidden gem appeal in abundance. Each one comes with
directions carefully written by our team, who have been to visit each one
personally.
Acorn
Cottage, close to the top end of Roadford Lake country park in Devon, is
tucked away off a no-through farm lane (with one farm beyond). The cleverly
converted carthorse stable hides a
suntrap patio and lawned garden surrounded by big oak trees and 12 acres
of the owners’ adjoining woodlands where owls, buzzards and deer are often
spotted. The spectacular 730-acre
reservoir and country park in beautiful, sparsely populated farmland is a
popular place for watersports, fishing, birdwatching and walking.
Hill House
Farm Cottage, in the pretty village of Upper Weare,
Somerset, sits high on a quiet lane,
giving superb panoramic views from
all rooms. Look across expansive green fields towards Cheddar Gorge in one direction and the
Mendip hills and Crook Peak in the other. The Gorge’s natural beauty or the
nearby golf course might just be able to tempt you away from the cottage
itself.
Stonehaven
Cottage is nestled in a hamlet between Bideford and Barnstaple in north Devon. The journey
through deep winding lanes reveals a wing of a handsome detached house converted
from 16th century barns. The Tarka Trail cycleway and lovely Tapeley Park
Gardens, plus the sandy beach at Instow, are all nearby.
Sheltered by mature trees and an ancient
hedgerow, Briar
Cottage, in Tregadillett, north Cornwall,
has all the character you’d expect from a former gamekeeper’s cottage. It
stands on a little-used lane and has a garden full of shrubs with long tranquil
views and great proximity to stunning nature walks, fishing, boating and a
steam railway stop.
For more ideas, take a look at our hand-picked
holiday homes in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.