Bideford holiday cottages North Devon: A self catering character thatched cottage of literary interest in Hartland in a secluded location near Westward Ho! and Bude beaches.

Holiday cottages near Bideford

Self catering Cottages Bideford: A Thatched Holiday Cottage in Hartland

A charming secluded Grade II* listed holiday cottage of literary interest in North Devon.


Region:	Devon	Area:	Bideford
Type:	Cottage	Town:	Hartland
Accom:	3 bedrooms	Weekly rent:	£250-550
Sleeps:	4-5 plus cot	Phone:	01865 744627
Owner:	M Watney	E mail:	Click here

Facilities:	Washing machine		Open fire
	Microwave		Parking
	Linen provided		Colour TV
	Garden		Video
			Sorry no pets

	Local area



	The self catering holiday cottage is secluded and very quiet, yet only 20 minutes walk through the unspoilt vale to the pubs and the shops at Hartland. The sea is 1.5 miles away and an outstanding cream tea is only 1.2 miles away. Within 30 minutes drive are: two sandy beaches at Westwood Ho! and Bude; adventure playgrounds, Big Sheep and Milky Way; pony riding; National Trust Coastal walk; Clovelly; the Tarka Trail, which is ideal for cycling; and the Tamar Lake. North Devon, near the Cornish border, is an area of extra ordinary natural beauty. The coastline is rugged, with treacherous reefs stretching far out to sea to wreck unwary ships. Towering cliffs have been crushed by primeval forces into strange swirls of syncline and anticline. Great wooded valleys, known locally as coombes, have been etched through the landscape. The fields are tiny and the narrow lanes between them bounded by high earthen hedges. Comparatively few tourists visit this area. Hartland is a thriving village, with 2 potters and a traditional furniture maker. In summer there is a brass band, plus many other musical activities, a village fete and a flower show. Carnival week is the 1st full week in August and culminates in a grand procession with many amusing floats on topical themes. For further details email the owner or leave a message on the answer machine. In July and August it is best to do both as there may be periods off line or away from the answer phone.




	This is the thatched cottage owned by the childrens’ author, Mary Norton in the 50's. It formed the setting for the 3rd book, in The Borrowers series, The Borrowers Afloat, which she wrote here. Built before 1550, the cottage is listed as Grade ll, the star putting it in the top 7% of all listed buildings. The adjacent cottage is an old chapel, and it is believed this one was built as the minister's home. The present owner, whose mother bought it from Mary in 1959, has resisted the temptation to gentrify it. Its interior is therefore quite basic, with traditional farmhouse furniture. So, although now equipped with modern conveniences (washing machine next door), it does still retain its rustic charm as in Mary's time. It features latched doors, exposed beams, low ceilings, uneven floors, flagged kitchen with hand-pump and traditional stone sink set into the thick cob wall, oil fired Rayburn for the winter, open fireplace and roses growing up the exterior wall. The cottage is two miles from the location used as the Dashwood's cottage in the January 2008 BBC production of Sense and Sensibility* (which can be visited on foot from the nearby hamlet), and 500 yards from the Vale where some scenes were filmed.

	Interior



	The accommodation comprises a sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and 3 bedrooms (1 double and two small singles). In the main bedroom, as well as the double there is a single bed. Being a mediaeval cottage, all rooms are small and 4 is the ideal number of guests. French windows lead off the sitting room to the terrace, which is equipped with garden furniture. The garden is west facing and catches the afternoon sun. There is private parking in an adjacent lane.

Self catering Cottages Bideford: A Thatched Holiday Cottage in Hartland

A self catering thatched holiday cottage in Hartland near Bideford and the beaches of Bude and Westward Ho!