Characterful West Down House is an old manor house off the beaten track near Bradworthy in rural Devon on the North Cornwall border, SW England, UK. Originally part of an old farming estate until 1909, it is believed the mansion dates back to the C16th or possibly earlier. This romantic retreat offers self-catering holiday accommodation as follows:
- three enchanting adjoining holiday cottages (sleep 2-4)
- a spacious apartment in the house (sleeps 4)
- set in over 5 acres of lovely gardens with large lawned areas, sculptures, long established woodland and shrubbery managed to encourage wildlife
- outdoor swimming pool (seasonal opening)
- a local village with shops, garage and pub (1.5 miles)
- ample off road free parking
- pet free, non-smoking accommodation cleaned and managed in accordance with government and industry covid19 guideines and risk assessments
- open all year round subject to any covid19 restrictions
West Down House setting:
- amongst beautiful rolling countryside in a peaceful and unspoilt corner of rural north Devon and Cornwall with distant views towards Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor
- near to some of the most breathtaking coastline and beautiful moorland landscapes in the UK. An area popular with walkers, photographers, surfers and often used as a location for tv and film productions. The nearest coast is about a 10-15 minute drive away.
- close to quaint villages and towns with a delightful mix of ancient pubs and inns, restaurants, bistros, cafes and shops where you can enjoy locally sourced and produced food, drink and crafts
- owned by Richard Brookes, who has run the business for over 25 years. Richard is a keen photographer and walker who enjoys exploring the area and he is happy to share his knowledge of the area with you, if he can, to help you enjoy your stay. Some of Richard's work can be seen here at https://www.clickasnap.com/rtwbart which might also give you a flavour of the area.
Places of interest and activities popular with our guests:
- Clovelly: world famous traditional fishing village with quaint cottages and cobbled streets perched on steep cliffs above harbour
- Bude: seaside resort with sandy beaches, sea pool, lifeguards and surfing
- Moors: Dartmoor and Exmoor National parks and Bodmin Moor,
- Stately homes: Hartland Abbey, Arlington Court, Cotehele, Lanhydrock, Knightshayes, Buckland Abbey, Castle Drogo
- Castles: Tintagel (King Arthur and Merlin legends), Launceston, Okehampton, Lydford
- Cornish fishing villages: Boscastle, Port Isaac (Port Wenn in Doc Martin) and Padstow
- Devon fishing villages: Appledore, Clovelly, Instow
- Gardens - RHS Rosemoor, Docton Mill, Tapeley Park, Marwood Hill, Lost Gardens of Heligan
- Cities and towns: Exeter, Plymouth, Truro, Bideford, Barnstaple, Bude, Launceston, Holsworthy, Okehampton, Tavistock, Tiverton, Crediton, Wadebridge, Bodmin
- Film, tv and book locations: Clovelly, Port Isaac, Hartland Abbey, Hartland Quay, Jamaica Inn, Poldark locations in Cornwall, Dartmoor
- Walking: coast path, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Bodmin Moor, Tarka Trail, Lydford Gorge
- Cycling: Tarka Trail, Granite Way, Tamar lakes, Camel Trail
- Surfing, kayaking, coasteering (instruction and equipment hire available at larger local beaches)
- Maritime history: Bideford, Hartland Quay, Appledore, Plymouth
- Civil War Battle Sites: Stamford Hill and Great Torrington.
- Activities: Riding, sailing, climbing, swimming pools and fishing available locally
- Golf (Bude, Holsworthy, Royal North Devon)
- Family attractions: Milky Way, Big Sheep, Morwellham Quay, Exmoor Zoo, Watermouth Castle, Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park, steam railways, Bodmin Jail,
- Beaches: Sandymouth, Duckpool, Crooklets, Summerleaze, Widemouth, Northcott Mouth, Crackinton Haven, Westward Ho!, Saunton Sands
- Industrial heritage: Morwellham Quay, Tamar Valley, numerous old tin and copper mine sites with engine house ruins, Bude Canal, Bodmin Moor
- Neolithic and Bronze Age sites: Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor - various stone circles, cairns, standing stones, burial chambers, stone rows, hut circles
Day trips popular with our visitors:
- Eden Project (also concerts in summer months)
- Lost Gardens of Heligan
- Lands End
- Lundy Island (by boat only)
- Exeter, Plymouth, Truro
- Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor
- South Devon; Dartmouth, Torbay, Paignton Zoo
- Lynton & Lynmouth and the Valley of the Rocks
- St Ives
- St Michael's Mount
Bradworthy the local village
Bradworthy, the nearest village, is a unique thriving and friendly rural community. Dating from Anglo Saxon times Bradworthy has a delightful ancient square, one of the largest in the West Country. The village has shops (grocers, butchers, general store and furniture store), garage (with fuel), pub (an old coaching inn with food, dining area and beer garden) and post office.
Shared Gardens
The properties are set in over five acres of lovely gardens in this quiet and unspoilt corner of Devon. We understand that the "Googly" or "Bosie", a bowling action used in cricket, was developed and perfected on our front lawn by Bernard James Tindall Bosanquet, a cousin of the Bosanquet family that lived here in Victorian Times. The grounds include:
- outdoor swimming pool (May to Sep subject to unforeseen maintenance)
- barbecue
- extensive lawns
- shrubbery and with azaleas, fruit trees and rhododendrons
- woodland surrounds the site with some ancient specimen trees and a bluebell wood
- the gardens are managed to encourage wildife and native plants. Many new plants, shrubs and trees have been introduced
- drifts of naturalised bulbs (January to May) including a beautiful display of snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, primroses followed by bluebells
- sculptures exhibited in the grounds
- panoramic views from the grounds towards Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor across gently rolling countryside.
- places to wander around or to sit and picnic or read with many quiet and hidden corners
- glorious sunsets due to the open vistas surrounding us
- stargazing - a dark sky site with good visibility of night sky as little light pollution (stars, planets, satellites, shooting stars and meteors)
Garden visitors:
Occasionally you may glimpse a deer or hare in the garden. Other shy visitors include hedgehogs, bank voles, moles, foxes, field mice, shrews, bats, frogs, slow worms, lizards, toads and newts. Watch graceful buzzards circling high overhead making their distinctive crying or mewing sound. In spring spotted flycatchers and swallows return to nest.
Enjoy the swallows and swifts as they dive and weave about catching insects and occasionally take a drink on the wing from the swimming pool. Other birds that visit us include woodpeckers (can be heard drumming on wood), pheasant, owls (hooting at night), nuthatch, treecreepers, house sparrows, goldcrest, blackbirds, thrushes, goldfinch, greenfinch, chaffinch, robins, pied wagtail, cuckoo, collared doves, wood pigeon, dunnocks, magpies, wrens, crows and starlings.
More unusual visitors and migrants include snipe, hoopoe, hawks, spotted flycatchers, partridges, redwing, bull finches, snipe and grey wagtails. We also try to encourage butterflies and insects with the shrubs and plants we have planted in the grounds and by leaving certain areas untouched and wild.
Some garden views (click to enlarge)
Accommodation
The three holiday cottages from the courtyard:
Our three cottages above, namely the Butler's Pantry, the Groom's Cottage and the Coach House and the Manor Suite apartment in the old manor house are available for rent throughout the year. The properties are traditionally decorated and furnished sympathetically to provide a comfortable, relaxing and homely atmosphere. Short break holidays are available out of the high season or may be available for last minute bookings. Please contact us for details or should you have any special requirements.
The Swimming Pool
Shared Pool features:
- unsupervised fenced, pool (30 ft x 18 ft x 4 ft deep) (or 9.1m x 5.5m x 1.2m deep) pool (30 by 18 feet and four feet deep or 9.1m by 5.5m by 1.2m)
- sun terrace surrounding the sheltered,
- solar-heated (circulates water through solar matting to heat pool in an eco firendly way).
- fenced, unsupervised pool (30 by 18 feet and four feet deep or 9.1m by 5.5m by 1.2m) The offers refreshing enjoyment for all the family (open May to September subject to closure due to unforseen and routine maintenance).
- Guests are required to read and comply with the pool use guidelines before use.
- all children and adult non-swimmers must be suervised by a competent swimmer at all times in the pool area
Other Facilities / Information
- Guest laundry room (with £1 coin operated washing machine & tumble dryer, sink).
- Wifi access on site (please note the broadband signal comes through copper overhead cables (no fibre) so the internet may be slow or drop out depending on usage and conditions)
- Flat screen tvs
- Barbecue available for use by guests.
- Bed linen and towels included if required (please bring your own beach/swimming towels).
- Cots and highchairs available if required.
- Gas and electricity included.
- Logs for woodburining stoves may be purchased locally.
- Parking: Ample off-road car parking.
- Pets: Regretfully pets are not allowed for the comfort of guests with allergies (and due to owner's allergy). Local kennelling may be available.
- Water supply: West Down House has its own private treated water supply which is monitored by Torridge District Council.
- Equipment & safety: Gas and oil equipment, water supply, electrical systems, portable electrical appliances and fire extinguishers are inspected regularly by members of the relevant bodies concerned (e.g. Gas Safe, OFTEC, Local Council etc).
- Security: the owners have 24 hour CCTV security cameras on their house (main house) that cover some of the shared outdoor public areas only e.g. car park, courtyard, owner's house front & back entrance. Recordings are continuously recorded over after about three weeks
Regional view of our location
For more detail and directions find us on Google Maps here
