BABBLEBROOK - Devon

Spend a holiday at Babblebrook and you’ll be transported to another world that’s far removed from the chaos of the one we live in. This large group holiday house in the Devon countryside is surrounded by woodlands where birds sing from the treetops all day long; the Little Dart River murmurs along contentedly at the edge of the garden and the sense of tranquillity is incredible.

Inside 5 bedrooms sleep 10 and there are 2 extra guest beds for children aged 12 years and under at no additional charge. A games room, hot tub, outdoor table tennis and lawn games make this a holiday house for all ages and all occasions – come for family stays, for days away with friends, for sophisticated hen weekends and for happy celebrations with your favourite people.

Babblebrook lies in a secluded valley a few miles from Tiverton in Mid-Devon, yet is easily reached from the M5 and A30. Only a stone’s throw from the house you can wander through National Trust woods at Buzzards Woodland, carpeted with bluebells in late April-May. Go for a longer stroll over to Bickleigh for cream tea in the garden at Bickleigh Mill, or lunch at The Fisherman’s Cot beside the River Exe.

If a day out is on the agenda, you’ll find a good choice of attractions in these parts. Go into Tiverton and if Tiverton Castle is open, have a look round, then go down to the Grand Western Canal Country Park for a stroll along the towpath, to hire Canadian canoes, or to take a leisurely ride on a horse-drawn barge. Round it off with homemade scones in the Canal Tea Rooms & Gardens or with drinks on the Duck’s Ditty floating café-bar.

Take a family trip to Wildwood Escot, to Killerton or Knightshayes (both NT), or for a frenzy of excitement, head down to Crealy Theme Park where there are rides and attractions, and animals to see. Get up into the treetops at Go Ape Haldon Forest, take on the assault course at the Bear Trail near Cullompton, or (quite literally) make the earth move at Diggerland. Spend the day getting to know Exeter, Devon’s county town; browse the shops, visit the Gothic cathedral and take a tour of the Exeter Underground Passages, or head down to the quay to scale new heights at Clip n Climb, or to hire kayaks and paddle along the Exe estuary to the Turf Locks for lunch.

Somewhere else that’s good to explore is Exmoor National Park; plan it well and you’ll have a fantastic day, discovering the bracken clad moors where wild ponies graze, the lush river valleys and hilltops where you can see for miles. If you’ve got younger folk on board factor in a stop at Exmoor Zoo or Dunster Castle, where you can see the spooky dungeons.

If you want a day by the sea, the Jurassic Coast is only about an hour away and has some very diverse beaches. Lyme Regis is a popular and very charming town where you can stroll along the harbour, have a bite to eat in one of the beach side restaurants, and take the kids to Dinosaurland Fossil Museum. Beer is a quiet fishing village with a beach café and the fascinating Beer Quarry Caves; a little further along is the picturesque coastal village of Branscombe and Regency Sidmouth, with a choice of two beaches, backed by towering cliffs of red sandstone.

Then head for home, and maybe dinner at the local gastropub, The Cadeleigh Arms just down the road from Babblebrook. Otherwise, fire up the barbecue and indulge yourselves with a leisurely barbecue out on the veranda. Later on, gather round the firepit in the orchard, the river tripping along in front of you, stars twinkling above you. They have a word for that round here: perfick. You should come and stay.

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