BABBLING BY - Devon

If you ever dream of escaping the chaos of the world, to slowing down and unwinding somewhere remote and idyllic, Babbling By is for you. Feel the pace drop as you make your way through the high-hedged Devon lanes, listen to the birdsong echoing from the woodlands, and the Little Dart River skipping along at the edge of the garden. The quiet, the tranquillity, all yours to love and enjoy.

Come to Babbling By for peaceful holidays and celebrations with friends and family, for short breaks in the country and for elegant hen weekends. 6 bedrooms sleep 12; 5 are in the main house where there are 2 extra Z-beds available, and the other is in a gorgeous self-contained annexe a few steps away. The sun slips into the garden almost the whole of the day, so it’s beyond perfect, with a hot tub, outdoor table tennis and lawn games to keep you amused.

The setting is a secluded valley just a few miles from Tiverton in Mid-Devon. You’d never think it but the M5 and A30 are both within easy reach; nearby there are attractions, activities and several good places to eat. But you needn’t go far at all; stroll up the lane to Buzzards Woodland (NT), carpeted with bluebells in springtime, glorious with colour in the autumn.

Tiverton is good for a browse; when you’ve finished in the town go to the Grand Western Canal Country Park where it’s all rather lovely with a floating café-bar, and canal side tea gardens. Amble along the towpath to where the boat people live, have a leisurely drift along the waters on one the few horse-drawn barges left in the country, hire rowing boats and have your won adventures.

For a jolly good family day out, go to Wildwood Devon; see the animals in their enclosures, ride the zip wire and drop slide in the woodland playground, forge a penny in the Saxon village. Crealy Theme Park is good fun too, with over 60 rides, heaps of attractions and live entertainment.

If you want to go further, head over to the Jurassic Coast for a day by the sea at Lyme Regis, or the charming coastal villages of Beer or Branscombe. Plan an Exmoor adventure, discovering the verdant river valleys, wooded hillsides and the heathery heaths where red deer and wild ponies roam free.

Be back at Babbling By for a soak in the hot tub at dusk; gather round the firepit in the orchard, watch the stars come out, toast marshmallows by moonlight. The background music is the song of the river and the occasional hoot of an owl. Now that’s perfick.

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Great for: Holidays and celebrations with friends and family, elegant hen weekends

Where To Go & What To Do: The Bear Trail, Cullompton | Grand Western Canal Country Park | Knighthayes (NT) | Wildwood Devon | Crealy Theme Park | Killerton (NT) | Diggerland Devon | Exeter | Powederham Castle | Bicton Gardens

Places To Eat: The Cadeleigh Arms | The Fisherman’s Cott | Bickleigh Mill | Canal Tea Rooms and Gardens, Tiverton | The Ganges, Tiverton | The Swan, Bampton