BERRY HOUSE - Devon

Have a big slice of country house life when you take a Group Stays holiday at Berry House in Devon. Set in large grounds overlooking the scenic Batherm Valley, this beautiful Georgian property sleeps 16 people in 8 bedrooms and has a private indoor saltwater pool. Traditional country house ambience blends with modern day convenience to bring you luxury togetherness in an idyllic setting - fantastic for large family holidays and happy celebrations, for sophisticated hen weekends and corporate breaks to impress.

The approach to Berry House is charming; up the sweeping driveway, past the gatehouse, through quintessential English parkland, and on through a pillared entrance to the top of the ha-ha. Behind the impressive Georgian frontage there's a big kitchen, a dining room, two games rooms, TV room/snug, an elegant drawing room, and upstairs, 6 light and airy bedrooms. In a separate building just a few paces from the house are the saltwater pool and two further ensuite bedrooms; a Victorian barn has been converted to a large cinema room which can be cleared for use as a yoga studio, making Berry House the perfect choice for wellness retreats.

The surrounding countryside is breathtaking; rolling hills and wide open fields with a network of footpaths to explore. If you go pootling about the narrow lanes sooner or later you'll wind up at some quaint watering hole where you can stop for a laid back pub lunch and a pint of the local ale. Berry House is on the southern fringes of Exmoor National Park so you can easily venture out to discover the steep wooded valleys and rugged moors where wild ponies roam free.

Go to Watersmeet or Tarr Steps and amble along the sun-dappled riverbank, watch the world go by at the picturesque harbour at Porlock Weir, climb to the summit of Dunkery Beacon, the highest point in the park, with panoramic views across the landscape. Ride the Victorian cliff railway at Lynton and Lynmouth, have a family day out to Exmoor Zoo or go to Dunster to see the spooky dungeons in the medieval castle high on the hill (NT). See the packhorse bridge at Allerford, wind your way down to Bossington for a stroll on the pebble beach backed by salt marshes that are a haven for birdlife, round it off with tea in the garden at Kitnors. These are dream days waiting to be enjoyed.

Pop in to Bampton for provisions and lunch at The Swan, or a little further is Tiverton where you can drift along the Grand Western Canal on one of the few remaining horse-drawn barges in the country. Walk or cycle along the towpath, keeping an eye out for wildlife, return to the canal basin for a cream tea at The Canal Tea Rooms & Garden. Catch a steam train with the West Somerset Railway and alight to spend a day by the sea at Blue Anchor or Minehead; if surfing is your thing head down to the beautiful beaches at Croyde or Woolacombe to catch the waves. If you've got little ones onboard take them to Tropiquaria Wildlife Park or to Wildwood Escot where they can spot wild boar and squirrels and ride the zip wire.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, come back to Berry House and lap up that gentle country house ambience; play rounders in the field, have a swim or a game of pool, settle down for a movie night in your own private cinema. It's a place to stay, a place to make memories.

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