BIG THATCH - Devon

Tucked away in the Devon countryside, Big Thatch offers luxury large group accommodation for 12 guests, with room for 2 more children aged 12 years and under at no extra charge. With a games room, outdoor table tennis, year-round BBQ lodge and hot tub this is a wonderful place to stay for holidays and low-key celebrations with friends and family. The extensive grounds are a delight and the setting, in the glorious Blackdown Hills AONB, is secluded and peaceful. Think of it as a world of your own, if only for a short time.

The accommodation comprises a centuries old thatched house and a separate annexe linked by a courtyard; the main house sleeps 8 in 4 bedrooms and the annexe sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms. This is a very good arrangement if there are people in your group who like to have their own space – it works particularly well for grandparents and younger families who prefer an earlier bedtime.

You’ll probably be quite content to while away your entire holiday at Big Thatch, but if you feel inclined to venture out and see what’s about in the local area, you’ll find plenty to see and do. Take a wander round the lanes or on one of the footpaths through the fields, go for a paddle in the ford down the lane, enjoy being outdoors and connecting with nature. There are good country pubs in these parts, like the nearby Ashill Inn, or if you go to The Culm Valley Inn, you can tie it in with a stroll up to Culm Beacon where the views are staggering.

For days out there’s quite a choice; you could spend a day discovering Exeter, visiting the beautiful cathedral, taking a tour of the Underground Passages, or scaling dizzy heights at Clip n Climb down on the quay. If historic houses and gorgeous gardens appeal check out Killerton and Knightshayes, both NT; Hestercombe and Burrow Farm Gardens are also good.

If you go to Tiverton you can spend a happy afternoon down by the Grand Western Canal; amble along the towpath, hire Canadian canoes and take to the waters, or sit back for a relaxing ride on a horse-drawn barge. Round off your outing with a proper Devon cream tea at The Canal Tea Rooms and Garden, or a drink on Duck’s Ditty Café Bar, afloat on the canal.

If you like to be beside the seaside, make a day of it with a trip to the Jurassic Coast. Sidmouth and Exmouth are the best for more traditional seaside fun and for a paddle or swim, but go to Lyme Regis and you’ll find a charming fishing town with beaches and much more besides; join a mackerel fishing trip and catch your supper, get up close to sea creatures in the Marine Aquarium, go and see fossils galore at Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, browse the bookshops. The coastal villages of Beer and Branscombe are both very quaint and have cafes on the shore where you can tuck into crab sandwiches with a view of the bay.

For an exhilarating family day out, head down to Crealy Adventure Park & Resort where there are over 60 rides and heaps of entertainment. Wildwood Escot offers something different with wild animals in their enclosures, a zip wire and a Saxon village where you can find out how folk lived back then. Whatever you decide to do you’ll go home with happy memories of your holiday at Big Thatch; soaking in the hot tub, toasting marshmallows in the BBQ lodge, whiling away the hours in the beautiful gardens. Come and feel the magic, unwind in a world of your own.

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NB: Due to planning restrictions this property can only accept bookings from family groups.