HARES BARTON - Devon

Have yourself a happy large group holiday in the Devon hills when you stay at Hares Barton; this former dairy and hay barn have undergone a very considered conversion to bring you supersize accommodation for 22 guests. All to yourselves you’ll have a spa hall with a swimming pool and hot tub, a games room, and a barrel sauna. Come and lap up the luxury for family holidays and celebrations, short breaks with friends, walking holidays, spa retreats and sophisticated hen weekends.

The backdrop is the beautiful countryside of East Devon; think softly rolling hills dotted with woodlands, picturesque villages and high-hedged lanes. Pootle down to Colyton for hearty homemade pub grub at The Kingfisher, stroll along the river, catch the open-top tram to Seaton, passing through nature rich wetlands enroute; when you arrive, spend time on the mile long pebble beach, or the quieter one at Axmouth harbour.

And there’s another good reason to stay at Hares Barton – it’s close to the sea! You can be on the beaches of the Jurassic Coast in 10 minutes; closest is Beer, a quiet fishing village where you can watch the catch come in each day, tuck into freshly caught crab at Ducky’s Beach Café, and visit Pecorama and Beer Quarry Caves. Stroll over the clifftops on the South West Coast Path to Branscombe, a pretty coastal village where the main street is lined with charming cottages, hung with flowers, like a picture postcard. Wander up the hill to The Fountain Inn for lunch or go for cream tea at The Sea Shanty Beach Café.

In the other direction is Lyme Regis with its sandy town beach. Stroll out along the harbour wall to the Marine Aquarium or take a trip out to sea on a mackerel fishing boat. Take the kids to Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, stop to eat at a seafront restaurant or at Mark Hix’s Oyster & Fish House halfway up the hill. If you’re here for a walking break, lace up your boots and discover The Undercliff Nature Reserve, like a lost world of soaring cliffs and woodlands carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic in springtime.

A little further along the coast road you can have a day out at The Donkey Sanctuary and see all the happy donks in their forever home. Other local family attractions include Wildwood Devon with animals to see, a zip wire and adventure playground and a Saxon village with hands-on activities. There are beautiful historic houses with glorious gardens and walks in the wider estate – like NT Killerton and Forde Abbey.

Book up for activities, a great idea for a birthday treat; go clay pigeon shooting at Escot, off-roading at Quad World Exeter or hacking through the spectacular countryside with Devenish Pitt Riding School. Put the pedal to the metal at Mansell Raceway, give the gift of a wing walk or microlight flying experience at Dunkeswell Aerodrome, head to Exmouth for exciting watersports like paddleboarding, kayaking and kite surfing.

You could even have a day in Exeter where you can pack in a visit to the Gothic cathedral, tour the medieval Underground Passages deep beneath the city streets, and see the fascinating displays from all around the globe at the RAM Museum.

There is so much to see and do in this part of Devon, but it might be that you don’t want to go anywhere at all because there’s so much to keep you smiling at Hares Barton. A huge open plan living space for you to gather together, and those fabulous features – your own pool, hot tub, sauna and games room. This is where happy memories will be made, these are times to treasure; enjoy yourselves. Book today!

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