Buzzards House

Highlights

• Light filled open plan house with oak floors and an inside/outside feel.
• Little Dart River gently trickles through fabulous gardens.
• The verandah for breakfast on sunny days followed by games of badminton table tennis and croquet on the lawn.
• The verandah for balmy evenings and barbecues and cocktails as the sun goes down.
• The tranquility of the quiet location - incredible birdsong, fabulous owls and the chance of seeing red and roe deer.
• Orchards laden with apples - help yourself!
• Idyllic spots for you to settle in for a picnic, with fire pits and tables.
• Large hot tub big enough for seven.
• Buzzard Woods, a little known National Trust treasure on our doorstep.
• Dogs welcome.
• The guarantee a good nights sleep in the most comfortable beds and lovely linen.
• Great venue for small yoga retreats.

You should know

• Young children should be supervised at all times as there is a river and pond.
• The owner's house is 15 minutes away.

The Details

Buzzards House is a fun holiday house tucked away down Devon lanes in the Little Dart valley. This charming retreat is surrounded by farmland, rolling pasture and the glorious Buzzards Woods. There are walks in all directions and the boot room is lined with a map showing the various routes. The boot room is also the perfect place for dog beds. Dogs love Buzzards!

As you enter the house you come into the open planned sitting/dining area. It is a very convivial space with its large dining table, wood-burning stove and deep sofas, this is the ‘hub’ of the house and a great place to congregate.

There is a kitchen to one side which is fully equipped with everything you need for your stay. The kitchen has a large fridge freezer and there is also a drinks fridge and additional fridge/freezer in the laundry room. There are two ovens and a large gas hob, dishwasher, microwave, coffee machine and then the big Welsh dresser filled with glasses galore. If you would like the owners to arrange a caterer for your stay please let them know.

On the left of the ‘hub’ is the conservatory. This is a great room, both when the weather is fine and you can open the doors to the sound of the river running past and listen to birdsong, and on cold days where it is a lovely light filled room to curl up with a good book. On the right hand side there is a TV sitting room which is very comfortable with a large squishy sofa and bean bags, books, puzzles and games. There’s also a desk/workstation which overlooks the garden and the WiFi is excellent.

The ‘hub’ opens onto the verandah, which adds a great dimension to the house as it rapidly becomes the place where most time is spent. When the weather is fine, doors are left open all day and the house flows onto it. With some groups every meal is eaten out here - there’s a BBQ and fire pit and it is a fun place to eat, read, sit, chat and watch the world go by. There is badminton, croquet, boules, swing ball, pingpong and darts.

Buzzards House is a great place just to ‘be’, and soak up the sounds and smells of nature, the Little Dart river flows through the garden, the birdsong is fabulous and if you venture into the woods in the early morning you are highly likely to see deer, sometimes they come into the large orchard at the front of the house.

You are blessed to have Buzzards woods on your doorstep and these woods are an ever-changing scene, sublime in spring when they are carpeted with bluebells, and a riot of colour in autumn. These woods are so much fun for walking, birding, spotting wild flowers, observing the butterfly life and for pottering about in the river and playing pooh sticks on the bridges.

The upstairs of the house is calm, comfortable with the loveliest of beds and linen. Most rooms look out onto the garden and you are assured of a good night’s sleep. There are two super-kings, one queen, two twin rooms and there is an additional cot and pull out beds for children. You also have the option to use Spring Cottage with an additional super-king.

There is lots to do in the area - some guests never leave the valley (some never leave the garden!). Some guests bring bikes or fishing rods, others walk to nearby pubs, and many use the house as a base to explore Devon’s highlights. Nearby attractions include the Great Western Canal with its horse-drawn barge, Knightshayes, Killerton House, and the cathedral city of Exeter just 15 miles away. Bickleigh is perfect for cream teas, while further afield, Exmoor, Dartmoor, and coastal spots like Saunton Sands, Braunton Burrows, and Budleigh Salterton offer outdoor adventures. Families love local attractions like Go Ape, Haldon Forest, Quad World, and Diggerland.

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