Bideford, Devon
The Old Shippen is a converted cattle shed which is now a beautiful and peaceful holiday home, just for adults, in rural Devon.
Please note that the minimum stay for this property is 5 nights
The Old Shippen is owned and managed by Elaine Arnold.
You can ask a question or make a booking request directly with Elaine Arnold.
Green Tourism Gold Award
Heat pumps / Heat recovery ventilation system
Solar panels
Repurposed / renovated building
EV charging point
Biodiversity improvement actions
Learn moreRainwater harvesting
Draft-proofed to a very high level
Very high levels of insulation
Recycling of all recyclable waste
What was once a working agricultural building has now turned into a beautiful holiday home. The Old Shippen is a lovely converted cattle shed on Kerswell Farm in Devon. This bright and sunny space is south facing and therefore flooded with light, making the getaway unrecognisable from its original purpose.
Sleeping four adults (sorry - no kids), The Old Shippen is something of an upside-down conversion, with the two bedrooms being found on the ground floor. The first has a king-sized oak bed and large en-suite bathroom with a bath and a shower for the ultimate relaxation. There is a further twin bedroom and another shower room, and both bedrooms are complete with Egyptian cotton linen and Devon wool duvets and pillows.
On the first floor guests will discover the large living room with its windows overlooking the garden and surrounding woodland and lakes. The deep window sills are perfect for sitting back and watching the wildlife, or alternatively cosy up on the comfy sofas in front of the wood burner. Also on this level is the newly fitted kitchen with its granite worktops, butler sink, induction hob, dishwasher, slow cooker, microwave, and Nespresso coffee machine. The hosts provide a welcome pack of milk, butter, home-baked bread, tea, coffee, eggs, and wine, while there will also be a traditional Devon cream tea to enjoy upon arrival.
Outside is a large garden that benefits from being south facing and is well fenced in case guests have brought a furry friend with them. There are plenty of spots to sit and relax in while sheep wander around in the surrounding field, while there is also access to the lakes and woodland to go and explore.
Kerswell Farm is located in the stunning South West and there are many places to discover within a 20-mile radius. Just 10 minutes away is the fishing hamlet of Bucks Mill with its rocky beach and old cottages. From here it is also possible to walk to National Trust-owned Peppercombe. There is a sandy beach, pubs and restaurants at Instow, while the wild delights of Exmoor and the historical Tarka Trail are also worth a visit.
Please note that the minimum stay for this property is 5 nights
The Old Shippen is owned and managed by Elaine Arnold.
You can ask a question or make a booking request directly with Elaine Arnold.
Our rates vary through the year. We try to be as flexible as possible with dates and arrival days to meet your needs, so do contact us. We use PayPal and BACS for payments and even accept cheques!
As an example: Most dates in January, February, March, October and December (excluding Christmas) are £781 per week and £697 for a 5-night break. May is £1,214 per week and July and August £1,560 per week. Christmas and New Year are £1,820 per week, shorter breaks possible on request.
From Previous Guests
Have you stayed here?
Leave a reviewWe’ve just spent a lovely five nights at The Old Shippen. The cottage has been renovated to a very high standard and the setting is lovely. Elaine and Adrian made us feel very welcome. I would highly recommend it. Elaine George
Stayed October 2021
We have just returned from a fantastic 2-week stay at The Old Shippen. The cottage is extremely well equipped and everything is of a very high standard. The beds are super comfortable with lovely linen and soft furnishings. There is everything you could possibly need. It has a wonderful peaceful garden with lovely seating areas to relax. The only sounds you hear are birds by day and owls at night! There is a lovely lake, meadows and woods to explore. Adrian and Elaine are superb hosts. They provide delicious home-cooked meals and cakes on request which are absolutely gorgeous. Everything is home made with vegetables fresh from their garden. They also have bees which provide honey and Elaine makes all her own jams and bread! Thank you Adrian & Elaine for a wonderfully relaxing holiday. We will definitely be back!
Stayed August 2020
What a wonderful place to stay, truly exceptional. From the minute we arrived we were made so welcome. Where else would you be greeted with a home made cream tea, bread and marmalade plus local milk, butter and eggs and a bottle of wine! Then there is the accommodation itself, it's just lovely. Elegant, simple styling with no expense spared, everything in every room is the best quality. The kitchen is fully equipped with absolutely everything you could ever need, and again, all excellent quality. It doesn't matter here which room you are in, or if you're outside, everywhere is a place to relax with the most calming atmosphere. Elaine and Adrian are the very best hosts. They are welcoming, so hospitable and knowledgable and are definitely the perfect people to do this. I'm a little tied with this review as I could go on and on about our wonderful stay, but then that would encourage more people to go, and we want to stay again! The Old Shippen is popular for good reason, it is the best place you can stay for total peace, relaxation and has the warmest welcome to an amazing stay. Thank you to Elaine, Adrian and of course, Ralph!
Stayed June 2020
Wow what a beautiful place, The owners Elaine & Adrian have thought of everything, it's comfy, cosy and very homely! The grounds are fantastic and it's soooo peaceful. Love it! Lovely homemade food to boot! Travelled down on a cold, rainy, windy Friday night to be greeted by just cooked homemade steak pie, gorgeous! Thank you both and Ralph the Lurcher for a wonderful stay x
Stayed November 2019
What an amazing experience from start to finish. The beautiful cottages of Kerswell Farm and not only been beautifully finished with every detail thought of but they are set in some stunning countryside topped off with the most attentive and friendly hosting of Elaine, Adrian and their very friendly dog Ralph! We stayed in the Old Shippen with our two French Bulldogs which is equipped with everything you need to enjoy a dog-friendly weekend away. The grounds of the farm are beyond peaceful and you will never run out of places to visit outside with Instow beach and Exmoor National Park being a couple of places we visited we have fallen in love and now wish to move to the area! Thank you for such an amazing stay and we will definitely be coming back to visit! Ashton, Jonathan, Yianni and Yoko
Stayed March 2019
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