A magnificent manor with plenty of space to accommodate family and friends who wish to spend quality time together and explore all that South Devon has to offer.
Set in three acres of beautifully manicured gardens, Meadfoot Manor is a luxurious Victorian mansion with a grand exterior and a modern interior. With five spacious bedrooms, a sociable living space and a bubbling hot tub in private garden, you will feel like royalty here. Should you wish to explore the area, Torquay town centre and harbour are just a short walk away, while many stunning beaches, water sports and family-friendly attractions are also within easy reach.
Set behind private gates, your journey begins with a long driveway surrounded high walls and lush greenery. As you step inside the entrance hall, you’ll be greeted by a variety of unique artwork and period-style touches, which are a true indication of what the rest of the house has to offer.
There are plenty of places to seek some well-deserved relaxation or gather with your loved ones. The drawing room is perfect for the entire group to unwind after dinner and catch up beside the open fire, while the adjacent sitting room, with its large pool table, provides a more sociable space. What’s more, there’s a cosy cinema room for the ultimate movie marathons, so you’ll never be short of entertainment.
If you want to keep up with your fitness routine while you’re away, there’s a gym with a host of high-tech equipment, including a treadmill, weights and a cross trainer.
The property features two kitchens, one for everyday use with Miele Coffee espresso maker, two Miele dishwashers, a Gaggenu electric oven plus two fridges and freezers, while the butler’s kitchen has another electric oven, fridge and dishwasher. When your delicious feast is ready to enjoy, congregate around the huge dining table to wine and dine together.
Venture upstairs to the first floor where you will find five individually designed bedrooms with cosy interiors and characterful charm. The master bedroom has a beautiful view of the gardens and is furnished with a luxurious super-king-size bed and an en-suite bathroom. Bedroom two also has a super king-size bed and an en-suite shower room. Bedroom three features a king-size bed and an adjacent bathroom with a shower. Bedroom four offers a super-king-size bed, while the family bathroom with a roll top bath and separate shower is located directly opposite. Bedroom five can be set up as either a super king-size or twin beds and has a shower room next door.
Outside, there is a perfectly manicured garden with plenty of seating. When the sun is shining, head to the outdoor kitchen and fire up the BBQ for a delicious feast, before ending the night with a dip in the hot tub or a tipple of choice beside the fire pit.
With wide sandy beaches, remote moors, and chocolate-box villages, Devon is a stunning holiday destination at any time of year. It’s also a haven for bird watchers, offering a rich variety of landscapes and habitats, with dozens of nature reserves and over 200 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
One of the county’s highlights is the Exe Estuary, a vital breeding and feeding ground for thousands of wildfowl and waders, including avocets, redshanks, snipes, little stints, and sandpipers. Surrounding the estuary are several nature reserves, such as Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve, where reedbeds, meadows, ponds, and saltmarshes support large populations of black-tailed godwits, dunlins, grey plovers, red-breasted mergansers, and wigeons. With its family-friendly sandy beach backed by dunes, it’s a fantastic spot for a day out.
Just 15 minutes from Exeter, Haldon Forest is a vast conifer plantation that supports five species of breeding birds of prey: goshawks, hobbies, sparrowhawks, buzzards, and kestrels. A bird hide and viewing point, managed by Forestry England, offer the chance to see these impressive raptors up close. The forest is also home to nightjars, crossbills, and a variety of butterflies. Walking and cycling trails, play areas, treetop rope courses, and picnic spots make it an excellent destination for families and nature lovers alike.
Owned by the National Trust, Lundy, an island in the Bristol Channel, is easily reached by boat from Ilfracombe or Bideford. From April to July, thousands of seabirds arrive to breed, including puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, kittiwakes, and Manx shearwaters. The island is also a magnet for migrating birds, with rare visitors from as far afield as North America and Siberia recorded annually.
Slapton Ley, the largest freshwater lagoon in southwest England, is separated from the sea by a narrow shingle ridge known as Slapton Sands. Surrounded by reedbeds, marshes, and woodland, it provides a rich habitat for birds such as Cetti’s warblers, reed warblers, sedge warblers, and grasshopper warblers. On the water, look out for great crested grebes, gadwalls, and water rails. Other wildlife in the area includes otters, badgers, dormice, and several bat species.
Exmoor National Park offers a remarkable diversity of habitats, from moorland and farmland to ancient woodland, rivers, and dramatic coastline. The open moors are home to Dartford warblers, linnets, and whinchats, while the woodlands host pied flycatchers, tree pipits, redstarts, and all three British woodpecker species. Along the rivers, look for grey wagtails, dippers, and kingfishers. The coastal edges are frequented by curlews, ringed plovers, turnstones, and occasionally knots, ruffs, and curlew sandpipers. Visitors can also enjoy walking and cycling routes, canoeing and kayaking, charming historic villages, Dunster Castle, and of course, Exmoor’s iconic wild ponies.
Located in the heart of the county, Dartmoor National Park is more rugged and wild, with dramatic granite tors and deep river valleys, perfect for a day of exploration. Bird watchers should look out for ground-nesting species like meadow pipits, skylarks, and stonechats. The moor also supports ring ouzels and red grouse, and is one of the best places in the UK to hear the distinctive call of the cuckoo in spring. For those wanting to cool off after a hike, Dartmoor has some of the finest wild swimming spots in the country.
