Dart Cottage is one of eight luxury holiday cottages set in the peaceful grounds of a 14-acre, private, family-owned estate in south Devon. This end-of-terrace cottage has an open-plan living area with a vaulted ceiling, modern décor, a cosy log burner and beautiful views of the Devon countryside from the patio. It’s ideal for a family as it has three bedrooms that can sleep up to 4 adults and 2 children. Guests of all holiday cottages here, have access to luxurious facilities including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a shared hot tub, a tennis court and children’s play areas. Meanwhile, the location is ideal for trips to Dartmoor National Park, stunning beaches and the waterside towns of Dartmouth and Salcombe.
There’s a small flight of steps that leads up to the entrance of this end-of-terrace cottage. Open the front door and you’ll be greeted with a light, bright, open-plan living/dining/kitchen area with a fantastic high vaulted ceiling.
Sink into the deep sofas or armchairs and watch TV, plus there’s a log burner to warm up chilly nights. If the weather is good, open the French doors and step onto the Juliet balcony to gaze at views over the grounds towards the Devon countryside.
There’s a good-sized kitchen equipped with an oven, hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer, with ample prep space, while the dining table seats six to eight people.
A staircase leads up to a mezzanine level that overlooks the living area and has a sofa – it’s an ideal spot for kids to escape to. By prior arrangement, the sofa bed can accommodate one extra adult or older child.
There are three bedrooms in total. The master is a small double with a built-in bed (accessed from one side only). The second bedroom has two single beds, a basin in the room, French doors that lead to the cottage’s patio and an en-suite shower room with a WC. Bedroom three is a small twin room with L-shaped cabin beds and is suitable for children under 12 years old only.
The cottage also has a compact family bathroom with a bath and shower over, a WC, basin and heated towel rail.
Outside, on the patio there’s a BBQ and a picnic bench where you can dine al fresco while admiring beautiful views of the Devon hills and Dartmoor beyond.
Parking is available in the general parking area behind the row of cottages.
You’ll also have access to the estate’s 14 acres of beautiful grounds, plus shared on-site facilities. These include an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, a tennis court (that the cottage has direct access to) and children’s play areas.
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.
