Highbullen Cottages My Favourite Cottages

UK England South West England Devon Barnstaple

Four luxurious holiday cottages where you can also enjoy all the facilities of a five-star hotel.

Part of a 125-acres estate in Devon, these four self-catering cottages are quite a find. Neatly situated a few miles southeast of Barnstaple, within easy striking distance of the North Devon Coast, they form part of a large destination hotel complex of the same name, housed in an impressively Gothic country house. A large and lavish affair, the hotel is long established and very comfortable, and was apparently a favourite of the actor Laurence Olivier in times gone by.

As you might expect, the cottages are as comfortable and well-appointed as the hotel: the largest – Fairways East and West – overlook the hotel’s golf course, as the name suggests, and comfortably each sleep 8 people in 4 double bedrooms; the other two, slightly more modest Stable Cottage and Deer View Cottage, each have 3 bedrooms, some of which are en-suite, and sleep 6 people. The four cottages are all high-end properties with every convenience, but the Fairways properties are particularly luxurious – beautifully furnished, with lovely bright rooms, high-spec country kitchens with Agas and refurbished bathrooms, many of them en-suite. They all also enjoy gorgeous views over the Mole Valley and Exmoor beyond, and all four cottages are bookable together for large gatherings. The really good news, though, is that guests at each of the cottages get to take full advantage of the facilities at the hotel, which include a golf course, tennis courts, croquet lawns, a spa, sauna and gym and no less than two pools (indoor and outdoor), along with an impressive range of bars, restaurants and lounges.

We wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to leave the confines of the hotel's grounds, and many people do just that. But the location is an excellent one, well placed for the delights of the North Devon coast yet far enough away to enjoy the sort of peace and quiet you can only find in this part of the county. You're also a short drive from the county's two national parks – of Exmoor and Dartmoor. No wonder Laurence Olivier loved it so much.

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Accommodation

Two 4-bedroom cottages, each sleeping 8 people, which can also be rented together for large groups, and two 3-bedroom cottages, each sleeping 6 people.