The Bakehouse, East Devon, Sleeps 4
Location: East Devon Coast, near Hawkchurch
The Bakehouse is a luxury self catering cottage on the East Devon Coast, close to the borders of Dorset and Somerset. The holiday accommodation consists of a beautifully converted stone barn ½ mile from the Devon village of Hawkchurch, close to the Jurassic Coast and Lyme Regis.
The East Devon area
The barn sits at the end of an idyllic walled garden in the grounds of Castle House. Like our Cornish properties The Bakehouse is not part of a complex and is the only holiday cottage at Castle House offering our guests a high level of peace and seclusion. Known locally as the village of the roses the thatched stone cottages of Hawkchurch provide a spectacular display each summer courtesy of a C19th vicar who bought a climbing rose for every household. In addition to the flowers Hawkchurch has a pub listed in the Good pub Guide and an excellent French restaurant with stunning views. 2 miles away Axminster provides more dining choices a full range of shops and Hugh Fearnley Whittingsals new River Cottage local produce store and canteen. There is also an excellent farm shop stocking French wines cheeses and charcuterie alongside local produce.
World Heritage Coast
The World heritage coast is just 15 mins drive providing a variety of different activities and scenery from the regency resorts of Lyme Regis and Sidmouth to the fishing villages of Beer and Branscombe.
Inland the antiques haven of Honiton lies 9 miles to the west with the cathedral city of Exeter a further 15 miles. However we find that many of our guests don’t stray far from the Bakehouse, content to enjoy the beautiful gardens or explore the miles of footpaths which can be accessed straight from the door, leading to ancient hill forts and hillsides covered with wild flowers in the spring offering some of the best views of the Jurassic coast.
For younger visitors the beaches for fossil hunting and the dinosaur museum are firm favourites. For those who can persuade their parents to make a forty-minute drive Creally Adventure Park, Bovingdon Tank Museum and RNAS Yeovilton provide a good day out.
Accommodation: spacious holiday accommodation for four
Originally the Bakehouse for the small hamlet of Castle the accomodation was completely refurbished in summer 2007. The Bakehouse now provides spacious accommodation for 4 people with 2 stylish bathrooms, new comfortable beds luxurious bedding and towels and a fully fitted kitchen with high quality appliances and equipment.
Ground floor
Entrance hall with coat rack. Spacious kitchen /dining room with French Oak floor and cream shaker style units. Equipped with electric oven and hob, dishwasher washer/dryer, microwave, large fridge/freezer and CD player. The table will be set for your arrival with a Devon cream tea all you have to do is boil the kettle!
Also on the ground floor is the newly installed main bathroom. The contempory style white fittings are of the highest quality and comprise washbasin w.c. Full-size double-ended bath with separate shower cubicle. There is a large heated towel rail to ensure that warm towels are always ready for you after your adventures on the Jurassic coast and for the ultimate in labour saving devices the loo seat even closes itself!
Sitting room
To maximise the views of the beautiful gardens and the Axe valley beyond, the double aspect sitting room has been spread across two levels in the centre of the barn. Originally the grain store for the Bakehouse this room has been stylishly converted to give a cosy but contemporary feel. On the lower level squashy leather sofa and 2 armchairs are placed around an extra large coffee table giving plenty of space for board games of which the Bakehouse has a good supply. The west-facing wall is taken up almost entirely by an enormous full width window to drink in the views. At the other end of the room up one small step is a 24” Panasonic TV with DVD a very well stocked library offering guests a huge choice of reading material, DVD’sand videos to enjoy during their stay. Also on this level is a large Morso wood-burning stove to supplement the very efficient storage heating system in the property to ensure that even winter holidays at the Bakehouse are warm and cosy.
Twin bedroom
Behind the ‘library’ is a large twin bedroom with 2 cream painted metal bedsteads. These will be made up for your arrival with your choice of either feather or fibre pillows. For clothes storage there is a built in wardrobe and a chest of drawers topped with good quality reading lights.
Master bedroom
On the other side of the main staircase is the master bedroom ensuring that if the property is shared between friends and family everyone enjoys their privacy. A luxurious and relaxing room decorated in calming shades of coffee and cream, like the rest of the first floor it has a fitted carpet. This room has been planned as a true retreat for couples and we hope we have thought of everything! There are 2 large wardrobes, so no fights about who gets the most clothes space. A glass-topped dressing table in between has been positioned in front of the window to maximise the light and for evenings it has its own dedicated light source to ensure you are not both trying to squeeze in front of the bathroom mirror. Conveniently placed plug points a hairdryer and full-length mirror complete the dressing area. The king size bed with cream painted metal frame will be made up for your arrival with an American feather mattress topper duvet and your choice of feather or fibre pillows. Again the west-facing wall is almost entirely taken up by windows. This is the best part of the house to view the dramatic sunsets over the Axe Valley, so a chair is provided to help you make the most of them or switch on the TV on the chest opposite and have some well-earned ‘me-time’.
The luxury theme continues in the en-suite shower room where the walls and floor are tiled in Italian Travertine marble. In addition to a WC and washbasin there is an extra large walk in shower with teak duckboard drying area, a Hollywood style illuminated mirror shaver point and heated towel warmer.
Outside
The Bakehouse is the only holiday cottage at Castle House so the outside space is not shared with other guests. The property has its own private garden space with table and chairs barbeque and sun loungers. At the end of your garden is a small paddock. The garden is bordered on the north side by a 10ft high stonewall giving you complete privacy from the gardens and orchards of Castle House. However should you wish to explore the owners are very happy for you to do so between the hours of 10am –4pm. You will find a secret door in the wall giving access to the flower gardens you have seen from the Bakehouse there are lots of secluded areas where you can sit enjoy the flowers and the wildlife but please take care of young children, as there is an unfenced pond.
Also outside is our log store to refill your basket during your stay.
For those wishing to dine out the choice is huge and you will find full details in the Bakehouse. In addition we are always happy to help with recommendations and advance bookings.