Whitefield Cottage

About this property

The North Devon centre, the town of Barnstaple 9.2 miles. Rural Market town & Pannier Market of South Molton 8.4 miles. This picturesque 17th century stone cottage looking as though it’s straight out of a fairy tale lies surrounded by lush greenery within the Devon countryside within Exmoor National Park, providing a holiday home with a difference for you and your loved ones. Whitefield Cottage, together with North Whitefield House and the farm buildings at South Whitefield, stand on the site of an ancient small Saxon village dated to at least 1200 years ago. The village is described in the Domesday Book (1086 AD) as ‘Whitefell’, perhaps because of the pieces of quartz found above the Cottage on Whitefield Common. For walkers, the Tarka Trail runs just past the wooden gate. With a working cattle and sheep farm next door and a large garden to roam, you can’t get more rural than this, making it a perfect choice for a family retreat where lasting memories will be made. At night all you will hear are the sounds of sheep and cattle calling to one another. Come through the old wooden gate and park up outside the cottage, before taking coats and boots off in the lovely window-surrounded porch, with 2 chairs to sit in the morning sun with a cup of warm freshly brewed coffee, then head inside to this warm and homely property. Straight away be greeted by the pleasant and bright kitchen, with cream units and wooden worktops, it is in-keeping with a classic cottage style and home to an excellent range of appliances. The china is a delightful blue & white, and also provided are attractive sturdy outdoor plates & glasses. Move into the sitting area where a low oak-beamed original ceiling awaits, creating a snug ambiance that you will immediately want to relax in on the beautiful deep seating with antique birch rocking chair and large elm armchair covered in a rich embroidered throw. The dining area with lovely wooden table and Windsor-style chairs are perfectly placed by the bow window allowing the window seat to provide seating for one half of the table, so all can gather around to enjoy a tasty meal or a competitive board game. Facing all of the furnishings is a grand and rustic fireplace with old bread oven, housing an oil-fired woodburning-effect stove; look forward to getting this fired up on a colder evening after a day of excitement in Devon! When it’s time to turn in, go up the wooden stairs to the first floor to find the bedrooms: first a light and airy twin room with American patchwork quilts on each bed, a window looking to the luscious greenery outside, and with a small chest of drawers & closet storage for your personal items and good lighting by each bed for reading. Walk through the upstairs hall – an inviting snug space where a bookcase holds a selection of books to pick from with a large ‘teddy bear’ covered sofa to settle down into and plush cushions to put your feet up and read or catch up on email, before coming into the master bedroom which has a lovely iron bed frame covered in another American patchwork quilt, and features exposed red-brick and a hand painted mural of an oak tree, with fitted wardrobes and drawers for plenty of storage. Freshen up in the neat bathroom, all white save for a royal blue feature wall, contrasting well with the bathroom suite, which has a bath with a shower over. Enjoy the rural position of the property by taking your afternoon tea out onto the lawn whilst your furry friend stretches their legs, or have a meal using the seating for 4 at a redwood table and chairs. If you’re seeking a truly rural ramble, you’re ideally positioned for exploring the delights of Exmoor National Park, where you can watch wildlife, stargaze, participate in watersports, and many more outdoor activities to suit all ages and tastes. The Tarka Trail runs just outside the front gate up through open grazing land to the top of Exmoor to Shoulsbury Castle, 3 miles away, perhaps the largest and best known of the ancient Iron Age earthworks in Greater Exmoor, and to its surrounding Bronze Age burial mounds. The cottage is also within reach of the four-mile long beach at Saunton Sands, with its world class surfing and all the open sand you could ask for, for picnics, exercising your dogs, building sand-castles, sun bathing or watching the tide come in. In addition, there is the Exmoor Zoo, the Combe Martin Dinosaur Park, numerous art galleries including the Burton Art Gallery in Bideford, and the Lyn Valley Art and Craft Gallery in Lynton which both feature many of the excellent local North Devon art and craft. For garden lovers there is the lovely Marwood Gardens, and RHS Rosemoor within 30 minutes. For walkers, the moorland Tarka Trail, the breathtaking Southwest Coast Path, the spectacular Valley of the Rocks and many, many delightful wooded paths by the streams throughout the area. The Village of Brayford, 2 miles away, has the 900-year-old Church of All Saints High Bray set on the hill above the Bray Valley. It hosts 6 ancient bells, two of which were cast in the 15th century and are amongst the oldest in the world, and four of which are Victorian - You can hear the bell ringers practising every Monday evening. In addition, there is a Village Market held in the Village Hall every second Saturday of the month with between 15 and 25 tables selling a variety of local produce and crafts, in addition to having tea, coffee & cakes available at tables around the Hall. The River Bray by the Village Ford makes for a delightful picnic area with picnic table by the river, and dam building across the stream for all ages! In reach of both coastal and countryside delights, Whitefield Cottage makes a marvellous base for your holiday to Devon.

North Molton is a village in the north of Devon just below the wonderful Exmoor National Park. Hosting a pub, a Post Office, and a village shop offering tasty local produce and home-baked goods, it's a lovely place to base yourself to enjoy the delights of Devon. Just south of the village is it's counterpart South Molton offering a wider range of shops and a twice-weekly market to peruse, while Exmoor contains many opportunities for adventure on your doorstep.

Accommodation

Two bedrooms: 1 x king-size double and 1 x twin.

Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC.

Kitchen.

Living/diner with oil-fired wood effect stove.

Snug with WiFi

Electric and oil central heating with oil-fired wood effect stove.

Electric oven and hob, microwave, washing machine, fridge, coffee maker, TV with DVD player, selection of books, games and DVDs and WiFi.

Fuel and power included in rent.

Bed linen and towels included in rent.

Off-road parking.

Garden with seating.

Sorry, no smoking.

Shop within 5 miles, Poltimore Arms pub within 2.5 miles from the Cottage.

Note: The property has low ceilings in some places, mind your head.

Note: The garden though entirely private and surrounded by hedge is not securely fenced, dogs may be able to get through fence/hedge, so please take this into consideration when booking.

There is a maximum of 2 small dogs or 1 larger dog is allowed, please contact Sykes with any queries regarding more than this.

Note: There is poor mobile reception, but WiFi is provided.

Please note: WiFi isn't ideal for streaming This property does not accept children under 10 years old (however babes in arms are fine).