Spekes House - Self catering holiday cottage in Hartland, Devon, England - Sleeps 9
Spekes House
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Spekes House is a beautiful holiday home that enjoys a truly magical setting on the North Devon coast. It is in an enviable position with wonderful views over the valley and out to sea and is within walking distance to the beach where you can relax, explore the rock pools or experience the thrill of surfing. If you are lucky you may even spot some dolphins or porpoises in the bay during the summer!
Located within the Hartland Peninsula in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Spekes House offers a comfortable rural retreat on a beautiful and unspoilt stretch of the English coastline. It provides access to the many family activities and attractions of the area, including some of the country's finest surfing beaches.
For those who enjoy walking, spectacular cliff top walks are accessible from the front door, with a footpath running from the house to the South West Coast Path, via the dramatic waterfall and beach at Spekes Mill Mouth.
The outstanding natural beauty and tranquil environment surrounding Spekes makes it a perfect retreat for writers, painters, musicians and other artists seeking inspiration. For wildlife enthusiasts and photographers, the area is renowned for its abundance of wild flowers, birds of prey and spectacular cliff scenery.
The area offers a wide range of outdoor activities to enjoy including: walking, cycling, horse-riding, golf or take to the water and enjoy fishing, windsurfing, canoeing, sailing or a simple boat trip. The outdoor adventure specialist, Skern Lodge, offers a wide range of activities to suit all ages and abilities and the area has a number of golf courses including the oldest links course in the country - the Royal North Devon.
Spekes offers a wonderful natural environment around the house/garden, down in the valley and on the beach, for young children to explore and play. Locally, there are also some good family attractions including Killarney Springs, offering water rides, indoor Powerhouse, boating lake, toboggan runs, Supakarts, bumper boats, Willow Creek boat ride to meet the animals, nature trail, outdoor playground and 18-hole putting green, all set in sixty six acres of beautiful countryside. The Big Sheep offers the opportunity to learn about the breeds of sheep, the shearing processes and watch sheep dog trials. The Milky Way Adventure Park (near Clovelly) has a large indoor play area, a mini railway, outdoor displays of falconry, animals to feed and more.
There are also lovely nearby gardens at Hartland Abbey and Docton Mill or travel a little further afield and visit The Eden Project with more than 1,000,000 plants representing 5,000 species from around the world.
Spekes is a perfect place to unwind and escape the pressures of every day life. Here you can reenergize, experience the elements and rediscover the simple pleasures of life. It is available all year round and provides comfortable accommodation for up to nine guests so ideal for families or friends who want to holiday together and have a holiday by the sea.
Facilities
Beach Nearby Open Fire Near Pub/Restaurant Garden/Outside Area Piano iPod Docking Bike Storage Internet Access Golf Facilities Nearby Off-Road Parking DVD Satellite/cable TV Washing Machine Microwave Dishwasher Video CD Player Shower Bath Cot Kingsize Bed
Spekes itself is of fairly modern design with the original stone cottage being completely renovated around 1990.
Accommodation comprises:
Sitting room with large stone open fire and deep bay window providing lovely views over the valley. There is a colour TV (satellite reception), DVD, video and CD player.
Dining Room with ornamental fireplace and French doors opening directly onto the garden.
Kitchen/breakfast room which is well equipped with oil-fired Aga, large larder fridge, dishwasher, electric cooker and small seating area.
Separate utility room with automatic washing machine, microwave and large freezer.
Study/Music room with writing desk, piano and views over the valley.
Downstairs bathroom with shower unit over the bath and a WC.
Separate WC downstairs.
Upstairs there are four bedrooms sleeping up to nine people as follows...
Bedroom one with king size double bed and views over the valley, garden and out to sea.
Bedroom two with double bed (one side access) and views over the garden and out to sea.
Bedroom three with bunk beds and a separate single and views over the valley.
Bedroom four with king size double bed and views over the valley.
Upstairs bathroom with bath and a toilet.
Separate WC and spacious landing area.
Garden: The garden area is screened by a hedge of fuscia and escalonia and set on two levels to the west of the house and up on the hillside behind. There is a seating area and lovely views all around. Beyond the garden there is a paddock which is grazed by the neighboring farmer's stock.
Additional information: Spekes House has full oil-fired central heating, wireless broadband, mains electricity and a natural spring water supply. Short breaks are offered between September and May. Prices are inclusive of heating, linen, electricity and logs. Secure bike storage by arrangement.
Prices for 7 nights: Low Season from £495 Mid Season from £895 High Season from £1450 Peak Season £1950
Sleeps 9 people in 4 bedrooms (2 Kings, 1 Double, 1 Bunk bed room)
Group booking details:
All male groups: Please enquire with owner
All female groups: Please enquire with owner
Catering Available: No
Owner's details:
Owner: Rupert & Claire Bedford click Contact Details for owner´s phone number and email address.
Spekes House has been advertised with Independent Cottages since Jan 2009
Late Availability Offers
Sat, 18 Feb 2012 for 7 nights - £595 for small parties of up to 4 people
Sat, 25 Feb 2012 for 7 nights - £595 for small parties of up to 4 people
Sat, 3 Mar 2012 for 7 nights - £595 for small parties of up to 4 people
Approximate Location of Spekes House
Reviews and Testimonials for Spekes House
Lovely house in a great location ! Everybody enjoyed it very much, I currently lobbying to go back next christmas as well rather than risk uncertainty of something new.
Mr L, London
23.01.2012
We had a lovely time thank you. We found Speke's house to be one of the best we have ever stayed in, and the walks from there are very good, we managed a couple of short walks from there about 7 miles is all we did, but very nice all the same.
Mrs G, Oxfordshire
28th June 2011
We so enjoyed our stay despite slightly up and down weather. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves which was lovely.
Mrs S, London
22nd June 2011
We all had a wonderful time; you have a very special property.
Mr H, London
3rd May 2011
We had a really splendid week. The house was wonderful and we very much hope to return.
we had a wonderful stay and very much enjoyed the peace & quiet. Hopefully we'll be back next year.
Mrs M, London
14th March 2011
We have just had a glorious week in Spekes House, so thank you. It was warm too, which often isn't the case in February lets.
Mr N, Wiltshire
26th February 2011
Your house is wonderful. Much better than we’d actually anticipated and we’d thought it looked pretty perfect when we booked it. We rather enjoyed the siege mentality Christmas we had. Rationing the amount of milk the children were allowed to drink and baking bread. Once at Speke’s but with the icy roads, we were a bit unsure how easy it might be to restock on the basics. It is amazing how people regard the fact that I live in Cornwall so it must be remote, but after the joy of Speke’s remoteness, Cornwall felt very urban in comparison once we returned. I hope that we will be able to book it again sometime.
Mrs M, Cornwall
2nd January 2011
Thank you for a wonderful place to stay - we had a fantastic weekend of blustery walking, slap up meals and roaring fires. We hope to return at some point.
Mrs B, Cornwall
28th December 2010
We managed to tear ourselves away and return home last night. What a beautiful spot. Absolutely everything was perfect - even the weather was glorious! As we said in the guest book, the best compliment we can pay is that we could move in tomorrow, not change a thing and live happily ever after. It's a real home from home, and we'll definitely be back for a longer stay.
Mr A, Essex
18th October 2010
Just wanted to say thanks - we really loved our week there. You must have had a great time there watching the kids grow up.
Miss B, London
11th October 2010
We had a truly wonderful time and are deeply impressed with the house and the way you have furnished it.
Mrs M, Stony Stratford
21st September 2010
We had a fantastic family holiday. The location is just an absolute dream, just wonderful. Taken aback by the beautiful rugged coast. Your kids were very lucky to grow up there! House was perfect for us and very clean in fact which is important with kids. No mobile phone reception is a blessing to get away from it all! We certainly hope to be back one day... maybe we'll try the Spring or Autumn next time!
Dr W, London22nd July 2010
Spekes is a beautiful house and we very much enjoyed its many comforts, lovely art work, excellent range of crockery, pots and pans and interesting books. The location is simply amazing – we had never been to this part of Devon before and were stunned by its beauty. Also, we found that the local people were so friendly and welcoming to visitors. We would love to go back to Spekes at some stage, so I am sure we will speak again sometime.
Mrs C, Lancashire 20th June 2010
Dear Rupert,
It was a brilliant week weather-wise and one of the most relaxing holidays ever. Your lovely house has a very happy family atmosphere and is perfectly equipped. I really liked the aga - cheerful even on warm days, the stunning views of the coast and countryside by day and stars at night as well as the several lovely gardens to enjoy plus a collection of interesting books to browse. I very much look forward to a return visit with like-minded friends and family. Thank you for ensuring everything was so well organised.
Mrs M, Leicestershire 7th June 2010
We had the most wonderful time, what a place! the exhilarating walks were appreciated all the more for knowing we had cosy Spekes to return to.
Thank you, we will be back!
Mrs Z, Cambridge 7th April 2010
We enjoyed our stay very much - it really is a great house in a great location.
Mr M, Bristol 18th November 2009
We had a wonderful time thank you. The house is fabulous - a real home from home. Many thanks again for a fabulous stay.
Mrs W, Oxon 3rd November 2009
We all had a wonderful time at Spekes, it was super and we look forward to another visit in the near future.