Appletree Cottage is our third and last farm building conversion at Cotmore Farm. It has the same stylish layout as the TripAdvisor award-winning Barn at Cotmore Farm, and the same level of finish: two large slate-floored bedrooms on the ground floor at courtyard level, one with a super-kingsize bed, the other either a twin or a super-kingsize, depending on configuration, and each with its own luxurious bathroom; bright and airy open-plan upstairs, with oak floors, vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, roof lights, fully equipped kitchen, comfy leather sofas, WiFi, woodburner; and direct access through double French doors to a private sun-trap garden terrace carved out of a green Devon bank, surrounded by steep banks filled with wildflowers, and a winding path leading up to the enclosed apple orchard. And of course you have all the amenities of the farm at hand: horses, piglets, chickens, ducks, sheep – endless entertainment for animal-loving children (and adults!).
Located at the very end of the farm courtyard, Appletree Cottage is accessed through a sturdy oak door which gives to an entrance hall dominated by a large bookshelf brimming with modern fiction, colour reference books and and an exquisite range of children's picture books that will provide endless evening or rainy-day diversion. To the left, another ledged oak door opens to a limestone bathroom, with P-shaped bath, Grohe power shower, wall-hung basin, curved towelrad with eco-switch, and discreetly located toilet. This family bathroom doubles, via an ingenious Jack-and-Jill arrangement, as ensuite to the master bedroom, the next room along, where a 6ft super kingsize oak bed takes centre stage, flanked by bedside tables with LED stay-cool reading lamps. Painted wooden shutters in the master bedroom and bathroom allow precise control of light ingress, and on hotter days allow a cooling breeze to circulate while maintaining absolute privacy. Across the corridor, a spacious second bedroom can be configured with two or three single beds or one super-kingsize bed, with easily enough room to add a travel cot. Another ensuite bathroom boasts a huge walk-in enclosure with Grohe power-shower, wall-hung basin, sensor-switched vanity mirror, curved towelrad with eco-switch, and discreetly located toilet. All downstairs areas benefit from touch-sensitive underfloor heating, individually controllable in each room.
A glass balustraded staircase winds up to the first floor, a stunning open-plan room where the architecture of the vaulted roof and exposed trusses of ancient pitch pine combine to create a sense of airy space and light. Views to the south and east look over gently rolling hills towards the sea at Beesands, while to the north, a wall of glass positively invites the countryside in. To the left, a compact but fully equipped kitchen and comfortable dining area mean you can cook with confidence if you don't fancy going out; to the right, two comfy leather sofas, a widescreen satellite TV, and a fully room-sealed Burley woodburner guarantee snug evenings in, whatever the weather. Double French doors give onto a totally secluded, glass-balustraded private terrace which is a real suntrap from breakfast till sundown, with outdoor dining facilities and barbecue. Behind the terrace is a steep Devon bank full of wildflowers, roses and cotoneasters, with a small herb bed for guests' use. Paved steps lead down to the front door, while a grassy path winds up past the dovecot to a sheltered cider apple orchard with a trampoline and a grassy area perfect for a game of football, badminton or croquet. Horses, cats, chickens, Shetland sheep, and rare breed piglets provide feeding opportunities for animal-loving children (and adults!), while birdwatchers will delight in the abundance of visitors to our many tables and feeders – a visiting ornithologist recently identified over 50 species in and around the farm. And since we're barely a mile from the South West Coast Path, walkers (and their dogs) will not want for new routes to explore.
Appletree Cottage is one of three imaginatively converted farm buildings at Cotmore Farm. The others are Rose Cottage, a former piggery offering luxurious single-storey accommodation for two, and The Barn at Cotmore Farm, which accommodates up to 5 guests in two bedrooms, with a fabulous open-plan living space above, opening onto a private suntrap garden surrounded by green Devon banks. Both cottages have won the coveted TripAdvisor Award of Excellence.