Baby-friendly holidays in Devon
These are places put together with littles in mind: for gatherings with grandparents-turned-sitters, or star-crossed babymooners seeking slumber. With blocks and books, cots and stairgates, luxury baby-friendly holidays in Devon can only happen in homes as curated as these.
You might be surrounded by tiny socks, wooden rattles, and bassinet blankets, but these are the days when memories are made. British babymooners, now is the time to retreat to a luxury family-friendly home in the country and make flump on a miles-deep sofa ‘til long past lunchtime. We know that baby-friendly holidays in Devon come with a longer checklist, so whether you're new to the parenting thing or three children in, these homes are kitted out for all your little one's needs; think cots and stairgates, wooden toys and story books, and cottages so close to the Devonshire coast that the ocean soundscape will send them gently to slumber.
Perhaps now is the time for a big group gathering to introduce a little bundle to the whole clan? With grandparents chomping at the bit to have their turn holding the bottle, and siblings waiting in the wings with fairytales and fables up their sleeves, there's nothing like having all hands on deck to calm the laser-like focus that tiny babies bring. At these luxurious country houses, you'll have the option to wake yourself up with cold water plunges from private beaches on the River Dart, thaw off in the warm embrace of a sauna, or simply disappear for a mindful walk across the moors while the big cousins do cot-side duties in the cinema room.
Over Lemon River
Ashburton, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
A light-filled, luxury cottage near Ashburton on heather-cloaked Dartmoor, Over Lemon River is a couples' hideaway with a woodfired hot tub and fire pit in Devon’s wild heart.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two dogs are welcome
Features: Al fresco living space with wood-fired hot tub and fire pit
Ivy Cove
Holbeton, Noss Mayo, Devon, UK
Perfectly placed for both sun baking and storm watching, Ivy Cove is a luxury cottage near Noss Mayo where colourful modern design and spectacular coastal views go hand in hand.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
From: £2,195 per week, £1,650 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three small dogs on prior request
Features: Wood-fired hot tub and tennis court
The Creamery
Abbotsham, Appledore, Devon, UK
Far from the crowds on the Hartland Heritage Coast, in between characterful Appledore and Clovelly, The Creamery is a rustic-luxe cottage made for those hidden-away stays in Devon.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,595 per week, £1,295 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome with a third small dog on request
Features: Fire pit, hot tub
Watermark
Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, Devon, UK
A former boat workshop, Watermark is a luxury waters’-edge home with a hot tub on the River Dart in Devon's Stoke Gabriel; expect chic shacks, crabbing, and canoes instead of cars.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,495 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub
The Brandy Thief
Lee, Ilfracombe, Devon, UK
Awash with history and swathed in character, this luxury coastal cottage is a dreamy retreat for explorers looking to hunker down in North Devon.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,495 per short break
Pets: One small to medium well-behaved dog is welcome and two on prior request
Castle on the Well
South Molton, Exmoor, Devon, UK
Fusing authentic lodge appeal with an unexpected stately twist, Castle on the Well is a luxury fortress on the edge of Exmoor National Park in the rolling Devonshire countryside.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,495 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Fire pit
The Lost Music Hall
Created by a London dandy as a secret retreat from society, The Lost Music Hall is a luxury Arts and Crafts manor with a pool in a hidden valley near Totnes, in Devon's South Hams.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 & Up to 12 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,595 per short break
Pets: Two pets are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (May-September) and games room with table tennis and darts
The Riddle
North Bovey, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
A luxury thatched cottage with a hot tub in North Bovey, one of Devon's most idyllic Dartmoor villages, The Riddle is the type of home you might find in the pages of a storybook.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,495 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request.
Features: Hot tub
Beauport
A luxury waterfront cottage on the banks of the River Yealm in yachty Newton Ferrers, the oh-so-stylish Beauport is a restful Devon hotspot with a summerhouse and private slipway.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £1,295 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Summerhouse, kayaks (used at your own risk, life jackets not provided), private slipway
Novella
This cob cottage deep in Devon's woodland is a storybook home; tucked down a lane, decked in antique furnishings, Novella is a luxury chapel conversion with a hot tub in Braunton.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,895 per week, £1,450 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, trampoline, table tennis, outdoor kitchen (year-round)
Ellesmera Mill
A 400-year-old South Hams residence that's full of quaint charm, Ellesmera Mill is a luxury country home with a hot tub, sauna, and cinema room near Dartmouth on the Devon coast.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
From: £3,595 per week, £3,150 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, cinema room with table football
Botania
Ashburton, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
Wrapped in Dartmoor’s mossy-hued clutches, and minutes from the good-living village of Ashburton, Botania is an Arts and Crafts manor that keeps Devon's River Dart in its backyard.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
From: £2,950 per week, £2,250 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Leopoldina
Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, Devon, UK
Once the stables to Sandridge Park, now a luxury Italianate manor with a heated pool in Devon's Stoke Gabriel, Leopoldina was the last creation of famed architect John Nash.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
From: £5,150 per week, £3,895 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Outdoor heated pool (available May-September), private beach on the River Dart, yoga space with roof terrace, and games annex with table tennis and a football table
Verte
A spectacularly grown-up treehouse, Verte is a luxury RIBA-award winning home within Devon's lush Chevithorne Barton estate, complete with a hot tub and glorious gardens.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests (6 adults and 4 children)
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
From: £3,795 per week, £2,995 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, large flat lawn for croquet, football and badminton