a charming north devon holiday cottage

The Byre is a rare example of an old North Devon luxury holiday cottage, converted from an old byre (cow shed!); it retains the original round pillars unique to North Devon and Exmoor.

customer testimonials

" Fantastic cottage! We were delighted with it and you have thought of everything. We would recommend it to anyone! Will def. return. Thanks" 10-04-09 - Glaves Family

where to go / what to do

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Within 20 mininutes of The Byre you can enjoy almost any activity you can imagine, from walks on Exmoor or the long empty beaches, take a ride along the Tarka Trail which stretches for miles through the beautiful North Devon countryside, play tennis at the Tarka tennis centre with it's 6 indoor and 6 outdoor courts of for the more adventurous, the local beaches at Saunton, Puttsburough and Croyde offer some of the best surfing in the world. Or if you want to just wander around Lynton and Lynmouth are a must. All this provides plenty of entertainment for a summer holiday or a short break in North Devon. The main town of North Devon is Barnstaple, which offers great shops, restaurants and places to visit, it dates back to Viking times and has many architectural sites for the keen historian. The Pannier market in the centre of the town is famous for its local food, produce, arts and crafts.

North Devon holds the fantastic North Devon Festival during June with international stars performing at the Queens Theatre and the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe. This festival also includes the famous music festival on Croyde beach - Ocean Fest! which will have top bands from around the world.

There are a host of beautiful seaside villages to explore, such as Clovelly which has been kept intact for thousands of years and the local village of Appledore also hosts a wealth of crafts and art galleries.

For the more adventurous there is a host of water-sports from surfing to kite -surfing and canoeing. Instow has a great sailing club where the kids can learn to sail. Barnstaple also has one of the country’s leading tennis centres, Tarka tennis centre, with six indoor and six outdoor courts as well as top level coaches on site. For cyclists of all levels the Tarka trail cycle path which runs from Torrington all the way through to Instow and on to Braunton offers great, level, cycling through the beautiful North Devon county-side.

For younger children there are fantastic theme parks like the Wildlife and Dinosaur Park at Combe Martin and The Big Sheep and The Milky Way with loads of scary rides.

North Devon also has many beautiful gardens like the ones at Rosemoor, Docton Mill and the amazing Sculpture Park at Broomhill just outside Barnstaple.

If you simply just want to wander round and enjoy the scene then Lynton and Lynmouth and the "Valley of the Rocks" make a lovely day out.

North Devon is unique in having the wilds of Exmoor and the long peaceful beaches along the coast, perfect for relaxed walks with or without the dog.

North Devon is host to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches; Saunton Sands with 6 miles of stunning beach; Putsburough, to the west side of Woolacombe bay is the most beautiful beach you will ever see; plus the famous beach at Croyde, all of this is only 20 minutes drive away. The area is also famous for some of the best surfing in the world and also hosts a stunning nature reserve for birds at Braunton Burroughs. The coastal walks run for miles and are well marked with regular breaks for refreshments and Devon cream tea’s.