Martin Dalby - Aspire Magazine

Holidays & Leisure
The clocks go back next weekend,
signalling the beginning of the
countdown to Christmas. The season
of autumn provides numerous
opportunities for nose-tingling
walks on crisp, cool mornings, across
stunning British countryside that you
simply wouldn’t get abroad. The UK
has some superb places to organise
a holiday, with Areas of Outstanding
Natural Beauty and places of historic
interest. Why not combine your
holiday with your favourite past time,
such as a pony trekking holiday in
Devon, a fishing break in Somerset, or
a ghost hunting tour in Yorkshire.
Autumn is the best months in
which to visit a woodland and see
the array of wildlife preparing for
winter. Squirrels can be seen busily
collecting nuts, hedgehogs may
be spotted gorging themselves on
fruits in order to survive their long
hibernation and, if you’re lucky,
you may even spot insects, such as
ladybirds, crawling into cracks in
trees, their home for the winter.
Birds have already started migrating
to warmer climes, ensuring that any
holiday taken in the next couple of
months will be great for twitchers!
Sedge warblers, whitethroats and
even cuckoos have all been spotted
in recent weeks along the south
coast.
Wildlife watching isn’t the only
12 ASPIRE
Top Recommendation
Hele Valley
Holiday Park
A short walk away from great pubs,
town and a beach is award-winning
Hele Valley Holiday Park, abundant
with nature and wildlife within North
Devon's unspoilt countryside.
Warm stylish accommodation awaits
you to escape for a weekend or a
mid-week break. Indulge in affordable
treats with a private hot tub and
sauna ready to use on your wooden
decked area.
Come and see Damien Hirst’s new
controversial art sculpture, ‘Verity’,
donated to Ilfracombe harbour.
Brighten up your winter and ask for
a DISCOUNT by quoting: ‘ASPIRE
ME’ when you call 01271 862460 or
look for more inspiration on
www.helevalley.co.uk.
Contact Details
Hele Valley Holiday Park, Hele Bay,
Ilfracombe EX34 9RD
Tel: 01271 862460
www.helevalley.co.uk
activity that can be enjoyed in
autumn; there are numerous
activities that can be enjoyed, such
as fishing, walking, cycling and even
watersports.
If you’d like to head abroad to see
the magnificent beauty of autumn
in all its glory, Aspire would like
to recommend a trip to Canada or
North America, in particular eastern
Canada and New England, where
millions of tourist flock each year to
see for themselves the world-famous
autumnal foliage.
If you can’t afford an autumn escape,
there are still plenty of things you
can do to entertain the children and
make the most of your weekends
while the weather is fine.
Did you know that if you catch a leaf
as it floats down from the tree, you’re
granted a wish by the woodland
fairy folk? Autumn is a great time for
kids of all ages to play leaf games,
thanks to the golden crunchy carpet
that covers the ground. Aspire’s
favourite game is to hunt for leaves
using different criteria: the biggest,
the smallest, the most unusual, the
most colourful, and so on. This game
is great for everyone, from toddlers
to teenagers! As well as collecting
leaves, you can also set your children
the challenge of finding other
autumn goodies, such as conkers
(Horse Chestnuts), Fir cones and
evergreen leaves.
No.2, The Wrasse,
Isles Of Scilly
Relax, unwind, explore; Just
indulge yourself.
The Isles of Scilly are worldrenowned
for their peace,
tranquillity and gorgeous natural
beauty. Tresco, Lower Town, High
Town, Bryher and St Agnes, all
part of the enchanting Isles of
Scilly.
Come and experience the delights
of a few days in world away from
your usual life, yet one with all the
creature comforts you could want.
The flat has been completely redesigned
and refurbished during
the spring 2008. This comfortable
property now offers a fullyequipped
kitchen and bedroom
with king-size bed.
Tel: 01685 388309
Email: keithwaite@btinternet.com
www.scilly-sanctuary.com
Awesome
Autumn!
BAKEWELL HOLIDAYS
Superior Self-Catering Cottages
We offer high quality selfcatering
holidays in delightful
four-star cottage properties* in
the historic town of Bakewell,
which lies in the heart of the Peak
District National Park. *Excludes
Rock Cottage
Anne Cottage, Brew House, Butts
Cottage & Rock Cottage can all
be viewed in full on
our website below.
Bakewell Holidays, Ashdown, White
Edge Drive, Baslow, Derbyshire DE45 1SJ
Tel: 01246 583399
Email: charles@bakewellholidays.com
www.bakewellholidays.com
Tillmouth Cottages
Self-catering accommodation
in the Border County of
Northumberland.
Situated in the grounds of the delightful
grounds of Tillmouth Park Estate, Cornhillon-Tweed,
where the rivers Till and Tweed
meet, the three luxury cottages are Grade II
Listed buildings lovingly renovated in 2008.
Combining modern technology and excellent
facilities giving luxury comfort with rustic
historic charm. The area is ideal for walking,
cycling and fishing. With private parking the
cottages sleep 2, 4, 8 or even 10 people.
Family-owned and run, we aim to provide
you with a quality holiday experience to be
repeated.
Contact Margaret Hoyle.
Tel: 01423 331503
Email: Margaret.hoyle@talk21.com
www.tillmouthcottages.co.uk
Glen Avon
‘Glen Avon’ is a genuine Cornish
cottage nestling beside one of the
wooded creeks of the Helford River
in south Cornwall. It enjoys tranquil
and idyllic river views from both
inside and outside the property,
where the elevated garden
provides plenty of outdoor seating,
as well as ample off road parking.
Furnished and equipped to a high
standard, Glen Avon provides
three-star accommodation for up
to five, with a double room, twin
room and single.
Located close to two famous
gardens, Glendurgan and Trebah,
your holiday at Glen Avon will
provide endless opportunities for
unforgettable visits, adventures and
sensory experiences.
Lower Penpol Farm, Mawnan Smith Falmouth,
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly TR11 5LW
Tel: 01326 250283
Email: ann.benney@btinternet.com
Discover Delightful
Devon At
Situated on the Jurassic Coast of east
Devon, just 10 minutes’ from the
village of Branscombe, Edge House
offers holidaymakers five-star luxury
surrounded by rolling countryside.
Catering for nine people, Edge House
also lends itself to small events, such as
weddings, parties and private functions.
Completed in 2010, this New England-style
property is located on the site of a former
1950s farmhouse and is the perfect venue for
a relaxing country holiday retreat. Owner Lyn
Hall told Aspire: “Edge House used to belong
to Edge Farm, which was split up in 2006; my
family and I bought the 1950s farmhouse
and 15 acres of land. Our original plan was
to extend the existing farmhouse, but we
ended up knocking the house down and
starting from scratch because we wanted
to build something splendid, something
that we knew the old property could never
be. A lot of time and energy has gone into
every aspect of the property, from the layout
to the décor and we’ve used high quality
furnishing and fittings to ensure luxury and
comfort. We began renting the property
out to holidaymakers in July 2011 after an
unsuccessful year on the stagnant property
market.”
The house, which boast five bedrooms, has
been carefully decorated and furnished to
the highest quality to give a luxurious feel
throughout and, because of this, Visit Britain
have awarded it five stars and a Gold award.
When entering Edge House through the
beautiful oak front door, you step into a
spacious hall with oak flooring that extends
throughout the ground floor and up the
bespoke oak staircase. The lounge is a
light spacious comfortable grand room
which has patio doors that open out into
the garden, with a mixture of modern and
antique furniture. This room also features a
55” flatscreen TV, as well as a Blu-Ray player.
From the entrance hallway, you drop down
three steps in to the vestibule, where there is
a very large stained glass window which has
been specially designed and commissioned
by Lyn, depicting a fishing scene, a scene
which is very special to her family's history.
Off of the vestibule is a beautiful dining room
(again with patio doors which open out into
the garden), furnished with a long oak dining
table, which seats up to 12 people, and a
very grand oak sideboard. This room also
includes a 42” TV and a music centre with an
iPod dock.
The well-equipped kitchen is very light and
spacious, decorated in a calming cream
with bursts of blue throughout, including
the luxury granite work tops. The kitchen
boasts an electric range type cooker, built-in
dishwasher, microwave, and a large island
so there is plenty of work surfaces. There is
also a 42” TV, with two leather sofas and a
glass table and metal chairs, looking out to
the garden through the patio doors. A utility
area including toilet, sink area, washing
machine, tumble dryer and a cupboard with
ironing board and cleaning equipment etc. is
adjacent to the kitchen.
Upstairs, a spacious and light landing leads
to a single bedroom with a small double bed
and a small flatscreen TV, which is decorated
with a gold theme. Next to this room, there
is a double bedroom, decorated in a pink
theme, with two large single beds which can
be zip and linked to create a large super king
bed. This room also has a flatscreen TV and
has an en-suite bathroom with a whirlpool
bath and a rainforest shower head. This
room also has its own balcony with a view
of the valley and the sea. Along the hall is
another double bedroom (decorated in a
light jade), with zip and link beds, which also
boasts views down the valley to the sea. A
modern bathroom, with Whirlpool bath and
separate shower, serves this bedroom and
the gold bedroom. The hallway then leads
up three steps to the master suite, which is
very spacious and decorated cream with a
black and red theme. This bedroom boasts
a covered balcony with the view down
through the valley to the sea, two large
double beds and a flat screen TV, as well as
a walk through dressing room with a large
mirrored fitted wardrobe and a dressing
table. The en-suite bathroom boasts a
stunning large walk-in shower area made
entirely from black granite with sapphire
blue flecks, with a large rainforest shower
head in the ceiling. The bathroom also
boasts a large air bath that creates hot air
bubbles from the floor of the bath and there
is chromatherapy lighting around the inside
of the bath, which is said to have health
benefits.
Built to be eco-friendly and energy-efficient,
Edge House boasts a number of ‘green
technologies’ including a ground source heat
pump, which utilises heat from the land to
heat the property, and a rain water harvester
which collects rain water in a tank below the
lawn and is returned for use in the toilets.
Prices vary from £1,076 to £2,600 per week
depending on the season, which may sound
like a lot, but it’s actually excellent value for
money for this level of luxury and quality for
up to nine people.
Despite being set in a very rural location,
Edge House is only a couple of minutes
from the A3052, 15 minutes from Honiton
train station, 10 minutes from the beaches
at Branscombe, Sidmouth and Seaton and
about 30 minutes from the city of Exeter.
Edge House
For more information, please call 07962 265911 or visit www.edge-house.co.uk
ASPIRE 13