SUPPLEMENT I 2006 - Helpful Holidays

More documents

Recommendations

Info

SUPPLEMENT I 2006: Rower Fort The view The tower is on 6 levels: Basement: kitchenette (cooker, butler sink)/games room (table tennis, darts, TV/video) with vaulted ceiling and oil ‘woodburner’; loo (washbasin); utility room (washing machine, tumble drier). Ground floor: entrance hall/sitting room with sofa/chairs, enormous stone fireplace (open fire) and door to farmhouse. First floor: master double bedroom (5’ bed) with smart en suite bathroom (suite with cast iron roll-top bath, colourful Mexican basin, Italian marble tiles). Second floor: sitting room (sofas, music system, home cinema, CD/MP3/radio and door to farmhouse) and small double bedroom (access to one side of bed only) with phone boxes as wardrobe and shower (no loo). Third floor: small gallery double bedroom (access to one side of ornate iron bed only) above the sitting room (screened by curtains and a mahogany oriental screen) with en suite bathroom (suite with short cast iron roll-top bath and stunning views down the valley from floor to ceiling window). Stockland: thriving and pretty village (church, PO, cricket ground, good food pub, annual Spring Bank Holiday fair) with thatched cottages in rolling countryside, 8 miles north-east of Honiton (see brochure page 46, mainline railway station) and 4 miles from the nearest main road. Axminster (small town renowned for carpets), 9 miles; Exeter airport, 16; the sea/beaches at Branscombe, 12; pretty Lyme Regis, 14; and Sidmouth (attractive Regency resort), 17. … 2 miles north-east of Stockland stands Rower Fort, part stone castellated tower and part thatched farmhouse. The farmhouse was formerly in the estate of Sir Francis Drake; its folly castellations (formerly the gamekeeper’s lookout) were first built around 1827. The original tower was mostly destroyed by fire, and rebuilt about 10 years ago. From its elevated position (600’ above the surrounding countryside) it commands outstanding panoramic views over the Blackdown Hills and down to the south coast. On top of the tower, within the battlements, is an open-air hot tub, the most remarkably sited one we’ve ever come across, from which you can gaze over the countryside. There are 12 acres to roam (woods/fields), including a nature trail, a terrace (table/chairs, barbecue) from which to enjoy wonderful views, an enormous (has to be seen to be believed) adventure tree house/climbing frame, and an original World War II tank on which to clamber. Sounds fun? Read on … Inside, the Fort is even more extraordinary – eclectic in style, totally eccentric and wacky, original and imaginative, with state-of-the-art music systems and full Sky TV package. Entry is from the terrace via large oak doors to the ground floor of the Rapunzel-like tower, which gives access to the farmhouse at ground and second floor levels. Battlements: stairs (lockable) up to the battlements with the hot tub, sound system and 360° views. The main living area is in the farmhouse, on 3 floors: Ground floor: large, English oak fitted kitchen/diner (Aga plus electric hob, dishwasher, microwave, fridge-freezer, Belfast sink) with farmhouse table; loo (washbasin); and comfy living room with enormous oak-beamed inglenook fireplace (open fire). First floor: two bedrooms Large double (5’ bed) A twin A bathroom (suite) Second floor: two more bedrooms in the eaves A double (steps up to 5’ oak platform bed) with smart en suite bathroom (suite with cast iron roll-top bath, Italian tiles) and door into the tower’s second floor sitting room A twin with en suite bathroom (suite). That’s seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, one shower and seven loos. The owner (who lives in a cottage beside the fort) can arrange many activities including clay pigeon shooting, riding, fishing, cycling, on or off-road go-carting, and, by arrangement, a flight in a light aircraft or a ride in an historic military vehicle. This is a quite unique and special place to stay, particularly good for adventurous families and for those who want somewhere different for celebrating. Catering (frozen meals) by arrangement. No smoking. Phone. Cautionary Deposit £150. Arrival after 4pm. CH OF inc inc C 3 L D HC BS TD 3DVD 2VS T 2 ★ ★ ★ 1 ⁄2 Bedrooms: 7 Sleeps: 14 Fri Bath/shower: 5 Price: S Ref: G23 BACK Enquiries and bookings: 01647 433593 More photos, real-time availability and online booking: www.helpfulholidays.com PAGE 8 NEXT PAGE
. . . lakeside byre . . . . . . Sandbanks style SUPPLEMENT I 2006 Whitchurch Canonicorum: small hillside village (fine medieval church, pub, thatched cottages) in the lovely Marshwood Vale with its River Char which winds down to Lyme Bay at Charmouth (large village with long sandy/pebble beach and fossils, see brochure page 6), 2 1 ⁄2 miles away. Lyme Regis (lovely old seaside/harbour town with sandy beach), 4 miles; Bridport (market town), 5 1 ⁄2. … a mile from Whitchurch Canonicorum, a former byre converted to a single-storey, semi-detached cottage in the grounds of the owners’ farmhouse. Own small private patio (garden furniture, barbecue, evening sun) overlooking a lake in the grounds (unfenced, ducks and occasional heron, egret and kingfishers) and with uninterrupted views up the vale to Marshwood. It has a large, enclosed lawned garden, shared with the owners. Inside, hall, off which fitted kitchen (microwave); comfortable living/dining room (woodburner) with some antiques/good pictures and French windows to patio; two bedrooms (pretty fabrics) – double (5’ bed) and twin; bathroom (suite plus bath-shower). Nearby outbuilding with washing machine, tumble drier and, shared with owners, freezer. Suitable for partially disabled. No smoking. No children, except pre-crawling babies. Sleeps maximum 4, including babies. Two bikes which you are welcome to borrow. NSH WB inc inc DVD L T T ★ ★ ★ Bedrooms: 2 Sleeps: 4 Fri Bath/shower: 1 Price: D Ref: H11 Milborne St Andrew: small village (church, pub, two shops) in a valley below the great chalk downland arc of the Dorset hills midway between Dorchester (county capital) and Blandford Forum (handsome Georgian market town), 8 miles from each. Lovely countryside. The ‘World Heritage’ south coast at beautiful Lulworth Cove, 17 miles; Poole and Bournemouth, 15 miles; Weymouth (Georgian resort town with sandy beach), 18 miles. ... down a quiet lane, opposite the sports field (children’s play area) in Milborne St Andrew and beside a brook, is this pretty, early 19th cent. detached cottage, full of character, nooks and crannies, quirky, comfortable. Double gates to a gravelled courtyard screened by a high fence from the tiny, but secluded, lawn with brick patio (table, chairs, barbecue). From a little porch, the low front door opens directly into the comfortable living room (open fire). Dining room with beams, flagstoned floor, dresser, large inglenook fireplace (gas ‘woodburner’); downstairs shower-room (suite); a purposely ‘old-fashioned’ looking fitted kitchen (microwave) with enamel sink, gas cooker, mixture of wooden-topped cupboards, open shelves, dresser base, and large utility room (dishwasher, washer-drier). Upstairs, three bedrooms: open metal spiral staircase from the living room up to a bedroom above it with two single beds; second staircase leads up to a small double (access to one side of bed only), and the pretty master double with en suite bathroom (suite with roll-top bath) and interconnecting door to the bedroom above the living room. Outside, large, secure shed (freezer) for bike storage. No smoking. Sandbanks: sandy beach-lined peninsula at the mouth of Poole’s enormous and magnificent natural harbour, thronged with yachts, used by bigger ships also, including ferries to France. Sandbanks, with beach shops, pub, cafés and restaurants, is reckoned among the south coast’s top sea bathing places and is excellent for windsurfing and sailing (still unspoilt creeks to explore); bikes and boats for hire. Ferries cross the harbour to Purbeck (more miles of sandy beaches, sand dunes) and pretty Studland via Brownsea Island (Nat. Trust: woods, gardens, bird sanctuary and red squirrels). Poole town was popular with pirates in its early (13th cent.) days, its harbour with smugglers. Its oldest part, behind the quay, is a ‘conservation area’, mainly Georgian. It has an arts centre and famous pottery, good parks, outstanding gardens (Compton Acres), fine golf course. Bigger resort Bournemouth (good aquarium, IMAX cinema) is its adjoining neighbour. Nearby inland, beautiful Dorset farmland, Corfe Castle (spectacular ruins), the New Forest and Beaulieu with its abbey and vintage cars. … a detached dormer bungalow just a stone’s throw from the beaches, ferries, shops etc. in a quiet, residential road in the middle of Sandbanks. Plenty of parking space and reasonable-sized lawned garden. Inside, recently refurbished, comfortable, light and restful with cream and beige décor. Hall with original pine floor with rugs, off which a spacious living room (open fire) with cream leather suite and French windows to garden; double bedroom with iron bedstead, en suite loo (washbasin) and French windows to garden; family bathroom (suite plus hand-shower) down one step; dining room with books and videos, and arch to smart, beech fitted kitchen with double oven and ceramic hob, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble drier, microwave and door to secluded paved patio (table/chairs, barbecue) and an outbuilding with fridge-freezer. Stairs (narrow treads, handrail, stairgate) up to two more bedrooms – double with en suite bathroom (suite plus bathshower) and a room with 2’6’’ twin beds plus another single bed with truckle and TV (small b&w). Suitable for partially disabled. No smoking. Cautionary Deposit £175. CH OF E G inc inc 2 L D V T HC BS T Extra ★ ★ ★ 1 ⁄2 Bedrooms: 3 Sleeps: 6 Fri Bath/shower: 2 Price: Ref: G H H9 CH OF inc inc 3 L D DVD V T ★ ★ ★ 1 ⁄2 Bedrooms: 3 Sleeps: 8 Fri Bath/shower: 2 Price: P Ref: H10 BACK Enquiries and bookings: 01647 433593 More photos, real-time availability and online booking: www.helpfulholidays.com PAGE 9 NEXT PAGE
Page 1 and 2: SUPPLEMENT I 2006 Officially ‘out
Page 3 and 4: Bonehill House SUPPLEMENT I 2006 Bo
Page 5 and 6: Ludbrook Manor . . . sea views SUPP
Page 7: . . . sandy seaside . . . . . . she
Page 11 and 12: . . . ‘best-kept’ Berrynarbour
Page 13 and 14: . . . Bude bustle . . . . . . a sec
Page 15 and 16: . . . little haven . . . . . . vict

SUPPLEMENT I 2006 - Helpful Holidays

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?