Willow Lodge
About
Imagine living in a pretty country cottage overlooking a delightful valley with your own 35 acres of woodland. Now imagine the same thing with every 21st-century luxury at your disposal. Thats what David and Maria have created over the last seven years at the tiny hamlet of Stapley in the Blackdown Hills.
A sweeping drive from the lane leads up to Willow and Bracken Lodges. The two houses that David and Maria have built have wood clinker facades and slate roofs which blend in wonderfully with the landscape.
Each house has five bedrooms and can sleep up to 12 people. Imagine that! You can accommodate up to 24 family or friends in one place!
Go inside your house and theres old world charm but theres also hi-tech living. The superb oak-floored open-plan living area in each house is 26ft long by 19ft wide. There are wood burning stoves and feature fireplaces at one end of these rooms, with under floor heating throughout the ground floor.
A wooden staircase leads to a mezzanine play area that overlooks the living room. Upstairs is entirely carpeted. Bedrooms all have televisions and views over the surrounding countryside. The main bedroom has an en-suite shower room and is situated on the ground floor. There is a guest bathroom for 2 bedrooms on the first floor and another guest bathroom with a shower for the 2 bedrooms on the ground floor, too.
The kitchen facilities will make large scale entertaining easy. Each house has a range cooker and integrated dishwasher and an integrated clothes washer/dryer. If you like, we can organise local caterers or Tescos can deliver your food for your arrival.
There are excellent places to eat nearby, including gastro-pubs such as the Merry Harriers and the Culm Valley Inn. Walks from Stapley lead to other superb country pubs, such as the Blagdon Inn at Blagdon, the York at Churchinford and the Holman Clavel at Culm Head. For shopping, go to the sweet market town of Taunton where the County Stores offers a range of local produce and it even has a 24 hour Tesco. For restaurants, there is Tauntons Michelin-starred Castle Hotel restaurant as well as a wide range of others. Or stay at home and entertain on your own patio. These large decking areas are tucked into the L-shape of the houses so they enjoy the most possible sunshine. Both have hot tubs, picnic benches and gas barbecues. The houses themselves have plenty of south facing picture windows so you can watch your children playing on the patios or play equipment while admiring your private woodlands beyond from the comfort of your house.
The private wood is a terrific area for the young to explore. David and Maria have cut paths through it to secret glades. A mix of silver birch, oak and conifers, its a haunt of shy roe and red deer, badgers and even otters, who chase the little trout in Stapley Stream across the lane.
David and Maria have a little boy and know how important it is for a holiday house to be safe for children. The pond with its charming rustic bridge is fenced off and, for those with toddlers, the whole patio area is gated.
Above all, Willow and Bracken are a place of peace and relaxation, where you can enjoy your holiday undisturbed.