Pippinsands - Accommodation
When you arrive at Pippinsands, take a moment to appreciate your surroundings; have a good stretch, a deep breath of fresh country air, then push open the big front door and in you go, to a wide flag-stoned hallway. Off to the left is the kitchen; on your way you pass the snug, the perfect place to cosy up on the settee and watch TV or to read a few chapters of your book. The kitchen and adjoining dining room allow for happy sociable times with plenty of room for you all to gather together – great if you’re here to celebrate a special anniversary or birthday. Hire tried and tested caterers from our Extras list to come in and cook for you; sit around the table, raise a toast with the backdrop of the beautiful Otter Valley.
To the right of the hall is the living room; big windows let the natural light pour in so this is a lovely place to get together for afternoon tea or early evening drinks. To one end there's a huge inglenook fireplace with a wood-burner, to the other is a local stone fireplace (not in use). In between are big fat sofas and chairs for you to sit comfy, swap stories, play parlour games, or have a family movie night; just the kind of things that holidays are made of.
Go upstairs and you'll find yourself more or less in the middle of a long landing; straight ahead is Bedroom 1, a light filled room with a feature fireplace (not working), zip and link beds, and an ensuite shower room; next is Bedroom 2, with zip and link beds and a charming window seat. Then there's a family bathroom, with a P bath with an overhead shower, and next off the landing, Bedroom 3, another one with a window seat and zip and link beds. Right down the end is Bedroom 4 which has a king size bed and an ensuite WC; Bedrooms 1-4 have a wonderful outlook over the front garden so you can start the day with a cup of tea in bed, watching squirrels scampering about on the lawn.
Across the landing is Bedrooms 5, which is actually a suite comprised of two interlinking rooms and a shared shower room. This is perfect for families - a double bed for parents and two singles for the children. The bedrooms are so unruffled and restful at Pippinsands, and they've all got original built-in cupboards to put your clothes in; it’s just how a house in the country should be, full of quirky old charm and character.
Back downstairs next to the kitchen there’s an integral annexe, so if you have elderly parents or grandparents in your group, or even a couple who like their own space, this will suit them well. There's a well-equipped kitchen with a table and chairs, a cosy living room and then the bedroom (Bedroom 6), with zip and link beds, an ensuite wet room, and French doors that open onto a patio and the garden - a lovely spot in the summer for morning coffee or a sneaky nightcap.
The gardens are mostly to the front of the house and lead on to the open fields where you can walk down across the valley to the River Luv. Idle away the hours lazing on the lawns or soaking in the hot tub beneath a summer sky the colour of forget-me-nots. There's plenty of room for the little ones to run about and let off steam, and don’t forget – there’s a play area in the 15 acre grounds of the farm. You'll also have use of the on-site games room, which has a pool table, table football and table tennis*.
What really stands out about Pippinsands is its homeliness; if this house had arms they'd be wrapped around you, welcoming you: "Come in, come in, have tea and toast, come and sit beside the fire, come and unwind." It's hard not to, you'll feel soon feel so settled you'll probably wish you could live here forever. Book a stay today!
*Whilst Pippinsands has a large private garden, the play area, games room and 15 acre grounds are shared with 4 smaller cottages on the same site.