The House
Step through the hefty oak door into a light flooded hallway. To the right are Bedrooms 1-4 and 2 family bathrooms, Bedrooms 5-9 are upstairs, Bedroom 10 is hidden away on the first floor, overlooking the games room, reached by a secret staircase.
Left of the hall is the boot room, utility room and games room/movie room - snooker table one end, to the other, sofas beckon you to hunker down; above the open fireplace, there’s a 2m projection wall. Interiors are eclectic, the vibe is rustic, laid-back bohemian.
Next is the vast open-plan living/entertaining space, with a kitchen that’s white and bright and well equipped, a long dining table for happy dinner times and celebration feasts, and enticing sofas to sprawl on when you’ve had your fill. Full height doors open onto the Tuscan inspired courtyard and pool garden.
Step down from the kitchen to the pool room where views of open fields roll on forever. Huge doors open onto the pool garden where there’s a pergola with outdoor sofas and a striking Moroccan tiled table; think slow lunches or dinner beneath the twinkly lights when the sun goes down. Olive trees grow in the courtyard, roses scramble merrily up the walls; soak up the sun on the terrace, play table tennis, find refuge from the heat in The Flower Shack where the rustic-chic style continues. Relax in the sauna, if you're into contrast therapy, there’s a deep stainless-steel tub for ice baths.
Bring your rackets, go play tennis on the all-weather court; wander down to the pond and mess about in the boat, have a game of rounders, watch hot air balloons take off from the fields. This is one big fat slice of unadulterated country living; wholesome fresh air, big open skies, bird song, breathtaking sunsets, and fields that unfurl as far as the eye can see.
Local Area
Tear yourselves away from Ortensia if you can, go take a wander round the fields, amble along the ancient holloway in a tunnel of trees, look out for the little fairy doors along the way, hunt for lucky 4 leafed clovers in the top field. Wander up the lane to the village shop, stop for lunch at The Globe Inn.
Fill your baskets with local delights at the Farmer’s Market in Wellington, take the kids to Flip Out for a bounce on the trampolines. Puff your way up to Wellington Monument and be astounded by the panoramic views, go for a mystery tour in The Blackdown Hills.
Have an Exmoor adventure, a day spent discovering the heather-clad heaths, the steep wooded hillsides and towering clifftops. Find tucked away places, picturesque villages, lush river valleys and quiet woodlands; take your binoculars, look out for red deer and wild ponies contentedly grazing.
Pootle over to the Jurassic Coast for days by the sea; see the marine life in the little Aquarium at Lyme Regis, catch your supper on a mackerel fishing trip, go fossil hunting, take the kids to Dinosaurland Fossil Museum. Chomp on crab sandwiches down on the beach at Beer or Branscombe, and as you’re over this way, go and say hello to the happy donks at The Donkey Sanctuary near Sidmouth.
Like we said, if you can tear yourselves away from Ortensia…