The Woodlands House Estate - 4 Bedroom (Sleeps 7) House in North Devon

Description

There is a valley in North Devon that most people never find.
Hidden in the Sterridge Valley in the village of Berrynarbor, The Woodlands House Estate is an exclusive-use 1910 country house unlike anything else in North Devon. One property. Private grounds. Zero neighbours. The entire estate is yours alone.

AT A GLANCE
Sleeps 7 + infant · 4 bedrooms · 1.5 bathrooms (family bathroom with original roll-top bath, plus a separate downstairs WC) · Up to 4 dogs of any size · Exclusive-use estate with zero neighbours · Fully enclosed garden · Family-hosted with private concierge · 150 Mbps Wi-Fi · EV charging · 100% green energy · Combe Martin 3 minutes (walkable) · Woolacombe 15–20 minutes.
This is not a holiday rental. It is a family home — a 1910 country house restored with five years of love, determination and the kind of stubbornness that only comes from knowing something is worth saving — shared with families who understand what it means to need a place like this.
Come and stay. Bring your dogs. Bring three generations. Bring your walking boots, your binoculars, your laptop, your children who have never seen a hedgehog or heard a tawny owl or watched the Milky Way stretch across a truly dark sky.
Leave the world behind. Even just for a week.

THE HOUSE
Four generously proportioned bedrooms, each with high ceilings, large sash-style double-glazed windows and beautiful views over the gardens or open countryside. This is a house built for space, not numbers — we could sleep more, but we would rather you had room to breathe.
The principal bedroom offers a super-king bed that splits into two singles (zip and link), so it works equally for a couple or for guests who prefer their own beds. Two further large king rooms follow, each with a wall-mounted 65" smart TV, one with room for a travel cot or a comfortable chair. The fourth is a cosy single, deliberately kept television-free — a quiet, screen-free room that parents of younger children tell us they love.
The bathroom is something special: an extremely spacious room with an original roll-top cast-iron bath, deep enough to truly lie back and soak, with views from the window to sink into. Please note this is a step-in bath rather than a walk-in shower. A separate downstairs WC and basin complete the 1.5-bathroom layout and make family life easy — the stairs become essentially a night-time-only trip.

THE KITCHEN
If you have ever arrived at a holiday home and found the kitchen missing exactly the thing you needed, this will feel different. Ours is a genuine home-from-home kitchen, equipped beyond any rental we have ever stayed in ourselves — built around a large central island made for baking with children, gathering with a glass of wine, or hosting a full family Christmas.
Air fryer, blender, hand blender, cheese-toastie maker, cafetière and everything in between. A cabinet of proper glassware for every occasion, from champagne flutes to pint glasses. Fine bone-china teacups and saucers for a proper cup of tea. Full cookware and bakeware, a knife-sharpening set, serving platters, picnic baskets, children's tableware — and the little pantry basics you always forget: flour, herbs, foil, baking sheets. You will arrive to a pint of organic milk from the farm up the lane and a dozen fresh eggs from our own chickens. Everything reusable, nothing single-use. And if we haven't got it, we will usually get it.

WARM, GREEN AND QUIET
A 1910 house that is genuinely warm. An air-source heat pump holds the whole house at an even 22–23°C year-round, and the sash windows are double-glazed — the Edwardian character, without the draughts. Solar panels, battery storage and 100% green energy from Octopus mean your stay is as gentle on the valley as it is comfortable. Fast, reliable 150 Mbps Wi-Fi throughout: connected when you need it, easy to switch off when you don't.

THE GARDENS AND GROUNDS
All of the outdoor space is at the front of the house, wrapped in privacy. A two-level garden with a fully enclosed top garden and patio — secure for dogs and little ones — steps down to a very large, flat, marquee-sized lawn set well back beyond a long private driveway. There is a charcoal barbecue, a large fire pit with benches and chairs for long evenings outside, and firewood from our own grounds.
For children: a football pitch, swingball and giant garden games on the front lawn. For quiet moments: a hidden table and chairs tucked at the back of the garden, just for reading in the sun. For gatherings: a cocktail cabinet, silver cutlery for the special occasions, and space for a marquee if you're celebrating something that matters.

BRING THE WHOLE PACK
Dogs aren't tolerated here — they're family, and we mean it. Up to four dogs of any size are genuinely welcome, upstairs and on the sofa with the throws provided. We supply dog beds, bowls, towels, a kennel and a sunshade, and there's space to separate dogs if you need it. The top garden and patio are fully enclosed, and Woolacombe's year-round off-lead dog beach is fifteen minutes away.
Our family truly knows dogs. Shelby's background is in security dog training, and we have personally helped rehabilitate large-breed dogs — giving them the time and care to become happy, healthy dogs again, and the joy of watching them go off to their forever homes. Pet-sitting is led by our daughter Georgina, who is RSPCA-trained in Australia and agriculturally educated — calm and confident with animals of every kind (from £15 an hour, medication given if needed, with family cover when she's away). Guilt-free travel, dogs treated as family.

DARK SKIES AND WILD THINGS
Set between two valleys, the estate sits in a natural neutral zone that draws an extraordinary variety of birdlife — keen birdwatchers who stay tell us they've spotted species they hadn't seen in years, and more than one guest has gone home and put up bird feeders. A stream forms the natural boundary of the grounds. The quiet is real: birdsong and running water, not traffic.
And then there are the skies. North Devon's dark skies are exceptional, and on clear nights Shelby sets up the telescopes — we have two, so the whole family can share them — with a short tutorial on where to look. A guided stargazing evening you'll remember long after you've gone home.

THE CONCIERGE
This is where The Woodlands House Estate becomes more than a place to stay. We are your single point of contact for a curated collection of private experiences, arranged for you and delivered by trusted local partners.
Wellness — a mobile wood-fired sauna and cold plunge brought to the lawn, guided wild swimming in North Devon's natural waters, massage and holistic treatments, yoga, breathwork and mindfulness — individually or combined into a bespoke package.
Food — private chefs for a special dinner, barbecue and breakfast packs ready for arrival, a grocery shopping service, and organic fruit, veg and locally sourced meat from the farm shops around us.
And more — an outdoor cinema on the lawn with a giant screen and bean bags, mobility scooter hire delivered to the property, and a laundry service if you'd rather not think about it. Just ask; we recommend enquiring ahead so we can arrange everything beautifully.

A FAMILY HOME, HOSTED BY A FAMILY
We live quietly on the estate, in separate accommodation — on hand when you want us, invisible when you don't. That's the difference between us and a managed rental: when you book The Woodlands House Estate, you get a family who care that your stay is right. Saffron running the house and concierge, Shelby on the telescopes, Georgina caring for your dogs.

WHERE YOU ARE
Combe Martin — beach, shops and pubs — is a three-minute drive and walkable from the door. Ilfracombe is seven to eight minutes; Woolacombe, voted the UK's best beach with surf and off-lead dog areas, is fifteen to twenty. The South West Coast Path, Exmoor National Park, the Valley of Rocks and Heddon's Mouth are all within easy reach, along with beaches at Barricane, Putsborough and Watermouth. Whether you want to walk all day or never leave the garden, everything is on the doorstep.

WHO COMES HERE
Multi-generational families who want to be together with room to spread out. Couples in the quieter seasons looking for a sauna, a soak and a dark sky. Groups marking a milestone. Walkers and dog-lovers who refuse to leave the family pet behind. Anyone who wants to feel the world go quiet for a while.

GOOD TO KNOW
Parking for three to four cars on the driveway, including one at house level, plus a dedicated EV charge point. All bedrooms are upstairs (carpeted staircase, strong banister, a mid-way landing) — comfortable for guests who take stairs slowly, though not suitable for wheelchair users, and the bathroom is a step-in bath rather than a walk-in shower. All outdoor space is at the front; there is no rear garden. Check-in from 4pm, check-out by 10am. Maximum 7 guests plus one infant. Quiet hours 11pm–6am, in keeping with the valley and its wildlife. We are a fully insured UK business with award-winning reviews.
Come and find the valley most people never find.

Peak season & our minimum night stay is 5.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Airbnb Guest Favourite
Airbnb Superhost
Booking.com Traveller Review Award — four consecutive years
5-star Google rating
Solar powered and sustainably managed

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12 Reviews

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