Cottages, B&B’s and Farms

Finding a reliable source of reviews for cottages, B&B’s and farms is not easy. We have a selection for you to consider.

Manoir de Maffrecourt, a gite in France

‘We have just returned from a truly memorable holiday in France. After
years of pestering, my husband finally agreed to spend a week in France
rather than taking our one-year-old son Charlie on a long-haul flight
to a more “exotic” destination.

I found the gîte on the internet and immediately booked it. It sounded
idyllic and when we arrived, we were not disappointed. Grant and Sandra
(our hosts) were extremely helpful and friendly and Hector the dog was
very patient with Charlie. One of two gîtes, ours had direct access onto
their 5.5-acre garden which was stunning.

Travelling with a baby is not easy, but knowing that you will have everything
you may need at your disposal on arrival at your accommodation makes life
a lot less stressful. Grant and Sandra will provide everything, from sterilising
equipment to pushchairs if required so if you are not taking a car your
excess baggage can be substantially reduced!

An easy 3.5-hour drive from Calais – without comfort breaks for us and
our baby (or a 1.5 hour drive from Paris if flying), the Manoir de Maffrecourt
is situated in a hamlet called Maffrecourt, 10 minutes from Sainte Meinehould:
the birthplace of Dom Perignon and approximately 45 minutes from Reims.
It is ideally placed to visit the Champagne Caves and went to Mercier
and Tattinger.

Mercier is ideal if you have young children as the tour takes place
on a little train which means no long walks with a wriggly toddler. Many
of the Champagne houses require visits to be pre-booked so it is worth
doing this before you leave home. Disneyland Paris is also an easy drive
from the Manoir if your children are old enough to appreciate it.

For those who are tempted by these gîtes, the website is www.champagne-gites.com.
For next year, Sandra and Grant will have six eco-chalets in their large
garden, which will appeal to holidaymakers wanting a more eco-friendly
holiday.
Joanne Convery

Cottage in Bundoran, Ireland

My husband and I chose to visit the west coast of Ireland for a last-minute
weekend break at the end of September. Our girls are only little (Robyn
has just turned 2 and Morgan is 3 months old) so this sounded like an
easier option than travelling to another country or having to deal with
heat waves etc. (I was pretty confident that we were unlikely to encounter
one of those in Ireland at this time of year!)

We live in the north of Ireland so it is only a two-and-a-half-hour car
journey for us, which is very handy. However, Bundoran, the town where
we stayed, is a popular seaside resort and tourists travel there from
all over the UK. It is easily accessible if you fly into Shannon, Galway
or Knock airports or you could bring your car over on the ferry. Donegal
is renowned for being remote, untamed, wild and windswept. Given the choice
I would prefer to take my car because it is such a wonderful place to
‘discover’.

Bundoran is in Co. Donegal and, personally, I think it is the Irish equivalent
of Blackpool. There is no end of things to do for the whole family and
the main street is just littered with hotels, pubs, restaurants, souvenir
shops and amusement arcades. However, we noticed that it is a pretty seasonal
town too as many places were preparing to close down for the winter or
were just open for the weekend.

We stayed in a three-bedroom cottage situated just a five-minute walk
from the main street and the blue-flag beaches. It was great to be able
to pop the kids in the double buggy and go off ‘exploring’ although we
always made the most of every opportunity and if they both fell asleep
at the same time you would find us in the nearest pub sampling the Guinness
(which I have to say tastes better here than anywhere else I have tried
it)!

The cottage we rented was spacious and really well equipped (e.g. washing
machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher, etc.) We much prefer this sort of
accommodation to hotels because it gives us more freedom with the kids.
We did very little cooking though, and tended to order take-away food
from the local Indian and Pizzeria (well, we we’re on holiday after all)!

My husband was in his element when I gave him permission to go off and
play golf at a nearby course on the Saturday morning. There are several
golf courses to choose from so this area is a magnet for golfers. Bundoran
is also famous for its big waves and attracts a lot of surfers. It was
lovely to walk along the beach and watch them.

All in all, I think there is something to suit everybody in Bundoran
and it makes for a great family holiday. I know we thoroughly enjoyed
it and certainly plan to return when the girls are a bit older and can
appreciate it more. Janet Thomas

Hope Cove, Devon

What makes a great holiday? A fantastic holiday cottage, brilliant weather
and a gem of a beach go a long way towards it. Throw in a small boat and
you very nearly have perfection.

We are in Hope Cove, Devon. It’s only 9.00am and the rest of our party
is still asleep, but I can’t wait to catch a first glimpse of the sea.
The cottage is only half a mile from the shore, so I decide to push the
baby down to the beach. Breakfast can wait, the tang of salt on the air
is too tantalising. We walk between high hedges, down the narrow lane
and as we round the final bend, Hope Cove opens out below us. Seagulls
reel and the baby squeals with delight – it is a truly beautiful sight.

Hope Cove is a village in two halves – Inner Hope and Outer Hope. The
villages spread before us and the sweep of Bigbury Bay is as blue and
as calm as anything the Caribbean has to offer. The irony of holidaying
at a place called Inner Hope does not escape me. I have breast cancer
and am halfway through chemotherapy. If ever I needed any kind of hope
it is now.

This holiday is about taking a moment to reflect. The constant whirl
of treatment since diagnosis has left me exhausted and I crave the peace
and simplicity of village life.

The beach already holds a gaggle of children, digging and making sandcastles
like generations of children before them. There are records as far back
as 1884 stating that the village pub was ‘usually monopolised by artists,
and there are two or three comfortable little cottages at Outer Hope where
the weary tourist might rest and be thankful’. Indeed, the baby’s grandmother
spent holidays here as a child.

Her grandparents took a house in the village for the month of June throughout
the 1920s and 30s. I feel that sense of history and continuity, sitting
here on the beach with the baby.

Nothing much has changed; what brought people here then, brings them
here now. It is a charming spot where children are free to play and parents
can easily supervise. The pub serves good food and the café on the beach
provides endless tea and coffee. There is no mobile signal here, so the
constant background beep of modern life is, for once, silenced. There
are no theme parks or amusement arcades either. The fun is cheap and if
the sun shines, you can idle away the day with a packed lunch and a flask
of tea.

We are able to moor our little boat on the beach for just £25 for the
week. The older children have great fun sailing around the bay as the
baby and I watch and wave from the shore. The boating tradition in the
village is strong; boats have even been built here from time to time,
as fishing was the main business of the village for many years before
the mass of tourists arrived.

We take a day trip to nearby Salcombe, which feels as busy as a city
after the village, with streets humming with people and shops open all
hours. The estuary looks beautiful, filled with white sailed boats bobbing
about.

The teenagers in our party love it and they are soon walking around as
if they own the place, looking for floppy haired public school boys to
sail with, rifling through the shops and planning outfits for the prom.
It is the perfect antidote to village life for them. I manoeuvre the buggy
through the narrow streets and wish we were back on the beach. I have
no time for the hustle and bustle.

It becomes clear that the South Hams has more to offer than I am prepared
to do. A beautiful beach and a lazy day are all I’m looking for, but if
we wanted there are sailing regattas, zoos, surfing, walking, shops and
the city of Plymouth all within driving distance. Why bother, when you
can while away the day watching the sand trail through your fingers? If
it’s an old fashioned holiday you are after, then you can’t beat Hope
Cove. This week will set me up for the next onslaught of chemotherapy
and as we leave, I know the magic has worked. Inner Hope and Outer Hope
are mine for the taking.
Katherine Locke

Mews Cottage, Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall

We had the most wonderful holiday staying at Mews Cottage. Very quiet
location on the Bonython Estate, with our own garden and use of the Estate’s
gardens too. Several pretty beaches of all shapes and sizes were within
10 mins drive. There is also a Seal Sanctuary, several fishing villages,
lots of lovely country pubs and the great coastal walk.

The cottage was clean, comfy and we had a tasty welcome basked with home
bakes bread, cake, marmalade, tea, fruit and eggs. We were given lots
of local tips by the estate manager who came round to welcome us.

The Lizard peninsula has stunning scenery and some of the beaches are
easily accessible with buggies. We went with a 3 year old, a 4 month old
and grandparents and everyone enjoyed themselves. The cottage came with
cot, high chair, toys and was safe for children.
Hannah Gilman

Orford Mill, Torrington, Devon

One of the best family holidays we had was in Torrington, North Devon
when our second child was only 5 weeks old.

We stayed at Orford Mill which is an old watermill just outside the
town, which has been converted into 9 holiday apartments of different
sizes. All of the apartments are beautifully furnished and equipped and
the owners are very welcoming and helpful.

There’s an indoor heated swimming pool for the exclusive use of people
staying at the Mill and our 2 year old loved it – we couldn’t get him
out! Also on-site is a fort for climbing in and a children’s playhouse
and bouncy castle. In the town of Torrington itself is the Dartington
Crystal factory which offers tours, a great cream tea and the chance to
have your children’s hands or feet moulded into a glass plaque as a unique
souvenir. A little further afield is the fantastic sheep-themed atttraction
“The Big Sheep” where kids can pet the lambs, get involved with feeding,
go wild in the soft play area and watch a shearing demonstration.

There is no shortage of fabulous beaches in North Devon, our favourites
were Woolacombe for sandcastles and Croyde for rockpools. The accommodation
varies in price according to the season, but our two bed apartment was
£350 for a week in late September which is excellent value considering
you have the use of the pool too.

We are definitely planning a return visit to Orford Mill as we have yet
to spot the otters which have been seen in the river running alongside
the property.
Morag Peers

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