my husband and myself left the world behind and spent a fab anniversary weekend here.
the house is lovely and fully equipped with everything you need for a great holiday in a very pleasant area.
the highlight of my weekend was sitting in the hot tub late at night with a glass of fizz watching the outdoor open fire crackle and smelling the woodsmoke..perfect Autumn evening.
thanks again to Barbara for making everything so easy and enjoyable.

We have just returned from a weeks break at Barns Cottage. We went with our one and half year old boy and some friends who have two girls; one who is three and one who is the same age as our son.

The property has great reviews on here so there was a lot to live up to, however, it excelled all our expectations.

Firstly, the booking was very straight forward and the owner, Barbara, is very friendly and prompt in responding to all queries. Equally, all the information we needed was provided.

The property is located in Braunton, which is a 10 minute drive away from Barnstaple. Braunton and the next village, Croyde, have all the amenitites you need (tourist info, 2/3 beaches, bakery, post office, Tesco superstore etc etc.). However, Barnstaple is only down the road if needed.

The cottage doesn't give much up about how amazing it is from the outside as you can only see the front door from the street. However, once you open the door you realise just how great this place is. The property is very modern and is finished to a very high standard. On the ground floor there is a double bedroom (inc. four poster bed) and bathroom/wetroom and a kid's bedroom with three bunkbeds. On the first floor there is the master bedroom (another four poster bed) with an ensuite and the open plan living room and kitchen/diner.

The layout of the cottage worked really well for us and our friends and there two children just had the full ground floor and we used the master bedroom as our one year old was sleeping in a cot in our room.

Although there is only one main living space in the cottage it feels very spacious and the name Barn's Cottage is very apt as it does feel quite cosy like a cottage but with the high pitched ceilings on the first floor it also gives that airy barn conversion feel.

For us, what was also great about the open plan living space was the fact that you could keep an eye on the children at all times. The owners also provided a travel cot and stair gate which came in extremely useful. As the owner knew we were bringing children they also asked the housekeeper to set up some toys which kept the kids happy all week during time we spent in the house

The garden, for us, was the biggest surprise. Besides the hot tob which was great there is also a table tennis table, gas BBQ and open fire. The back of the garden is steeped and has little paths which the children loved to explore and ultimately leads to a cute stone built wendy house. Although the property is surrounded on all sides by other properties the garden is extremly private as it is at a higher level than most of the other houses.

There is a single garage at the property, however, if you have two cars the one can be parked on the road which is around a 1-2 minute walk away. This did not cause us a problem at all and there was always somewhere to park. When we unloaded/loaded the car upon arriving/leaving we just parked the car outside the front door as it is quite a narrow lane with a dead-end so hardly any other cars used the lane.

Finally, when we arrived there was a personal note from the owner with a small hamper with local produce which was a lovely touch.

I really struggle to say anything bad about this property. The whole experience from start to finsh was great. Would very much recommend

My husband and my two younger children booked Barns Cottage for our holiday in June. From the outset, Barbara the owner could not do enough for us, even measuring the garage to see if our car would fit!
The cottage on arrival did not disappoint. Spacious, beautifully finished accommodation with a definite WOW factor.
The travel cot had been thoughtfully installed in the guest bedroom and the stair gate put up for our arrival. My eldest daughter of four, loved the bunk room with its 3 bunks and spent quite some time deciding which one to sleep in. We had forgotten to take toys, but we shouldn't of worried. Masses for the children to play with (and they did), and books galore.
The real clincher to this cottage is the beautifully landscaped outdoor area. A huge outdoor fire, for chillier nights, beautiful rattan furniture where we ate breakfast most mornings, the hot tub with its gorgeous views and the children's cottage, hidden away at the top of the garden, where we lost daughter no1 for many an hour late afternoon. There is even a children's climbing wall hidden away, found by my little explorer!
The cottage is perfectly located for Braunton. 400yds at the end of the road and much to my husbands delight, a pub, with indian takeaway/restaurant inside. Chinese take out over the road and another 400yd walk into the village which houses a wonderful array of shops and eateries, including the famous squires fish and chip shop, which was so good we visited twice.
Saunton sands is 2 mins in the car. Croyde beach 5 mins in the car and Woolacombe/Ilfracombe 15 mins by car.
Taking everything into consideration, this is the best holiday we have had in years, perfect accomodation, location and owners who cannot do enough to ensure your stay is a comfortable and stress free one.
As if North Devon isn't a gem in itself, this cottage is a truly hidden one, that should be explored and revisited. We certainly will be.