Big Thatch Accommodation
Big Thatch is hidden away in the Blackdown Hills Natural Landscape, surrounded by the gentle rolling hills of Devon. This centuries old thatched cottage and annexe sleep 12 guests in 6 bedrooms and have 2 extra beds available for children aged 12 years and under at no additional charge. Pootle down the lane, park up and let your large group family holiday begin.
Step into the games room at the front of the house where you can get together and play pool before dinner; to the left is the living room, with ceiling beams and a wood-burner for when it’s cold outside. Beyond is a rear hallway and a WC. Straight ahead of the games room there’s a utility room with laundry facilities, an extra dishwasher, fridge and freezer; to the right is the snug where you can curl up and watch TV or have story time with the little ones.
Steps take you up from the snug to the dining room, where French doors open onto the garden; hire private caterers from our tried and tested list (see Extras) to come and create a scrumptious celebration feast. They’ll have no problem cooking for a large group and neither will you because the adjacent kitchen is spacious and well-equipped; a big electric Aga sits in the inglenook that once housed the farmhouse range.
Big Thatch is one of those rambling old cottages with two staircases; the one in the snug leads to Bedroom 1 which has an ensuite bathroom with a bath, shower, and two hand basins. This opens onto a landing leading to Bedroom 2, the family bathroom with a roll top bath and separate shower, and to the Childrens Room* which is at the top of the stairs going down to the games room.
Go through the Childrens Room and across the landing is Bedroom 3; follow the landing round to Bedroom 4 which has its own shower room. All bedrooms have views over the garden that are a joy to wake up to.
What you’ll notice is the gentle and homely ambience that pervades throughout the house; professionally designed interiors are in keeping with the traditions of the cottage, the quirky original features make a charming backdrop – bumpy walls, exposed stonework, leaded windows, hefty timbers; in Bedroom 2 you can see part of the centuries old cobb wall.
Across the courtyard at the back of the house, the annexe sleeps 4. Once a dairy, this has seen a remarkable transformation and is furnished in country checks with solid oak floors and doors; there’s an open plan kitchen/dining/living room and 2 ensuite bedrooms – 1 a twin, 1 a double.
Gather outside in the sunshine; play outdoor table tennis, then get the steaks sizzling or fire up the pizza oven. Slip into the hot tub, gaze up at the cotton wool clouds drifting by, or at night, sit back for a soak beneath the stars. If the sun hasn’t got his hat on, off you go to the Nordic style BBQ lodge where you can cosy up any time of year to toast marshmallows and swap stories under the twinkly lights.
The 3 acre gardens at Big Thatch are a dream; it really is like a world of your own where the hectic pace of life is forgotten and time slows down. Play games on the lawns, dance around the walnut tree, take refuge from the blazing sun in the garden hideaway, find a seat in the orchard and watch the sheep contentedly grazing beneath the apple trees. This is Big Thatch where life is good, the days are long and the nights are peaceful; bring your loved ones, stack the memories high, these are moments to treasure.