Tip-Top - Accommodation
Tip-Top is a contemporary timber-clad house that ticks all the right boxes for big family holidays in Devon. The private setting, out in the wilds of the Blackdown Hills, is beautiful, with far reaching views across miles and miles of unspoilt countryside. Follow the winding country lanes, go through the secure gated entrance and park up; here is where your journey ends and your holiday begins. Get out, have a stretch and get ready for the wow factor the minute you step inside.
The whole of the house is light, airy and spacious with carefully chosen contemporary interiors; it's been so well designed, the layout and the outlook - everything, it all comes together so incredibly well. Ahead of you in the wide hallway is the bespoke oak and glass staircase; to the left is the open plan kitchen/dining room, a lovely big space that's perfect for gathering together to celebrate a big birthday or a momentous anniversary with your loved ones. The kitchen is very well equipped for catering for large groups, but if you wanted to, you could hire one of the professional caterers on our Extras page to come and cook up a feast for you. The dining table was made especially for Tip-Top and is quite a statement piece, made of marble with a stainless steel inlay. It seats 12 guests comfortably and really sets the scene for those celebration dinners. What we love is that if it's warm outside you can pull back the huge bifold doors and let the sunshine roll on into the room, adding to the relaxed holiday mood.
To the right of the hall is the living room, with big fat sofas to get comfy on, a huge TV for family movie nights and for the colder months, a user-friendly wood-burning stove. On warmer days, with the full height doors open onto the terrace, indoors and outdoors merge seamlessly.
At the end of the hall there's a utility room with an extra fridge-freezer and laundry facilities, an access friendly shower room, and right next door, the ground floor bedroom (Bedroom 5) with zip and link beds that can be arranged as a super king or twins. Much thought has been given to this room to make it suitable for the less able bodied.
Bedrooms 1 to 4 are upstairs off a wide galleried landing; all have zip and link beds and big TVs; Bedroom 1 has an ensuite bathroom with a bath, TV and separate shower, the rest have ensuite shower rooms. Bedrooms 3 and 4 both have room for an extra guest bed so they can sleep 3 - great for families. Fixtures and fittings are all top-notch at Tip-Top, so luxury comes in big measures.
Outside it's just as amazing as inside at Tip-Top; a big terrace runs along the front of the house and round to the sides. This is somewhere you can really soak up the sunshine as it's all south facing - as well as having the most amazing views. Spend leisurely days soaking in the swim spa, enjoying alfresco lunches cooked on the barbecue or pizza oven, have a game of table tennis; wander up to the private pond where you can try your hand at fishing (equipment not supplied), have a go in the rowing boat, or tuck into a hearty bankside picnic, with lashings of lemonade of course.
Should the weather let you down, no worries; a very short walk away there's a lovely Nordic style BBQ lodge that you can use any time of year. It's the kind of place where it's so easy to get cosy, snuggled up together, swapping stories, telling jokes, toasting marshmallows, sizzling sausages. Happiness with a big fat capital H. Book your family stay at Tip-Top today!