We brought Downe twenty years ago. It has been our family home ever since. The outbuildings were derelict and the main farmhouse, which had been in the ownership of the same family for three generations, required updating. It took us three years to complete the renovation and open for business. Jeremy ended his career in industry as Group Director of Quality for a Footsie 100 company. He brought to Downe a focus on quality and a belief in the skills and abilities of those who work for us. The best evidence of the merit of his approach is the quality of the conversion works, carried out by self employed craftsmen with minimal supervision some twenty years ago. The cottages are in exceptional repair after twenty years. Lynda, a mathematician by discipline, had been a housewife for twenty years and brought to Downe her passion for architecture and delight in a well run home which has defined the way in which the cottages have been created and maintained. Our Cottage Guide reflects our frequent enjoyment of restaurants, pubs and facilities across Devon and Cornwall. There is so much to see, do and enjoy.

We have created the Cottages and have maintained them with a passion that has endured for more than twenty years. The location is sensational: looking West over the Atlantic - next stop America - and North up to Lundy Island to the Welsh Coast beyond. The Cottages, grouped around a large courtyard, reflect the men and women who created the original farm courtyard over the centuries. Every cottage is a beautiful building and each has lovely features drawn from its history. During the conversion works we added to these features and know that some will be present in a hundred years time: the slate floors on the ground floor in every cottage, a mixture of Chinese and African slates, are fabulous; every staircase was built on site in pine by a craftsman working for us and are antiques of the future; many of the window cills are made of local slates and many have ancient oak lintels; the roofs of every cottage are reclaimed slate procured from reclamation yards around the county etc. etc. Our objective is simple: we live at Downe and we wish every visitor to be delighted with their cottage. We provide holiday accommodation that is: Immaculately clean. Warm whatever the weather. Exce...

Downe is located on the Hartland Peninsula, part of the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. All around are cliff top walks and the quiet seclusion of the undisturbed countryside framed by the Atlantic Ocean. The area is criss-crossed by narrow rural lanes which give romance to country walks. Downe is a beautiful and, even in the height of summer, an undisturbed sanctuary yet there is a great deal to see and do within easy distance of Downe.