Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Halsbeer Farm
( 018842-66699;
www.halsbeerfarm.co.uk
; 4-person cottage per week £340-900; )
Stay here
for a week or two and you might find it hard to leave. Fluffy bathrobes and drapes sit
alongside weathered beams; phenomenally well-equipped kitchens allow you to cook up a
storm. Then there's the long, comfy conservatory (complete with wood burner), the games
room (with pool and table-tennis tables) and the small, covered, heated swimming pool.
Situated near Kentisbeare.
SELF-CATERING
££
Combe House
( 01404-540400;
www.combehousedevon.com
; Gittisham, near Honiton; d £215-450; )
The sumptuous
Combe House is more like a National Trust property than a hotel. The great hall of this El-
izabethan country manor has floor-to-ceiling wood panels, ancient oak furniture and ori-
ginal Tudor paintings everywhere. Indulge your taste for crisp cottons, monogrammed
towels, rain showers and deluxe throws - one room even has a vast copper washtub for a
bath. The acclaimed restaurant (three-course lunch/dinner £33/52, open noon to 2.30pm
and 7pm to 9.30pm daily) rustles up exquisite creations that draw heavily on local suppli-
ers. It all sits on a 1400-hectare estate with Arabian horses roaming the grounds. You'll
find it 14 miles east of Exeter.
HISTORIC HOTEL
£££
AGRICULTURAL SHOWS
Devon's annual agricultural shows are when country folk come together to compete, gossip and showcase their
wares. Along with barns full of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, expect marquees and food stalls overflowing with
prime produce, huge beer tents, show jumping rings, terrier races and pony club games. All in all, they're enter-
taining, in-depth insights into rural life. The biggest is the three-day
Devon County Show
(
www.devoncountyshow.co.uk
)
, held near Exeter each May.
These one-day shows are well worth a visit, too:
Mid Devon
(
www.middevonshow.co.uk
)
Late July, near Tiverton.
Totnes
(
www.totnesshow.com
)
Late July.
North Devon
(
www.northdevonshow.com
)
Early August, near Barnstaple.
Okehampton
(
www.okehamptonshow.co.uk
) Early August.
Kingsbridge
(
www.kingsbridgeshow.co.uk
) Early September.
Eating & Drinking
Deli Shack Cafe
BISTRO
£
