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Milton Abbot, Tavistock, Devon PL19 0PQ
PL19 0PQ
Hotel Endsleigh
- Style
- Fairy-tale fishing lodge
- Setting
- Unspoilt Devonshire woodland
The house, a grade I-listed fishing lodge, is insanely pretty, and its setting magical – a remote valley between Devon's Dartmoor and Cornwall's Bodmin Moor.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 16, including two suites and a gatekeeper’s lodge.
- Rates
- £200–£400, including full English breakfast and VAT.
- Check-out
- 11am. Check-in, 2pm, but if you arrive earlier the porter can take care of your luggage while you explore. In low season, there is more flexibility.
- Facilities
- The lodge is set in 108 acres of soul-enriching woodland and gardens, including a stretch of the Tamar river and a croquet lawn. Library, free WiFi, badminton, table tennis, games. Rooms have flatscreen TVs, DVD players, and CD players on request.
- Children
- Many rooms at this family-friendly hotel have space for an extra child’s bed (charged at £30), or a cot (free). Two suites have sofa-beds; suite 1 has French doors to the garden. Babysitting can be arranged (£10 an hour; £20 after midnight).
- Hotel closed
- Hotel Endsleigh closes for two weeks every January.
- Also
- Two-night minimum stay at weekends.
In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- Several beds measure 2x2 metres. Room 8 has a marvellous garden view, as does Room 5, which also overlooks the river. You can see the river and the garden from the bathroom of Room 3. Suite 1 on the ground floor has direct access to the gardens through French doors. The Gatekeeper’s Lodge has private, enclosed gardens, and a fridge for keeping that champagne ice-cold.
- Packing tips
- Outdoorsy gear.
- Also
- Massages can be booked with 24 hours’ notice. Picnics, horse riding, archery, clay-pigeon shooting, falconry, fishing, private guides, Pilates/yoga instruction and bicycle hire can all be arranged (some activities require advance notice).
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- There are two dining rooms serving Modern European cuisine, using organic and locally sourced ingredients. The menu changes regularly to reflect the seasons.
- Dress code
- Groomed, but relaxed.
- Top table
- In the bigger dining room, ask for the window table overlooking the croquet lawn. For an intimate dinner, the Quiet Room seats up to four and looks onto the pretty parterre. Outside, there’s a nice sheltered nook on the Long Border Terrace.
- Last orders
- Lunch, 2.30pm; afternoon tea, 5.30pm; dinner, 10pm.
- Room service
- Drinks and tea available 24 hours a day. Light snacks (fruit platters, smoked salmon) can be brought to your room 7am–11pm.
- Hotel bar
- There is a 24-hour honesty bar, which includes a great selection of wines.
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Book this hotel
To book this hotel please click here, or contact our travel team on 0845 034 0700.
Local restaurants
Mix a passionate chef with local produce and breathtaking views of the Tamar Valley, and you’ve got a dining venue that’s second to none. The Horn of Plenty in Gulworthy (+44 (0)1822 832528; www.thehornofplenty.co.uk) has its own organic kitchen garden, and a national reputation for its delicious food. The Harris Arms in Portgate (+44 (0)1566 783331; www.theharrisarms.co.uk) is another award-winning gastropub option for locally sourced, home-made food. An hour’s walk from Hotel Endsleigh along the River Tamar gets you to Horsebridge, where you can rest your legs and wet your whistles at The Royal Inn (+44 (0)1822 870214; www.royalinn.co.uk).
Local bars
At the Dartmoor Inn in Lydford (+44 (0)1822 820221), a series of small, airy and very chic dining rooms provide the setting for food cooked with love and imagination. The small bar does its own version of pub classics with a twist. There’s a wine bar and brasserie at Browns Hotel (+44 (0)1822 618686), where Modern British dishes are given a Gallic twist.
Local cafes
In Tavistock, Donella’s (+44 (0)1822 612888) is a stylish café housed in a former dairy.
Worth getting out of bed for
Walks through the grounds and, nearby, falconry courses, bike rental, archery and clay-pigeon shooting. Hotel Endsleigh’s spectacular location in the Tamar Valley on Dartmoor’s western edge makes enjoying the great outdoors as easy as falling off a picturesque, ivy-clad log. A particularly peaceful way to get an eyeful of all that outstanding natural beauty is from the water: Canoe Tamar (+44 (0)845 430 1208; www.canoetamar.co.uk) organises outings upriver from Morwellham Quay to Weir Head – you’ve a good chance of spotting kingfishers, otters, falcons and even the occasional seal. Yacht rental is also available locally from April to September.
For a full list of bars and restaurants in Devon, click here
Devon, United Kingdom
- Number of people
- 2-74
- Licensed for weddings
- Yes
Wow factor
The stable block looks fabulous when decorated with a candle display, and the countryside setting is beautiful. Hotel Endsleigh is best suited to small, intimate weddings though.
Need to know
The hotel can cater for 74 guests at the wedding breakfast, which spreads over the entire ground floor. The menu is specially designed by the chef together with the couple. Staying guests are limited to 36 adults and children; exclusive use is recommended for groups of 20 or more guests. The croquet lawn can accommodate a marquee; there is also a ballroom in the stable block that seats up to 80. Two excellent local florists can provide all floral arrangements, and can incorporate foliage from Endsleigh's own gardens.
Inspiration
The local vicar is happy to come and give a blessing after the civil ceremony, or perform marriages at the 1,000-year-old church in Milton Abbot village. The hotel is set in 108 acres of secluded valley on the banks of the river Tamar, so romantic picnics on the riverbank are a popular choice. Evening firework displays over the river are another possibility.
Click here to view more wedding hotels in United Kingdom
Devon, United Kingdom
- Best for
- Babies and children who love the great outdoors.
Recommended rooms
The Gatekeeper's Lodge has a private garden and a fridge, useful for storing milk. The Suites are great for families; each has a sitting room with day bed. Most rooms have space for an extra cot at no extra charge, or a bed at an additional £30.
Activities
There are 108 acres of garden and woodland to romp around in, as well as a croquet lawn and boules pitch. Staff can arrange canoeing on the River Tamar, horse riding on Dartmoor, and falconry displays, among other activities. Hire bikes can be delivered to the hotel. There's table tennis and plenty of board games for rainy days.
Meals
The hotel prefers the restaurant to be adults-only in the evening, but meals can be served from 6pm. Alternatively, the entire family can dine together in the private dining room. There isn't a children's menu, but the chef will prepare anything a child likes, from fresh chicken to scrambled eggs. Also happy to heat up milk and baby food.
Babysitting
Babysitting can be arranged for £10 an hour (£20 an hour after midnight). Please give at least 24 hours' notice.
Baby-listening
Rooms have a listening service that works through the telephone.
No need to pack
There are high chairs available in the restaurant.
Also
Only the Gatekeeper's Lodge has a fridge, but you can store milk and baby food in the kitchen's fridges on request.
Click here to view more child-friendly hotels in United Kingdom
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