Devon countryside

Hello lovely people, apologies for not stopping by your blogs this last week, we've been away but I promise to catch up with you all soon.

I'm deviating a little from my usual interior post to share our recent trip to North Devon.  We experienced our very own ‘far from the madding crowd’ in the pretty rural countryside.

We stayed in a National Trust cottage in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and driving down the steep narrow path to the cottage with old oaks leaning over creating a canopy of beautiful green leaves with the dappled sunlight dancing on the flowers….it was almost magical, especially when we passed a pink and pretty thatched cottage on the way.

Hidden from view and tucked in amongst the trees, the cottage sits in the beautiful secluded woods of the Peppercombe valley.  The cottages were traditionally built out of Cob in the late 18^th century, to house the officers of what was then called the Preventive Service – tasked with policing this wild stretch of coast to prevent smuggling!  Whilst being sympathetic to the original building and original features, it has been modernised in such a sensitive manner, we hardly noticed the modern amenities, but were ever grateful for them none the less!

We woke to birds chirping and the sound of a babbling brook at the bottom of the garden…idyllic...  It was the remoteness of the cottage that first lured me in, that and the fact that mobile phones were completely useless in this area, just what we wanted…

We lit a cosy fire each night, ate delicious cheese, sipped Blackberry wine, read books and just listened to nature talking.  It was a wonderful getaway.  Most days we pulled on the hiking boots, flask in rucksack (all provided by the cottage!) and took ourselves off to various walking routes along the coast.   We’d come back exhausted, with burning calves and a healthy red glow about the cheeks!

The cottage is decorated sparsely but in keeping with a traditional 18th century cottage, but with hidden comforts like heated towel rails in the bathroom, fluffy white bath sheets and a very cosy and comfortable bed. 

The valley was teaming with birds and wild flowers in abundance.  I've never seen so many foxgloves out in the countryside...

It’s made me want to pack up sticks and move out to the lovely English Countryside, grow my own vegetables and keep a few chickens, take up knitting and jam making, all at once!

 

Now back to the noise of the modern world....

Hope you enjoy the week!

Sharon