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Riverside Cottage

Exmoor, North Devon
The exterior of Riverside Cottage, Devon
The exterior of Riverside Cottage, Devon
The kitchen at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The open plan kitchen, diner and sitting room at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The open plan kitchen, diner and sitting room at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The open plan sitting and dining area at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The sitting room at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The double bedroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The double bedroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The twin bedroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The bathroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The bathroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon
The sunset from Woolacombe beach huts, Devon
A ford in the Lorna Doone Valley
Tea-room garden at Lorna Doone
View over hills to Cloud Farm
The exterior of Riverside Cottage, Devon The exterior of Riverside Cottage, Devon The kitchen at Riverside Cottage, Devon The open plan kitchen, diner and sitting room at Riverside Cottage, Devon The open plan kitchen, diner and sitting room at Riverside Cottage, Devon The open plan sitting and dining area at Riverside Cottage, Devon The sitting room at Riverside Cottage, Devon The double bedroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon The double bedroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon The twin bedroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon The bathroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon The bathroom at Riverside Cottage, Devon The sunset from Woolacombe beach huts, Devon A ford in the Lorna Doone Valley Tea-room garden at Lorna Doone View over hills to Cloud Farm

At-a-glance details

  • Guests 4
  • Bedrooms 2
  • Preferred changeover day Saturday
  • Minimum stay 2 nights
  • Number of dogs welcome 2
  • Acorn rating 1 What's this?
  • Reference 012051
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About Riverside Cottage

Explore the wilds of Exmoor from this cosy cottage in the heart of Lorna Doone country.

Surrounded by rugged moorland, deep green valleys and just a stone’s throw from the North Devon coast, Riverside Cottage is the perfect location for a walking holiday. While 17th-century outlaws roamed these hills within the pages of Lorna Doone, today this part of Exmoor makes for a far more tranquil escape.

Tucked away in the pretty Exmoor hamlet of Malmsmead, this recently refurbished two-bedroom cottage offers everything you need for a relaxed family getaway. Compact yet comfortable, the cottage features an open-plan living space that retains a traditional feel thanks to exposed wooden beams and recessed windows. To the front is a garden with a patio and lawn area, which is shared with the tearoom next door but offers sole use for guests during the evenings and in winter. To the front of the garden lies Badgworthy Water – a small river with a picturesque 17th-century bridge and a ford that makes a popular spot for paddling in the summer.

The surrounding scenic landscape offers plenty for keen walkers, and was famously immortalised as the ‘Doone Valley’ by author R.D. Blackmore. The many varied trails take in sheltered combes, tranquil woods and high moorland. Fans of Lorna Doone can seek out local landmarks with connections to the novel, such as the medieval village of Hoccombe Combe and the secret waterfall at Lank Combe. The cottage accommodates one dog, so your faithful friend can join your adventure too. Depending on the time of the year, refresh yourself with a cuppa and cake at The Buttery tearoom next to the cottage.

Further afield (20 minute drive or a full day’s there-and-back walk) you’ll find the National Trust café at Watersmeet, where the specialty is cream tea served with local whortleberry jam. Nearby are the picturesque villages of Lynton and Lynmouth where you’ll find the world’s steepest water-powered funicular railway, along with a shingle beach which can be explored at low tide. Porlock village is also worth a visit with its array of characterful cottages, shops, pubs and tea rooms. Nearby National Trust properties include Dunster Castle and Arlington Court, both offering plenty of adventures for all the family, while sandy beaches can be found at Minehead, Combe Martin and Ilfracombe.

Why book with us?

  • Unrivalled locations
  • Exclusive access to special places
  • Award-winning customer service

Our Covid promise

  • Postpone or refund with no admin fee
  • Extensive additional cleaning

Features and facilities

  • Cot & high chair available
  • Microwave available
  • Fridge available
  • Freezer available
  • Dishwasher not available
  • Washing machine available
  • Tumble dryer available
  • Telephone not available
  • Television available
  • DVD not available
  • WiFi* not available
  • Open fire / wood burner not available
  • Garden not available
  • BBQ not available

Accessibility

Not accessible

View accessibility guide (PDF 920 KB)

Layout

  • Ground floor

    Open plan kitchen, dining and sitting room.

    View Floor plan (PDF 286 KB)
  • First floor

    One king-size double bedroom, one twin bedroom and a shower room.

Notes for guests

Access: If you would like a copy of the accessibility guide please call 0344 800 2070.

Heating: Oil fired central heating included.

Garden: There is a shared outdoor seating area for guests and visitors to The Buttery. When the buttery is closed in the evenings and during the winter (see property webpage for tea room and shop opening times), the garden is available to guests for their sole use.

There is a river that runs next to the garden. This is not enclosed so please be aware if you have children in your party.

Offers: Guests will benefit from a late Sunday checkout of 4pm.

 

Places nearby

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A ford in the Lorna Doone Valley

Lorna Doone Valley

Mystical valley and peaceful walks in countryside made famous by RD Blackmore
The river and footbridge at Watersmeet, Devon

Watersmeet

Dramatic river gorge and ancient woodland in stunning surroundings
Early morning on Exmoor's coastline at Bossington Beach

Bossington

A peaceful coastal hamlet on the edge of the Holnicote Estate, with distinctive thatched cottages.
Horner Wood in autumn

Horner Wood

One of the largest and most beautiful ancient oak woods in Britain, a National Nature Reserve nestled on the Holnicote Estate.
The view across Holnicote's vale

Webber's Post

A fine lookout on the Holnicote Estate with views over Horner Wood and the wild expanse of moorland stretching up to Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor.
The view from Selworthy Beacon on the Holnicote Estate, Somerset

Holnicote Estate

Varied landscape of moorland, woods, farms and coast, rich in wildlife

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Riverside Cottage

Exmoor, North Devon
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About the Acorn rating

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To help find the best cottage for you, we have created our own quality rating system for our holiday cottages called the Acorn rating. Ranging from 1-5 Acorns, the rating gives you an indication of a property’s facilities, fixtures and fittings, with five being the highest quality level. The Acorn rating is not connected to any other industry rating system that may be used for holiday cottages and is only to be used as a guide that covers location, style of interior and the facilities you may be looking for. We do not set our cottage pricing based on the Acorn rating we have given a cottage as all our cottages are of an individual nature. Therefore, we recommend that all factors are considered when making your choice. In addition, some of our cottages are curated to be sympathetic to their time period. This means that they might not have all of the aspects of modern living, but impress in so many other ways.

1 Acorn: simple living accommodation with basic furniture and fixtures fit for purpose and clean. Running water and a toilet are provided. There could be some limitations to heating and washing facilities – details of these will be stated clearly on the cottage's webpage. Bedding, linen and towels are supplied with a few exceptions, which are again clearly stated). Facilities for basic catering and living are provided. In general, a 1 Acorn cottage does not have WiFi.

2 Acorn: a mid-quality range of furniture and fittings. Bathroom facilities are basic or there may be a high number of guests to bathroom ratio depending on the size of the cottage. Very few 2 Acorn cottages have WiFi and the kitchen white goods and washing facilities are basic. Bedding, linen and towels are supplied in all 2-5 Acorn cottages.

3 Acorn: a good, standard offer. Generally it is correctly proportioned for the number of guests but could have a few compromises, for example a small kitchen, or a lower bathroom to guest ratio. The variety of white goods available will be better than a 2 Acorn cottage.

4 Acorn: these cottages have more premium furniture, fittings and lighting. Additionally the ratio of bathrooms to guests is likely to be higher, and the bathrooms would be more likely to have separate and spacious showers instead of showers over baths.

5 Acorn: a luxury accommodation offer with very few limiting factors. This is the highest offer available. It is well-equipped and has spacious facilities throughout the cottage or is set within an extraordinary location or building. The furniture is of a high standard, and has real comfort for modern living.

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