Cross Lane House

• A generous house with plenty of room to gather, in one of two sitting rooms, by the bar or on the garden's raised deck

• On the Holnicote estate and near the coast path for all kinds of walks through Exmoor National Park 

• Watch boats from the beach at Bossington

Cross Lane House is a late medieval house with original panelling, exposed beams and flagstone floors. In the past it has been used as a pub, a coach house and a hotel, and is now a comfortable holiday cottage. 

This big house has an unusual layout which works really well for two families holidaying together. The first floor is divided in two, each side with its own staircase leading to two bedrooms and bathrooms. There are plenty of places for everyone to come together, as well as quiet nooks like the first-floor reading room, which is perfect for playing or working. 

You'll be on the Holnicote estate, with more than 150 miles of footpaths and bridleways across moorland, woodland and coast, and lots of hidden hamlets. The house is on the edge of the pretty village of Allerford, with a tea-room and one of the few working forges left in the country. Here you can join the trail for a challenging 16-mile walk south through Horner Wood National Nature Reserve and on to Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor, with panoramic views toward the Bristol Channel. There are shorter walks and bike trails at Webber's Post. 

Holnicote is home to red deer and Exmoor ponies, as well as some of Britain’s most beautiful insects, bats, ancient trees and many species of lichen. The money you spend on your holiday will contribute to the conservation of the habitats and wildlife across the estate.

The cottage is near the South West Coast Path, and you can head to the pebbly beach at Bossington or find sand at Minehead.