Burton Farmhouse

The area is lovely, with plenty to do around Devon, and the location works well for Plymouth, Kingsbridge and Brixham. But after a day out, you want a decent room to come back to, and Orchard was only just adequate for us. The bathroom was clean and compact, and the electric shower was very good. The bed itself was comfortable, though the layers were arranged oddly: a mattress protector, woolly blanket, thin blanket and top sheet. The sheet wasn’t large enough to tuck in over everything, so I had to fix it around the mattress each morning. The room also became very warm in direct sun, even though it was only around 21c when we were there. Keeping the curtains shut on sunny days would help. There’s a fridge, but its cooling motor kept waking us up, so light sleepers should beware. We had cutlery, plates, bowls, cups and glasses, plus a small ration of washing-up liquid in an old body wash container. The grand wardrobe was only partly usable because one door was locked, leaving us to put clothes in a rickety two-drawer chest. We weren’t met when we arrived, and the welcome letter’s reference to a bar for washing up wasn’t much help. We only spotted the bar as we were leaving. It’s behind an unmarked door on the right in the hall/stairs area, in case that helps future visitors. We’d been using the bathroom sink. Breakfast used to be provided, but it’s now bed-only, self-catering.

The farm sits in beautiful countryside, and since it’s a working farm there’s the bustle and noise you’d expect. We stayed in the family room with four adults for a wedding in Hope Cove, and found it very comfortable. Breakfast was fresh, amazing, and had plenty of choice, with lovely touches around the place. It was a shame it wasn’t a little warmer so we could eat outside, but that gives us an excuse to return. We’d definitely recommend it.

The location was great, and our room was spacious. We stayed for a couple of nights, but the old beds weren’t very comfortable. There was no breakfast provided, and we couldn’t find anyone to ask about it.

Breakfast was lovely, and the people we were with made the trip enjoyable, but the stay itself was disappointing. We arrived to a warm welcome, then found that the room heating didn’t work. They replaced the electric heater quickly, but the TV remote wasn’t working either and that was never replaced. I was reluctant to leave the heater on overnight, so I had a cold night’s sleep. We went sightseeing the next day and came back with our two young children hoping to get them some dinner, even just a sandwich. We’d been given the impression that this might be possible, but the kitchen was closed that night, so we had to go back out and find food in nearby Kingsbridge. When we returned, the farmhouse was locked. Another guest let us in, after having to enter through the owners’ entrance himself. The next morning, after another cold night, the radiators came on. No one explained why they hadn’t come on earlier. With a little more effort this could have been an excellent stay, but it ended up feeling very average. I wouldn’t recommend it.