Watch Hill

Not only is Watch Hill a stunning Georgian manor house by the sea, for a family gathering or celebration occasion, it would also be the perfect venue for a murder mystery party having been featured in the Miss Marple film, ‘Sleeping Murder’. In fact, Watch Hill could have appeared in any number of period dramas, being such a quintessentially English manor, festooned in ivy, with manicured lawns overlooking Budleigh Salterton to the sea beyond. Sweeping up the tree-lined driveway gives the first clue about the grandeur of the place and, both inside and out, it certainly won’t disappoint.

Stepping into the parquet entrance hall, complete with chandelier and cantilevered staircase to the first floor gallery, is pretty impressive, but moving through the house, every room has its own wow factor. An oak panelled drawing room, with leather chesterfields makes a cosy ‘snug’ for children to watch TV while another huge living room is the epitome of minimalist sophistication and flooded with light through bay windows, overlooking the garden. Parents can also look forward to precious peace and quiet as toddlers to teenagers scamper off to the nursery and games room on the second floor, which have neatly stored toys and books, a play kitchen, pool table and PS3, plus a London bus bunk bed and a handy kitchen. Besides the nursery and playroom, two double bedrooms and a shower-room are on the second floor while the other 6 bedrooms, 4 of which are ensuite, are on the first floor. Back on the ground floor, anyone can feel like a celebrity chef in Watch Hill’s state of the art kitchen, that’s as practical as it is stunning for large group catering, and of course the house has a lovely large and light formal dining room, with sea views through the bay windows.

When the Devon sun is shining, Watch Hill really comes into its own as families and friends can spread outside to sip Pims or Prosecco on the terrace and make the most of the beautifully landscaped garden, with views of the sea. There is loads of space to play garden games on the lawns, from tennis to a football kick-about and kids will especially love discovering a zip wire and treehouse as a brilliant holiday den.

Accommodation overview

Watch Hill is a fabulous Georgian manor house for family gatherings and celebration occasions, with 9 bedrooms to sleep 18, plus (x?) babies in cots. Two large living rooms with comfy sofas and a TV in each mean young and old need never be under in each other’s feet or interrupting favourite programmes, films or a good old family catch up. Actually seeing the children at all might be a bigger problem as toddlers through to teenagers will be happy to retreat to a nursery play room and games room on the second floor. The big and bright nursery is a dream bedroom for little ones with a London bus bunk bed and crib, neatly stored toys and books, a play kitchen, drawing table and more, while older ones have a games room just down the corridor, with a pool table and PS3.

A kitchen on this floor is especially handy for everyone, from having snacks and drinks to hand to prepping favourite picky teas and making up midnight feeds. Two of the house’s 9 bedrooms are on this floor, both of which have king size beds and space for a cot, with a separate shower room and WC. Six other luxurious bedrooms are on the first floor, all of which have a king size bed and space for a cot. The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom with a separate walk in shower and three others have direct access into a bathroom or shower-room, plus there is separate family bathroom. When it comes to cooking at Watch Hill, the state of the art kitchen can make anyone feel like they are on Masterchef, featuring a professional-style gas hob and hot plate on the island unit, twin built-in ovens and microwave, all the latest appliances, utensils and gadgets, plus a couple of stools at a breakfast bar for having a coffee or sneaky tipple with the chef. A breakfast room off the kitchen has a table which seats 6 and the formal dining room has a designer oak table for 10 and is flooded with light from the bay windows, with views over the garden to the sea. Watch Hill opens onto the perfect terrace for drinks and dining outdoors, overlooking the huge landscaped garden and manicured lawns, to the rooftops of Budleigh Salterton and out to sea.