Engine House, Devon

Travelling up a hardcore track for 200 metres, between the villages of Bridford and Christow in the Teign Valley, will take you to the Engine House, a beautifully secluded cottage surrounded by trees and woodland, with views out to the rolling hills of Haldon Hills. With the ability to sleep up to four people, this quirky cottage is a delightful place to bring your friends or family to for a calm retreat at this historic building, once the engine house for the Scatter Rock quarry which closed its doors back in 1954. You can enter the property through the front door, but if it’s a warm summer day, you’ll probably have the french doors open, which lead you from the terrace into the open-plan living space where you can find a comfortable sofa facing the TV with DVD player, for when you want to relax in front of a film, through to the dining area and kitchen so you won’t lose a minute of quality time with your family while you cook a tasty meal. The hall leads you to the twin and double bedrooms, both decorated in a pretty fashion, with windows looking out to the luscious greenery outside, with the bathroom further along containing a contemporary and stylish fitted bath with shower over and matching basin and WC. At the back of the property is the enclosed garden, echoing the history of the building, formed by the remaining industrial walls creating what feels like a secret garden to have all to yourself, with a picnic bench and table and chairs in place so you can spend a magical evening under the stars thanks to the almost non-existent light pollution. To the front and coming out of the french doors is a lawned front garden with a picnic table and bench for when you strike lucky with the English weather, well as plenty of space for private parking. The Teign valley is a beautiful area on the eastern edge of Dartmoor National Park and Bridford is a great location from which to explore it, with easy distances to the neighbouring villages and towns such as Christow, Chudleigh and Moretonhampstead, the latter which is home to Go Ape at Haldon Forest Park which is an adventure for the whole family. A few miles away you can find the Canonteign Falls, hidden in scenic woodland, fern gardens and surrounded by lakes, there are two sets of waterfalls, both natural and manmade with a children’s play area, just make sure to bring good walking shoes for the steep steps and climb. What remains of the old mining buildings dotted in the landscape has now been taken over by the wildlife, with the Engine House in the midst of this, it creates a charming setting like something out of a fairy-tale, and a lovely place to spend your holiday.