Rent Find cottages and self catering and close to a sandy beach in South West England

16 Bolt Head, Salcombe, Devon, South West England

Sleeps 4
Weekly prices from £468 to £ 1082

Self catering accommodation in Salcombe sleeps 4.

Features include: • Close to the Beach • Cottage Sleeps 4

Accommodation overview: Bolt Head is a prestigious development of luxury properties all presented and equipped to a very high standard, many with spectacular views over Salcombe estuary and South Sands beach below.16 Bolt Head (Town house)This very well presented two storey town house is tastefully furnished and equipped throughout. The living accommodation is all on the lower level with one flight of stairs up to the bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor. A private terrace to the front has a table and chairs, and offers quick access down to the beach via a nearby path. The property has two lovely bedrooms (including one with King-size bed and en suite shower room) with a third single room available at extra cost.

Bonnicott View, Lynton, Devon, South West England

Sleeps 4
Weekly prices from £372

Self catering accommodation in Lynton sleeps 4.

Features include: • Internet Access • Close to the Beach • Close to the Sea • Cottage Sleeps 4

Accommodation overview:

Bonnicott View details

Set on cliffs 600 feet above Lynmouth Bay in Exmoor National Park, Bonnicott View is part of a prestigious development in Lynton, where – as the tourist brochures tell you - Exmoor meets the sea. It is owned by a former presenter of the BBC’s Countryfile programme who “fell in love with the view and the area”.

This exclusive penthouse apartment has 3 bedrooms – a super-king size en suite with balcony, a double and a single. Access to the apartment is by lift or stairs and it benefits from panoramic sea views to Wales across the bay. The property has two shower rooms and is ideal for 4 people, but can take 5.

Lynton, known as England's Little Switzerland, has been a sought-after holiday destination since Victorian times when rich people from London caught the train to Bristol and then a boat to Lynmouth. The area now offers a variety of outdoor activities including walking, riding, surfing, fishing, windsurfing, sailing and boat trips and there are several golf courses nearby.

There is also a wealth of places of interest to visit, particularly in the summer months, including days out for children, local markets, surf-washed beaches, historic houses and beautiful gardens. Within easy walking distance, there are many local shops, small supermarkets and restaurants within and near the village of Lynton, as well as down the cliff railway in Lynmouth. (If energetic you can also walk down and up the hill – or use a car.)

Guests at the property have shared use of a summerhouse, again with stunning views and benches looking out towards Countisbury Hill.

First port of call must be the tourist information centre in Lynton, currently open 364 days a year, where they will cheerfully help you make the most of your stay.

Do not miss a meal at the Rising Sun in Lynmouth or – in the summer – a cream tea at Lee Abbey tea cottage, or at the National Trust’s Watersmeet property. Sunday lunch at the Blue Ball Inn at the top of Countisbury Hill is highly recommended. Enjoy the many walking trails starting in Lynton and Lynmouth, or even a safari across Exmoor.

And then relax in the evenings, looking down on the twinkling lights of Lynmouth below you and Swansea Bay in the distance … before a new day dawns over Countisbury Hill and Bonnicott Wood.

Places to visit within the area include:
Dunster Castle
Exmoor National Park
Lorna Doone area - Brendan, Oare, Malmsmead
Lundy Island
Lyn & Exmoor Museum (opposite the apartment)
Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway – the world’s only water-powered funicular railway, opened 1890
National Trust: Arlington Court, Countisbury, Watersmeet, Heddon Valley
RHS Garden Rosemoor
South West Coast Path
Valley of Rocks. Lynton

Triton, Bull Point Lighthouse, Devon, South West England

Sleeps 4
Weekly prices from £294

Self catering accommodation in Bull Point Lighthouse sleeps 4.

Features include: • Pet friendly • Romantic Breaks • Close to the Beach • Close to the Sea • Cottage Sleeps 4

Accommodation overview:

Triton details

In association with Trinity House, Rural Retreats is pleased to present Triton at Bull Point Lighthouse.

Triton (with accommodation for four guests) is one of four refurbished former lighthouse keepers' cottages at the lighthouse which lies is just outside of Mortehoe in North Devon.

Mortehoe is a very pretty village with good pubs and restaurants, fish and chips, stores and delicatessen.Places to visit include Woolacombe with its Blue Flag sandy beach which is only a 10-minute drive from Bull Point.

The perimeter of the site is fully fenced and gated but once outside this area, it is very dangerous for children staying at the holiday cottage. Strict supervision at all times is recommended, as not all guests will remember to keep the gate closed and locked.

This lighthouse does not have a fog signal.

Country access roads to some of the lighthouse sites are narrow with limited passing places and, dependent on the season and site, there is the possibility of overhanging vegetation due to cutting restrictions during bird breeding seasons or other environmental reasons.

Guests should be aware that the lighthouses and equipment need regular and sometimes emergency maintenance. Therefore visits by maintenance staff may occur at any time during the year. However, staff will do their best to ensure guest privacy at all times.

Dolphin Cottage, Charlestown, Cornwall, South West England

Sleeps 6
Weekly prices from £528 to £ 1,114

Self catering accommodation in Charlestown sleeps 6.

Features include: • Garden • Pet friendly • Internet Access • Close to the Beach • Short Breaks • Cottage Sleeps 6

Accommodation overview: This spacious L shaped barn is entered through the front door into a hallway and to one side is the master bedroom with a kingsize double bed and an en-suite shower room W.C. with hand basin.

On the opposite side, the entrance hall leads through to a bathroom W.C. with wash basin and shower over the bath, a twin bedded room and a delightful living room. There is a fully fitted farmhouse style kitchen/diner with doors leading out to the beautiful grounds and a work bar divides the comfortably furnished leather sitting area with natural wood flooring and with a ceiling open to the apex of the roof.

An additional conservatory and large greenhouse providing fabulous extra space for dining and entertaining adjoins the living room.

Stairs from the hallway lead up to a gallery landing which provides an extra casual seating/play area and to one side a door opens to a large bedroom with two single beds underneath the eaves. The owners provide free charcoal/firelighters for the barbecue and can arrange for scallops, lobster, crab, fish (all weather and season dependent) to be delivered from local fishermen.

Adams Cottage, Powerstock, Dorset, South West England

Sleeps 6
Weekly prices from £483

Self catering accommodation in Powerstock sleeps 6.

Features include: • Garden • Internet Access • Open Fire or Woodburning Stove • Close to the Beach • Pub near by • Cottage Sleeps 6

Accommodation overview:

Adams Cottage details

This beautiful Grade II listed thatched holiday cottage, with origins dating back over 250 years, is nestled in the picturesque village of Powerstock within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty deep in the West Dorset countryside. The village is mentioned in the Doomsday book and sits at the foot of the ancient iron age fort of Eggardon Hill. There are numerous walks and cycle paths from the door.

A few minutes walk from the cottage takes you to the 15th century Norman church looking out over the valley, and just beyond is the popular Three Horse Shoes public house with excellent local food and beer (Michelin 2014 Restaurant guide). A little further on along a footpath is yet another pub (Good Pub Guide 2014).

The bustling market town of Bridport is five miles away and has many restaurants and cafes and twice weekly markets with a great array of local produce. It is the gateway town to the Jurassic Coast, the first natural World Heritage Site designated in England. The lovely cliffs at West Bay, made famous by ITV's 'Broadchurch,' are just south of Bridport with Lyme Regis and Burton Bradstock (National Trust) a short drive each way along the rugged coastline.

Farrs Coach House, Beaminster, Dorset, South West England

Sleeps 2
Weekly prices from £346

Self catering accommodation in Beaminster sleeps 2.

Features include: • Garden • Romantic Breaks • Close to the Beach • Pub near by • Cottage Sleeps 2

Accommodation overview:

Farrs Coach House details

Farrs Coach House is a beautifully appointed and lit, contemporary converted loft, situated in the curtilage of an historic house. There are far reaching views to the hills around the very pretty town of Beaminster. A three minute walk will take you to the market square of this ancient town with it's grand Minster Church.

West Dorset is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, immortalised by Thomas Hardy and John Fowles and more recently becoming England's first World Heritage Site, an accolade awarded for the stunning and varied 95 miles of coast stretching from Portland to Lyme Regis including fossil hunter's paradise beaches at Charmouth and Lyme Regis. It includes extraordinary landforms at Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door and Chesil Bank as well as notable archaeological sites, such as the Iron Age Hill Forts of Maiden Castle and Eggardon, Pilsdon Pen and Lambert's Castle.

Beaminster nestles in a bowl of hills and from its grand Minster Church you can wander the side streets of hamstone, rose clad cottages, pick up your breakfast croissant from Le Vieux Four (North Street), lunch at the Ann Day Gallery, dine at the award-winning Bridge House Brasserie (right next door), or get a takeaway from the Bombay Spice. Beaminster Festival happens every year with concerts in the church and exhibitions and events all over town. There are good independent greengrocers, bakers and butchers, two small supermarkets, an out of town farm shop and family run nursery (Groves - both up Tunnel Road), clothes, gifts and hardware shops.

Further Afield
Bridport is a vibrant old rope and net making town five miles south, with twice weekly street markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays and a fascinating Vintage Quarter with artists' studios and Sunday markets in the summer. The Arts Centre on Bucky Doo Square has an eclectic mix of exhibitions, theatre and film. Several good restaurants include the very characterful Beach and Barnicot, the Olive Tree and the Bull Hotel.

West Bay two miles further on is a gritty old sea port with fantastic cliffs (featured in the TV drama Broadchurch), beaches, fishing and two good restaurants, the Riverside (long established and the place for really fresh seafood) and the Watch House, on the beach. Sladers Yard shows contemporary art, furniture and crafts and has a great little cafe. Lyme Regis 12 miles west is a charming Georgian gem where you can happily lose yourself for a day exploring the winding back streets, the working water mill, curious shops, mouthwatering food including Hix's Oyster Bar near the Cobb and, of course, fossils galore both in the shops and on the beaches. Abbotsbury lies to the east, an impossibly pretty village brooded over by St Catherine's Chapel. Here you will find England's oldest swannery on the Fleet Wild Life Reserve.

Clotted Cream Cottage, Dartmouth, Devon, South West England

Sleeps 4
Weekly prices from £450 to £ 995

Self catering accommodation in Dartmouth sleeps 4.

Features include: • Garden • Pet friendly • Internet Access • Open Fire or Woodburning Stove • Close to the Beach • Cottage Sleeps 4

Accommodation overview: A cosy and comfortable cottage furnished and equipped to a good standard throughout with a large and attractive garden and pleasant country views across neighbouring farmland. The cottage is located on a quiet country lane within the tiny hamlet of Ash, just two miles from the historic naval town of Dartmouth and within easy reach of nearby beaches and attractions. The 'baby friendly' accommodation is on two levels and is ideal for families or couples (with or without dogs) looking for a peaceful rural retreat close to Dartmouth and the stunning Start Bay coastline.

Osborn House, Hope Cove, Devon, South West England

Sleeps 8
Weekly prices from £675 to £ 1727

Self catering accommodation in Hope Cove sleeps 8.

Features include: • Open Fire or Woodburning Stove • Close to the Beach • Close to the Sea • Pub near by • Games Room • Cottage Sleeps 8

Accommodation overview: Osborn House offers spacious, bright and airy accommodation in a prime location, a few yards from the pretty cove and boasts lovely views over the beach and out to sea from the enclosed garden.