Middle Stolford Cottage, Brendon Hill

Middle Stolford Cottage is a large and luxurious 16th century Exmoor farmhouse that’s perfect for families or groups looking for a spacious, high-quality, delightfully rural retreat. Located on a farm in the scenic Brendon Hills in a sheltered valley, it's a fantastic destination for keen walkers and outdoors explorers particularly, with footpaths leading directly from the doorstep and Clatworthy Reservoir less than a mile away. This recently (2019) renovated, re-wired, and redecorated property is directly surrounded by idyllic, peaceful countryside and terrific views; with the Quantock Hills (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) also nearby, and the coastline at Watchet just 7 miles away, Middle Stolford Cottage truly enjoys the best of all West Country worlds!

5 first floor bedrooms (one king-size double ensuite with large walk-in shower, toilet, and hand basin, one further king-size double, two twins—one with 2'6 children’s beds, and one single)
Large ground floor open-plan kitchen-dining room with inglenook fireplace and large dining table, and kitchen well equipped with electric oven, induction hob, fridge/freezer, microwave, dishwasher, plus ample crockery, cutlery, pots, pans, and utensils
Light and spacious ground floor lounge with new wood-burning stove, plenty of comfortable seating, additional table and 4 chairs, large Smart TV, Soundbar, and Bluray player
First floor family bathroom with bath and handheld shower attachment, toilet and hand basin, plus ground floor shower room with toilet and hand basin
Ground floor utility room with washing machine and tumble dryer
High-quality cotton bed linen and fluffy towels provided
Wi-fi, heating, and electricity included in cost, plus starter logs for wood-burner
Up to two dogs welcome (supplement of £15 per dog)
Child-friendly accommodation with cot, highchair, and stairgate provided upon request
Large private enclosed garden area with table, chairs, barbecue, and firepit
Full-size tennis court available for guest use
Seven fabulous horseboxes in modern stable block available to rent on DIY basis, with straw and hay provided, and grazing on request. (Charged at £15 per night - please contact for details
Meal-serving pub just 3 minutes away by car
Parking available on driveway beside cottage, plus additional allocated spaces just outside garden

Facilities
An original, characterful Exmoor oak farmhouse door provides the entrance into the external boot room, ample room for footwear, coats, pushchairs, etc. The front door then opens into the original part of the farmhouse which dates back to the 16th Century. There's an inglenook fireplace at each end of what is now the large kitchen-dining room. A modern kitchen was installed in 2012 and ample crockery, cutlery, pots, pans, and utensils are provided. There is an electric oven, induction hob, fridge/freezer, microwave and dishwasher. Mind your head on the beams and take time to admire the traditional construction of the kitchen walls and ceiling timbers.

The kitchen-dining room leads to a short passage, with a couple of steps, to a light and spacious lounge with a new wood burning stove for cosy nights in. There is comfortable seating for the whole party and an additional table with 4 chairs. A shower room (with toilet and hand basin) and the utility room (with washing machine and tumble dryer) complete the ground floor.

The traditional staircase leads upstairs to the five bedrooms; two king-size double bedrooms (one with en-suite), two twin bedrooms and one single; one of the twin bedrooms has 2'6" wide beds (standard length) therefore suitable for children; the other 3 single beds are all 3' wide. The family bathroom comprises a bath (with handheld shower attachment), toilet and hand basin. The en-suite shower room has a large walk-in shower, toilet, and hand basin.

There are fixed stair gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.

The whole property was recently re-wired, had a new heating system installed and been redecorated throughout.

Heating, electricity and wifi is included in the price of your accommodation. Starter logs are provided for the wood-burner, additional logs are available onsite.

The property comfortably sleeps up to 7 adults and 2 children, plus infant in cot. Please bring your own cot bedding. Stairgate/s and a highchair can also be provided for those staying with young children, please request this on your booking form.

Well behaved dogs welcome (2 max) for £25 supplement per dog. Please do not allow your dogs on the furniture or upstairs or leave them unattended.

Sorry, no single-sex groups, unless agreed by the owner in advance. Please get in touch with further information about your group if you wish to book Middle Stolford Cottage for a single-sex group.

Note, A security deposit of £250 is required when booking this property to cover the cost of any damage during your stay. This security deposit will be returned after your departure providing there is no damage to the property or its contents.

Location
The Brendon Hills are a range of hills in West Somerset, they merge level into the eastern side of Exmoor and part of the range is included within the Exmoor National Park. The beauty of the hills are definitely worth exploring, but there is also Exmoor National Park on the doorstep and the Quantock Hills (AONB) within a short drive also.

Clatworthy Reservoir is less than a mile on foot from Middle Stolford. There are seven water inlets but generally, the south bank is considered to be the best area for fishing. Dogs are unfortunately not allowed on the reservoir footpath but you can stay on the farm land and get some lovely views across the water). Wimbleball Lake is also nearby (approx 5 miles), which has a variety of walking and cycle trails plus a range of watersports on offer, such as canoeing, windsurfiSUP/paddle boarding, and sailing. (Dog friendly).

We are not far from the Coleridge Way a 50-mile walking and bridleway.

The ancient harbour town of Watchet is just 7 miles away. It's a small picturesque town nestled on the West Somerset coastline, but-packs a lot in! It has an active Marina, Steam train station, Old Port, museums, shops, restaurants, pubs and takeaways! From Easter onwards there is a weekly Wednesday market and every first Sunday of the month, there is an eclectic craft, artisan and food market.

Wheddon Cross (approx 7 miles away) is argued to be the highest crossroads on Exmoor, standing at 980 feet above sea level, and the highest point on Exmoor, Dunkery Beacon (1704 feet above sea level) is the focal point of the village. Dunkery Beacon is about three miles further on from the village, there are fantastic panoramic views from Dunkery; wild moorland to the west, the Bristol Channel and Wales to the north, the rolling Brendon Hills to the east and the Quarme Valley to the south. In recent years Wheddon Cross has become famous for the abundance of snowdrops in the nearby valley which has become known as 'Snowdrop Valley'. The snowdrops bloom around February and a park and ride system operates from the village to enable visitors easy access to the "carpet of snowdrops". Wheddon Cross has a mini-supermarket with long opening hours, a petrol station and a village pub too.

In the opposite direction, the small town of Wiveliscombe is about 7 miles away, and the county town of Taunton is about 15 miles.