Grab yourself a last minute Devon holiday cottage. The sun is shining, the birds are twittering away in the hedgerows, butterflies are flitting about and down by the river dragonflies are getting rather amorous! It’s so gorgeous at Stonehayes Farm this time of year, especially on clear days like today when you can see for miles and miles across the vast open countryside of East Devon. You should come and see it all for yourselves – we’ve got a few special offers over the summer holidays, so grab them while they’re going….

The thing with Stonehayes Farm is that it’s all so incredibly laid back so there’s nothing to stop you from completely unwinding and enjoying your stay; there’s no traffic noise, apart from the odd car or tractor slowly huffing up the lane, no sirens blaring, no urban noise whatsoever, just peace and quiet, and bounteous healthy fresh air. You’ll sleep well and you’ll wake up feeling completely refreshed and ready to enjoy a day spent idling the time away at your Devon holiday cottage, or visiting one of the many beaches or family attractions nearby.

Have a bit of a lie-in (you deserve it, and anyhow, you’re on holiday!), then have a leisurely breakfast, perhaps bacon and eggs from the local farm shop or the butchers in Honiton, or big thick slices of farmhouse bread with lashings of butter and homemade marmalade; eat it outside so you can enjoy the views across the valley at the same time.

Then get yourselves ready, pack a picnic, and head off to Wildwood Devon near Ottery St Mary. See the wolves, lynx, wildcat, and if you’re very lucky, otters and red squirrels. Watch a falconry display, let the young ‘uns explore the Saxon village and the play area – they’ll absolutely love it! Find a shady spot beneath the trees and enjoy your picnic before heading off to Sidmouth for the afternoon to play on the beach, family friendly and safe for swimming. At low tide you can spuddle about in the rockpools; you’ll have the backdrop of the towering red sandstone cliffs that Sidmouth is well known for, and the rolling green hills beyond. When you’re done, pootle back to Stonehayes Farm for an early evening barbecue and an amble down through the fields to the River Luv, then come back and watch the sunset before you turn in for the night, sleepy heads on soft pillows.

There are heaps of things you could do around here, there are places like Crealy Theme Park & Resort, Axe Valley Wildlife Park, the Donkey Sanctuary and Bicton Park Botanical Gardens to visit, or you could get behind the wheel of some serious earth moving machines at Diggerland Devon, have a ride on the train at Pecorama, or go up to Mansell Raceway for go-karting fun. If grand houses are your thing, well, you’ve quite a choice – Killerton, Knightshayes, and Powderham Castle are all within easy reach. Spend the day in Exeter where you’ll find plenty going on – see the glorious cathedral and linger a while on the green, discover the medieval Underground Passages, meet Gerald the Giraffe in the RAM Museum, scale the dizzy heights at Clip n Climb.

But if all you want to do is spend the days on the beach, you don’t have to go far to get to the world famous Jurassic Coast. If you come for a whole week you can easily go to a different beach every day – apart from Sidmouth there’s Budleigh Salterton which tends to be quieter, and further down is Exmouth which is great for watersports  and for the River Exe Café floating in the estuary – a must if you like seafood. In the other direction is Branscombe, where a narrow lane winds down through the village past flower hung cottages to the beach and the Sea Shanty Beach Café. Then there’s Beer, a charming little fishing village where you can catch a mackerel fishing trip or hire a boat to yourselves with Beer Self Drive Motorboats; come back and have crab sandwiches at Ducky’s Beach Café right on the shore, have fish and chips in the clifftop beer garden of The Anchor Inn or go for lunch at The Smugglers Kitchen.

Seaton has a mile of pebbly beach, and tucked away between the cliffs right out the end is the Hideaway beach café; in town you can catch a ride on the tram to Colyton where you can alight for a scrumptious Devon cream tea at the Tramstop Café. Nearby is Axmouth where it’s nice to stroll along the harbour or the Axe estuary then wind up at The Ship Inn for a bite to eat. Further along, on the Dorset border is Lyme Regis where you can see marine life close up at the Marine Aquarium on the Cobb, play crazy golf in the town gardens, find a world of discovery at Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, or just sit on the esplanade and watch the world go by.

If you like walking or open spaces you can stroll from Stonehayes Farm down to the river, or up to Dumpdon Hill to watch the sunset. Pick a part of the South West Coast Path to explore – Beer to Branscombe is nice, as is the Undercliff from Lyme Regis to Axmouth. Just a few miles away in the Blackdown Hills you can walk up to Culm Beacon and finish up at the Culm Valley Inn, or go to Blackbury Camp, a picture in springtime when the woodland floor is a drift of bluebells. A plethora of ways to spend the days, to make memories to take home and keep forever.

So let’s take a closer look at the availability at Stonehayes Farm this summer; Whinchat Barns are fully booked, as is Dippers Rest, but Wagtail Corner which sleeps 5 is free from the 2nd to the 8th of August for a weekly price of £1,200, and from the 17th to the 23rd for £1,000. £200 per person for a whole week in a clean and shiny, well-equipped holiday cottage in a beautiful part of Devon? That’s not bad at all!

Pipits Retreat also sleeps 5 and is on special offer at £1,000 for 7 nights from 9th, 16th or 23rd August, and Siskins Nook, which has snooze space for 4 is available from THIS SATURDAY 27th July to 2nd August, and again on 17th to the 23rd, with both weeks priced at £850. Pippinsands, our big holiday cottage sleeping 14 with a hot tub, is only available right at the end of the month, from the 30th August, for either 2 nights (£1500), 3 nights (£1600) or 7 nights at £1950.

Be quick! Snap these offers up whilst they’re there, come and enjoy a last minute summer holiday in Devon at Stonehayes Farm. Don’t forget we’re dog friendly, so you don’t need to worry about finding kennels  – bring the pooch along too. You’ll all have a wonderful time and we can’t wait to meet you. Book your holiday in Devon today!