Bridge Cottage
Grade II listed nineteenth-century toll house in the beautiful South Hams
a South Devon holiday home
Avonwick
about Bridge Cottage
Bridge Cottage is a Grade II listed South Devon self-catering holiday home in the village of Avonwick in the county’s South Hams district. Built in the early nineteenth century as a toll house, the cottage sits on its own private bank of the River Avon. The cottage would originally have collected tolls from the cattle drovers, shepherds, goods carts and stagecoaches travelling along the ancient green lane known as the Cobbly Walk that runs along the other side of the building.
Situated in a Conservation Area in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Bridge Cottage retains many of its original features while offering modern-day comfort, convenience and access to the beautiful South Devon coastline and countryside. Beaches are twenty-five minutes away by car. Turn right from the cottage and you’ll be in the Dartmoor National Park even sooner. The Elizabethan market town of Totnes is a fifteen-minute drive away, with Salcombe and Dartmouth beyond. Bridge Cottage has been featured in UK newspaper The Guardian's Fantasy House Hunt.
In terms of comfort and design, Bridge Cottage offers a cosy log burner in the lounge, stripped pine floorboards and slate flooring, beautiful oak lintels over windows and doors, deep slate and oak window sills and hand-crafted shutters. Set across three floors, the cottage has two bathrooms with modern suites, a country-style kitchen / dining room with modern facilities, a smart Freeview TV in the lounge, and broadband wi-fi. The cottage has its own idyllic 200 foot-long private riverside garden with paved patio, garden furniture, meadow lawned section, raised flower and fruit beds, beech and hazel trees, greenhouse, and gazebo overlooking the River Avon. There's a log store at the side of the cottage, plus space alongside to store surfboards, kayaks etc., and outdoors tap to wash off sandy wetsuits.
Bridge Cottage has two double bedrooms with double beds (one kingsize, one standard) and views out over the river and fields beyond. The two bathrooms are set on the first and lower-ground floors. The first floor bathroom is next to the two bedrooms and has its own shower cubicle with rainfall shower head, basin and toilet, while the lower-ground floor bathroom has a keyhole bath with waterfall mixer tap, jacuzzi jets, retractable hand-held shower attachment and separate fixed shower over, basin and toilet. Bed linen and bath towels are provided (please bring your own beach towels).
There’s a SMEG range-style cooker in the ground floor kitchen, along with a fridge, double butler sink, and a dining table. The kitchen has beechwood block worktops and is well stocked with crockery, cutlery, glassware, cookware and utensils, kettle, toaster and a microwave oven. As well as a bathroom, the utility room on the lower ground floor is home to a washing machine, a fridge freezer, kettle, sink and old-fashioned clothes drier. The stable door from the utility room leads out onto the patio and riverside garden beyond. The cottage is heated by the log burning stove and oil-filled radiators.
A uniquely atmospheric cobbled green lane that runs along the river’s edge at the side of Bridge Cottage, The Cobbly Walk (sometimes known as the Cobbly Way) is one of the oldest thoroughfares in Devon. Keeping an eye out for wildlife and ruts cut into the walkway by cartwheels of days gone by, follow the Cobbly Walk through ancient woodlands into the South Hams countryside beyond. Legend has it that nineteenth-century smugglers would use the path to move their contraband in the dead of night.
Ideal for days at the beach, nature trails, cycling, hiking, history, culture, shopping, water sports, fishing, as a writer’s and artist’s retreat, for family holidays, winter breaks, romantic hideaways, spending time away with friends or just relaxing in the riverside garden, Bridge Cottage has it all.
Bridge Cottage has enough free parking space for two cars and, in terms of access, is situated on the Plymouth Road, just off the A38 Devon Expressway that links Exeter with Plymouth. While great for access, the Plymouth Road can get busy at times.
A couple of other things worth noting. Although there are train stations nearby (Ivybridge and Totnes being the closest), due to its rural location Bridge Cottage lends itself best to car owners. And, as the cottage is arranged over three floors, it might not suit the elderly, families with toddlers or those in a wheelchair. Also, as a heritage protected, nineteenth century building, Bridge Cottage can feel chilly at times.
Stay at Bridge Cottage for from £175 per night, Saturday to Saturday, subject to availability.
-
Grade II listed nineteenth century toll house
-
South Devon holiday let
-
on a private bank of the River Avon
-
2 double bedrooms with double beds
-
2 bathrooms
-
free parking
-
wi-fi throughout
-
200 foot private riverside garden
-
well-appointed kitchen / diner
-
log burning stove
-
hairdryer
-
iron and ironing board
-
bed linen and towels provided
-
Smart Freeview TV
-
utility room
-
short drive from beaches and Dartmoor
-
garden furniture
-
barbecue
-
fire pit
-
washing machine, microwave and fridge freezer
-
adjacent to the ancient Cobbly Way bridlepath
-
Christmas and New Year breaks available
-
in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, near pubs, restaurants and shops
-
we are proud that Bridge Cottage is cleaned only using environmentally-friendly cleaning products
Please read our full holiday rental terms and
conditions here
Bridge Cottage in an early twentieth century Avonwick postcard
Bridge Cottage in winter
about Bridge Cottage
Bridge Cottage is a Grade II listed South Devon self-catering holiday home in the village of Avonwick in the county’s South Hams district. Built in the early nineteenth century as a toll house, the cottage sits on its own private bank of the River Avon. The cottage would originally have collected tolls from the cattle drovers, shepherds, goods carts and stagecoaches travelling along the ancient green lane known as the Cobbly Walk that runs along the other side of the building.
Situated in a Conservation Area in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Bridge Cottage retains many of its original features while offering modern-day comfort, convenience and access to the beautiful South Devon coastline and countryside. Beaches are twenty-five minutes away by car. Turn right from the cottage and you’ll be in the Dartmoor National Park even sooner. The Elizabethan market town of Totnes is a fifteen-minute drive away, with Salcombe and Dartmouth beyond. Bridge Cottage has been featured in UK newspaper The Guardian's Fantasy House Hunt.
In terms of comfort and design, Bridge Cottage offers a cosy log burner in the lounge, stripped pine floorboards and slate flooring, beautiful oak lintels over windows and doors, deep slate and oak window sills and hand-crafted shutters. Set across three floors, the cottage has two bathrooms with modern suites, a country-style kitchen / dining room with modern facilities, a smart Freeview TV in the lounge, and broadband wi-fi. The cottage has its own idyllic 200 foot-long private riverside garden with paved patio, garden furniture, meadow lawned section, raised flower and fruit beds, beech and hazel trees, greenhouse, and gazebo overlooking the River Avon. There's a log store at the side of the cottage, plus space alongside to store surfboards, kayaks etc., and outdoors tap to wash off sandy wetsuits.
Bridge Cottage has two double bedrooms with double beds (one kingsize, one standard) and views out over the river and fields beyond. The two bathrooms are set on the first and lower-ground floors. The first floor bathroom is next to the two bedrooms and has its own shower cubicle with rainfall shower head, basin and toilet, while the lower-ground floor bathroom has a keyhole bath with waterfall mixer tap, jacuzzi jets, retractable hand-held shower attachment and separate fixed shower over, basin and toilet. Bed linen and bath towels are provided (please bring your own beach towels).
There’s a SMEG range-style cooker in the ground floor kitchen, along with a fridge, double butler sink, and a dining table. The kitchen has beechwood block worktops and is well stocked with crockery, cutlery, glassware, cookware and utensils, kettle, toaster and a microwave oven. As well as a bathroom, the utility room on the lower ground floor is home to a washing machine, a fridge freezer, kettle, sink and old-fashioned clothes drier. The stable door from the utility room leads out onto the patio and riverside garden beyond. The cottage is heated by the log burning stove and oil-filled radiators.
A uniquely atmospheric cobbled green lane that runs along the river’s edge at the side of Bridge Cottage, The Cobbly Walk (sometimes known as the Cobbly Way) is one of the oldest thoroughfares in Devon. Keeping an eye out for wildlife and ruts cut into the walkway by cartwheels of days gone by, follow the Cobbly Walk through ancient woodlands into the South Hams countryside beyond. Legend has it that nineteenth-century smugglers would use the path to move their contraband in the dead of night.
Ideal for days at the beach, nature trails, cycling, hiking, history, culture, shopping, water sports, fishing, as a writer’s and artist’s retreat, for family holidays, winter breaks, romantic hideaways, spending time away with friends or just relaxing in the riverside garden, Bridge Cottage has it all.
Bridge Cottage has enough free parking space for two cars and, in terms of access, is situated on the Plymouth Road, just off the A38 Devon Expressway that links Exeter with Plymouth. While great for access, the Plymouth Road can get busy at times.
A couple of other things worth noting. Although there are train stations nearby (Ivybridge and Totnes being the closest), due to its rural location Bridge Cottage lends itself best to car owners. And, as the cottage is arranged over three floors, it might not suit the elderly, families with toddlers or those in a wheelchair. Also, as a heritage protected, nineteenth century building, Bridge Cottage can feel chilly at times.
Stay at Bridge Cottage for from £130 per night, Saturday to Saturday, subject to availability.
-
Grade II listed nineteenth century toll house
-
South Devon holiday let
-
on a private bank of the River Avon
-
2 double bedrooms with double beds
-
2 bathrooms
-
free parking
-
wi-fi throughout
-
200 foot private riverside garden
-
well-appointed kitchen / diner
-
log burning stove
-
hairdryer
-
iron and ironing board
-
bed linen and towels provided
-
Smart Freeview TV
-
utility room
-
short drive from beaches and Dartmoor
-
garden furniture
-
barbecue
-
fire pit
-
washing machine, microwave and fridge freezer
-
adjacent to the ancient Cobbly Way bridlepath
-
Christmas and New Year breaks available
-
in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, near pubs, restaurants and shops
-
we are proud that Bridge Cottage is cleaned only using environmentally-friendly cleaning products
Please read our full holiday rental terms and
conditions here
Bridge Cottage in an early twentieth century Avonwick postcard
Bridge Cottage in winter
nearby
Hay Tor on Dartmoor
The Cobbly Walk
Totnes
South Devon is beautiful. From the wild charms of Dartmoor to the gorgeous beaches of the South Hams - and the historical towns, rural villages and scenic countryside in between - Bridge Cottage is perfectly positioned to take advantage of all the opportunities the county of Devon has to offer. And, as it’s in a Conservation Area, the local environment is protected and preserved in order to retain its heritage and habitats.
First things first though, you’ll need to stock up on groceries. There's a medium-sized Co-op supermerket in South Brent, the closest village to Avonwick. Slightly further afield (15 minutes by car) there’s a huge Tesco supermarket at Lee Mill, and a Morrisons supermarket in Totnes. There are also plenty of convenience stores, artisanal bakeries, dairies and cheese-makers, delicatessens, micro-breweries, farm shops, and vineyards in the area.
What about eating and drinking nearby? Well, just across the river from Bridge Cottage there’s The Avon Inn, a family-run pub with a huge beer garden that sells a range of great pub food and local ales. Then there’s Turtley Corn Mill. Five minutes away by car, Turtley Corn Mill is a welcoming restaurant and bar set in its own five acre grounds, complete with peacocks. The Ship Inn at Ugborough is a lovely country pub with an enticing menu. Totnes is well known for its variety of eateries and entertainment options, but it’s also worth visiting Kingsbridge, home to the award-winning Wild Artichokes restaurant. There are more suggestions for both eating out in the Bridge Cottage welcome pack.
Getting to Dartmoor is easy, as Bridge Cottage is right on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Dartmoor is steeped in history, offering a wide variety of country pubs, hiking trails, Devon cream tea shops and wild water tracts. Hire bikes or wander on foot to explore Dartmoor’s majestic granite tors. There are plenty of car parks across the Park.
The South Hams is famous for its incredible coastline. There are sandy, shingly and pebbled beaches and coves within a twenty-five minute drive from Bridge Cottage, as well as extraordinary coastal paths. One of the South West’s best spots for windsurfing, Bigbury is a popular sandy beach with its own café and views of Burgh Island, made famous by the crime author Agatha Christie. Perfect for all kind of water sports, there’s a surf school at Bantham beach and, to the west, Slapton Sands beach runs parallel to Slapton Ley, a natural lagoon that’s a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Geological Conservation Review site. Challaborough is another family-friendly, sandy Blue Flag beach with amazing rockpools at low tide.
If you fancy catching a film there are independent cinemas in Totnes and Dartington, and both towns have a wide selection of boutiques, art galleries, bars and independent cafes. Towards Exeter is the stannary town of Ashburton, known for its antique shops, arts centre and the famous Fish Deli food shop. Speaking of fish, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to sea food. There are fishmongers, seafood restaurants and traditional fish and chip shops dotted all around the area. Take a trip to the nearby fishing town of Brixham to buy fresh produce straight off the boat.
These are just a few ideas of what Bridge Cottage has on its doorstep. The Bridge Cottage welcome pack is filled with more tips and suggestions.
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