Lydford House at Lydford between Okehampton and Tavistock in Devon

This hotel, for that is what it is in my mind despite what the Tourist Board may say, has been on my website for about
8 years and I have been meaning all that time to go along and meet Lory and Steve. So with Easter out of the way, it
was one of the first on this year's visit list. Jane the office wizard and I rang to say we were coming and a pleasant
voice on the end of the phone told us that she would be glad to see us. This voice turned out to be Lucie who was
keen to show us this very swish guest house.
I have to say guest house sounds awfully old fashioned for what is on offer here. It's all beautifully decorated and up
to the minute. Of the 12 bedrooms they have, we looked into 6 and were invited to take as many photos as we wished.
The breakfast room is seperate to the dining room, the dining room being 'La Cascata' where non residents are welcome
to enjoy the authentic Italian food on offer, there being a resident Italian chef. Maybe I need to carry out a food review! Both rooms have comfy wicker chairs, stripped floorboards in the breakfast room and all is immaculately clean.
All of the rooms have a courtesy tray with biscuits and drinks. The bathrooms also offer shampoo and soaps.

Take a look at one of the modern shower rooms, this one is an en-suite in one of the doubles.
This room above, with 2 single beds is part of a family suite. Mum and Dad have the benefit of the large double
seen here, and there is a modern bathroom en-suite. Two of the bedrooms are on the ground floor and have easy
access to the wonderfully large sitting room. So wheelchair users are very welcome to come and enjoy a stay.
Dog are welcome to stay too. The red setter above is Gypsy the family dog who is friendly and does not bother the
Indian Runner ducks that we find on the small pond in the front garden.
Horse owners wishing to bring horses on holiday, will be glad to find that livery is on offer
along with a sand exercise school with tack boxes. Riding on the open Moorland is very close
and easy, and Lydford Gorge (National Trust) is just a 5 minute walk away. If you do bring young children, there is a high chair for mealtimes, and don't forget to bring the youngsters' bikes because the Granite Way Cycle Path runs alongside with a private access directly from the hotel. The path is flat and easy to cycle. And if you can't fit your bikes into the car, you can hire them locally. When we had finished with the camera, Lucie had a welcome tray of tea and biscuits for us and we joined some older cyclists in the comfortable smart sitting room. They had been cycling past on the Granite Way and called in for
some refreshments, and we heard the chap commenting that the bill was a pleasant surprise. Actually, it's all a pleasant surprise. Lucie is friendly and just as we finish our tea Lory arrives in her car. She and I have a long chat about the
state of tourism in the South West and I tell her how impressed we are with everything we've seen, and as we drive off Jane and I both agree that this is just the sort of place where we could spend some quality time. Back to the hotels page,
or visit Lydford village page. Here is the Lydford House website.