Driving along the windy, meandering country lanes taking in all the gloriously scenic views of the rolling Devonshire hills and the beautiful country villages. We couldn’t wait to arrive at Apple Blossom House!
Turning the corner and pulling into the drive, Apple Blossom House looks exactly how I imagined.
Stepping out of the car and smelling the clean, fresh air I remember feeling a great sense of peace and tranquillity which is hard to describe in writing.
We were warmly greeted by Gary & Liz who welcomed us into their property.
The first thing we noticed was the luxurious décor, the wonderful exposed beams and the huge log burner which had been prepared and laid ready to throw in a match.
The three bedrooms upstairs are all great sizes. The master bedroom has a ginormous super king bed and has an en suite with a wonderful waterfall shower. The two other bedrooms are great sizes with king beds and plenty of storage.
The very generous welcome hamper left by the owners of fresh flowers, milk, bread, eggs, butter, chocolate and coffee & tea, also came with three bottles of the Sandford Orchards cider which Gary tells me is made using the apples from his orchards which was a lovely touch and very delicious too!
With no dinner plans, we ventured to the nearby Ring of Bells, a beautiful dog-friendly, thatched pub recommended by the owners. We stepped inside and were warmly greeted by a lovely, cosy atmosphere and friendly staff. We opted for fish and chips for our evening meal but were incredibly tempted to return for Sunday lunch that weekend!
.jpg)
The next morning after having a wonderfully peaceful night’s sleep, we woke to the lively birds tweeting. I remember feeling very relaxed and completely comfortable.
We had a lazy morning, making the most of not needing to be anywhere, drinking coffee and making brunch using the fresh eggs and bread from the hamper.
We decided to venture into Exeter city centre for the afternoon. It’s a lovely scenic drive and took about 20 minutes. We window shopped the chic boutiques and the stylish independents whilst admiring the wonderful historic buildings and landmarks. Before returning to our cosy weekend homestay, we popped into the farm shop at the end of the lane to gather some lovely local produce for our evening supper.
That evening we settled down on that gloriously comfortable sofa with a bottle of wine and a cheeseboard and got that fantastic fire roaring.
When we woke Sunday morning the weather was beautiful. We couldn’t wait to get up and about to enjoy the sunshine.
We had a really lovely walk around the grounds and the apple orchards soaking up the rays and listening to the birds. Gary has outlined some lovely walking paths through the paddocks filled with wild garlic and blue bells. We walked to the top of the hill where the views are outstanding.
For the afternoon we drove to the coastal town of Budleigh Salterton which is gorgeous. We treated ourselves to an ice cream at The Creamery. I had maple walnut flavour which was fantastic. We walked up and back along the beach watching the dogs and children playing and splashing in the sea.
The evening was spent again curled up on that delicious sofa in front of that amazing fire. The entertainment system at the property is fantastic which is great for watching a movie and listening to music.
I had been very excited to see a bath tub in the main bathroom, so I ran a bath and poured myself another glass of wine. What a fantastic end to a relaxing weekend in the beautiful Devon countryside.
Feeling inspired? Take a look at Apple Blossom House here.
