Self-Catering Cottages near Barnstaple, North Devon

 The oldest parts of Muddlebridge House are believed to have been one of several small local potteries, some of which existed into the 20th century. A major extension was added to the original building in the late 18th century, at the same time as a stable block, a carriage barn/hay store and additional outbuildings, all in stone, to create a very elegant Georgian gentleman's residence. The stables, barn and outbuildings were then most innovatively converted in the mid 1980's to form the seven cottages, each self-contained with its own unique character and interior layout. The cottages are very comfortably furnished, with easy-chairs/sofas, and dining suites and bedroom furniture in pine. Open plan living-rooms provide sitting, dining and well equipped kitchen areas. Since taking over the business in 1992, we have continuously upgraded the cottages and improved the facilities; 2014/15 saw the replacement of nearly all sofas and easy-chairs and the completion of re-carpeting throughout all cottages.

General Information

Arrival/Departure Times

   The cottages, grounds and facilities are available to guests from 3.00pm on arrival day and should be vacated promptly by 10.00am on departure day to allow us to clean throughout, make beds and prepare for incoming guests

Pets

    By prior arrangement, one well-behaved dog is allowed per cottage, for which a weekly charge of £20 (£15 for 3 or 4 night break) is made. Details of the pet must be entered on the booking form. Dogs are accepted on the understanding that they are kept under control on a lead in the grounds and public rooms at all times (but are not allowed in the pool building), are not left unsupervised in the cottage or allowed on sofas, chairs or beds. Owners must provide their own baskets/beds/crates and pet bedding as appropriate. Dogs must be toileted outside the grounds please; there are three dog toilet bins within 200-300 metres of our front gate.  From our gate, there is a choice of five different routes (paths, tracks or lanes) for exercise walks, with a bridleway starting just over 200 metres away. 

Cots and High Chairs

We have three full size cots available for guest use, normally to accommodate babies/toddlers from 6 months old upwards. When a cot is used within the total number of bed spaces, there is no charge. If the cot exceeds the number of bed spaces, there is an additional £30 weekly charge (£20 for a short break). Note that we do not supply cot linen/bedding for hygiene reasons, so guests must bring suitable bedding (and cot bumper if required). For babies younger than 6 months, safety guidelines recommend a baby should sleep in its own moses basket, crib or similar. We also have several high chairs for guest use, plus stairgates and two bed-guards for young children. Please request these when booking.

 

 

Double Beds

in Thatchers, Millers, Weavers and Potters are kingsize (5' wide), otherwise standard double size (4'6"). Kingsize beds are also 3" longer than standard doubles.

Linen/Towels

Bed linen (fitted sheets, duvet covers and pillow slips) is included in cottage rental prices; we also provide a tea-towel, oven-glove and bathmat. Beds are made up prior to arrival. If guests prefer to bring their own flat sheets for use with the blankets in each cottage, please tell us when booking. We do not provide towels or table linen should this be required, but towels are available to hire (£2/towel) for guests from overseas or arriving by public transport or by bicycle.

Heating

Thatchers, Wheelwrights, Millers, Potters and Saddlers have full gas-fired radiator central heating. Weavers and Forge are heated by a night storage heater in the living room, with a further wall-mounted or free-standing convector heater in each room.

Hot Water

is provided by electric immersion heater controlled by a morning/evening timer, but in Saddlers by the combi boiler. All showers are electric.

Disabled Access

The ground-floor double bedroom with en-suite shower and wc in Wheelwrights may be suitable for guests with limited mobility (but the size of the bedroom is unlikely to be suitable for a wheelchair user).  Regular access to this cottage is by a short flight of outdoor steps, although there is a longer access route via a gravelled courtyard and path. Moveable ramps are available for wheelchair access to the main Games Room for table tennis and football table use, but not to the second Games Room (pool table and guest library).  Access to the swimming pool building is through a gravelled courtyard with a slight slope, then a flat concrete path. 

Car Parking

There are nine bays available in the cottage car-park area, with two additional 'overflow' bays suitable for smaller cars, usually allowing one space for each 1-bedroom cottage and two spaces for each 2/3 bedroom cottage. During periods of peak occupancy, we can make an additional one or two spaces available up at the main house. If any guests intend to bring a particularly long or wide vehicle, please inform us at the time of booking. Parking requirements for non-residents' vehicles must be notified in advance so we can check there will be adequate spaces for residents. 

Non-residents

are welcome to visit guests staying in the cottages. However for security purposes, visitor names and vehicle details must be notified in advance of each visit. Daily/session charges per person, which must be paid in advance, apply to non-residents' use of facilities as follows, subject to residents having priority use:

    - games rooms and play-area: £3;

    - swimming pool: £6;

    - games rooms, play-area and pool (combined): £7.50

Recycling

North Devon has achieved one of the highest rates in the country for recycling and we have always been keen to endorse this initiative.  Labelled crates are provided in the pool table room for guests to recycle glass bottles/jars, cans, plastic bottles/containers, newspapers and cardboard and we hope that all our guests will support these efforts. From June 2017, food waste (cooked and uncooked) was successfully added to North Devon's list of weekly collections, with green 'kitchen caddy' bins provided in each cottage.