River Cottage Farmhouse

Right on the border between Devon and Dorset, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage has long been a favoured destination for foodies from all over the UK. But now you can stay there too, either renting out their beautiful farmhouse as an exclusive holiday let or staying in one of three lovely guest rooms on a B&B basis.  The views alone –  across the gorgeous Axe valley – are worth spending the night here for, but you also have the benefits of waking up on a working farm in what is by any standards one of the Southwest's  biggest foodie hubs, across the yard from the cookery school and on hand for all River Cottage events. It's also, in case you're wondering, a terrific place to get married!

The farmhouse is a 17th century building that has been carefully restored in a cool and contemporary country style, with old and original features given a new lease of life and cleverly blended with the sort of modern functionality you would expect in any holiday property,  including good wifi – although they deliberately exclude TVs to encourage you to enjoy the peace and tranquillity.  There's a lovely dual aspect living room with a log burner, a beautifully designed farmhouse kitchen overlooking the farm's walled kitchen garden and three very comfortable upstairs bedrooms –  one en-suite, plus a twin and double bedroom which share a family bathroom. The bedrooms are spacious affairs, with large and comfortable beds, high quality linen bedding, organic cotton towels and bathrooms stocked with Bramley toiletries. Each room also has a pile of interesting reading material and a jar of handpicked foliage from the farm. Rates include an excellent River Cottage breakfast whether you are staying B&B or self-catering, and you can add dinner too if you wish – and book it in advance.

Whether you decide to rent the whole house or just enjoy a night or two B&B, it's a tremendous place to stay. First of all, there's always something going on at River Cottage – they run 'wellness retreats, regular weekend dining events, and there are cookery, gardening and arts and crafts courses galore.  But even if none of that appeals, it's just a lovely location to come back to at the end of the day, and convenient for all sorts of wonderful nearby attractions. You are literally just a couple of miles from Lyme Regis and Dorset's beautiful Jurassic Coast, plus it's well-placed for the beaches of south Devon and lots of alluring attractions further inland in both Devon and Dorset. In a nutshell quite perfect even if you don't want to do that cider-making course...