This is the perfect holiday home. From the charming cottage, you're within short walking distance of both Sidmouth's quaint shops and the pebble beach, which offers spectacular views on the cliffs east and west of it.
The cottage is nicely decorated, feels ample, and was spotless on arrival. The kitchen is well-equipped and recycling is made easy. The house is set in a small but well-kept garden, with outdoor tables in the front and the back. A squirrel may pass by the conservatory windows to say hello.
Selwyn and his partner Geoff, the kind and helpful owners, are very approachable, as they live on the premises, in a grand house that was formerly a hotel and that was previously inhabited by Charles Beauclerk, a grandson of Charles II, and his son, Admiral Lord Amelius Beauclerk.
Just across the street, there's a house where Beatrix Potter spent one of her holidays as she was working on a children's book, The Tale of Little Pig Robinson. And she's only one of the notable writers to have stayed in Sidmouth; there's also Jane Austin, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and J.R.R. Tolkien, among others.
There must be something in the air here. We'll definitely visit again!