A Window Into Smugglers
Tucked into the quiet green fold of a tranquil Devon valley forming part of the Salcombe estuary, rests Smugglers, a quaint grade two listed, 18th century traditional Devon stone cottage. Locations don’t come much more enviable than this, perched at the head of the Batson creek, think postcard-ready fisherman’s cottage set right beside the water.
When Caroline and Geoff bought the cottage in 2014 as a holiday cottage to retire to, they injected serious quantities of joy and cheer into the place, marrying period details with colour, pattern and contemporary touches. Caroline, an interior designer herself, loves to work with colour and avoid neutrals. “I wanted the cottage to reflect my style but also remember the surroundings that the cottage is set in, by adding some nautical touches evoking memories of my childhood holidays.”
Smugglers is a riot of orange, pink and turquoise blues, the living spaces are exquisitely appointed, vibrant, warm and reassuringly informal. Almost every decorative flourish is linked to the place the cottage resides. Forget the nautical nafness and coastal cliche’s you might expect from a holiday cottage, instead Smugglers is brimming full of beautifully authentic sailing gear from the owner’s wooden yacht they’re renovating. They used real old sailing charts to decorate the landing walls and yacht rope for a hand rail on the top stairs. “When we started the renovations, all the plaster was removed from the walls. I was adamant when the walls were re-plastered they would not resemble a new property therefore losing all character. The plasterers were asked to make all corners curved and what a fabulous job they did, the only disadvantage is it was very difficult to wallpaper but with a lot of head scratching I managed it.”
The interiors are decidedly bold and playful, crammed of little luxuries from the gloriously comfy king size beds swathed in luxurious, softer-than-soft bedding to the roaring wood burning stove laden with kiln-dried oak – this beautifully traditional cottage feels perfectly judged for modern life. To make matters even more fabulous, at the very top of the house is a children’s secret hideout with three bunks and a kids snug area with a TV perfect for movie nights.
This cottage is a Salcombe lover’s paradise. The kitchen is home to the most fantastic (and impressive) splash back mosaic, completed by Caroline and Geoff’s son. “It came about because I needed to tile behind the cooker and due to the wall being so uneven most tiles would not work. At first he was going to paint a crab, but then he offered to do it as a mosaic having never done any before. Between us we came up with the design, it took him a week of hard work, sadly vowing never to do one again.
“Just a short walk along the creek into the yachting haven of Salcombe, Smugglers is close enough to the action to get the full Salcombe experience, but far enough away to get a genuine sense of remoteness and peace and quiet. “There are fabulous walks around Snapes point, and a lovely farm shop up the hill selling fresh local produce. A gorgeous butchers and cafe are not far away and offer a fantastic breakfast and more excellent produce.”
The cottage is delightfully eclectic yet instantly welcoming and calming. Across the path there is a gorgeous private garden, a real sun trap, with lengths of butterfly loving verbena and clusters of climbing roses. Guests can settle around the crackling fire pit and enjoy sun drenched long summer days with no noise pollution. Throw on walking boots and explore the coastline, store crabbing buckets and wetsuits or flippers and surfboards in the outbuilding which also houses the washing machine and tumble dryer so swimming costumes and muddy trousers can be taken care of.
The cottage is deceptively large, two families could easily have enough room to come together but also to enjoy moments of quietude on their own. Equally, a family with grandparents would adore this bolthole. “The creek being so close, when the tide is in it is the perfect place for children to learn to sail, paddle board and just muck about in the water, so few boats come up this far making it much safer. ”
Good To Know…
Smugglers sleeps 9 guests across two king rooms, one twin room and a children’s secret hideout with three single beds! One dog is very welcome at Smugglers and there is off road parking for two cars. You will arrive to “Smugglers” ground coffee, local organic tea and a bottle of wine to welcome you to your holiday home. There are fabulous Finest Stays sunglasses, large canvas tote bags and umbrellas ready and waiting too in case you forget any of these handy bits and bobs. Wood will be provided for your first night’s fire, and then you can purchase more wood just up the road! Across the road is the garden with a little running stream at the bottom – a real sun trap! Right next door is a absolutely fabulous utility room with a loo, a kitchenette with a dishwasher, sink, fridge, wine glasses, and everything else you can think of! If you don’t quite have 9 guests to fill the cottage, have a look at our reduced occupancy listing: The Lost Lobster!
