Varley Lodge

This is a lovely place to stay - we are already discussing visiting again.

The photos do not do it justice - it is a beautiful cottage with plenty of space downstairs, including a large kitchen and lovely lounge, and three lovely bedrooms upstairs as well as a separate nook up some stairs off the entrance hall which was great for our children to hang out in. Some reviews have queried the warmth of the cottage. We stayed while the weather was positively Arctic outside and the cottage was fine for all of us. The owners did very kindly send us an extra heater in case we needed it, but we never took it out of the box.

We had a lovely time staying over NYE here.

The cottage looks small from the outside but is surprisingly spacious, and with young kids with us, it meant there was plenty of room for them to play. The kitchen is well equipped and with a second fridge in the dining room – perfect for the additional NYE bottles of wine! Given the time of year and the crazy storm that rolled in, we didn't get much chance to enjoy the large, beautiful garden. But I imagine would be amazing in the warmer months. Our only downside is the second sitting room above the garage was always very cold! I assume unsuitable level of insulation, due to the pitched roof and cold open space below.

Lovely accommodation in a glorious area.

Hilltop scenic views and a really dark sky location making a wonderful sight of the stars. Nice touch by the owners to contact us , leaving a gift and offering assistance.

We have been a few times to Varley and enjoy its setting, tranquillity and reduced pace-of-life.

Rural and undisturbed and beautifully self-contained, just what is needed for a relaxing break.

This is a truly beautiful home in a stunning setting, we really enjoyed our time there.

We can’t recommend Varley Lodge enough.

A lovely, spacious, comfortable clean house, even nicer in real life than the pictures show. We had everything we needed for 5 of us. The garden was big and the view amazing . The hot tub was also great. It was a perfect base for exploring the surrounding area, fantastic beaches and wonderful scenery. Thank you for the welcoming cream tea too. This was a very special property and we had a lovely holiday .

Really enjoyed the cottage and it's position.

Definitely would look to book again. As others have said, the property upstairs can be a little cooler than most may have their own homes. We tried turning the heating up but no real difference. Using log burner downstairs makes a great difference though. I don't suppose any of this matters if you book April-Sept. Anyway, great cottage and hot tub!

Great location and overall we loved the cottage.

The only thing that let us down was the standard of cleanliness as there were many cobwebs and dust. The snug was also very cold.

We had a really lovely stay in Varley Lodge.

The kitchen was very well equipped which enabled us to cook big family meals. The property was very clean and spacious with a great outdoor space and fabulous views as a far as the estuary. We really enjoyed using the hot tub, we would have liked a more detailed guide as to the functions of the tub and couldn't get the jets in all corners to work. We highly recommend this property and would stay again if visiting the area. Thank you!

We had a lovely relaxing stay at Varley lodge , house was fully equipped with all we needed.

We have no hesitation in recommending this get away and will definitely be making a return trip.

We had a wonderful week at Varley Lodge and were sad to leave!

It’s such a beautiful cottage, much bigger than we thought it would be and had a real wow factor. The hot tub was lovely and the garden is beautiful and so big! Our little boy really enjoyed playing out there and also meeting all the cows on the other side of the fence. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the surrounding area and then having the cottage to come home to at the end of the day. The welcome pack of scones, jam, clotted cream, milk and soft drink was a lovely touch too. We had a couple of maintenance queries throughout the week and Neil the owner, who had already touched base over text, was quick to respond and sorted it out for us with no issue at all. We would definitely recommend a holiday at Varley Lodge.

Varley Lodge is an absolutely beautiful cottage with all the comforts of home and the most stunning views from the garden.

The hot tub is a welcome treat at the end of the day visiting the gorgeous Devon countryside and coastline. We can’t recommend this property highly enough and we were welcomed with scones, clotted cream, jam and milk on arrival. A lovely touch from the owner. Thank you for a wonderful stay.

All in all we enjoyed our stay.

I would say though that we were a little disappointed when we arrived that the cleaning of the cottage was not up to standard. A deep clean would have benefited before our arrival. The cottage was very well appointed with all the kitchen appliances, utensils etc you could need, however I do think that some of these could be updated. Situated on a farm obviously brings the country “odour” which at times were overpowering. I’m not sure if the cottage was listed as being situated on a farm.

Just back from a lovely week at Varley Lodge, about 5 minute drive out of Barnstaple, which had a lovely shopping centre, supermarkets and electric charging points.

The house was lovely, as nice as the photos and really well equipped with anything you would need. Hot tub was a nice touch, though bit windy up in country so take a nice fluffy dressing gown for when you get out! We visited Woolacombe, illfracombe, Combe Martin and rest of coast, great base for some exploring, definitely be back again

Varley Lodge was a joy from the moment we went through the door.

It's light, spacious and cosy. My children quickly turned the snug into their "play snug" and I don't blame them, it's a lovely space. The longe is very comfy and, as it was March, we had the fire lit most nights. The kitchen was very well equipped with all the tools you'd have at home plus more that I'd never expected! The underfloor heating down stairs is something I will miss a lot! Upstairs the bedrooms are clean and airy. Lovely big bath in the master bathroom, water was hot quickly and all was very clean. Hot tub was a lovely treat and the children loved the garden space for flying their kites. 100% recommended, really loved it here, didn't want to leave!

Varley lodge for us had mixed reviews Beds very comfortable and clean, lovely welcome pack, hot tub nice, views amazing, the down side extremely cold especially upstairs, cleanliness not that brilliant cob webs a lot of and stains on the furniture and throws could do with a was .

Snug lovely idea but telly not working due to no Ariel and very very cold. Kitchen could definitely do with a deep clean and kitchen utensils could do with a upgrade, information pack could go with a upgrade unfortunately not one of our best holidays but the area was lovely

Lovely property in an area of just a handful of cottages.

Very quiet with amazing views and a large garden. Spacious property with the addition of the snug, although this area didn't seem to have any heating. Kitchen well equipped and hot tub was a great addition. A few cobwebs around, but to be expected for an old property with lots of character. Fab location to be able to enjoy the North Devon Coast and to cycle on the Tarka Trail. We needed to speak to the owner whilst we were there, and he was very friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend.

We just returned from a wonderful week at Varley Lodge and the house was better than we expected!

On arrival we were greeted with a wonderful welcome pack- milk, soft drink and scones- delish! The twin and super-king beds were incredibly comfortable and we spent most of our time in the main living room warming by the fire. We spent everyday in the hot tub - our favourite place, especially after returning from an autumnal walk. The wifi was very reliable across the entire house - I was even able to join a work call from the upstairs sitting room with no issues. Overall, we had an incredible stay and we were sad to leave - would certainly come back again.

Lovely cottage with incredible views.

Very tranquil and comfortable base. Possibly not the most comfortable beds but we all have our own preferences. Our stay was at the end of a busy season and a little maintenance is required.

It was our first holiday as a group and we couldn’t have picked a better place!

The rooms were gorgeous and everything was so clean. There was everything you could want or need. The living room had such a cosy feel to it especially with the fire lit. The views were phenomenal, and the hot tub was a perfect addition after a long day out and about. The only thing we really found annoying were the amount of flies that were about, could maybe do with a couple of fly traps, we didn’t have windows or doors open or anything, they were just there in the livingroom. We counted one night and there was nearly 20 just in the sitting room. But considering that’s the only real issue we had, that shows how amazing varley lodge was!

A beautiful setting in a beautiful part of Devon; the views and sunsets are stunning, a real gem of the area.

The cottage is well presented and just as described, the welcoming pack of cream tea was a welcome bonus. Highly recommended for those who want a comfortable, quiet stress free and lazy break. Many thanks to everyone involved in making Varley Lodge what it is.

We loved this property and hope to return.

Very generous grounds. There was everything we needed for an enjoyable & relaxing break.

We had a wonderful stay at Varley Lodge.

The location is excellent and well positioned for getting to the beaches at Woolacombe or Saunton Sands or for exploring the towns around North Devon. Varley Lodge is very spacious and comfortable. The garden is large and gives great views down to the coast. The hot tub is a great feature. We loved our stay and would highly recommend Varley Lodge.

Really nice holiday cottage, well finished renovation with lovely oak beams.

The property was very clean and tidy with a well stocked kitchen. It has a good size garden which is well kept for children to run around in and has an excellent view of the coast. Our son loved the hot tub which is tucked away around the back and nice and secluded. It is in a great location with lots of things to see and do within a short drive. It has a bbq and a selection of games for children. One thing to be aware of is that it's right next to a working farm and the cockerel may wake you up in the morning! If you can live with that it is an excellent place to spend your holiday.

The cottage was in a beautiful location with the most stunning views.

The cottage decor was very tasteful and in keeping with the age of the property. There were added extras upon arrival which really added to the stay. The hot tub was lovely and positioned so you can enjoy the sunsets in any weather. I would highly recommend the cottage for all stays with friends or family.

It was one of the rare experiences where the property you book is even BETTER than the photos online.

We loved every minute staying at this very special property

Absolutely fantastic!

A wonderful property that had everything we needed. The hot tub was a great bonus too. The location is perfect as it was awesome to be in the countryside. Loved our holiday so much and we definitely recommend to all ages (our age range is from 6 yrs to 78 years old). Thank you.

Amazing Property, the best sykes cottage we have stayed in.

A beautiful property that is well equipped and certainly didn't disappoint.

It is set in a rural location with stunning views. It is situated close to Barnstable and it is easy to navigate to South Devon and Cornwall. The hot tub was an added bonus and thoroughly enjoyed by all four of us. Would thoroughly recommend this property and wouldn't hesitate to re book in the future.

Varley Lodge is a delightful spacious and comfortable family accommodation in a beautiful setting with plenty of safe outdoor space.

The housekeeper was on hand (by phone) with any queries and was prompt with replying, as was the owner when she couldn’t help us. This was our second visit to the property and we shall certainly return again in the future. Within easy reach …15 mins of the beautiful Saunton Sands beach and some great days out for the family.

Lovely cottage with amazing views from the large private garden.

Cottage is beautifully decorated, very clean and comfortable. Outside 8 seater table/chairs and 2 sun loungers are provided. Hot tub is private and not overlooked. One of the nicest cottages we have stayed in and would definitely recommend it.

We’ve stayed in many self catering properties over the years and this cottage was possibly the best one we’ve ever stayed at.

It was warm, comfortable and extremely well equipped. Spotlessly clean,as we come to expect with Sykes properties. Very comfortable beds with lovely bedding and excellent quality throughout. Well maintained property and grounds. A comprehensive guest information folder with a contact number for our house keeper. A quick response by text message when we sent a query to her. The location was ideal. I would highly recommend.

Great location and amazing views from the huge garden.

The kitchen is well equipped and rooms all comfortable. The hot-tub was much used and enjoyed. Our only feedback would be that the property was too warm with the underfloor heating, especially downstairs. We tried to adjust the thermostat but this did not seem to make much difference so we had to open doors and windows.

Beautiful cottage and great views,plenty of space ,only downside was the underfloor heating is so hot downstairs but upstairs the children's bedroom and end bedrooms were so very cold could do with a heater ,the hot tub only worked with some jets so weren't able to use very disappointed, house keeper was very helpful came and turned heating up

Beautiful property

Great accommodation, very spacious and well equipped in a great location.

Great views and surroundings. Would definitely recommend. Exceeded our expectations.

Varley Lodge was a really comfortable place to stay with everything you could possibly need catered for.

With stunning views and the added luxury of a hot tub it genuinely exceeded all our expectations!

A beautiful cottage we felt relaxed immediately upon arrival.

Varley lodge is truly amazing!

They have gone beyond the description of this lodge, it offers so much more & has everything you need & more. The Views are unreal! Hot tub and lodge burner completes it. We have been to many lodges but this is by far the best we have been to! The pictures are amazing but in person this lodge is honestly a different level! We will 100% be back! Thank you.