Elegant and friendly Log fires and Italian fare on the edge of Dartmoor. The elegant Lydford House.
L
ydford House, set in eight acres of grounds, is an elegant and friendly hotel incorporating a wonderful Italian restaurant, La Cascata, with an Italian chef. The owners’ own pets include an Irish Setter, Gypsy, and a collie, Toby, rare breed sheep, Guernsey goats, chickens, ducks and cats. The hotel has 11 bedrooms (10 suitable for dogs) and one self-catering apartment and is surrounded by an area of natural beauty.
What gets Lydford House into this guide? A great deal of work is going on to refurbish and improve the hotel — the decor and fittings are all to a very high standard. Our room was a good size with a fantastic modern bathroom. Lory is Italian which certainly
Milly and ew Hattie’s vi
rrival hotel on a d into the e ome. sh h t ru a e s e “W e ourselv d a m n o d and so e neede e room, w d were Once in th m and Da u M t a th e c n in ra d u reass on settle us, but so they ile h w ft there with le ppy to be a m h e re th e in w and ot to jo eals. We g rds a rw e ft a were at m ge in the loun t in front for coffee tching ou re st d ye . This is lk a and enjo w er a long ft a re fi got e of th a and we alking are reat g e m a great w so elcome at w ly d n ie a fr pubs too.”
SuppP10-11Devon(OK).indd Sec1:11
Fact file
● Name of property: Ly dford House ● Location: Hotel. Lydford, Dev on. ● Type of fa cilities: Hot el, plus selfapartment. catering ● Tested b y: Dog owne r Jeanne W Davies with alder and R Border Terr oger iers Milly an ● Cost: From d Hattie. £37.50 per person, per superior ro om, £50 sing night B&B (£ le occupanc 40 from £200 y). Self cate – £500 per ring week, depe season. Dog nd in g s £5 per nigh on the t; dog beds restriction on on request. nu No ● Who to co mber of well behaved dogs. ntact: Lory Brambini an Jenden, Ly d Steve dford House Hotel, Lydf Devon EX20 ord, Okeha 4AU, tel. 01 mpton, 822 820347 lydfordhouse ; email info .com; www @ .lydfordhou ● Testers’ se.com rating: ★ ★ ★★★
The hotel is set in eight acres.
Millie and Hattie relax with Jeanne.
shows in her choice of furnishings — very continental and chic. Adjacent to the hotel is the Granite Way which is an ideal early morning exercise run for the dogs and this links up with public footpaths in and around the village of Lydford. Just through the village is Lydford Gorge (see opposite page), which offers excellent dog-friendly walking and stunning views. Lydford is on the western edge of Dartmoor and offers good walking for those who want it but is well linked by road for those with other interests. We had a good walk with Milly and Hattie on the edge of the moors, and found two great dog-friendly pubs nearby serving good There’s good walking to be had here.
two great d n u o f e “W pubs nearby y l d n ie r f dogd food.” serving goo food. However, it was lovely just to spend time in the hotel lounge with the dogs by a welcoming log fire. Lory wants to make the hotel even more dog friendly and the information pack she was preparing will take on board our comments about the need for more information specifically for dog owners regarding local facilities such as dog crèche and walking services and the possible restriction of access to land.
Who Lydford House would and wouldn’t suit Two of the bedrooms are on the ground floor and would be suitable for either ageing dogs or their ageing owners! Having spent time in both self-catering accommodation and hotels, as dog owners we consider self-catering to be the best option, especially if staying for a week or longer in one place. A hotel is OK for a couple of nights, but here you have both options. This is really from the dogs’ point of view, as I am sure the owners would rather stay in an hotel and be looked after than cater for themselves!
Where W Wh h r to t S Stay t Guide 2009 - 2010 11
20/3/09 11:54:40