escape giant carved head from Indonesia sits on the floor in one of the bedrooms of the manor house, and a white lacquered four-poster comes from China… While the story of the men behind this project is fascinating, it is the collection of buildings and grounds that are most beguiling. Employing an army of workers (and probably helping the local South Hams economy exponentially), Mike and Edwin turned a collection of derelict stone buildings and timber barns into a retreat that manages to combine the sense of a five-star hotel with the ‘roll-up-your-sleeves’ feeling of a real farm. In the centre of the complex is a large, gated, gravelled courtyard, overlooked by the ‘Barns’: individual apartments with their own kitchens. At one corner is the old dairy room, now home to big refectory dining tables and a brushed-steel open kitchen. On the other side is Edwin’s studio. Next door is the handsome stone manor house, built in the early 19th-century. Like a traditional bed and breakfast, the manor has communal spaces which are decorated with eclectic art and furniture from all over the world: from traditional French armoirs to wing-back chairs and ancient Chinese paintings. The floorboards are lime-washed in the airy style of old French and Italian houses. Soft furnishings, rugs and carpets soften the vibe. It feels as though you have walked into someone’s country home. That is exactly what Mike and Edwin set out to do. Anrán is first and foremost their home. “It’s not a commercial venture as such,” Mike explains. “We want to do things that we like and we feel we can be a part of. We think, hang on a minute – do we really want a restaurant here once a week? No, we don’t, because it’s noisy.” They are a highly sociable couple, so their home is where they love to entertain their international tribe of friends. The grounds are as much a feature of this complex as anything else. Behind their private apartment is a modern-angular water feature tumbling down terraces that are home to an array of plants: from aromatics to grape-vines, not to mention rows of organic vegetables that are tended with scientific care by ex-Riverford Farm grower Jeremy Burnett. Fields surround the buildings, each with their own purpose and personality: from a small collection of pedigree pigs and clucky, russet-brown chickens, to orchards full of rosy apples (Mike and Edwin produce their own cider, and the apples are picked by the villagers every autumn). Yarsley Vaughan, the inhouse chef, is going to be taking on more of the animal husbandry in the future, says Mike. The manor house has its own heated pool tucked away in a landscaped garden that rolls down to a copse and tranquil pond. The pool house is typical of Anrán’s style. All breeze block and utilitarian design, it also sports a borehole pressure ultra-modern shower and a great big Picasso canvas hanging incongruously above the changing area. “We like the play on the modern with the raw. That’s our gig really,” comments Mike, as we go inside to sit in MANOR | Autumn 2016
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