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09 June 2009
GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL - COMBE HOUSE HOTEL DEVON

Wales News
Author: www.coupleswithoutkids.co.uk

IF you could use one word to describe a visit to the award winning Combe House Hotel in Devon, what would it be? I, in all honesty can't think of just one! There is too much to take in and around every corner is another joy.

Winner of the 2007 Good Hotel Guide 'Country Hotel of the Year', as you drive onto the estate and Combe House appears before you, how can you fail to be impressed? A Grade One Elizabethan Mansion that takes you back to a bygone age. This is not to say that you won't be impressed by all the modern amenities that are on hand to make your stay that bit special, however.

The welcome could not be warmer as the staff go out of their way to make you feel like one of the family and not just another guest passing through.

The rooms here are very elegant with, in some cases, a quirky twist. The Tommy WaxCombe House Master Bedroom oozes sophistication and romance with fresh flowers and a gorgeous view across the Devon countryside - a view that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.

If the ever-popular Linen Suite is available (my personal favourite), then prepare to be dazzled by a room that has been lovingly restored to its former glory. Whilst still retaining a lot of period features, this former laundry room has its own sitting room and bedroom. The piece de résistance however, is the bathroom with its six feet copper bath, imported from India - big enough for two. It can only be used with bubbles, and by that, I mean champagne!

As you wander through the beautiful gardens, you are in for a couple of surprises. Where else can you take a bath heated by then only outdoors rainwater heating system in Britain with a view of the great outdoors? Two of these baths exist here at Combe House and are a truly wonderful experience if you like your bathing with a twist of adventure. There is also a vegetable garden to explore as well as the chance to get up close to a herd of prize stallions.

Combe House Dining Room has three Dining Rooms to choose from, but it doesn't really matter where you sit as in each the food is exquisite. The kitchens are run by two Masterchefs of Great Britain so we were expecting great things - and they didn’t disappoint.

Our Sunday lunch began with a crab salad and avocado cream which went down a treat and also pea cream, crisp Parma ham and quails eggs which was a dish declared the epitome of summer.

We had both chosen the guinea fowl as our main course and that arrived with soured Combe House Table cabbage, artichoke puree and morels. The guinea fowl was moist and very tender and beautifully offset by the soured cabbage. Finishing with a classic Crème Brulèe and a course of artisan West Country cheeses, we left feeling decidedly content.

As we strolled around this amazing house, taking in the heritage that is so obviously well preserved, we got a small glimpse of the care and effort that has gone into its restoration. It is obviously a work in progress for Ken and Ruth Hunt and the love that has gone into it is plainly on show for all to see.

There is also a "Georgian Kitchen" where you can dine in private and enjoy a stroll back in time when electricity didn’t exist. Lit only by candlelight it is a magical experience to savour especially at Christmas, that most magical time of year.

There aren't enough superlatives to do Combe House justice, in my opinion. Visit for yourself and it becomes apparent that it is more than a hotel. It is a family home that makes you feel as though you are one of the family. Ruth especially is an amazing hostess, filled with a boundless energy that you can’t help but love. Pay Combe House a visit, and I think you'll find that you'll want to return year after year.

For more information, visit the Combe House website: - http://www.thishotel.com/index.asp

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