Reviews


Below are some of the reviews we have received for Hartwell. You can also see some more on Googlemaps and VRBO and on Trip advisor; but do come back and book with us direct to avoid commission and admin fees of up to 15%! 

If you've stayed with us before please feel free to go ahead and add a review.



Hartwell was perfect for 3 generations of our family to get together. There was so much we could do at the house and within easy driving distance. The house is very well equipped and was perfect - plenty of swimming, table tennis, and board games at the kitchen table. Plus swimming at Sharrow, Tavey Cleave (bit wild!), and surfing at Polzeath. If you surf there, try out Pengelleys fish and chips at Port Isaac. Angus helpfully facilitated our stay - nothing was too much trouble and we’ve never experienced such a comprehensive info manual for a self catering stay. Thank you for sharing your home with us.

Andrew & Naomi, 

Beautiful house and garden - comfortable beyond expectations. A wonderful welcome pack awaited us with all the essentials and more! Book of helpful house instructions and lots of leaflets with suggestions of places to visit.
Because the weather was so perfect we were out most of the day exploring the local area but returned well exercised to relax in front of the wood burner and a roaring fire. Plenty of dry wood supplied.
Thank you for lending us your home for a magical few days. The only negative was that it was too short a time but that is our fault!!

Susanna M, 

We are completely overwhelmed with your gorgeous house, it is beautiful and we can hardly believe it's our home for the week! Everyone is making use of the pool, day and night...and we plan to hold a "Families Olympics" with all the games and facilities here! Many thanks for renting us such a well equipped, spotlessly clean property.

Maggie Hatch, 

Great house for multiple generations with space for people to be loud or quiet. Garden was absolutely loved by football crazy 10 year old and 1 year old dog. Arrived in 5 cars and no problem fitting them in.

Chris, 

Three generations of our family, ages 8 to 80, spent a great week at Hartwell. The swimming pool is the best we have ever seen in a holiday rental, set in a sun trap with plenty of chairs and loungers around.
The area by the pond is a relaxing spot for a read in the hammock or a cream tea.
The summer house with good wifi reception was a good place for a little work.
The bed linen and towels are of top quality.
There is so much to see and do in the area so a week was not long enough.
The house is so well equipped and abounding with books and games.
Thoroughly recommend.

Joanna Morrison , 

We had the most fantastic stay in Hartwell over the half term week in May. The house and the grounds are beautiful and it's the perfect place for a family holiday. I can honestly say that Angus has thought of absolutely everything for the house - more so than any other house we've ever stayed at.

There is such a comprehensive guide to the house with all the information you could possibly need about it and the surrounding area. Above and beyond things have been thought of like plugs are labelled in the house where they need to be, having two bath mats in each bathroom (one always gets soaked!), all the cleaning and cooking things you could possibly need, a lovely welcome basket (including cuddly toys for our kids), ingredients to make fresh baked bread etc.! There's also absolutely loads of games and books and Netflix on the TV etc. for evenings or if the weather isn't in your favour.

The garden and outdoor facilities are amazing with so much equipment and so much to keep everyone entertained - the pool is beautiful! There's loads of beach equipment (even huge mats and a sun tent for little ones).

We also had the most amazing time in the surrounding area: the Tamar trails were beautiful and we really enjoyed trips to Morewelham Quay, Calstock, Tavistock and Bude.

I don't very often leave reviews but the house, exemplary hosting and beautiful area compelled me to. This certainly won't be our last trip to the house - if you're at all thinking about it then go ahead and book!

Kate Aylett, 

The house, pool and gardens were exceptional. Every detail had been thought about and the owner was keen to ensure that we had everything we needed. All furnishings were of a high standard and the property was clean and well-loved. The warm temperature of the pool meant it was well used even in Sep. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring this stunning part of the south west and will definitely be back!

Howard Chapman, 

A fantastic home to enjoy for a family getaway. We visited as 3 generations of family members, and all loved it. So much to do at the house and excellent amenities provided. Easy access to explore Devon and Cornwall from. But you don't really need to go anywhere either with the private pool and gardens alternatively. Angus is a really good host, who has all bases covered with info and support in advance, and during the stay.

Paul Ford, 

What an amazing place! My family and I have just returned from a week stay at Hartwell.
The house is truly stunning and there is plenty of room. The gardens are gorgeous and the swimming pool amazing.
The area is lovely and quiet with plenty to do just a short car ride away. We loved the tree surfing at Tamar trails and the walking on Dartmoor meeting lots of wild but friendly ponies.
The house has everything you could possibly need including extras like a bread maker , juicer , lots of lovely extra bedding and the wonderful Aga!
The children swam in the heated pool every day and on our 1 wet day we explored the large games cupboard and played monopoly then table tennis.
Angus has been very attentive making sure we had everything we needed and that we were having a lovely time. The welcome hamper was a special touch too.
I have nothing bad to say about Hartwell and would thoroughly recommend.
See you next year !

Vickey johnson , 

We stayed at your wonderful holiday house last week. We really did have a great time there, bringing together our two children and their spouses along with our grandchildren.

The house allows adequate and comfortable sleeping accommodation for a large group and the bed linen was superb. The kitchen made for cosy meals and the appliances all worked well. We resisted the temptation to try bread making! The welcome pack was a lovely touch and we made use of all of it. The garden is very special and such a lovely spot to watch the birds and enjoy the tranquillity of the location. And the swimming pool and trampoline were all thoroughly appreciated by the children and very safe. And the games and books were all appreciated as well.

The location of Hartwell allowed us visits to Dartmoor Zoo and many lovely walks and restaurants. We very much enjoyed Taylor’s restaurant in Tavistock which was very family friendly and served excellent food with great service.

Your quick and calm response time when we had the mishap with the pool cover meant that we were all able to move on with the week and enjoy it. And going the extra mile to return things to us really speaks volumes about the caring way you take care of your guests. And your hints and tips guide and attention to detail made it all an easy and enjoyable experience.

We have no hesitation in recommending Hartwell and hope to have another visit at some point in the future.

Sherri CW, 

We have just come home from a fantastic week at Hartwell! The swimming pool and extensive grounds were all that we could have wished for, for adults and children alike. The house was so homely and had everything you could have wished for, even a breadmaker with all the ingredients to bake bread, if you felt the urge. It truly is a home from home, a luxurious one at that and we hope to return in the future.

Lisa Beekharry, 

Just back from spending a lovely week in this amazing place. We were greeted by Angie who greeted us with a warm welcome and lovely basket of goodies to get us started. Angus checking in to see if we needed anything.The house itself was big, spacious and well equipped with everything you need. Warm and very clean. Great outdoor space for the kids to run and play. Not to mention the heated swimming pool where we spent a lot of our time. We took lovely walks and the house is situated out in the beautiful country side and within a nice distance for beaches and port Issac If you like Doc Martin like me. I couldn't recommend Hartwell enough, If anything the pictures don't do it justice.

Sandra Cullen, 

Had 1 week at this cottage in June with our family and friends, used as a base for visiting surrounding area. But could have easily just chilled out at this property and gone no where else!
Excellent property and facilities - the outdoor pool was great - our 6 & 7 year old kids were in the heated pool when ever possible. The pool is sheltered but also in a sun trap so we made good use of it despite the mixed weather. Towels included.
Plenty of space inside and out to keep everyone happy - and several instruments for the budding musicians!.
The outside garden area is vast - space for ball games, great trampoline, secluded garden areas, - so great base for a family holiday.
Thanks Angus & Angie.

Geoff Trattles, 

"Home is where the Hartwell is."

Excellent stay in what feels like a home from home, made all the more enjoyable by the beautiful gardens and heated outdoor swimming pool.

Hartwell made for a superb location whilst visiting Devon/Cornwall. Ideally located for day trips to the coast and walks with the dogs. 10 minutes from the wonderful Endsleigh Hotel and so many more excellent eateries and traditional pubs, the Royal Inn in Horsebridge is worth walking to for a pint of the locals favourite “Otter”, wander over the Tamar and you’ll find yourself in Cornwall.

Angus (and Angie the housekeeper) ensured that every little detail was taken care of for all our guests, including our 5 month old and various friends that dropped in to see us over a five day stay. The house is very well equipped, clean, homely and inviting, along with great linen/towels and a nice little basket of essentials to get you going, much appreciated!

We won’t hesitate to book again and are already planning our next adventure to Hartwell.

Samuel P. (TripAdvisor review), 

Truly great holiday house. Really felt relaxed from the moment we arrived till the moment we left. An outdoor pool and we were lucky to have the weather to enjoy it this early in the year. Close to a wonderful little town called Tavistock and perfectly placed to explore Devon, Cornwall and the wonderful Dartmoor. Highly recommended. :)

Marcus, 

The house was lovely and comfortable and nicely furnished and decorated. The garden beautiful and so spacious and the pool magnificent; it was used all the time we were at home – the children never seemed out of it! The weather helped to make it one of the best family holidays ever and every breakfast and evening meal we ate outside on the patio. The welcome basket was also very welcome and most generous. Thanks are due to Angie and Angus for all their kind help making things go smoothly.

Rory Hilton, 

If your wish is a “getaway from it all” holiday I can think of no better place to spend time than in the beautiful and tranquil setting that is Hartwell. Our extended family of nine (ages 4 to 84) has just returned from an idyllic seven day stay, made even nicer by the glorious weather we have had recently.

The facilities are excellent for children of all ages with a superb heated outdoor swimming pool that is well maintained, along with a safely ‘contained’ trampoline, football net, table tennis, table football and numerous other field games (cricket etc.). The children adored it (including the very active 84 year old!!) and they were rather tearful when we had to leave. The beauty of Hartwell is that everything that one requires for a great holiday is here so we did very little sight-seeing which was a shame given the surroundings.

The house is a charming, traditional old Devon farmhouse that is clean and well maintained with more than adequate kitchen facilities for a big group with large fridge, Aga and separate electric oven and hob. A slight downside was that the freezer was quite small but we adapted our catering accordingly so it wasn’t an issue.

The bedrooms were of a decent size, with comfortable beds and again, very clean and pleasant.
Good shower and bathroom facilities.

The expansive gardens are truly fabulous and they ARE garden(s) with different areas for play, relaxation and contemplation. The terrace outside the kitchen door was a favoured place for pre dinner drinks, eating and even a game of cards in the evening!

Great TV that came in very handy for the last two England World Cup matches and a cupboard full of traditional board games.

Angie (the housekeeper) was very welcoming, as was the little food hamper on our arrival and Angus (the owner) was always friendly and very responsive to my questions before our arrival. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Ah but there was one negative. My daughter and son-in-law, currently living in Singapore and in the UK for a short vacation, expecting some respite from the heat and humidity of that country, complained that it was too hot!! There’s just no pleasing some people!

Neville Carter, 

I can only give a very positive review of Hartwell, the setting, grounds and the fantastic swimming pool all add up to a great few days holiday. The chance to relax for a few days makes this an ideal place to get away from it all. No need to be apprehensive, go ahead and book and enjoy yourselves.

Broughton David, 

Such a gorgeous house in a lovely setting. Beautiful gardens with the added bonus of a heated pool!
There are lots of different living areas, all very cosy! We were greeted with a generous welcome hamper of goodies which was a nice touch!
Would highly recommend and in fact, have booked again for next year already!

Alex Whiting, 

We had a school reunion and used Hartwell to have eight forty year olds stay after many years without seeing each other... Hartwell had a welcome hamper with eggs, milk and bread . Towels on the beds and by the pool. Place was warm, welcoming and perfectly manicured garden with many suntraps. The pool was heated , clean and perfect for a morning swim or afternoon snooze with a book. Couldn’t recommend more ... we will be back... enjoy

Addison g, 

We have just returned home from 3 perfect nights in Hartwell House. There is nothing even slightly negative to say about this holiday home. It is beautiful. The home is cozy, and comfortable. The sofa next to the log burner is the perfect place to relax after playing in the garden (there are ample games in the garage, including cricket and table tennis.) The swimming pool was heated, immaculately clean and the view from the pool, over the rolling hills reminded me how much I love England. The kitchen is very well equipped with high quality utensils and cooking dishes. Perfect for a roast lamb supper for 10 people! I cannot recommend a trip to Hartwell more highly. We only left the house once to go to The Royal Inn for a scrumptious lunch. We cannot wait to return. Thank you Angus from the bottom of our hearts for making a special family occasion truely perfect, and thank you to Tracey. Kate, family and friends.

Kate Portlock , 

...very welcoming and kind......We are v much enjoying the place, the house feels like a home and we love every bit of it. so much fun to cook a mary berrie apple pie in a rayburn, the kitchen is so well equiped and cosy. bed (4pole) sleeps v well and the living room with woodburner is comfortable. we were lucky to have a couple of soft, one even warm, days so the pool was well used. we loved the scenery of dartmoor and also the smooth rolling hills of Devon are beautifull and all different OSmaps came in handy.....Royal Inn is a treat!
as you hear, it will be a bit of a sad moment leaving tomorrow, and we wouldn't be surprised to return.
so thank you for sharing this lovely house with us it made our holiday one to remember with a smile.

Jeroen and Lianne (Netherlands), 

We laughed, we played , we enjoyed the comfort space and thoughtfulness of the house. Wonderful relaxing home with room to cook and such a good welcome. It is in a great spot but be warned you may want to stay put as it is heavenly. Thank you Angus for sharing this beautiful space, we do hope to come back. My US family loved it.

Angela Jarvis-Holland, 

Our booking experience went smoothly thanks to Angus. Very quick at responding to queries and helpful too.

The house itself is huge. There is plenty of space inside and the kitchen area is a nice place to sit and leads out into a lovely garden area which was nice to sit in at the end of the day. We had great weather so spent most days around the pool area which was great. The pool house has plenty of inflatables and towels available to use too. The outside area is amazing and set out really well as there are different sections. The views are great and it's so quiet and peaceful. The table tennis table in the garage was used a lot and there are plenty of wellies to use if you want to go off for a walk. The children also made use of the big trampoline. Tavistock is about a 15 minute drive and there are plenty of places to eat. There are also several supermarkets. The nearest pub to the house is a mile away. Fine to walk to, but it's uphill on the way back so would advise driving there.

We all had a fantastic holiday and hope to return to Hartwell again. I would highly recommend and thank you again Angus....

Gemma Ward, 

What a wonderful property. The house is lovely - everything you could possibly want is in some drawer or cupboard. There is a wealth of books and games, and lots of outdoor equipment (badminton, croquet, swing ball, table tennis, table football, trampoline, football net, etc, etc). We picked a really hot week, so the pool was perfect - a good size, lots of inflatables and lovely poolside furniture. The gardens were sun traps, but with the stone floors, the house stayed cool and was a welcome relief. Several different places to sit outside. Normally the smaller back garden, with its sunny patio, would have been perfect on its own, but the much much larger front garden, with a huge gently sloping lawn, and a hidden area by the pond with tables, chairs and a hammock, meant that you hardly needed to go anywhere. And this was probably the best thing - it is so hidden, several miles from the nearest town, and tucked down a tiny lane used by only a handful of vehicles each day. There is a nice pub with good food about a mile or two away, and shops about 20 minutes away in Tavistock. And that is it. Lots of great walks, but more importantly lots of opportunity to simply do nothing. Angus, the owner, was so helpful - kept in touch with us leading up to the holiday, and always friendly. I'll keep trying to think of a negative for this property, and will write again when I think of something, but I may be a while.....

David A, 

Hartwell really is idyllic, it is beautifully and stylishly decorated and furnished. We were a family party aged from 5 to 80 - plus two dogs - and everyone loved the house, not to mention the fabulous swimming pool and exquisite gardens.

Mary H, 

.... a relaxing stay in this gorgeous house with its very own stone circle from where you can watch the shooting stars....... We will definitely be back!

Alison Kelly, 

This is a really lovely, comfortable base for a holiday in Devon. Great walking, horse riding and pubs close by. Beautiful gardens to relax in too

Louise S, 

We loved the house, especially the gardens and the wonderful setting. It was perfect for a family gathering with people of all ages. We appreciated the very well equipped kitchen (we were even able to make a birthday cake!) and we were very comfortable and relaxed. Thanks for a great break - we very much hope to be back!

Linda P, 

Hartwell is a beautiful house, spacious, yet cosy; welcoming and very well appointed. The kitchen is wonderful, with its Rayburn and farmhouse-style table.

Judith Roscoe,