Colehayes Park

Colehayes Park is a lovely big Grade II listed manor house, set in 20 acres of gardens and woodland. It’s suitable for large family parties and weddings. 

The house has flexible accommodation, sleeping up to 70 guests in a mixture of twin and double rooms, or dormitory style, with bunk-beds. Some of the rooms are en-suite, others share bathrooms and separate loos. The master bedroom has a four-poster bed, a spa-bath, and far-reaching views over the Devonshire countryside.

There are a further 5 bedrooms (sleeping 11 guests, with 2 bathrooms), in Cork Cottage, which also has its own living room and kitchen. 

The reception rooms in the main house include a large catering kitchen (with kit to feed up to 100 guests), a retro bar (for any Basil Fawlty re-enactments), a large dining room (seats 90 at a squeeze), and a generous sitting room. There’s also a grand, oak-panelled hall.

Downstairs, in the basement, is lots of rainy-day or late-night entertainment. There’s a large lecture room (the house has been host to colleges and universities as a Field Centre since the early 1970’s), table tennis, pool table and table football. 

Outside, the Victorian Gardens have been beautifully restored, including the boating lake, upon which now you can row, and admire the glimmering green reflection of the trees. The lake is spanned by a stone bridge, and beyond the bridge are the woodlands that shelter the house from the moor. 

Out in the grounds is an activity centre, where you can take part in archery challenges and clay-pigeon shooting. There’s also a Camping Field, if you have guests partial to the odd yurt. Or nylon four-man.

Edmund’s Choice of Extraordinary Feature

“Colehayes is one of those generous, relaxed sort of houses that lets you get on with having a good time – perfect for hordes of children and dogs and long walks and wine. Then dancing.”

About the Location

Colehayes is on the edge of Dartmoor, in South Devon, and about half an hour’s drive from the sea. The nearest main-line train stations (handy for London) are at Newton Abbot and Exeter. The nearest small town, Bovey Tracey, is 2 minutes’ drive away,  and has proper Devon pubs and a bakery, butcher’s and greengrocer’s. 

Things To Do 

There’s lots to do within Colehayes itself – the woods are great to explore and play within, and there’s lots of outdoor space for games of French cricket or silly five-aside football. Further afield, Dartmoor offers lots to explore, with beautiful walks and cycle trails. 

Weddings

 Colehayes is excellent for weddings for couples looking for something a bit different. The house has a dedicated wedding coordinator, and an endless potential for invention. There’s a choice of places to exchange vows (the Pagoda, for instance, or the Great Hall, or the steps to the garden…), and enormous capacity for even the most ambitious guest list.