Chistopher and Enid Richmond welcome you to
The Old Rectory Hotel in Exmoor National Park, North Devon.

Built in the early 1800s for the rector of Martinhoe's 11th century church, the house has been sympathetically restored and extended over the years. Now a beautiful country house hotel, nestling in a naturally protected hollow approached down a leafy lane, The Old Rectory is situated in the ancient hamlet of Martinhoe within Exmoor National Park, only a short walk from the grandeur of the North Devon coast.

As you quietly succumb to the wonderful sense of spiritual calm here, it's hard to conceive that one field away the land skids to a halt and spectacular cliffs drop 800 feet. The Exmoor plateau meets the sea abruptly at the village of Martinhoe - 'hoe' is Saxon for high ground - creating a breathtaking view as you approach.

This lovely understated hotel stands next to an 11th century church in three acres of mature garden. Loved and nurtured by clergy past, the garden now occupies the affection of Christopher and Enid: birdsong, waterfalls, scented azaleas and the bizarre gunnera only hint at its allure. This is a gentle retreat, dedicated to food and marvelous hospitality.

Enid has been cooking since she was a child and makes her own marmalade, bread and cakes, biscuits and ice-cream. Meat is fresh, local and organic; even the water, filtered and purified, is from a local borehole. Traditional bedrooms have Laura Ashley wallpaper, sparkling bathrooms and the odd Waring and Gillow antique; and one has a balcony. Downstairs, curl up in comfy sofas by an open fire, or drift off in the conservatory; grapes from the 200-year-old vine above your head fill fruit bowls in season.

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