If you are looking for a gorgeous place to stay with friends or family for a special occasion, then The Retreat at Gitcombe Estate in Devon should be on your list! The Retreat is the newest accommodation on the estate and sleeps 8. Gitcombe Estate has 7 other cottages sleeping 4-13 people, all of which are very elegant and come highly rated, with guests returning year after year.
‘The Retreat‘ is part grand designs, part when can I move in permanently… It’s a pretty special place and has the wow factor at every step!
Two years ago we visited Gitcombe Estate for the first time and when we were there we booked this return trip before we’d even left. I’d always wanted to celebrate my 40th in the Maldives, but covid stopped that from happening, so a year later we took family and friends with us to Gitcombe, which was the perfect alternative!
Gitcombe is near to Dittisham, Dartmouth and Totnes and so it is only a stones throw away from gorgeous beaches, great dining, good shopping, lovely coffee shops and pubs. It’s a great bit of Devon.
It’s an upside down house and just look at it! Upstairs is a massive wood-beamed entertaining and relaxing space! Two sides are entirely glass, because the view needs to be enjoyed, from the sofas or the enormous balconies! We ordered a grazing board from a local company for when we arrived and it was ready and waiting for us to enjoy on arrival alongside some welcome champagne.
The kitchen and dining space is spec’d for entertaining! There are so many knives/forks/plates that I think the owners must envisage groups book a couple of the other houses at the same time and use The Retreat as the entertaining space for a bigger group. Perhaps getting caterers in too?
The Retreat sleeps 8, plus a couple of cot-sized children. Most of the bedrooms are downstairs. Every room has it’s own (massive) bathroom, and every room has a super-king or king size bed. All the downstairs rooms have double doors that open out onto a massive patio area. I think there is air conditioning in the bedrooms too. One of the rooms can be set up as a twin.
The smallest of the bedrooms is upstairs. It is accessible too. It isn’t really small either, just compared to the voluminous spaces downstairs! There’s no box room to apologise to guests for in this house!
The bathrooms are of course high quality and one of the rooms has a rather spectacular bath. This was the bathroom our (at the time) 3 year old had bath time in all week! He loved the waterfall tap! There’s also a utility room with a washer and a drier.
Through each of the bedroom doors you get to the patio which is another enormous space. There is a superbly long garden table with seating for outside dining as well as a hot tub for the private use of The Retreat and a BBQ.
We enjoyed some lovely afternoons on the terrace with friends and family.
We had the bed linen changed over mid-week, so for the first half of the week we had family to stay and then for the second half of the week our friends joined us instead! We had one night in between just the 3 of us, it made the week feel very long, like 3 separate holidays! A good way to use the house!
The houses also have everything you could need for a holiday with kids – so that you don’t have to take everything with you! Cots, bed bars, steps for the loo/basin, potties, kids cutlery/plates/cups, stair gates, high chairs, booster seats… I’m sure there is more if you need it!
The Gitcombe estate has loads on offer to parent and child please! There’s a big indoor pool which is for the use of 2 families at a time, as well as an outdoor hot tub. There’s also a sauna and steam room. Most days we were able to use the pool twice which was fantastic. From the end of June there is an outdoor pool in a sheltered corner of the grounds. All the indoor facilities can be booked each morning using a white board – this was introduced in covid times and works well!
For kids there is indoor soft play, a games room, an awesome climbing frame, swings and also for all the family a tennis court! There’s also a big shed full of outdoor toys, surf boards, crabbing kits etc. It’s all thought of. The owner has a young child so I can only imagine children will be catered for better and better as time passes!
The Retreat is far more than just a holiday house. It’s designed and fitted out to such high standards that it’s a cross between fancy family home and luxury hotel. It works superbly for kids who’ve been thought of every step of the way without taking away from it being an elegant grown up hideaway too!
For me it was the perfect base for a very belated 40th birthday getaway. And somewhere we were very sad to leave when our week came to an end!
Wow, The Retreat at Gitcombe Estate sounds like a dreamy getaway! The upside-down house concept and spacious rooms with massive bathrooms are impressive. I love that they have everything for kids too, making it a stress-free holiday for families. Plus, the outdoor activities like the hot tub, tennis court, and outdoor pool sound fantastic. It’s definitely going on my list for a future trip with friends or family!
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We have our fifth visit this year!