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3 Guests
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2 Bedrooms
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1 Bathroom
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Pets No
Features
- Ground floor bedroom
- Open fire
- Pub/shop < 1 mile
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Broadband / WiFi
Reviews & Ratings
37 Customer Reviews
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"Loved the cottage's quirkiness."
Kitchen very well stocked, although it could do with a spare cupboard to store some food in. We've never cooked on an Aga before but if was absolutely fine when we got used to it (after one very well-done cooked breakfast!) Bed very comfortable. Moretonhampstead can get very busy, traffic-wise and could do with a one-way system around the square as larger lorries and buses caused a few traffic jams but parking in the car park was fine.
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"We very much enjoyed our stay at Lion House."
The property was very nice and clean when we arrived and we were impressed by the quality of the fixtures and fittings - most comfortable.
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"It is difficult to find words to express what a truly beautiful property Lion House is and to add to what has already been said in other reviews."
It is a fantastic accommodation in a perfect location. There is nothing to not like. You would be hard to find better.
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"Amazing old bank building with nice old features like the original safe door, great decor, modern touches, huge roof terrace, all right in the centre of the town."
We were given an online permit for free parking. Very comfortable, we slept well and enjoyed our week. Definitely a place to go back to.
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"Second time at Lion House and look forward to going back."
Very comfortable spacious house in ideal location for exploring all of Dartmoor. Collecting the key is easy and owner arranged a parking permit for the week which we appreciated. Were able to park by front door for offloading.
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"Lion House was beautifully appointed and provided an exceptionally comfortable stay."
Its location in the centre of the town and near the Coop supermarket, the Zero Waste shop and the butchers/deli proved very handy. Given there is very limited parking outside the house it was very helpful to have an online parking permit for the nearby car parks. I'd have liked to have a plastic washing up bowl and a draining board as it was unnecessary for two of us to use the dishwasher....given the china sink ,I was apprehensive of breaking crockery while washing up.
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"This is a stunning holiday cottage."
I would not have considered Moretonhampstead had I not seen the photographs of Lion House which led me to book. The property itself exceeded all expectations. We cooked on an aga for the first time and made 3 delicious meals. We did not do as much touring as we thought we might because Lion House is such a lovely space to be in. I would definitely return if only to start working my way through the excellent book collection at the top of the stairs. Highly recommended for all seasons.
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"Lion House is a fantastic base from which to explore Dartmoor."
It is a very spacious and comfortable house with a lovely roof terrace. Inside it is wonderfully quiet, but when you go out the door you are in the middle of Moretonhampstead with shops, restaurants and pubs. We enjoyed our holiday at Lion House and heartily recommend it.
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"Aga not working, tv not working but rectified after 4 days, owner aware it wasnt working before our visit."
Problems with closing key safe. All this led to many calls to and from the owner three tradesmen visits. Not at all relaxing. If you had advertised the house as having only a microwave for cooking and having no TV we wouldn't have booked it. Such a shame because it's a beautiful property.
Hi David thanks for your comments and sorry that your stay at Lion House wasnt what it should have been. Here is my reply to the points you raised. Aga. I had no idea that the AGA was not working prior to your arrival.You informed me on Sunday afternoon that the AGA was not working. I arranged for a local handyman to visit, which he did that evening. He could not get the AGA working. I arranged for a specialist AGA engineer to visit on the Monday. Unfortunately he confirmed that two parts were needed. I offered to pay for your breakfast that day. TV. I was aware of an issue with reception to BBC channels only, all other channels were working before your arrival. The TV engineer arrived on Tuesday and fixed the issue. The Ariel engineer sprayed the key lock with DW40 and resolved the issue. I am glad that you agreed Lion House was a beautiful property and as way of recompense, would like to offer you a complimentary stay later this year. Michael. Property Owner
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"This was my second stay in the Lion House."
It is the perfect base to explore beautiful Dartmoor. The accommodation is clean, comfortable and has a lot of character. Really enjoy staying here. Recommend the French bread van that parks right outside on a Tuesday and Saturday morning. Look forward to staying here again in the future. Thank you Michael for being a great host.
Hi Martin, glad to hear you had a good time, thanks for the feedback. Michael Property Owner
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"We had a great stay at lion house, loved the bank features still in place and loved using the aga to cook on."
Loads of walks straight from the door meant that we didn't need to use the car once. Michael was excellent at keeping us informed about our stay.
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"A lovely quirky week away."
Lion House is set centrally in the town yet is very quiet, most particularly in the main bedroom. The host is very polite and attentive but we found that we didn’t need to contact him during the stay as everything was well organised. We would like to stay again…
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"The house is very comfortable and in a good location for touring both Dartmoor and South Devon Coast."
There was plenty of space in the living and sleeping areas. The accomodation was top class and upto the usual Sykes standards. We have some minor observations - The bed linen did not seem to be ironed before our arrival. It is a bit akward using the aga cooker - I wouldn't want to use one again. And the key collection site was not convenient.
Thank you for your feedback your comments have been taken on board. Hope to welcome you back. Property Owner
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"We had a really lovely stay and thoroughly enjoyed Lion House."
Moretonhampstead is a charming place, a real community, and we had some lovely walks. Michael was very helpful (especially when we temporarily lost the key!). We were grateful for the parking permit. We have only a couple of details to comment on. The fridge was missing its door shelves, which meant, for example, that one had to put milk in the vegetable drawer; we were rather short of space. The arrangement in the single bedroom, with no bedside table or light anywhere near, was inconvenient.
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"A very nice, interesting accommodation with a nice flair."
The kitchen is georgeous and well equipped (thought a few more forks would be conviinient). The only thing you have to get used to is the AGA, a very special hearth/oven not easy to cook with for the uninformed. There is a mobile electric cooking device available, but ist is rather weak. So, when we finally started to figure the AGA out, our stay was over… :-) The butcher and the vegetable shop are small but very nice. Unfortunately, we did not manage to visit the motor museum. Great place, nice small village
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"Absolutely loved Lion House."
So much so that I've already booked for next year. Lots of character and in a great location. Perfectly placed to explore beautiful Dartmoor. Nice that original features have been kept from when this was the village bank. Lovely Aga, very comfy bed, great facilities (dishwasher, washing machine etc). Recommend the French artisan bread van (The Van du Pain) that parks right outside on Tuesday and Saturday morning. Shame the weather wasn't kinder so I could have spent more time enjoying the nice roof terrace. Great communication from friendly host. Thank you
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"Amazing property in the centre of this small delightful town."
The home has lots of character being a bank at one time and still retains some features. It has an Aga in the kitchen which is an excellent way to dry clothes. Comfortable bedroom, nice bathroom and fantastic roof garden. Three pubs within a few seconds walk. Apparently the car parks are now charging year round so make use of the parking space at the key collection point. Only park outside Lion House to unload and load. There are just a few spaces and people are desperate to park and will get in with inches to spare.
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"Lovely quirky accommodation."
Location is fabulous across road were 2 pubs, large coop few doors down. Ideal for exploring Dartmoor.
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"We enjoyed our stay at Lion House The location is great a few doors down from the grocery store, butcher and greengrocer."
We liked the finishes in the home. It felt more like someone's home rather than a rental. It's a shame it was cold while we were there as we would have loved to sit out on the private upstairs deck.
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"Lion House is top quality."
We were very comfortable and enjoyed the luxury of having so much space for just the two of us. If you want to be on Dartmoor then the location cannot be beaten, with walks from the door in all directions. Moretonhampstead has everything you need for a week's stay, including a choice of good places to eat.
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"This is a quirky property as described in the listing."
A convenient location for exploring the Dartmoor NP with plenty of good walks without getting the car out. The house is comfortably furnished and we found it constantly nice and warm as the Aga is switched on continuously. The shower in the bathroom is very effective. The property is well equipped, the only thing we couldn't find was place mats for the dining table. The kitchen-diner is located in the old bank vault at the back of the building and has little natural light so is consequently a little gloomy. The roof terrace is large, sunny and surprisingly private. The owners are contactable by phone/text, helpful and responsive. Parking directly outside the property is possible but relies on lucky timing in the evening. During the day it is limited to one hour. There is an allocated space about 5 mins walk from the property. It is marked private and that mostly seems to be respected. We did find a white van parked in the space when we returned one afternoon after a day out. There are two public car parks we are free between 6:00pm and 8:00am if necessary. Household rubbish needs to be disposed into communal bins around the town on a daily basis. In Moretonhampstead, the mobile phone signal was non-existent for O2 (not sure about other networks) so make sure you have contacted the owners and received arrival instructions ideally before travelling to the property.
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"We really enjoyed our week at the Lion house, initially we weren’t sure on how to use the Aga but after speaking to the owner it was easy to use and lovely for jacket potatoes."
We also had an issue with the TV service which after phoning the owner an engineer arrived the next day and all was sorted within 24 hours. The Lion house was a lovely place to stay and has everything you should need, but to be honest the places to eat nearby were excellent so if you want a totally relaxing holiday with nice walks on the moor and also close enough to travel to the coast.this is the place to stay.
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"Lion House is absolutely gorgeous."
Very well equipped and comfortable. The roof terrace is amazing. Lovely location,lovely property.
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"We really enjoyed staying at Lion House for our week."
Moretonhampstead is a nice place with good local cafés and pubs. Quite popular with cyclists and of course walkers. The house is spacious and has everything you need for a good holiday on Dartmoor. We especially liked the kitchen with Aga and of course the rooftop space from the bedroom ! It has a homely feel to the place. Nice selection of books to read too. There is a great mobile bakery twice a week outside the front door! The off road parking was close by as well. It's a good base from which to explore Dartmoor.
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"Such a quirky, in a good way, property!"
Clean, well equipped, all correspondence with owners friendly and prompt. We had a little issue with the aga, fixed immediately. We loved the area all pubs and shops friendly and welcoming. We will be back to Lion House, the roof terrace is such a lovely place to while away the hours with a glass of something! We had the added bonus of sunshine!
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"Had a great time in this quirky, unusual converted bank."
The bed was the most comfortable we have ever slept in, super king! The roof terrace is a lovely space with great views. The location was so convenient for shops, cafes, pubs being in the centre of town but still quiet.
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"Lovely spacious holiday let felt like home as soon we walked in."
Carpets a bit tired but that does not effect you stay its cosy and comfortable. In a good area for walking and visiting the local area.The local people are friendly and helpful. Ther were no problems parking as we were allocated private parking. Key safe easy to find.i took my mum there for her 80 birthday present she loved it she said it was amazing.
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"Lovely property with some unique and original features from its former bank days."
Very comfortable stay. Would recommend.
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"Lion House was a very comfortable spacious property, carpets were a little tired & scruffy in places."
The only draw back for us was the parking, the private car park we were told to use was extremely busy at times & we could rarely park directly outside the Lion House bit tricky when you have suitcases to unload/load into the car, plus their was parking restrictions too. We had a lovely holiday in Devon.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. Lion House is listed with 'parking is available in a public car park nearby.' This is indeed the case. The owner has also arranged for a space in a private car park for guests staying between April and September and there are a number of one hour bays available on the street, too. Moretonhampstead can be busy in the summer season, though there are options available. For this reason the owner has identified alternative parking options and this information is emailed to each customer prior to arrival. Property Owner
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"Lion house is a lovely place to stay in, clean and comfortable it was a good place for us to stay"
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"The property was lovely, the lack of pantry space was the only minor disappointment."
The rooftop seating area was perfect
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"Lion House is an excellent base for a visit to Devon."
Very comfortable and the terrace is amazing. Within a couple of minutes easy walking there are plenty of places to eat and drink (we would recommend The Gateway and The Horse and The Union for pub grub). There are also plenty of shops should you wish to eat in. There is so much to do all within about an hours drive. It was so hot when we were there we hit the beaches. Our favourite was South Milton Sands but Shaldon (Ness Cove) came a close second. All in all one of the best holidays we have had. Hope to make Lion House our home from home again in the future.
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"The listing on Sykes detailed an immaculate property, in reality the property is very tired and In need of some TLC."
The property is very well located for travelling around Devon and has great access to Dartmoor, the village is served by some great pubs, restaurants, coffee cafe and grocery shopping. The property is large and has all you need, although it could do with stocking some of the more basic items, the roof terrace is a great space when the weather is kind.
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"Amazing accommodation, very clean and very helpful host."
Superb location with lots of pubs and cafe's clse by.
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"Lion House was absolutely gorgeous."
Didnt want to leave it!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"Lion House, Moretonhampstead is just wonderful."
The house itself is immaculately clean and in a great location for Dartmoor. The facilities at the house are all of high quality and the hosts really helpful. Parking is easily available on street outside Lion House. A great venue in a super location.
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"Lion House needs to be experienced."
We would recommend it 100%. It was spacious with a touch of luxury. The host swiftly answered text messages, so key collection was very easy and we were able to meet to say hello. Parking was not a problem at all. Lion House was well kitted out. The bed was huge with fresh, white linen sheets and soft, plump pillows. The shower was fantastic and there was an Aga in the kitchen (the safe) which gave gentle warmth for our April visit. The well furnished, decked roof terrace was a pleasure to enjoy with both sunny and shady areas. It is perfectly situated, with the 'tourist information' next door, cafe's and independent shops dotted around; a green-grocers, bakers and a butcher's shop that sold delicious pasties, pies and scotch eggs all ready to take on the enjoyable walks around Moretonhamstead. The co-op was a few doors up ~ our perpetual cupboard! Whatever we needed was just a short walk away, and the French market (a man in a yellow van) arrived twice while we were there, selling mouth-watering tarts both sweet and savoury ~ and amazing breads, just outside the front door! I think you can tell ~ we liked it a lot and would love to return one day.
This property is part of the Helpful Holidays collection.
Let Helpful Holidays be in your plans for your next Holiday
Summary
- Two bedrooms: 1 x super-king-size with TV, 1 x ground-floor single
- Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC
- Cloakroom with basin and WC
- Kitchen/diner
- Sitting room with woodburner
- Gas central heating
- Gas fired AGA oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, Smart TV, TV, selection of books, WiFi
- Fuel and power inc. in rent
- Parking is available in a public car park nearby
- Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
- First-floor roof terrace with outdoor furniture
- Sorry, no pets and no smoking
- Shop and pub 0.1 mile
The property
Settled in the centre of the popular town of Moretonhampstead within the Dartmoor National Park is this unique, characterful holiday home, Lion House.
This quirky dwelling was a former bank and still retains some original features including the vault door and gate into what is now the kitchen/diner.
Step inside the glazed entrance lobby and into the elegant sitting room with tall ceilings throughout the ground-floor and a lovely arrangement of plush seating to relax on, along with a Smart TV and a woodburner.
Carry on through the inner hall to find a cloakroom and a pretty single bedroom featuring an ornate feature fireplace and a window overlooking the tiny courtyard.
Pass through the original strong room door and prison-like gate into the beautiful country kitchen where a gas fired AGA and plenty more excellent appliances can assist you in rustling up some fabulous meals to be enjoyed around the dining table.
Take the stairs up to the first floor holding onto the rope handrail as you go and passing the quaint porthole window at the top of the stairs before coming to the spacious master bedroom, boasting a super-king-size bed, a TV and antique furnishings.
From here you can access the wonderful roof terrace with its decorative balustrade overlooking the cobbled, bustling town square below, perfect for winding down in the evening sun with some drinks and tales of the day's adventures.
Freshen up in the bathroom on the first floor which houses a bath with an overhead shower, noticing the eye for detail in the lion motif within the basin.
The quaint streets of Moretonhampstead make a charming setting for your holiday to Devon, with lots of independent shops, restaurants and pubs to frequent, along with being just a stone's throw from beautiful countryside scenery.
Explore the landscape on foot with The Dartmoor Way being a perfect way to start with this 90-mile circular route linking pretty hamlets and villages with a range of scenery from quiet country lanes to sheltered valleys or wild upland, with one route for walkers and the other for cyclists.
Keen cyclists will enjoy the challenge of the hilly terrain in and around Moretonhampstead with a network of bridleways, byways and quiet lanes to discover whether you're embarking on a long day in the saddle, off-roading or simply taking a leisurely cycle to take in the views.
Mountain bikers will love cycling across the moorland and along forest trails, with a stunning technical trail beginning at North Bovey leading to Lustleigh Cleave.
Enjoy a visit to the National Trust's Castle Drogo, 'the last castle to be built in England', found resting above the Teign Gorge and home to amazing landscaped gardens, or venture over to Parke Estate spanning over 200 acres for a day wandering through the wooded valley of the River Bovey stopping for a picnic and soaking up the gorgeous setting.
Spend your dreamy break to Dartmoor at Lion House, part of the Helpful Holidays collection of properties.
Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £100.
About the location
MORETONHAMPSTEAD
Chagford 5 miles; Tavistock 20 miles; Exeter 27 miles.
A picturesque town at the northern point of Dartmoor National Park in Devon, Moretonhampstead, is small in size but is packed with amenities and things to do. There is a wide range of shops as well as four pubs and an open-air swimming pool to enjoy at your leisure, an art gallery and a motor museum. The Miniature Pony Centre is also only a short drive away and is perfect for a day out. Nearby you will find the market town of Chagford, also dotted with cafes and eateries, whilst Exeter is a car journey away, home to several manicured gardens, River Exe, and Barley Valley Nature Reserve.
Please Note: Owner provides a parking permit for duration of stay.
This property offers the following short breaks:
- Winter
- Off-season
- Last minute
- Christmas