Alston Hall

Alston Hall is a three-storey country house down a long drive near Mothecombe Beach, close to the village of Battisborough Cross and within reach of Yealmpton. Once a rectory and later a hotel, it now sleeps 36 across 18 bedrooms, 17 of them en suite.

The ground floor holds an oak-panelled entrance hall doubling as a sitting room, two further sitting rooms, an open-plan kitchen/breakfast room, a separate dining room seating 30, a utility room and a snooker room. The 18 bedrooms, a mix of super-king, king, double, twin and family rooms, are spread across the first and second floors, several of them interconnecting.

The kitchen has two electric ovens, induction hobs, a microwave, a fridge, a freezer, a washing machine, a tumble dryer and a dishwasher, and there's a TV with Sky Sports, a DVD player and WiFi. A travel cot and highchair are available on request, and bed linen and towels are included in the rent.

Grounds run to three acres, with a wraparound garden, a tennis court, a children's play area, a barbecue and an unheated outdoor pool open from late May to early September, alongside an indoor swimming pool. Off-road parking covers 40 cars. Alston Hall takes up to three well-behaved dogs, with the first free and a fee for extra dogs; smoking is not permitted inside or anywhere in the grounds, and stag or hen bookings need the owner's prior agreement. Weekly bookings must start on a Friday, and short breaks in July and August need a minimum of five nights.