Shipwrights Cottage - Appledore

Shipwrights Cottage sits on Irsha Street in Appledore, a fishing village on North Devon's Taw-Torridge estuary. Built to a Victorian character that shows in the beamed ceilings, ornamental fireplaces and a traditional kitchen dresser, the cottage takes four guests across two bedrooms. The staircase is steep with a fixed handrail, and some doorways have limited headroom, so both are worth considering before booking.

The ground floor opens with a sitting room lit by a large window, furnished with a four-seater sofa and Smart TV with Bluetooth speaker. A separate dining room has a table and bench seating beneath its own large window. Two steps up, the compact kitchen has an electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge-freezer, dishwasher and a Nespresso machine. A door leads out to a small enclosed courtyard with outdoor furniture, and to a separate outbuilding housing a washing machine, wetsuit storage and a WC.

Both bedrooms are on the first floor and share the family bathroom, which has a bath, a separate shower cubicle and WC. The larger room has the super-king zip-and-link bed, which can be split into twins; the second has a double in a Victorian-style bedstead. Up to two dogs are welcome, though additional charges may apply.

Parking is at a payable public car park roughly 20 metres away, with on-street options within 100 metres. The Royal George pub is 20 yards from the front door, and The Beaver is 30 yards away. Independent shops selling local produce, art and fresh seafood are close by within the village streets.