... 2 miles seaward of Holsworthy is Parnacott House, a beautiful, mainly Georgian house (some parts 17th cent.), Grade II listed, in the same family since 1580 (Pepys and John Graves Simcoe, founder of modern Ontario, were ancestors), set in 12 acres of gardens and grounds and surrounded by fields with lawns, mature rhododendrons, two dozen different old rose species, a pond and woodland walks. ¼ mile of tree-lined tarmac drive leads from a lane to it.

The owners’ interests (he is a teacher, she a Fine Arts graduate) result in a superb, extremely comfortable house/home with excellent family furniture and portraits (Dryden in the drawing room, Lord Sandwich in the dining room; no Pepys, but his assistant and relative, John Creed, who helped him re-build the Navy after the Dutch spoilt it). Big, square, high rooms with large windows, beautifully decorated and furnished with Colefax and Fowler prints among other, homely touches, good books.

Hall with grandfather clock; sunny, peaceful, comfortable drawing room with open fireplace, CD player and formal dining room with lovely Welsh dresser, both with big windows overlooking the garden; large, slate-floored beamed children’s room with sofas, TV/DVD/video, toys, books/games, dressing up box, children’s videos, PlayStation 2, Xbox and pool table; very well-equipped kitchen (dishwasher, microwave, fridge-freezer, electric range-style cooker) and pretty breakfast/sitting room (woodburner) with TV/DVD/video; and from the rear hall a door leads to a ground floor wing comprising one step into a twin bedroom (TV), shower-room (suite), utility room (washing machine, tumble drier, fridge-freezer), door to forecourt, and 2 steps into sunny small double bedroom.

Two staircases - the main one gentle, elegant, three-tier with sky-light - lead up to five more bedrooms: a beautifully spacious and comfy master bedroom (5' four-poster bed), with mahogany furniture, washbasin, and south-facing views over the gardens; equally beautiful twin (washbasin) also south-facing, overlooking the garden; pretty 17th cent. (5’ bed with patchwork quilt bedspread) with large bathroom (suite plus bidet) en suite; twin (washbasin), wood-panelled to dado rail, with connecting door (lockable) to another twin bedroom with washbasin; second bathroom (suite plus instant shower) and shower-room (suite, instant power-shower). Daily domestic help and personal laundry service available (extra).

Outside, barbecue, croquet, boules, soft ball, swings, sandpit, and ride-on toys for little children. Table tennis in open-sided barn. Lots of outdoor space for playing. Bikes can be hired locally (owners provide ‘best route’ map); riding stables locally for all standards of riders; clay pigeon shooting locally. Professional catering available.

Altogether, a peaceful, elegant, gentle place with friendly owners, there if you wish help, otherwise unobtrusive. They live in a lovely cottage attached to the side of the house (just visible on right in picture) with own walled garden. Only 20 minute drive to South West Coast Path and beautiful surf beaches (bodyboards, buckets/spades provided). Cautionary Deposit £300. Arrival after 4.30pm.