Strete Barton House

About Strete Barton House

Strete Barton House is the oldest surviving building in the village of Strete, a 16th-century manor house on the coast road between Dartmouth and Slapton. Stuart Litster and Kevin Hooper have run it for years as an AA five-star guest house, and it holds an AA breakfast award. The house sits above Start Bay, and the sea views from the front rooms and the garden take in the whole sweep of the coast.

There are five bedrooms in the main house plus a separate cottage suite. All were redesigned by the owners and have a contemporary feel that sits comfortably against the old building: Graham & Brown wallpapers, Farrow & Ball paint, artwork and wall sculptures collected on their travels, silk cushions and good mattresses on king or super-king beds. The cottage suite is the most private option and works well for guests staying several nights. Guests are met with coffee and cake on arrival, and there is a sitting room with a wood-burning stove for cooler months.

Breakfast is freshly prepared with Devon produce, and the owners are open about where the food comes from and about the house's environmental policies. There is no restaurant, but the village pub is a short walk and Dartmouth has plenty of choice fifteen minutes away by car.

The setting suits walkers and beach-goers. The South West Coast Path passes through the village, Blackpool Sands and Landcombe are close by, and Slapton Ley nature reserve and Slapton Sands are a short drive south. Dartmouth, Totnes and the Dart valley are all within easy reach, and the Start Point lighthouse walk is one of the best in the area. It is a small, quiet house best suited to couples rather than families with young children.