The Estate
COOMBESHEAD ESTATE IS A LUSCIOUS, COLOURFUL EDEN, PACKED FULL OF ENCHANTING WILDLIFE AND MESMERISING VIEWS
On arrival at Percy's you realise you have escaped into a tranquil paradise and the perfect place to recharge those tired batteries. Whether out walking on the 130 acres or simply relaxing on the patio, you are surrounded by clean air and beautiful countryside. Following a satisfying nights sleep and a dining experience to remember, you awake to a spectacular dawn chorus.
Why not take a leisurely stroll around the Estate and forget the stresses of everyday life. Within minutes of setting off you feel completely detached from civilization, the trees and hedgerows forming the only boundaries in sight. Rays of golden sunshine highlight the different shades of green and provide the perfect setting to enjoy nature's unrehearsed symphonies. Woodpeckers add their distinctive calls as your companions for the trip, a black Labrador or two, guide you around the many beauty spots.
Jacob sheep and horses graze peacefully on the pasture, the piglets are endearingly muddy and buzzards soar gracefully above. The mixture of new and mature woodland provides the perfect habitat for squirrels, rabbits, badgers & deer. Foxgloves adorn the sides of the shadowy woodland and contrast brilliantly with the open, undulating fields. A mixture of long grasses, buttercups and soft rushes encircle the calm waters of the trout lakes and mirror the reflections of the colourful and utterly captivating dragonflies. Just three species short, the Estate is tantalizingly close to being a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) for these beautiful insects.
The landscape becomes increasingly more dramatic as you venture further from the hotel and the views are an artist's dream as you look down the Carey valley stretching towards the horizon. Pastel coloured fields blend into each other and extend all the way to the unmistakable Brentor Church as it marks the start of the rugged and untamed wilds of Dartmoor beyond. Even at night time the setting is enchanting, as millions of stars fill the clear, unpolluted sky to put on an captivating show of natural light and illumination. If you're lucky enough to be here as the snow is falling then you will be in for a magical treat.
Wherever you are on the Estate, it is reassuring to see Percy's working sympathetically with the environment. The 60-acre woodland was created with a 'Food from the Forest' theme featuring trees and shrubs such as juniper, rowan, crab apple, hazel and elderflower planted among mixed broadleaves such as beech and oak which encourage a plethora of wild mushrooms. This was enhanced in February 2004 with the addition of an acre of Bramley apple orchard taken from the original eighteenth century rootstock. The Estate is Soil Association registered and provides game together with lamb and pork. The extensive and diverse kitchen garden ensure a year round supply of fresh herbs, salad leaves and vegetables for the restaurant.
