The Chalet Saunton, Braunton, north Devon
FROM its elevated position high on the hillside overlooking the sweeping expanse of Saunton Sands, Chalet Saunton enjoys epic views of north devon’s rugged Atlantic coastline. The three-mile-long golden sandy beach, which is so photogenic that Pink Floyd shot the cover of A Momentary Lapse of Reason there, has long drawn people to the area, especially as dogs are allowed to dip their paws in the waves year round and there’s a surf school at the end of the footpath that leads direct from the Chalet, via a decked boardwalk, to the sea.
given that Chalet Saunton’s owner, Tim Fleming—who built this slate-coloured shrine to minimalism and open-plan living on the site of his boyhood home in 2017—allows guests to bring their dogs and provides (warm) outdoor taps to wash off pooches and surfing gear, as well as a place to store boards and wetsuits, all seven apartments are ideal for those who love the outdoors.
With white-cotton bedlinen, pale-grey marble bathrooms, state-of-the-art appliances and striking artwork, including lots of moody black-and-white photographs, this ‘apart-hotel’ offers a contemporary take on traditional self-catering properties: no chintz or net curtains here.
You’ll need a car, as the Chalet is three miles from Braunton and 20 minutes from ilfracombe (home to damien Hirst’s sculpture Verity), where we enjoyed scallops, crab claws, a whole Lundy lobster and crunchy, goose-fat cooked chips.
However, apart from the huge, light-filled rooms and being able to contact the super-efficient housekeeper Lisa—who can arrange baby- and dog-sitting, as well as shopping—at any time of the day or night, the most captivating charm of this sleek property is the Crittall French doors that afford a mesmerising window on a dramatic coastline that’s just as beguiling on a dark, stormy night, when the roaring waves crash onto the shore, as it is on a bright, sparkly day, when the aquamarine sky almost merges with the silvery, shimmering sea. PL From £350 per night for a three-bedroom apartment that sleeps six, on a self-catering basis, including a welcome hamper of local produce and ilapothecary products (01271 890514; www.chaletsaunton.com)