Cottage in North Devon District
4 guests · 2 bedrooms · 1 bath
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
High-end valueWell priced for this area
About this cottage rental
A fabulous choice for your holiday, whatever the weather, with many onsite facilities to keep you entertained.. Ground Floor:
Living/dining room: Smart TV, Woodburner
Kitchen: Electric Oven, Induction Hob, Microwave, Fridge/Freezer, Dishwasher, Coffee Machine, Washing Machine
Bedroom 1: Double (4ft 6in) Bed
Bedroom 2: 2 x Single (3ft) Beds
Shower Room: Walk-In Shower, Toilet. Oil central heating (controlled by owner), electricity, bed linen, towels and high speed Wi-Fi included. Travel cot and highchair available on request. Tumble dryer available on-site. Games room with pool table, table football and darts (shared). Sitting-out area with garden furniture. 3-acre grounds with sitting-out area, garden furniture and play area (shared). The Hideaway toddlers playroom (shared). Indoor heated swimming pool with changing and shower facilities (shared with other properties private sessions available, pool 12ft x 33ft). Ample private parking. No smoking. Please note: There is a securely fenced river on-site.. Town Mills is a historic, Grade II listed former Mill and Manor House situated on the banks of the River Torridge on the outskirts of Great Torrington in North Devon. Built by Lord Rolle in 1823 and made famous as ‘Tarka’s Mill’ in Henry Williamson’s book ‘Tarka The Otter’, Town Mills started life as a Grain Mill and a Saw Mill, both mills being powered by waterwheels. Now, almost 200 years later, Town Mills has been sympathetically converted into seven well-appointed holiday cottages all with their own charm and personality.
From a cosy holiday cottage that sleeps three people, to a larger six-bedroom holiday cottage that sleeps twelve, every cottage benefits from character and charm combined with modern convenience. Located in the beautiful North Devon countryside, Town Mills is ideally situated for visiting the North Devon Coast, Exmoor, travelling The Tarka Trail, or visiting our next-door neighbour, the RHS Gardens at Rosemoor.
Skirr is a comfortable ground floor property which originally formed part of the old manor house. It has an open-plan living/dining room with impressive inglenook fireplace with Ben Franklin wood burner. Windows from the kitchen and living room look out into the central courtyard, whilst the front door opens onto the main garden. In addition, it has a well-equipped fitted kitchen, double bedroom, twin bedroom and a wet floor bathroom, toilet and sink unit. Being on one level makes it ideal for people who struggle with stairs.
On-site, there is a indoor shared swimming pool which is kept warm between 31-32 degrees, so is suitable for even the smallest guests. The owners offer the opportunity to reserve the pool for your exclusive use, allowing you the chance for a session of family fun, or a quiet moment to relax. There is a games room with a free pool table and a classic table football, along with a dart board and fruit machine. Located by the riverside, but securely fenced, the children’s play area offers picnic bench seating with swings, slide and climbing frame, as well as an elevated playhouse, its the ideal spot to spend a lazy afternoon with a picnic whilst trying to spot an otter or some of the other many local wildlife visitors. For younger guests, there is a kids hideaway where they can escape to. On the opposite side of the Mill there is a garden where you can enjoy a few moments, maybe have a picnic or watch the peacocks as they wander around.
The countryside around Town Mills is dotted with sleepy villages nestled among the hills, while extensive woodlands, traversed by many footpaths, offer the chance to experience the area’s natural beauty. Local attractions include the renowned RHS gardens at Rosemoor (adjacent) and Dartington Crystal, offering a factory tour and visitor centre. Great Torrington is only a mile away with good shopping and amenities, and there is golf at nearby Hartland. Town Mills adjoins Torrington Common which extends to 365 acres, incorporating 20 miles of footpaths. The common is a haven for wildlife. The ‘Big Sheep’ and ‘Milky Way’ theme parks are each less than 10 miles away.
The River Torridge runs downstream to the ancient port of Bideford, still with a working quay offering boat trips to Lundy Island. Just around the corner is the attractive little town of Appledore with its colourful houses and narrow streets. To either side lies Devon’s most spectacular stretch of coastal scenery – a chain of magnificent cliffs and rocky promontories, interspersed here and there by long flat sandy beaches, where the Atlantic breakers roll in to create ideal surfing conditions. There are splendid beaches at Instow and Westward Ho!, the latter bordered by the Royal North Devon Golf Club, and the Northam Nature Reserve. Further west is the supremely picturesque Clovelly, with narrow, cobbled main street descending at a dizzying gradient to the little harbour below. The cathedral city of Exeter can be reached via a delightful drive through lush river valleys.
Town Mills offers very attractive accommodation set in 3 acres of beautiful gardens with streams, waterfalls and the water wheel which is still operational. This superb location makes a wonderful holiday base, especially for families, with sandy beaches on the North Devon coast only 10 miles away. Shop ½ mile.
Free WiFi
For all properties at Town Mills: Shared indoor heated swimming pool available all year. We are operating a booking system to allow all guests equal opportunity to use the pool. During out of peak season, the pool is used for swimming lessons 2-4 hours a day, so if visiting out of peak season, please check with us for available pool times.
Cots and highchairs are supplied upon request at the time of booking.
The river/stream is fenced. Unfortunately, at the moment the banks of the river are not accessible for fishing, apologies for this.
Suitable for up to 2 pets
Living/dining room: Smart TV, Woodburner
Kitchen: Electric Oven, Induction Hob, Microwave, Fridge/Freezer, Dishwasher, Coffee Machine, Washing Machine
Bedroom 1: Double (4ft 6in) Bed
Bedroom 2: 2 x Single (3ft) Beds
Shower Room: Walk-In Shower, Toilet. Oil central heating (controlled by owner), electricity, bed linen, towels and high speed Wi-Fi included. Travel cot and highchair available on request. Tumble dryer available on-site. Games room with pool table, table football and darts (shared). Sitting-out area with garden furniture. 3-acre grounds with sitting-out area, garden furniture and play area (shared). The Hideaway toddlers playroom (shared). Indoor heated swimming pool with changing and shower facilities (shared with other properties private sessions available, pool 12ft x 33ft). Ample private parking. No smoking. Please note: There is a securely fenced river on-site.. Town Mills is a historic, Grade II listed former Mill and Manor House situated on the banks of the River Torridge on the outskirts of Great Torrington in North Devon. Built by Lord Rolle in 1823 and made famous as ‘Tarka’s Mill’ in Henry Williamson’s book ‘Tarka The Otter’, Town Mills started life as a Grain Mill and a Saw Mill, both mills being powered by waterwheels. Now, almost 200 years later, Town Mills has been sympathetically converted into seven well-appointed holiday cottages all with their own charm and personality.
From a cosy holiday cottage that sleeps three people, to a larger six-bedroom holiday cottage that sleeps twelve, every cottage benefits from character and charm combined with modern convenience. Located in the beautiful North Devon countryside, Town Mills is ideally situated for visiting the North Devon Coast, Exmoor, travelling The Tarka Trail, or visiting our next-door neighbour, the RHS Gardens at Rosemoor.
Skirr is a comfortable ground floor property which originally formed part of the old manor house. It has an open-plan living/dining room with impressive inglenook fireplace with Ben Franklin wood burner. Windows from the kitchen and living room look out into the central courtyard, whilst the front door opens onto the main garden. In addition, it has a well-equipped fitted kitchen, double bedroom, twin bedroom and a wet floor bathroom, toilet and sink unit. Being on one level makes it ideal for people who struggle with stairs.
On-site, there is a indoor shared swimming pool which is kept warm between 31-32 degrees, so is suitable for even the smallest guests. The owners offer the opportunity to reserve the pool for your exclusive use, allowing you the chance for a session of family fun, or a quiet moment to relax. There is a games room with a free pool table and a classic table football, along with a dart board and fruit machine. Located by the riverside, but securely fenced, the children’s play area offers picnic bench seating with swings, slide and climbing frame, as well as an elevated playhouse, its the ideal spot to spend a lazy afternoon with a picnic whilst trying to spot an otter or some of the other many local wildlife visitors. For younger guests, there is a kids hideaway where they can escape to. On the opposite side of the Mill there is a garden where you can enjoy a few moments, maybe have a picnic or watch the peacocks as they wander around.
The countryside around Town Mills is dotted with sleepy villages nestled among the hills, while extensive woodlands, traversed by many footpaths, offer the chance to experience the area’s natural beauty. Local attractions include the renowned RHS gardens at Rosemoor (adjacent) and Dartington Crystal, offering a factory tour and visitor centre. Great Torrington is only a mile away with good shopping and amenities, and there is golf at nearby Hartland. Town Mills adjoins Torrington Common which extends to 365 acres, incorporating 20 miles of footpaths. The common is a haven for wildlife. The ‘Big Sheep’ and ‘Milky Way’ theme parks are each less than 10 miles away.
The River Torridge runs downstream to the ancient port of Bideford, still with a working quay offering boat trips to Lundy Island. Just around the corner is the attractive little town of Appledore with its colourful houses and narrow streets. To either side lies Devon’s most spectacular stretch of coastal scenery – a chain of magnificent cliffs and rocky promontories, interspersed here and there by long flat sandy beaches, where the Atlantic breakers roll in to create ideal surfing conditions. There are splendid beaches at Instow and Westward Ho!, the latter bordered by the Royal North Devon Golf Club, and the Northam Nature Reserve. Further west is the supremely picturesque Clovelly, with narrow, cobbled main street descending at a dizzying gradient to the little harbour below. The cathedral city of Exeter can be reached via a delightful drive through lush river valleys.
Town Mills offers very attractive accommodation set in 3 acres of beautiful gardens with streams, waterfalls and the water wheel which is still operational. This superb location makes a wonderful holiday base, especially for families, with sandy beaches on the North Devon coast only 10 miles away. Shop ½ mile.
Free WiFi
For all properties at Town Mills: Shared indoor heated swimming pool available all year. We are operating a booking system to allow all guests equal opportunity to use the pool. During out of peak season, the pool is used for swimming lessons 2-4 hours a day, so if visiting out of peak season, please check with us for available pool times.
Cots and highchairs are supplied upon request at the time of booking.
The river/stream is fenced. Unfortunately, at the moment the banks of the river are not accessible for fishing, apologies for this.
Suitable for up to 2 pets
Amenities at 2 bedroom accommodation in Great Torrington
Non-smoking
Pets allowed
Family friendly
Map of North Devon District
Ratings and reviews
10 / 10Outstanding·Oct 2025
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Skirr cottage. It was lovely, clean and well equipped. The on-site facilities were excellent, and we loved the swimming pool which we used most days.
10 / 10Outstanding·Aug 2019
Although I have said I would not recommend - I would but only for a few reasons. The negatives are as follows:
1. Meet and greet - NONE - first thing the owner said was to be careful of carpets and remove shoes when entering the cottage
2. Swimming Pool was not working for 2 days - we were only there for 7
3. Never told where the spa room was for the use of jaccuzzi/hot tub - my daughter asked the question only to be answered by "when do you want to use it" not "well I will show you" also she we were informed by another visitor that the hot tub was only for the use of people with bad backs???
4. Only one toilet roll in the bathroom - may have been left by the previous visitor - no mention of having to bring your own (which is absolutely fine) although I would have thought these would have been provided same applies to kitchen roll
5. No cleaning cloths/dishcloths in the kitchen
6. Outside lighting - does not exist - we had to use our phones for a torch from the car park to the cottage - very dangerous as it was pitch black after we had been out for the evening
7. Outside light at the cottage - bulb not working
8. Main light in the living area - again 3 bulbs not working
9. The first evening we were sat outside under the pergola which was lovely and a lovely setting when the owner came around the corner at 10.00 to put food down for the badgers - what badgers??? never saw one - he specifically told us that we needed to go indoors before 10.30 or we would scare the badgers away - sorry but he thought about his guests rather than badgers it would have been a lot better.
10. Lots of can't do's and not many can do's
11. Apparently we were told that the property is for sale - probably accounts for the poor customer services - never asked if we were having a good time and never showed around the premises to see where everything was
12. Sorry for the negative comments but that is how it was
$$$$
Top rated by guests
10Outstanding
(4 Ratings)
"We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Skirr cottage. It was lovely, clean and well equipped. The on-site facilities were excellent, and we loved the swimming pool which we used most days."
Catherine KingDon't miss out! Price and availability may change
