Step into the utility room/hall and head upstairs where first right is the living room; sofas to settle onto, a wood-burner to warm your toes when it’s chilly, blue-greens come together to create a cosy and intimate vibe. The whole house feels so fresh and modern, it's characterful, the light is good, and that wonderful waterside ambience pervades – you just know the sea isn’t far away.
Second right is the kitchen where centre place is a pine topped table that comfortably seats 9, to the left are Bedrooms 1 and 2 and a shower room. Bedroom 1 has an ensuite bathroom and delicious sea views to wake up to.
Bedrooms 2 and 3 are back downstairs, along with a bathroom; Bedroom 4 has bunk beds and an optional extra guest bed, so it makes a brilliant room for 3 younger children sharing.
Doors open from the kitchen into the garden and the extensive grounds; have a wander round and you’ll find a walled garden, terraces and wooded areas - an echo of the past when a grand Georgian house stood here. Smalls is snuggled on the hillside so the grounds are on different levels leading down to the waterside; by the kitchen there’s decking with outdoor furniture and a barbecue – the perfect spot for morning coffee, lunch in the sunshine or a nightcap; before you is the Kingsbridge estuary and the twinkling lights of Salcombe.
Other decks have a firepit and hot tub, across the little road the grounds continue down to Smalls Cove, a sandy beach with safe bathing status; the path meanders through the trees, past the ponds and a seating area with a firepit, before coming out onto the beach - part of this is roped off solely for guests' use.
Local Area
A short stroll from the house you can catch the passenger ferry across the estuary to Salcombe where the maritime vibe is high and there’s so much to do. Explore the narrow streets browsing the boutiques and galleries, stop for seafood at The Crab Shed or The Winking Prawn. Test your sea legs dinghy sailing or paddleboarding, hire a self-drive boat or take a cruise with Whitestrand Boat Hire.
Discover hidden coves close by; play on the sand at Sunny Cove or Mill Bay, stroll along the coast to the headland at Gara Rock, go for Sunday roast at Gara Rock Hotel. The South West Coast Path runs close to Smalls so bring your walking boots for a hike on the clifftops; stride up to Snapes Point from Salcombe for panoramic views that will make you smile.
Visit the subtropical gardens at Overbeck’s (NT), Dartmouth Castle or Woodlands Family Theme Park. Go rockpooling at Bigbury on Sea when the tide is out; when it’s in catch the Sea Tractor to Burgh Island to see the Art Deco hotel that inspired two of Agatha Christie’s novels.
Round off wonderful days watching the sunset over Salcombe, gathered around the firepit as the stars come out one by one. This, is what holidays are made of.