Mazzard Farm holiday cottages, Ottery St Mary

We would fully recommend Mazzard Farm for a family holiday. We visited for a lovely long weekend in January 2012 with our just 3 year old and 8 month old. We stayed in Medlar cottage which sleeps 4 and looks out over the central courtyard. The cottage was compact but fully equipped, quiet, comfortable and tastefully decorated. We were big fans of the heated wooden floors, and in summer it would be lovely to open up the huge folding doors into the courtyard. The owners have gone to a great deal of trouble to think about what might make things easier for families bringing young children. Before you arrive you are asked to complete a guest details form, in which you can request a selection of baby/child products for your stay, for example highchair, changing mat, bed guard, monitor, steriliser, potty, mattress protector sheet and stairgate. This saved us a lot of space in the car. There are a couple of pushchairs available to borrow, and the cottages have a nightlight and socket protectors. The kitchen even had plastic plates, cups and cutlery. The owners are also really friendly, and went to a lot of trouble to make sure that everything was okay. There is an outdoor play garage with various trikes, bikes and ride-on toys. Although it was cold when we visited, it was sheltered enough from wind and rain to play out there for a little while. The garage opens out onto the courtyard, so when the weather is nice children can take the toys out into the courtyard to ride around. Because our cottage also opened out onto the courtyard, we were happy to let our toddler play outside while we watched from the warm indoors. It would be a really nice place to sit outside in warmer weather. We did have a couple of rainy afternoons, and so we were glad of a large selection of kids DVDs and toys that we could take back to our cottage. There is also lots to do for older children. There is a large wooded area out at the back to explore and lots of open space to play in. The cottages have free wi-fi and a television/DVD player. There is outdoor play equipment for all ages and my toddler son loved feeding the chickens. One great advantage of the cottages is the location, with a huge number of attractions situated in easy travelling distance. We visited out of season, and it is worth checking attraction websites if there is somewhere that you particularly want to visit, as some may have restricted opening times. We did find plenty to keep us occupied though, and being Britain most attractions are at least partially indoors.

Took our 2 year old for a short break there. Absolutely wonderful place! The owners are welcoming and our little one had great fun feeding the resident chickens and collecting eggs (under supervision of course). Lots of kids toys to play with and the family also make jams etc to purchase during your stay. Accommodation was spotless -all in all, a great place to take your children!

Award Winning Mazzard Farm holiday cottages in East Devon is a parent's dream. Luxury and green, and what is more, with every possible piece of baby or toddler equipment and toys you can think of provided for free! And whilst the children roam around the grounds, or play in one of three different play areas, mum or dad can lazy in the hammock, sip a glass of wine in one of the quiet seating areas, or maybe chat with some of the other parents. And unique to Mazzard Farm, as soon as you book they e-mail you a brilliant 28-page, home produced, Guide to the Area, ensuring you have the best possible time at, and around Mazzard Farm.