There are many things my mother and I found ourselves looking forward to during our stay at Lympstone Manor : the vineyard, the pool overlooking the Exe estuary, the eight-course, Michelin -star tasting menu from chef patron Michael Caines MBE. But the on-site sculptures — created by local Devon artists and on display all around the grounds and interiors — were the biggest highlight we didn’t see coming. And in many ways, they speak to the feel of the place: striking, elegant, locally-sourced, from relaxed-looking couples looking out over the Exe to jubilant figures dancing in front of the rolling Devon hills.
The five-star, Grade II-listed manor house — a favourite among visitors to the Jurassic Coast ever since Caines completed his vision of turning it into a country house hotel in 2016 — is a member of the luxury hotel brand Relais & Chateaux and is regularly listed among the most desirable stays in the south-west, with 21 rooms and suites and six shepherds huts dotted around the 28 acres of grounds. It’s long been a food and drink haven, with award-winning fine dining and an on-site vineyard — and it only continues to expand. The pool house and restaurant were added in 2022, and there are plans for a wellbeing centre offering treatments, classes and a yoga deck in the coming years.
From rooms that come with their own fire pit to relaxed lunches down at the pool house, here’s what to expect. Just north of Exmouth in Devon, on a panoramic hillside spot overl.