Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

The river laps at the edge of your bed and you bathe in light. Or so it seems, with nothing but water and sky visible through the great glass-and-timber doors at the end of the big open space that is North Barn. It is awash with light and colour, gay with the easy good humour of Pedro and Jilly, architect and artist. Cook in a galley kitchen (well-equipped), sleep on a low platform, curtained for privacy. Slop about on the big wooden deck, with nothing but a sliver of greenery 'twixt you and the river. Paint, sketch, read, walk, or lie in bed all day and gaze at the Dart and its bobbing boats and wading birds. Sublime in summer, cosy with wood-burner and sofas in winter, this is one of Alastair Sawday's favourite places and is not the formica-type squeaky clean sort of spot the modern-living lover may hope for, but it is loaded with character and many love it so much they come back year after year. The area is awash with 'attractions', but you may prefer to wait for low tide and pick your way along the foreshore to the restaurant/pub at Tuckenhay. Absolutely perfect for two (and a child).