Jake's Place - Studio in Devon, United Kingdom
The Brake
- Studio for 4 from £95 per night (read our low price promise)
- 1 double, 2 bunks
Suitable for children of all ages
Not suitable for pets
Overview
Jake's Place adjoins Nick & Dolly's home and is just behind their vegetable patches, down a winding path past Jackson’s Cabin. You’re companionably close to the house and the Kary family’s pets will come by to say hello, but your space is magically concealed by shrubs and chunky wooden fences. You’ll have your own deck to sit out on and a campfire spot at the bottom of the garden, where you can cook and watch the lighthouse over the sea. There's also a private wood-burning sauna to relax those tired muscles after a day of exploring.
The cabin is filled with handmade or upcycled treasures – even the yellow and blue tiles in the bathroom are souvenirs of Nick & Dolly’s years spent in Mexico. If you’re not feeling brave enough to swim in the sea, swim in the bath tub instead – it’s big enough!
A helping hand with the apple orchard or vegetable garden is always welcome and on baking days, you're invited to join in round the cob oven for fun with dough. There's even a workshop where you can book painting, collage and clay courses, or wood working with Nick. Whilst your creations are drying off, walk the winding coastal paths, stop for lunch in bohemian Totnes or jump aboard a steam train to Agatha Christie’s house.
Essentials
The important stuff
- Check in is 4pm
- Check out is at 10am
- Please bring torches and wellies, bath towels and beach towels
- At night, the flashing light of Start Point lighthouse can be seen from the main living area
- You are not isolated here – your hosts live next door and it is possible to hear the road in the distance
- Sleeping arrangements
- 1 double, 2 bunks
Extra space available
Space for 1 baby no charge. a cot can be provided for infants up to 6 months old only.
Cooking
- Kitchen with 3 ring electric hob, electric oven, toaster, fridge
Washing
- Flushing loo and shower room
- Bathroom
Heating, lighting & bedding
- Woodburning stoves and radiator in bedroom. One large box of firewood provided - enough for 3 nights. Extra firewood available at £6 per bag.
- Bedlinen, duvets and pillows provided - please bring towels
- The space has electric lights and power points
- Cot can be provided for your baby
Entertainment
- Cards, board games, books
- Private wood-burning sauna in the garden
Getting there
The Brake, Wadstray, Blackawton, Totnes, Devon TQ9 7DE
By bus
The nearest bus station is Totnes. The nearest bus stop is Woodlands Leisure Centre a ¼ of a mile away from which pick ups are free of charge if arranged in advance.
By train
The nearest train station is Totnes. Pick ups can be arranged in advance at a charge of £10.
By car
Take the A38 south from Exeter, or north from Plymouth. Then take the A384 exit toward A381 - Buckfastleigh / Totnes / Dartmouth / Kingsbridge. Turn left on to the A384. At the roundabout in Dartington, take the 1st exit onto A385. At the first set of traffic lights turn right on to the A381, signed to Dartmouth. Follow this road for 6 miles. At the petrol station turn left on to the A3122, signed to Dartmouth. Drive past Woodlands Leisure Park and Dartmouth Country Club and the turning for Strete, Torcross and Blackawton. DO NOT TAKE THIS TURNING. Our driveway is the next (sharp!) turning on the right into the woods.There is a designated parking area on the property - it's not far to the Cabin and Jake's Place!
Food & Drink
At The Brake
Nick and Dolly are making some updates to the site, so you will have access either to a communal pizza oven or, once work is complete, your own personal pizza oven at your cabin.
Both spaces at The Brake are self-catering though a Riverford box – organic vegetable, fruit or meat or all three with their organic milk - can be arranged, at an extra cost.
The Bakehouse is currently holds a pizza night every Monday from 6pm during the Summer only where all guests can gather around the fire and table, make pizzas together, share stories and get to know one another. All you need to bring is a bottle of something to drink, Nick and Dolly will provide the rest.
Shops
Garden Time Nursery, a quarter of a mile away, has a farm shop for basics but it is not safe to walk along the main road to get there so stop off on your way! Otherwise there are supermarkets in Dartmouth.
Pubs & restaurants
Brace yourself...there are so many lovely pubs and places to eat locally it would be hard to pick just a few! However, we advise doing just that and not trying to visit them all...
Within 5 miles
The George Inn, Blackawton
The Maltsters Arms - Tuckenhay
The Watermans Arms - Tuckenhay
The Venus Café - Blackpool Sands, Strete
The Laughing Monk Restaurant - Strete
The King’s Arms Seafood and Wine - Strete
The Tower Inn - Slapton
Fingals Hotel Restaurant - Dittisham
Anchorstone Café - Dittisham
Pubs & restaurants within 10 miles
Cranks Restaurant - Dartington
The Fortescue Arms - East Allington
Pubs, cafes & restaurants in Totnes (9 miles away)
Rumours
The Royal Seven Stars Hotel
Waterside Bistro
The Brioche Café Bistro
The White Hart Bar and Restaurant
The Venus Café
La Fourchette
Willow Vegetarian Restaurant
Tangerine Tree Café
Fat Lemons Café
The Barrel House
Pubs, restaurants & cafes in Dartmouth (4 miles away)
Rockfish Seafood and Chips
Anzac Street Bistro
Kendricks Restaurant
Spice Bazaar
Dartmouth Apprentice
Café Alf Resco
The Angel Dartmouth
River Restaurant
The Cherub Pub
Activities
At The Brake
A helping hand with the apple orchard or vegetable garden is always welcome, or in the Summer everyone is welcome to join in on baking days round the cob oven for fun with dough.
'Make at The Brake' Days - see 'Courses and Classes' below
Outdoors & active
Jackson's Cabin and Jake's Place are very well placed indeed for beaches, from those suitable for surfing - Bantham Beach is 20min away - to those reserved for determined walkers who arrive on foot - Lannacombe is rugged and unspoilt, Mattiscombe has tremendous views. Blackpool Sands is popular with families - perhaps because of its organic café-restaurant and a beach shop that doesn't miss a trick. You’ll find keen fisherman down on Slapton Bay frequently and barbecues on the shore. As well as miles of coastal walks, Dartmoor, one of the most stunning parts of England, is just 40 minutes away. The River Dart Country Park is great for outdoor pursuits from rock climbing to kayaking. For those looking to do some serious climbing on the moors you can get in touch with the Rock Centre in Newton Abbot for lessons and advice. And for those who enjoy a bit of golf the Dartmouth Golf and Country Club is close. Or why not view Dartmoor from an epic zip wire or leap off a Tarzan Swing at Go Ape! Haldon Forest?
Places to visit
The South Hams is riddled with interesting little villages and fun days out. Here are just a few ideas of very individual, and beautiful, places to visit...
Totnes, a beautiful medieval market town
Dartmouth, on the edge of the river Dart estuary
Kingsbridge, a small fishing town on the river Avon
Kingswear, a stunning town opposite Dartmouth on the Dart estuary
Dittisham, a quaint village and idyllic haven on the river Dart
Rainy days
We know there are sometimes days when looks a bit grey out. So we suggest...
Woodlands Leisure Centre
Swimming at Dartmouth Golf and Country ClubPaignton Zoo
Arranging some art time in the studio or workshop
Arranging a cooking day in the cob kitchen
Courses & classes
You can learn a lot from a stay at The Brake. There is the opportunity to book a Creative Being program that incorporates all the different opportunities for learning provided by this small plot of land.Nick & Dolly will be running various courses and classes throughout the season - please enquire for details. Dolly says, "The foundation upon which we are creating our programs is the awareness that it is our hands that connect and allow us to express the natural creativity innate within us all. We will be facilitating these through the use of the studio, the workshop, the rocket stove kitchen, the cob oven, the garden and, of course, nature." 'Make at The Brake' Days - suitable for 2 people or a family of 3-4 (min 8 years old) Spend some time in The Workshop with experienced wood-smith Nick making your own personal knife or a simple greenwood stool. Greenwood involves creating a piece from the raw materials of branches or logs. If art's more your thing then try out The Studio with Dolly exploring mark making using a variety of art materials, instruments and techniques to create a series of abstract paintings and/or cards. Half day finishing at lunchtime is £80, a whole day is £180 which includes lunch (prices are for the whole family/group). You might want to mix things up and spend half a day in The Workshop and half a day in The Studio. Just ask Nick and Dolly for more info and to book.
Meet your hosts
Nick, an experienced wood-smith, and Dolly, an artist, are resourceful and inspirational, living their ideal existence at their own pace here in the woods. Nick has been a furniture designer/maker for the last 25 years. He has always dried his own wood in his woodshed and uses local hardwoods and naturally fallen trees wherever possible. He built the cabin himself, and fitted out the interior using reclaimed wood, and artefacts from Mexico such as the copper sink in the bathroom.
He uses traditional and green woodworking skills to help and teach people to create their own furniture in his fully fitted workshop.Dolly paints portraits and landscapes. She is also a cook, and cooks and facilitates on the core programs at Embercombe, a centre for environmental change and inspiration outside Exeter. She runs workshops from her studio known as The Creative Being Workshops which are central to the programs that she and Nick are developing (see Courses & Classes on the 'Activities' tab).
They used to live in Mexico, where two of their three children were born, and developed a love of the land, and of working with their hands, that planted the dream to one day have a patch of earth to call their own. Now they do, and seem determined to make the most of it! Nick is a carpentry expert and has his own green woodworking workshop in a glade in the wood. They weave trips to the wood-fired sauna and the baking of their own bread, and plenty of laughter and conversation seamlessly into their daily life. They say, "Small, Slow and Simple is the basis of everything we do," but in this they're too modest.
There are big ideas here at The Brake, and they seem to lead to huge satisfaction and contentment, miles away from all the dashing about that's far too common in the modern world. The core of The Brake is the original 1909 bungalow, which Nick & Dolly have extended and embellished, while trying to remain true to it in style. Around it an apple orchard has grown up, a pond teeming with life has been dug, and the beech trees which surround it seem to protect it from any outside interference.
Wildlife & environment
The Brake is on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Views look out towards Start Point Lighthouse and the sea. There is also a vegetable garden - help with this is always welcome!
Our guests say...
We had a wonderful week at Jake's Place, enjoying the location, and also the kindness of Nick and Dolly and family. Jake's Place itself is wonderful - charming and well-equipped with a very pleasant garden and great views.
04/06/2018Claire
We stayed for 4 nights in the cabin with our 5 year old son. He thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful tree bed and we enjoyed the relaxing feel of the place. It was quiet and had a lovely ambience to it.
28/05/2018Jen
On Sunday we barely left the cabin, except to go to the end of the garden and set a fire in the grate so we could stay warm as we sat and stargazed. Just a wonderfully relaxing way to spend a few days.
24/11/2017Chris, Canopy & Stars
Jake's Place is a sweet little cabin in the most idyllic surroundings. The quirky interior makes for quite a magical little space, with the colourful tapestries, mosaic kitchen tiles and a tree branch that acts as the ladder up to the bunk beds. Everything was very clean and tidy and all our basic needs were perfectly met. The beds are very comfortable and the cabin is perfectly warm, especially after spending an evening in keeping the wood burner fed. We indulged in a sauna on our last evening which exactly what the doctor ordered. I would recommend staying to here to anyone. I would love to come back and take part in one of the courses Dolly and Nick run. It's a very inspiring space - perfect for a family getaway, personal retreat or a catch up with friends.
05/11/2017Jennifer
A fabulous cottage in a amazing setting. We had a relaxing weekend and enjoyed the log burner, lovely bespoke furniture, the toys and games, the garden and the giant chess set!
27/10/2017Laura
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Booking Terms
Canopy & Stars low price promise
Book with us in confidence knowing you won’t find that place cheaper elsewhere. All of the prices we display are set and matched by our Owners. (In this world of foreign currency, we do have to say 'subject to exchange rates' for some of our European places.)
What does ‘from price’ mean?
Our ‘from price’ is based on a four night stay in low season and designed to help you to compare different prices across our collection. Some of our Owners vary their nightly rates and check in days throughout the year, so it may differ from the rate quoted below the calendar. It is quite common (although by no means universal) for places to charge a little more in peak season or for shorter stays, to cover changeover costs. Consider booking longer stays during the cooler months if you’re looking for the lowest nightly rates.
Agency Terms & Conditions
Except where otherwise specified, we Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd Company No 09088366 of Merchants House, Wapping Road, Bristol, BS1 4RW act only as an Agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. Sawday’s Canopy & Stars is part of the Alastair Sawday’s Group of Companies. We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any services or arrangements you purchase (“Booking(s)”) or for the acts or omissions of any supplier(s) or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any Booking. For all Bookings, your contract will be with the supplier of the Booking in question, and in most cases this will be the owner of the property you’ll be staying at (“Owner(s)”). When making your Booking we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the Owner of the Booking. Your Booking with us is subject to these Agency Terms & Conditions and any specific booking conditions of the relevant Owner(s) you contract with. The Owner’s booking conditions may limit and/or exclude the Owner’s liability to you.
You may decide to make more than one Booking with us at the same time. The price charged in total for more than one Booking will always equal the prices charged separately for each individual Booking. All Bookings are available to be purchased separately at the same price as they are when more than one Booking is made. This means that any multiple Bookings do not constitute a package as defined in the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992.
By making a booking, you agree that:-
- you have read these Agency Terms & Conditions and agree to be bound by them;
- you consent to our use of your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;
and
- you are over 18 years of age and where there may be age restrictions in place, you declare that you and all members of your party are of the appropriate age.
The Canopy & Stars online booking system enables Guests to make Bookings 24 hours a day. A Booking is confirmed on receipt of a 25% non-refundable deposit for all Bookings with check in dates of more than 10 weeks away. For all Bookings that have a check in date of less than 10 weeks before check in, payment for the Booking will be required in full and the entire Booking will be non-refundable. The Canopy & Stars telephone booking line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. When using the online enquiry form, for those Properties without online booking, please allow 24 working hours for us to contact you by telephone to confirm the Booking. If we are unable to reach you by phone we will attempt to contact you by email. We will contact you during Canopy & Stars working hours (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm). Online or email enquiries will be dealt with in the order they are received, but please be aware that we cannot guarantee reservation of your selected dates until the receipt of suitable payment. Therefore, if possible, we do recommend that you book on the Canopy & Stars website using the online booking system.
1. Booking and payments
1.1 In order to confirm your chosen Booking, you must pay a non-refundable deposit as required by the Owner of the Booking in question (or full payment if booking within 10 weeks of the date of your check-in).
1.2 Your Booking is confirmed and a contract between you and the Owner will exist when we receive payment of the deposit and send you a booking confirmation on the Owner’s behalf. This booking confirmation will normally be sent out within 24 hours in the case of email and seven working days in the case of post, and will contain the details of your Booking and of payments made and due. If you have not received your booking confirmation within the specified time, please notify us as soon as possible by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk). Please check your confirmation carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. As we act only as booking Agent, we have no responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where an error is made by us.
1.3 Where a deposit has been paid, full balance payment will be due 10 weeks in advance of your check in date and a reminder will be sent to you two weeks prior to this date, where applicable, by email. We automatically take the balance payment using the same card as used to make the deposit payment. It is your reponsibility to advise us if we should use a different card and to contact us by telephone (0117 204 7830) to arrange for alternative payment method. If the balance payment does not successfully go through as there is a problem with your card, such as it expiring, then we will contact you to try and take alternative payment. If we have been unable to take payment after two weeks of the balance due date, then with regret, we will notify the Owner who may cancel your Booking.
1.4 Except where otherwise advised or stated in the booking conditions of the Owner concerned, all monies you pay to us for a Booking will be held on behalf of the Owner(s) concerned.
1.5 Credit Card payments are processed via Alastair Sawday’s Publishing Co. Ltd who provide merchants services facilities to Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd.
2. Cancellation and Amendment by You
2.1 Any cancellation or amendment request must be sent to us by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk) and will be considered and responded to within one working day of receipt. You are also advised to confirm all changes to our Customer Services Department by calling 0117 204 7830. Please ensure that you have received written confirmation of any changes to your Booking prior to travel. Whilst we will always try to help, we cannot guarantee that such requests will be met.
2.2 Amendments and cancellations can only be accepted in accordance with the booking conditions of the Owner of your Arrangements. The Owner may charge the cancellation or amendment charges shown in their booking conditions (which may be as much as 100% of the cost of the Arrangements and will normally increase closer to the date of departure). The Owner may charge cancellation or amendment charges in accordance with its own booking conditions, however for the sake of convenience only, we have outlined the Owner’s charges at clause 2.3 and 2.4 below. Please note that these are the Owner’s own cancellation and amendments charges, not Canopy & Stars’, and therefore the Owner may vary their charges as they wish, without notice to us. The correct charges will be notified to you at the time of your cancellation or amendments.
2.3 Owner’s General Cancellation Charges:
2.3.1 Cancellation by you at any time will result in your deposit being forfeited, as all deposits are non-refundable.
2.3.2 All monies paid for a holiday (deposit and balance) are non-refundable within 10 weeks before check in date.
2.3.3 Cancellation of any holiday after it has been paid in full and at a date 10 weeks or more in advance of your check in date, will result in forfeiture of your deposit (or an amount equivalent where one was not paid as the holiday was paid in full) and the balance being returned to you.
2.3.4 Cancellation insurance is available but will be a third party arrangement and not involve Canopy & Stars or the Owner in any way.
2.4 Owner’s General Amendment Charges:
2.4.1 Alterations to your Booking can only be made more than 10 weeks prior to the check in date, after which time alterations will be treated as cancellation. All alterations are subject to availability and may incur a £30 adminstration fee.
2.4.2 Differences in the total amount payable resulting from alterations will be refunded to you in the case of a decrease in price and paid by you in the case of increases in price.
Special note: Generally Owners will charge the above cancellation and amendment charges, however we must stress that these are a guide only and charges may differ from those shown here depending on the Owner. The exact charges will be notified to you by the Owner at the time of cancellation and/or can be found in the Owner’s own booking conditions which are available from the Owner on request.
3. Changes and Cancellations by the Owner
We will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if the Owner needs to make a significant change to your confirmed Arrangements or to cancel them. We will also liaise between you and the Owner in relation to any alternative Booking offered by the Owner but we will have no further liability to you.
4. Complaints
Because the contract for your Booking is between you and the Owner, any queries or concerns should be addressed to them. In the event that you have any complaint about your stay, please notify the Owner as soon as possible. If you don’t follow this procedure there will be less opportunity for the Owner to investigate and resolve your complaint and so make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Delays may also mean that amount of compensation you may be entitled to may be reduced. Whether or not your complaint is dealt with satisfactorily, please also contact us as we appreciate all feedback. It’s important to us and the Owner to know that you’ve enjoyed your stay or if anything could have been improved.
5. Pricing
Canopy & Stars reserve the right to amend advertised prices at any time on behalf of the Owner. We also reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices.Special note: changes and errors sometimes occur.
6. Information & Accuracy
The information and prices shown on this website are varied from time to time and may change between the time you first view a property and make a Booking. You should check that all the details are as you expect prior to making a Booking. It is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the properties (including the features and extras available) may be incorrectly described and/or priced. If we discover this is the case after you have made a Booking, we reserve the right to contact you with details of the correct information and/or pricing and will give you the option to:
(1) proceed with the Booking based on the correct information and/or pricing, which may require the payment of an additional amount by you;
OR
(2) subject to availability, change your booking dates to dates when the pricing can be honoured ad so no additional charge to you. In the event that a lower price can be offered for alternative dates then the difference would be refunded;
OR
(3) cancel the Booking. If we do not receive your instructions within 5 days of contacting you, we reserve the right to cancel your Booking without liability to you.
7. Our Responsibility for your Booking
Your contract is with the Owner and its booking conditions apply. As Agent, we accept no responsibility for the actual provision of the Booking. Our responsibilities are limited to making the Booking in accordance with your instructions and acting properly in accordance with our legal duties as an Agent. We accept no responsibility for any information about the Booking that we pass on to you in good faith. However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your Booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the Booking is affected). We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury that arises as a result of our negligence or that of any of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.
8. Pets
Not all properties accept pets. If you wish to take your pet on holiday, please advise us before booking and we can check whether pets are accepted at the property. You must obtain the prior consent of the Owner before taking any pets to the property. A nightly charge may be made by the Owner for each pet and additional terms may apply.
9. VAT
Many of the Owners of properties in the Canopy & Stars portfolio are not registered for VAT in which case no tax is payable. Where VAT is payable, the tax is included in the advertised holiday rental price.
10. Visa, passport and health requirements.
Unless you tell us otherwise, we assume that all members of your party are British citizens who hold or will hold full British passports valid for the entire duration of the Arrangements you chose to purchase. Information on visa, passport and health requirements, where given and applicable, is so given on this basis. Requirements may change and you are therefore strongly recommended to check the up to date position with the Owner of the Booking, Passport Office, appropriate embassy or consulate or your doctor as applicable in good time before the commencement of your holiday.
11. Insurance
You are strongly recommended to take out personal travel insurance for all members of your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details and take them with you on holiday.
12. Special requests
If you have any special requests (for example dietary requirements, cots or room location), please let us know at the time of booking. We will pass on all such requests to the Owner, but unfortunately, we can't guarantee that they will be met and we will have no liability to you if they are not.
13. Group Bookings
Not all Owners accept Bookings for a single sex group (for example, a stag or hen party). Guests wanting to make such a Booking should check with us beforehand to enable us to check whether the Owner is prepared to accept the Booking. We will then advise you accordingly. In event that an Owner does not accept this type of Booking then it is with regret, that the Booking may be cancelled and cancellation fees may apply. It is the Guest’s responsibility to enquire with Canopy & Stars and/or check on our website beforehand to make sure that this type of booking is permitted.
14. Maximum Numbers
Please note that except by prior arrangement confirmed in writing, only the number of persons specified on a booking confirmation may occupy a property. Most owners reserve the right to refuse admittance or revoke a booking if this condition is not observed and you are unlikely to receive any refund.
15. Your Responsibilities
Please note that you have a contract with the Owner of the property. As such you are under a responsibility to behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner whilst staying at the property with due respect to the Owner, the Property and other guests and their property. You are responsible for informing the Owner of any losses or damage to the property as soon as possible. Please note that you will be liable to pay the Owner for any losses or damage to the property caused by you or a member of your party (except reasonable wear and tear). Some Owners will also require damage deposits. You must also leave the property by the check-out time specified on your booking. If any guest behaves inappropriately or improperly (of which the Owner will be the final judge on their Property), or illegally, the Owner reserves the right to ask the guest and their party (at their discretion) to leave the Property before the end of the holiday period and/or refuse any future bookings from you. Any refund for so doing will be at the entire discretion of the Owner. In addition, the Owner reserves the right to sue the guest for any loss, damage or injury caused to the Owner, the Property or to other guests and/or their property. As agent, we will have no liability to you in these circumstances.
16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These terms and conditions have been drafted in accordance with and are governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any and all disputes arising out of these Agency Terms & Conditions.
17. Discrepancies
In case of a discrepancy between these Agency Terms & Conditions and any other Canopy & Stars literature, these Agency Terms & Conditions shall prevail.
18. Validity clause
In the event that a court finds that a condition in these Agency Terms & Conditions is illegal or void, the illegal or void provision will be severed from the remainder of the Agency Terms & Conditions, which will continue to be valid and have full force and effect.
We had a wonderful week at Jake's Place, enjoying the location, and also the kindness of Nick and Dolly and family. Jake's Place itself is wonderful - charming and well-equipped with a very pleasant garden and great views.
04/06/2018