Frequently asked questions

Bookings

Is Friday the only start date for holidays?
During school summer holidays we have a fixed Friday changeover day (with the exception of Amity, The Chapel, The Hideaway, The Loft and The Den). Outside of school holidays we offer a Monday, Tuesday and Friday check-in as part of a short break booking. Do call the office though and speak to Julia 01271890110.

Do you do short breaks?
Over the school holidays our bookings are for a full week from Friday to Friday. The only exceptions to this are 'Amity' and ‘The Chapel’ which can be rented for short breaks from Friday to Monday and Monday to Friday. Outside of school holidays, all of our apartments can be rented for either weekend, long weekend or mid-week breaks.

What are the arrival and departure times?
Your apartment will be ready for you by 4pm on your day of arrival. We would kindly request that you do not arrive earlier than this. Departure time is by 10am (with the exception of weekend bookings, when check out is by 6pm on Sunday).

What is the latest arrival time?
Each apartment has a key box where you can pick up the keys for your apartment. It means you can arrive later in the evening if that works better for you, and settle yourselves into your apartment. If you do arrive late we would just ask you to be aware of the noise impact there may be for other guests.

Is it possible to be provided with a cot and high chair?
Yes of course, we can provide these without charge. Please let us know when booking. 

Facilities

Are towels provided?
Yes, a bath towel and hand towel are provided for each guest along with tea towels in the kitchen. You will need to bring your own beach towels.

Is there a hairdryer in the apartment?
Yes. The blowdry of your dreams awaits.

What about laundry facilities at the Manor?
There is a laundry next to the games room that happens to have the best view anywhere at the Manor! The laundry has 2 washing machines and 1 tumble dryer for wet days. There are 3 washing lines with plenty of pegs just outside the door. You can get washing tablets in the honesty shop onsite. There is also an iron and ironing board in each apartment.

What basics are provided within the apartment?
On arrival you will be welcomed with wine, a tin of something yummy, a jug of milk, and a starter jar of tea, coffee (and sugar) to wet your whistle after your journey.

We recommend picking up milk, bread, tea etc on your way to us, as the local shop closes around 5pm and you might not want to head out again once you arrive. Also within your apartment you’ll find tea towels and oven gloves, washing up liquid, cloth and scourer sponge, 2 dishwasher tablets, a bin bag for each bin, hand soap, and 1 toilet roll for each toilet. We have extra toilet rolls, dishwasher tablets, laundry washing tablets and bin bags in our honesty shop.

How reliable is the wifi?
We are pleased to announce that we have recently installed a fibre-optic connection so you’ll have the best and fastest web connection. Netflix away to your heart’s content!

Do you accept dogs?
We welcome well-behaved dogs in Grace and Amity apartments and in The Hideaway and The Den treehouses, whether these are part of a group booking or when booked separately. We love our four-legged friends but we do ask the following of all our owners:

Dogs must always be kept on leads within the grounds, and please keep them off the lawns.

Please clean up after your dog - poo bags are provided. Please only dispose of these in the refuse area.

You must not leave your dog on its own in the apartments, and please keep your pets off the furniture and beds.

Is there food available on site?
No, we offer self-catered accommodation only. There are lots of good local shops, restaurants and pubs though! Do take a look at the 'your stay' section which has a link to a catering company who offer a 'lay and leave' service.

Can we order a shop to arrive on site?
Whilst we encourage our guests to make the most of the local shops, we realise that many will want an online shop to be delivered. Currently Sainsburys, Tescos and Asda deliver to the Manor. We ask that you book the delivery for a time slot after your expected arrival time so that you’re here to unpack your food.

Are there places we can eat outside?
Yes, there are some great spots in the grounds for picnics, and for seated eating and drinking. The terrace next to the Italian garden has the most beautiful sea view.

Is there somewhere we can have a BBQ?
Yes, there is a large BBQ and seating area with wonderful views over the rolling hills and sea beyond, right next to the games room.

Is there a swimming pool on-site?
No, we do not have a swimming pool but there are pools in Croyde, Barnstaple and Ilfracombe.

What games facilities are there on site?
We have an indoor games room with table tennis and table football. Outside there is a tennis court, basketball hoop, croquet lawn and football goals. Some tennis rackets and balls are available but you may wish to bring your own. There is also a range of nature games and activities around the grounds.

Are there beach things to borrow?
Yes, we have a supply of beach games, buckets and spades, windbreaks, body boards, wetsuits and more,  all in the Surf Store. They are first-come first-served to borrow. We just ask that you return them to the surf store in a clean condition at the end of your stay.

Is there somewhere to store bikes or surfboards?
Yes, we have a dedicated bike, surfboard and wetsuit storeroom. There is also an outside shower next to the storeroom where you can rinse off your wetsuit. Please bring your own bike lock if you’d like to store your bike in the storeroom.

Is it worth us bringing our bikes?
The immediate area around Pickwell Manor is hilly and has some narrow single-track roads. This can make cycling difficult and potentially dangerous with young children.

Further afield, the Tarka trail around the estuary from Braunton to Bideford and beyond, via Barnstaple is a flat cycle path and is a good day out. For the more serious road biker, we are near Exmoor, which provides some exceptionally beautiful and challenging biking routes. You will get all the hill-climbing practice you’ve ever wanted! Nearer to home there are plenty of excellent mountain bike routes and road cycling opportunities. 

If you’d like a little boost up some of those hills we have two good quality electric bikes available to hire for £5 per day, please email info@pickwellmanor.co.uk or call Julia on 01271890110 for information.

Nearby

Where is the nearest shop?
Our nearest shop is the village shop in Georgeham. It is less than a mile away and will take you around 15 minutes to walk there. The nearest supermarket is in Braunton, which is 4 miles away.

Where is the nearest pub?
Our local village of Georgeham has what are, in our opinion, the best food pubs in the area. Both The Rock Inn and The Kings Arms have extensive food menus and are very popular so booking in advance is recommended. They are both easily walkable (around 20 mins), which is handy!

What is your nearest beach?
Putsborough is our nearest beach – this is one end of a two-mile stretch of glorious beach and sand dunes that connects to Woolacombe at the other end of the bay. Each apartment has a beach pass available for Putsborough, so parking is free.

It’s just three fields away as the crow flies, however the footpath is a little further and will take around 25 minutes to walk down and a little longer to walk back up! The walk is well worth the effort as it provides the best panoramic views in the area.  Alternatively you can drive to Putsborough (1 mile) and there is also Croyde beach (2 miles), Woolacombe beach (3 miles) and Saunton Sands (4 miles).

Is there anywhere you would recommend for surf lessons?
There are numerous surf schools operating on the local beaches. See our ‘things to do’ page for details as there are different options for each beach.

What other water sports can we try?
There is a wide range of other water sports to try, such as coasteering, kayaking, SUP-ing (Stand Up Paddleboarding) and rafting. We wholeheartedly recommend checking out Active Escape for some exciting water-based fun!

Is there somewhere where we can hire surfboards and wetsuits?
All the surf beaches have a range of outlets where you can hire boards and wetsuits.