In a bid to cock a snook at the increasingly commercial nature of Christmas, we penned a note to the man in red and asked for a rural hideaway where crackling fires, bucolic splendour and wintry walks would distract us from John Lewis ads and Boxing Day sales. We would, we decided, load up our respective cars and head west with tinsel, turkey and a democratic approach to the washing up. Our setting for four days of cracker-pulling/pudding-igniting/fizz-quaffing was high up in the Blackdown Hills, an area of outstanding beauty on the border between Devon and Somerset. Winter escape: The Red Doors Farm Cottage is perfect for a Christmas break . Stunning view: The beautiful Devon cottage is situated on acres of farmland . Red Doors is not a farm per se. But with its thatched, stone cottages, airway-clearing smells and soundtrack of bleats and neighs, it certainly feels like the real deal. It is an agricultural retreat where the likes of you and I can walk the Old MacDonald walk - clad in wellies and wax jackets – without actually having to get our hands dirty. Indeed, those who do wind north from the A30, and nudge through the pillar-box red doors of any one of these six self-catering cottages, will find thoughtful plushness. Luxury rooms: One of the twin suites inside the beautiful country cottage . In spring: Byre Cottage is part of the wider Red Doors Farm - which sits in the Devon countryside . Do come in, the fire's on: Byre Cottage is an excellent spot to hide from the madness of Christmas . Owners Gill and Adrian have dedicated much of the last three years to ensuring that life on this farm isn’t that dissimilar to bedding down in a five-star hotel. Super comfy Vi Spring mattresses are draped in Egyptian cotton sheets. The bathrooms are new. There is wi-fi access and a code for the communal indoor swimming pool, where the waters are a toasty 30 degrees Celsius. Christmas Eve, so often stolen by last-gasp consumerism, passed instead in said heated waters  - with a side-venture into petting the farm’s animals. Red Doors’ guests are invited to help give breakfast to a host of its furry, four-legged inhabitants. This makes for a lovely introduction to farm life for younger children, for these are gentle breeds. We met chickens, ducks, a guinea pig called Gus and a pygmy goat called Dora. They seemed to be old hands at dealing with eager young faces (as long as you brandished carrots/grain in their direction). A world wonder: The Jurassic Coast - a splendid sight at any time of year - is within reach ofRed Doors Farm . Deep and crisp and even: Sidmouth can be a hugely picturesque place, even on a cold winter's day . December 25th arrived, and staying at Red Doors felt like the collective gift to ourselves that we had hoped it might be. Some of the rituals remained the same. By 8am, the living room was lost to shiny, scrunched-up paper. But it was spirit-lifting to be in unfamiliar, beautiful surroundings. And our cottage had everything we needed for a portable Christmas, including a decorated tree and a disposable roasting tin for the bird. After we had overindulged, 95 miles of fossil-laden, crumbling drama that is the Jurassic Coast was happy to put us through our paces. Book-ended by Exmouth in the west and Swanage in the east, this craggy wonder is easily accessible from Red Doors - as is the quiet, useful high street of nearby Honiton. The cobwebs were blown away on Boxing Day at Sidmouth, where we watched waves crash and foam from the safety of the esplanade before retreating into the pretty Regency streets for tea. Gill and Adrian are determined that Red Doors should be a year-round proposition. The Devon air bites in winter, but I can easily imagine these hills carpeted with flowers as the mercury rises. Fun for all the family: Guests at Red Doors Farm are encouraged to feed the (friendly) resident animals . Making a splash: If the weather outside is a little on the cold side, a dip in the pool will keep you warm . Spring brings snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells and crocuses on nearby Dumpdon Hill, an Iron Age fort. Guests can witness lambing, and watch cows lumbering past on their way to milking. There is also the tantalising prospect of long summer nights - grilling local cuts of meat on the BBQ; watching the kids battle with daylight to avoid checkmate on the outdoor chess set, or taking late-night leaps on the trampoline. The surrounding green hills are fertile with foodie produce. Our holiday cottage looked across at the Otter Valley Dairy, which serves homemade ice-cream in its summerhouse from March until October - but also opens in December to offer Christmas-themed gelato as an alternative to brandy butter. So it was Christmas but not as we knew it, as cosy as an English yuletide could be without snow. We relished the opportunity to tune out of urban life, gather around proper, sparking logs every night, and eat, drink and toast Old St Nick. And the washing up? Easy, we just switched on the dishwasher and went swimming. A week’s stay in Red Doors Farm's Byre Cottage for up to six people starts from £775 and a short break from £540. For more information or to book, visit www.premiercottages.co.uk or call 01404 890067.
Red Doors Farm is a countryside hideaway on the Devon-Cornwall border .
Attractions include an indoor pool and friendly farmyard animals .
Available year-round, the site's cottages make for great Christmas retreats .
In a bid to cock a snook at the increasingly commercial nature of Christmas, we penned a note to the man in red and asked for a rural hideaway where crackling fires, bucolic splendour and wintry walks would distract us from John Lewis ads and Boxing Day sales. We would, we decided, load up our respective cars and head west with tinsel, turkey and a democratic approach to the washing up. Our setting for four days of cracker-pulling/pudding-igniting/fizz-quaffing was high up in the Blackdown Hills, an area of outstanding beauty on the border between Devon and Somerset. Winter escape: The Red Doors Farm Cottage is perfect for a Christmas break . Stunning view: The beautiful Devon cottage is situated on acres of farmland . Red Doors is not a farm per se. But with its thatched, stone cottages, airway-clearing smells and soundtrack of bleats and neighs, it certainly feels like the real deal. It is an agricultural retreat where the likes of you and I can walk the Old MacDonald walk - clad in wellies and wax jackets – without actually having to get our hands dirty. Indeed, those who do wind north from the A30, and nudge through the pillar-box red doors of any one of these six self-catering cottages, will find thoughtful plushness. Luxury rooms: One of the twin suites inside the beautiful country cottage . In spring: Byre Cottage is part of the wider Red Doors Farm - which sits in the Devon countryside . Do come in, the fire's on: Byre Cottage is an excellent spot to hide from the madness of Christmas . Owners Gill and Adrian have dedicated much of the last three years to ensuring that life on this farm isn’t that dissimilar to bedding down in a five-star hotel. Super comfy Vi Spring mattresses are draped in Egyptian cotton sheets. The bathrooms are new. There is wi-fi access and a code for the communal indoor swimming pool, where the waters are a toasty 30 degrees Celsius. Christmas Eve, so often stolen by last-gasp consumerism, passed instead in said heated waters  - with a side-venture into petting the farm’s animals. Red Doors’ guests are invited to help give breakfast to a host of its furry, four-legged inhabitants. This makes for a lovely introduction to farm life for younger children, for these are gentle breeds. We met chickens, ducks, a guinea pig called Gus and a pygmy goat called Dora. They seemed to be old hands at dealing with eager young faces (as long as you brandished carrots/grain in their direction). A world wonder: The Jurassic Coast - a splendid sight at any time of year - is within reach ofRed Doors Farm . Deep and crisp and even: Sidmouth can be a hugely picturesque place, even on a cold winter's day . December 25th arrived, and staying at Red Doors felt like the collective gift to ourselves that we had hoped it might be. Some of the rituals remained the same. By 8am, the living room was lost to shiny, scrunched-up paper. But it was spirit-lifting to be in unfamiliar, beautiful surroundings. And our cottage had everything we needed for a portable Christmas, including a decorated tree and a disposable roasting tin for the bird. After we had overindulged, 95 miles of fossil-laden, crumbling drama that is the Jurassic Coast was happy to put us through our paces. Book-ended by Exmouth in the west and Swanage in the east, this craggy wonder is easily accessible from Red Doors - as is the quiet, useful high street of nearby Honiton. The cobwebs were blown away on Boxing Day at Sidmouth, where we watched waves crash and foam from the safety of the esplanade before retreating into the pretty Regency streets for tea. Gill and Adrian are determined that Red Doors should be a year-round proposition. The Devon air bites in winter, but I can easily imagine these hills carpeted with flowers as the mercury rises. Fun for all the family: Guests at Red Doors Farm are encouraged to feed the (friendly) resident animals . Making a splash: If the weather outside is a little on the cold side, a dip in the pool will keep you warm . Spring brings snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells and crocuses on nearby Dumpdon Hill, an Iron Age fort. Guests can witness lambing, and watch cows lumbering past on their way to milking. There is also the tantalising prospect of long summer nights - grilling local cuts of meat on the BBQ; watching the kids battle with daylight to avoid checkmate on the outdoor chess set, or taking late-night leaps on the trampoline. The surrounding green hills are fertile with foodie produce. Our holiday cottage looked across at the Otter Valley Dairy, which serves homemade ice-cream in its summerhouse from March until October - but also opens in December to offer Christmas-themed gelato as an alternative to brandy butter. So it was Christmas but not as we knew it, as cosy as an English yuletide could be without snow. We relished the opportunity to tune out of urban life, gather around proper, sparking logs every night, and eat, drink and toast Old St Nick. And the washing up? Easy, we just switched on the dishwasher and went swimming. A week’s stay in Red Doors Farm's Byre Cottage for up to six people starts from £775 and a short break from £540. For more information or to book, visit www.premiercottages.co.uk or call 01404 890067.
outstanding beauty on the border between Devon Cottage is perfect for a Christmas break . cottages, airway-clearing smells and soundtrack Red Doors Farm - which sits in the Devon indoor swimming pool, where the waters are a (friendly) resident animals . Making a splash: If