‘Are we staying in a castle, Dad?’ my three-year-old daughter exclaimed as we walked down the road and stopped outside. Santa Ana Mansion.
It sure seemed like it.
We had loaded up the car and headed to South Devon for a half-term holiday and now found ourselves looking at a Victorian mansion that looked fit for a king.
We walked in to explore what our home would be for the next few days and dropped our suitcases and gasped.
A luxurious, elegant and stylish entrance hall gave way to a five-bedroom stately home that is as beautiful inside as it is out.
Naturally, the kids charged around the place with my wife and I in hot pursuit. We asked them not to touch the undoubtedly expensive collector’s items that adorned the rooms and were within reach of the little ones.
The beautiful St Anne’s Manor with its four large pillars outside the entrance
The deck has sails to keep the sun at bay, as does the outdoor kitchen.
The jacuzzi where we relax after long days entertaining the children
The entrance hall is beautifully presented with stylish decor throughout.
One of five bedrooms – the house sleeps 12 people and dogs are welcome.
The focal point of the house is the huge kitchen with huge countertops.
Santa Ana Mansion It is set in three acres of immaculate gardens and is nestled in the Torquay hills.
It’s just a stone’s throw from the many local beaches, but what we liked most was the security of the grounds and the fact that the house itself is the main attraction.
Formidable walls and electric gates keep the property completely secure, so we let the children roam freely and explore the gardens.
The impeccably maintained gardens, flowerbeds and hedges soon played host to countless games of hide-and-seek, as the peace and tranquility of the beautiful grounds was broken only by excited shouts and giggles.
The piece de resistance is the incredible outdoor kitchen situated on a deck in the front garden.
The lighted deck is adorned with kitchen appliances, outdoor refrigerators and ovens, dining tables and is covered by candles that provide much-needed shade to beat the summer heat.
It’s also the perfect place to enjoy a meal outdoors and then relax into the wee hours of the morning.
St Anne’s is very much a house for all seasons.
The outdoor kitchen with barbecue, pizza oven refrigerators and countertops is ideal for entertaining.
A serene view of the garden, courtyard and terrace from inside the manor house.
The decking is the piece de resistance of the idyllic garden setting.
A patio overlooking the immaculate gardens.
The beautiful gardens hosted many games of hide-and-seek during our visit.
The house has a fully equipped indoor gym.
The bathrooms are spotless and elegant.
The rooms feature giant beds and stylish accessories.
In the winter months, the luxury furnishings, grand piano, pool table, TV room, gym, hot tub and game room provide hours of entertainment when night falls.
The property is perfect for hosting large groups (it sleeps up to 12 people and dogs are welcome) and guests who have visited in the summer often return in the winter to experience the property in a different season.
Like many large homes, the focal point is the enormous kitchen that simply screams luxury.
Decked out with custom-made, hand-painted units, stunning workspaces and a large dining table, we gravitated towards it and spent hours relaxing and watching the kids run around the room.
When we ventured out, we spent our days exploring the local beaches, dropping ice cream in the sand, and being chased to shore by the waves.
He Babbacombe Cliff Railway It was a particular hit with our brood.
Founded in 1926, this 720-foot funicular connects Oddicombe Beach from the cliff top and saves beachgoers tremendous uphill work.
The view was stunning and I felt like I had been transported to a simpler time.
Of course the children were delighted.
A baby grand piano sits in the corner of the main reception room next to a crackling log fire.
The TV and games room is perfect for relaxing with the family after a long day at the beach.
The main kitchen has its own Aga and there is also a separate butler’s kitchen.
The jacuzzi is the ultimate luxury so you can sit back and relax.
Guests can enjoy a game of billiards.
The house sits on a three-acre lot near the beach.
Kent Cavern The prehistoric cave is also worth a visit to entertain families with 400 million year old rocks and spectacular stalagmites and stalactites. Of course they couldn’t resist trying to touch everything…
Once the little ones were asleep, we retired to the lounge, one of the two large reception rooms, or enjoyed a soak in the jacuzzi.
On our last night we watched as the steam from the hot water glistened above us and rose into the darkness of the black sky.
We toasted our drinks, laughed late into the night and enjoyed some well-deserved glasses of wine.
It had been a great trip and, even if it was only for a few days, we all felt like royalty.