THE MOOR THE MERRIER

Exmoor. The very name conjures up romance, wilderness, natural beauty – it is no accident that RD Blackmore set his 17th-century tragic tale of love and murder, Lorna Doone, around this enchanting landscape. The church where the heroine is dramatically shot (don’t panic, it is only a fable despite what the locals would have you believe) can still be found in Oare. Just behind, beyond the iron gates and up the garden path, sits the newly refurbished Oare Manor on 30 acres of land. Fret not, claustrophobes – it’s surrounded by 267 square miles of national park. One of the smallest in the UK, but this is one example where size really doesn’t count – it is still possible to walk for hours and not see a soul. Which is why, when visiting, you should really consider hiring out all eight of the double-bedroom suites for friends, family and the dog. Talking of dogs, they even have a doggy shower and coatdrying room for when Fido has finished plashing about in the streams ...

Click here to read full review

 

 

Exmoor: Into the wild, with stags and stars

On Winsford Hill the darkness is absolute. There is no moon, no light of any kind except for the distant galaxy of the Welsh coast glittering with frosty brilliance on the north-eastern horizon, and a few remote farmsteads blinking like red dwarfs in the unseen combes below. Otherwise, Exmoor is one vast black hole of silence – the perfect venue for a spot of stargazing. Exmoor National Park is one of the few corners of England where low levels of light pollution allow visitors to enjoy night skies that have long since disappeared elsewhere, and last autumn it was designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve – designated by the International Dark-Sky Association – the first place in Europe to receive this accolade.

Click here to visit website

 

 

 

 

Master bedroom suite, Oare Manor, Exmoor - Britain's best bedrooms - City breaks - MSN Travel UK

"The bed in the master bedroom at Oare Manor is a hand-carved and gilded replica of the bed Napoleon designed for the empress Joséphine. The swans - potent love symbols - on the head posts are also gold and the accompanying profusion of sculpted fruit is meant to symbolise plenitude and wealth. All relevant details, given the likely users of the room, although one should add that Napoleon divorced Joséphine, in 1810, after she failed to bear him any children. The bed is seven feet wide: luckily the length is not the same, given Napoleon's own, ahem, shortcomings.

Oare Manor is not a hotel but available on a self-catering basis or, by prior notice, with the assistance of a local chef. An overnight stay starts from £3,000 for full occupancy."

Click here to visit website

 

 

 

 

Escape to Lorna Doone country - British Travel, Culture, Heritage and Style - Britain magazine

"Nestled in the heart of this untamed landscape, deep in Lorna Doone country, is Oare Manor, parts of which date to sometime around the early 11th century. Most of the existing house was constructed during 1830 to 1890 and it is famous for its role as the home to the Exmoor Hunt as well as for its connection with Richard Doddridge Blackmore’s romantic tale of the Doones who lived in the valley in the 16th and 17th centuries. Oare Manor has now been painstakingly refurbished and is available to rent as an exclusive five-star holiday residence. Whether you’re looking to get friends and family together for a special birthday or New Years Eve party, fancy going on a shooting weekend in glamorous surroundings, or simply want to explore the moors from a beautiful base, Oare Manor is a wonderful find.."

Click here to read full review

 

 

 

Oare Manor, Boutique Hotels, Oxford | Stylebible

"If you want to escape the city with friends, fresh air and R&R at the top of your list, then look no further than Oare Manor in Exmoor. After leaving the madness of the city on a Friday afternoon it wasn’t long before we were snaking our way across the winding Exmoor roads, the sky pitch black and our phones suddenly out of service -the weekend had begun. The car had barely stopped moving before the butler had unloaded our bags and the housekeeper had poured us a drink. The manor offers a completely bespoke experience; so if you choose to self-cater you can take the stress out of the weekend by ordering your groceries and wine to arrive before you do, meaning all you need to do upon arrival is kick back by the fire and start to take in the magic of your surroundings..."

Click here to read full review

 

 

 

 

As featured on the CNN Website - "10 of the world's best hotels for pets"

Click here to read article

(14 October 2011)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As featured in Somerset Life Magazine August 2011

Oare Manor is famous as the home of the Exmoor Hunt foxhounds from 1880 to 1939, and for its association with Parson ‘Jack’ Russell (1795-1883) who introduced the breed of long-legged hunting dogs which now bear his name. Dating in part from the early 11th century, but mostly built between 1830 and 1890, the historic Victorian manor house is picturesquely situated at the heart of Exmoor National Park in Oare valley. Next to the house is the Church of St Mary, where Lorna Doone was shot on her wedding day in RD Blackmore’s classic tragic tale of the warring local Doone and Rydd families. A wooden chair said to be John Rydd’s favourite has long been a feature of the manor house, where it remains today. Famous past guests at the manor include the Prince of Wales, Queen Victoria’s son. The renowned artist and sculptor Michael Haseltine lived at Oare Manor from 1990 until his death. The property was subsequently purchased in 2008 by Tony and Jane Robinson...

Click here to read the full article

 

 

Press Releases

• OARE MANOR: AN EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY RESIDENCE ON EXMOOR
• RECREATE THE STORY OF LORNA DOONE IN GLORIOUS EXMOOR SETTING THIS SUMMER