Bickleigh Castle

From the moment we arrived we were greeted with a friendly hello from a person walking through the yard. On arriving at reception we met Wendy, a more friendly, relaxed and obliging individual you could not meet. As this is a book by appointment venue you actually felt as if you were a VIP. Wendy gave us a run down of the layout of the castle and the surroundings also the timing of the guided tour of the castle. As we booked a cream tea as part of the visit we told to let her know when we were ready for it. So informal, So relaxed. Whilst waiting for the tour we were approached by Sarah, the boss, she sat and was genuinely interested in finding out about us and also thanked us for visiting. Next was the guided tour with John. Sarah and Wendy already were giving us the heads up that John has so much information to share and he can go off on tangents. This was done in a tongue in cheek manner and you could tell they held him in high regard. The tour was very informative and yes Johns knowledge was immense. He also added the right amount of anecdotes. Fantastic. After the tour we continued chatting to John, Wendy and Sarah, again the sense of being valued was a breath of fresh air. I lived in this area for the first 20 yrs of my life and never visited. 58yrs old now and it was a superb experience. I highly recommend a trip. This was a buy a gift selection purchase given to us by family and we couldn’t have asked for a best afternoon. I will just add the walks around the gardens were so peaceful and relaxing. Thank you to the gardener who had a chat and shared the best way to go. Very friendly chap. The location is idyllic as it is right next to the river Exe. Thank you to everyone concerned. We will definitely recommend this best kept Mid Devon secret to friends and family.

Bickleigh Castle is a beautiful place. I had the pleasure of being hosted here for a wedding this weekend. The staff are very friendly and approachable. The grounds themselves are beautiful, with stunning buildings, lawn area (with croquet), tennis court and court yard. The venue are amazing at hosting, the food was on point, the decorations were fit for a princess and for myself the violinist playing modern songs meant my Bridgerton dreams were granted. The room were spacious, ours had an on-suite bathroom, hot drinks making facilities and TV. You can get appliances such as irons also at reception, although it would be great for them to be available in the rooms themselves. The beds are very comfortable with lovely soft bedding, full pillows and adjustable heating with the radiators. For weddings, I cannot recommend this place enough, our whole family and friends stayed on site and we had all buildings and the castle segment to ourselves. We were treated with respect and hospitality, and had the best time. There is plenty of room for wedding breakfasts, room for children to play and space to enjoy the sunshine and a dance floor with a bar. The staff are always available to help and to chat to, with this being said you had freedom to roam and play, it was an unforgettable weekend. Staying over two nights gave our families chance to get to know each other and make amazing memories. Thank you to all who made our stay special!

The castle is actually part of a castle, plus later buildings. The castle bit is very historic and special. However, there isn't really enough there to warrent more than a 30 minute look around. I am a member of Historic Houses so visiting cost me nothing except showing my membership card. I'd have been very very disappointed if I'd paid cash to get in. As it was, I just wasted my time. Upon arrival we wandered around the garden/grounds. Sorry, but they are scruffy although pretty, with no interesting plants for a keen gardener to enjoy. We joined the guided tour at 2.30pm but would have been better off going around on our own. We thought we'd miss out on the guide's knowledge and insight. This is where the 'oh dear' really set in. The guide talked for about an hour on bits of history very very slightly linked to the castle. He proudly showed off reproduction painting and very ordinary antique items. I am very keen on history and art, the subjects fascinate me, but I was so bored! and there was no way to escape in a polite way. The castle is also a wedding venue. They are, perhaps, better at weddings.

Location,setting, staff and accommodation were so fantastic. Well worth a visit, we will definitely go again. Very welcoming staff and lovely group of other guests so lovely to chat with all .So relaxing, excellent nights sleep in such comfortable clean beds and room. Very historic and beautifully restored cottages.

Fabulous weekend, very clean, breakfast was wonderful, great for history, a very peaceful weekend away.

Our family of 4 recently stayed at Bickleigh Castle for 3 nights. We had a wonderful stay and the hosts were very kind and helpful throughout our stay. John met us at check in and made sure we had everything we needed for breakfast each morning. He also took time to give us a very nice and informative tour of the castle. He was very pleasant to converse with throughout our stay, and he knew what seems like every detail of the castle! The area was beautiful around the castle as well. My girls thought it was really a neat and unique experience.

We stayed the weekend of 22nd - 24th March in the Tudor Suite/Bridal Suite. It was pretty amazing. The only room within the castle it self. The hosts Sarah and John were lovely and very knowledgable. John showed us around the Castle explaining the various rooms including the Great Hall and the stories that went along with it. Absolutely delightful. A couple of nice places to eat within walking distance and many heritage sites to visit. Thank you so much for making our stay their memorable. Would definitely recommend.

Very quiet only one staying there, no evening dining.

We went on the History Tour on the 18th December. What a fabulous fact filled afternoon in a house with so much history and so many interesting items and artifacts. John could relate anything to the building, owners, local events, royal events, or UK history! A mine of information. Only constraint was the time, or we could have stayed for much longer. Made so welcome with mulled wine, mince pies, and a roaring fire in the main hall. Will certainly go back again.