Special Stay: Rosewood Yurt, North Devon/Cornwall

Last updated on November 24, 2023

We’ve just returned from a dream of a stay at Rosewood Yurt – the kind of trip that’s a tonic for the soul and feels like a rest even with little kids in tow. Starry skies, cosy mornings and days by the sea conspired for a perfect trip.

Before I share all the details, I’m trying out a new format for these accommodation review type posts. I’ve written many over the years but have never followed a specific formula and I think it might help make them easier to read, especially as I add more to Bridges and Balloons. It’s the kind of thing I appreciate when browsing other sites, so thought I’d trial it here.

So here you go: my full review of Rosewood Yurt, near Bude.

We went as guests of Unique Hideaways who have all sorts of lovely glamping sites in Devon and the UK. See some of their specifically family-friendly options here.

The essentials

Name: Rosewood Yurt

Location: 7 miles east of Bude near a small town called Holsworthy in North Devon

Sleeps: 5

Price: From £550 per week

How to book: We booked via Unique Hideaways

The accommodation in a nutshell

A cosy double yurt with an outdoor wood-fired hot tub in a large field in the countryside, around 7 miles from Bude and a very good bakery!

What we loved most

• Cosy mornings and evenings huddled in front of the log burning stove
• Watching the changing sky through the yurt’s circular skylight
• Soaking in the outdoor hot tub with the Milky Way overhead
• Nightly epic sunsets
• Plenty of space for the kids to run around and play frisbee
• Close to lots of gorgeous beaches and a particularly amazing bakery
• A separate bunk bedroom for the kids

What could be improved

• Some people might prefer to stay closer to Bude, although we thought the 20-minute drive was fine and enjoyed the feeling (and silence) of being out in the countryside
• In September, it did get quite cold at night, so if you’re sensitive to that, you might need to re-light the fire in the night. We made sure we had everything ready in case we needed to do this. Once the fire is on, it’s lovely and cosy.

The details

Rosewood Yurt is two yurts joined together – a small one housing a little bunk room and the bathroom, and a larger one with the main bedroom, kitchen, dining area and sofa. The yurts are on a raised wooden deck in a field next to the owner’s own garden and house. Despite being next door, it feels very private, and you have views across the neighbouring fields and countryside beyond. The sunsets are spectacular.

The whole place has a homely, country vibe with floral bedspreads, a roll-top bath, pastel-painted wooden furniture, and bunting above the bed. A wood-burning stove keeps the place cosy and there’s a circular rooflight in the centre, so you can see the stars by night and the clouds by day – I loved watching the changing sky in the morning as the view slowly turned to blue.

The kitchen is surprisingly well equipped with an oven, grill, hob, microwave, kettle, toaster, sink and small fridge. There’s an additional fridge-freezer in an outhouse in the field, which also has a washing machine and tumble dryer.

For sleeping, there’s a double bed in the main yurt, a separate room with a set of bunk beds, and a small sofa bed, also in the main yurt. We found there was plenty of room for a travel cot next to our bed, which is where Arlo slept.

Finally, the jewel in the yurt’s crown is the outdoor wood-fired hot tub. It’s perfectly positioned on the deck for viewing the sunset, and we had epic views of the Milky Way as the night went on. There’s an outdoor table and chairs on the deck too.

The field the yurt is in is also worth a mention as it was a highlight for our kids, giving them plenty of space to run around in and play frisbee.

What’s the location like?

The yurt is in the countryside, less than 10 minutes from the small town of Holsworthy. Holsworthy has a Waitrose, a few pubs and a leisure centre with a pool. But the nearest big town with good cafes etc is Bude, which is around 20 minutes from the yurt. You don’t stay here to be close to Holsworthy, but to be in the countryside close to Bude.

The owner’s house is on a quiet country road and the yurt is in a field just behind it. There’s barely any traffic, and even when there is, you’re somewhat sheltered from it by the owner’s house and garden. It makes for a very quiet location, both in terms of silence and stuff going on. We enjoyed the seclusion and the break from city life.

Things to do nearby

There are some gorgeous beaches within 20 minutes of the yurt, many famous for surfing. We loved the wide beach at Widecombe Bay where we sat and watched the surfers and enjoyed the rugged cliff views that reminded me of Ireland.

Bude itself has Summerleaze and Crooklets Beach. Summerleaze has the Bude Sea Pool, and both have colourful beach huts. You can walk between the two on the South West Coastal Path. Both beaches are popular surf spots and have places that offer both surf hire and lessons.

The town of Bude is cute to walk around with pretty waterside paths and cafes, and hilly streets that offer views out to sea. There’s even a little castle.

Other attractions a little further afield include Tintagel Castle, Dartmoor National Park, and the picturesque towns of Clovelly and Boscastle. For a kid’s amusement park, there’s the Milky Way Adventure Park. See this post for more of the best things to do in Cornwall with kids.

Where to eat nearby

Electric Bakery

Don’t miss this place! Hidden in a trendy refurbished depot that also holds a pizza place and a vintage furniture store, the Electric Bakery appears to be the undisputed king of pastries, bread and coffee in Bude. We can vouch for the doughnuts and the pastries, which were so good we visited twice. The raspberry marshmallow filled doughnut was particularly sublime.

The Rustic Tea Garden

The Rustic Tea Garden place is worth it for the charm. Tea, cake and cream teas are served from a caravan in a little garden around the corner from Northcott Mouth Beach. Surrounded by hills, the garden, with its pond, ‘troll bridge’ and small kids play area is a pretty idyllic place to stop for tea. The food itself isn’t spectacular, but the charm of the location makes up for that.

Temple

We didn’t get to go to Temple as it was only open in the evenings, which didn’t work out with the kids, but everyone we spoke to said this is THE restaurant to go to in Bude. Serving a seasonal two-course set menu and with views out to the coast, it definitely looks promising.

Pubs

There are a couple of pubs within about 10 minutes drive of the yurt – the Bradworthy Inn and The Rydon Inn. We went to the Rydon Inn, which has a big garden for the kids to run around in. The vegetarian selection was pretty small and unimaginative (veg pasta and a halloumi burger) but they had a lot of choice for meat and seafood eaters. And the views from the terrace were lovely. We didn’t get to the Bradworthy Inn, but hear it’s a classic, local country pub.

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