Originally in 18th century farmhouse, Lympstone Manor was formerly known as Courtlands House. Over the years and centuries it had many owners and underwent significant changes. The Barings (who founded Barings Bank) were responsible for the most dramatic changes to the house, from the 1760s adding to the previously simple and much smaller Georgian structure to create the building that is still mainly observed from the front.
They also established many of the garden elements that we still see today, including the Lady’s Walk. William Francis Spicer sometime after 1829 widened this to extend down to the Exe foreshore. Octavius Brown the next owner added a porch to the front of the building and a conservatory to the rear.
William Lethbridge retired to the house in 1870 and it is thought that this was the first house in Devon to have electricity installed. In more recent years, some of the grounds were divided, and the house went through a number of different owners and activities.
Now Lympstone Manor is a contemporary country house hotel overlooking the Exe Estuary with 21 luxurious guestrooms and suites, a world-class wine cellar, 28 acres of gardens, grounds and parkland, acclaimed fine dining cuisine by Michael Caines and the beauty and tranquility of East Devon and the Jurassic Coast.
Lympstone Manor above all is the vision of Michael Caines MBE. Through his inspiration and drive, the transformation of the Grade II listed Georgian manor house into Lympstone Manor has been complete.
The extensive renovation and redevelopment of Lympstone Manor under Michael Caines sees this historic building restored to and even beyond its former glory. With the addition of a new wing, and the careful restoration of period features within the house allied with stunning contemporary features and the most modern conveniences.
Lympstone Manor is for discerning guests who want to experience the very best in accommodation, cuisine and wine.
Above all, it’s a place where you can feel completely at home, relax in beautiful natural surroundings.
In summer, the estuary is populated by leisure boats on moorings and from terraces or your luxurious bedroom you can watch dinghy regattas taking place, or perhaps kitesurfers skimming over the water’s surface.
But come the winter, and the estuary belongs once again to one of the richest and most varied populations of birds found anywhere in the country.
Lympstone Manor is a historic Grade II listed Georgian manor house that has been creatively and comprehensively transformed into a contemporary country house hotel.
Situated overlooking the mouth of the Exe estuary, 21 luxurious guestrooms and suites take full advantage of this wonderful situation. To reflect this, they are each named after the birds of the Exe estuary.
With hand-painted original artwork by local artist Rachel Toll as colourful as the birds that inspire each room, hotel's guestrooms embody vision of luxury, refinement, comfort, quality, and originality.
The majority look out on unrivalled panoramic views of the Exe estuary and across the verdant hills of Devon.
Hotel's largest Grand Suites, River View have been designed to enhance your experience of sleeping, living and bathing indoors and out.
They offer panoramic views of the estuary from your private terrace, as well as outdoor fire pits and soak tubs.
Simply the best suites hotel has to offer, each unique and wholly individual, both superior in features and design.
The Heron Suite enjoys two side-by-side bath tubs, direct south facing views across the estuary, and a separate hall, bedroom and lounge.
The Greenfinch Suite boasts largest outdoor area, with a private garden to be enjoyed undisturbed by others and accessed by a balcony leading further onto your terrace where the views of the estuary and beyond can be enjoyed whilst relaxing by your fire pit or in your soak tub.
Stunning south facing views across to the Exe estuary and beyond are a feature of Kingfisher, Oystercatcher, Gull and Redshank, hotel's Junior Suites.
Located in the main house, they are ideal for sun-filled summers and the enjoyment of glorious winter sunsets.
Premium Suites, River View, Nuthatch, Bullfinch, Magpie, Woodpecker and Gannet, offer sumptuous luxurious sleeping, living and bathing, indoors as well as out. Choose from balcony suites on the first floor or ground floor suites with private terraces, outdoor fire pits, and satisfying soak tubs.
Both styles of outdoor living offer panoramic views of the estuary.
Wheatear, Fieldfare and Little Grebe are Deluxe Rooms, Garden View, a little larger, and enjoying views across the manicured gardens at the front of the house to the rolling hills beyond.
Deluxe Rooms, Garden View are ideal for short breaks while two rooms can be interconnected for families or friends to share.
Yellow-browed Warbler and Merlin are located in the main house on the first floor and so allow hotel's guests a perfect viewing platform from their private balconies across the beautiful Exe estuary.
Deluxe Rooms, River View are generously proportioned and designed with harmonious open-plan living and sleeping.
Dunlin and Egret enjoy views across the gardens at the front of the house to the rolling hills beyond. Classic Garden View rooms are ideal for a spur-of-the-moment short break.
They are also interconnecting and thus perfect for families.
Lympstone Manor offers Lunch, Afternoon Tea, A la Carte and Tasting Menus specially designed by Michael Caines, chef/patron and one of Britain’s most celebrated and influential chefs, and Group Executive Chef, Tom Hine.
Dining at Lympstone Manor is an exceptional experience in every way. Here in the beautiful fine dining rooms of a Georgian mansion, is able to fully express vision of modern British cuisine that is fresh, seasonal, original, and exciting.
Utilising the bounty of the Exe estuary, East Devon and the Southwest, Michael ‘s faultless cuisine is superbly matched by wines selected from a world cellar that contains over 600 bins.
Menu’s are updated regularly to ensure hotel’s team is using the freshest, seasonal ingredients.
There is no where more special than Lympstone Manor to enjoy the full Devon afternoon tea experience, whether in one of the beautiful lounges, or, in fine weather, outdoors on the terrace overlooking the beautiful Exe estuary.
Hotel's chefs prepare for you freshly made sandwiches; scones just out of the oven to be spread with thick Devon
clotted cream, local jams and preserves; as well as a selection of cakes and French pâtisseries made daily in hotel's kitchens.
A flûte or two or a bottle of MC Champagne or local Devon sparkling really is the icing on the cake.
Powderham, Mamhead and Berry Head: three stunning and wholly individual dining rooms overlooking the Exe estuary, Lyme Bay and the Devon coast.
Each has its own style, contemporary yet at the same time wholly in keeping with the traditional design and proportions of a Georgian manor house.
POWDERHAM
Powderham, with its plush banquette seating, is perhaps the most intimate. Powderham dining room is the namesake of Powderham Castle, an historic property on the far side of the estuary mentioned in the Domesday Book. With its sumptuous and luxurious banquette seating, the atmosphere is perfect for intimate encounters, a perfect setting in which to relax, indulge, enjoy.
MAMHEAD
Mamhead is ideal for private dining for groups of up to 18. This elegant dining room can be transformed for your private dining event, a small conference, or a board meeting followed by the full Lympstone Manor dining experience.
BERRY HEAD
Berry Head is the most sumptuous. Looking down the coast and across Lyme Bay, the eye is drawn to Berry Head, a significant headland on the South Devon coast. The Berry Head dining room is light, airy, and elegant, a sumptuous setting in which to enjoy Michael’s sumptuous and elegant cuisine
Hotel's discreet service means that you will be most comfortably looked after in each dining room.
Michael Caines MBE, chef/patron of Lympstone Manor, is one of Britain’s most celebrated and acclaimed chefs, holder of two Michelin stars for 18 years. Over the past 21 years he has earned a global reputation for his distinctive modern European cuisine utilising the finest local and regional produce and ingredients.
After gaining and retaining two Michelin stars Michael has taken a year out from the kitchens while overseeing the transformation of Lympstone Manor as well as other exciting projects. This has given him the rare opportunity to revisit classics as well as to develop new and exciting dishes. Michael has long championed the outstanding larder of Southwest England.
It is Michael’s brilliant creativity allied with his global taste and vision that allows him to transform the seasonal and regional into dishes of rare precision, focus and flavour.
The numerous awards and accolades that he has been given over the past two decades is a testament to his brilliant creativity. Amongst numerous other accolades, Michael has cooked in 10 Downing Street for the Prime Minister, received an MBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry and was awarded AA Chef’s Chef of the Year in 2007.
Mamhead dining room is available for private groups of 9-18, whilst Berryhead can accommodate 24–42 guests.
Lympstone Manor Hotel enjoys welcoming those who are celebrating a special occasion, anniversary, birthday or other lifetime event, as well as hotel's corporate friends.
Mamhead can serve as your meeting room during the day with full conference and executive facilities.
The enjoyment and appreciation of fine wine is integral to the Lympstone Manor experience.
Both Michael and Steve Edwards share a passion for wine and the creation of a world class cellar and a wine list second to none is hotel's team goal. They have been buying discretely and cellar now has over 600 bins representing some of the finest wine estates around the world, including mature vintages from the great wine regions of Europe as well as wines from the New World.
Hotel's State-of-the-art Wine Emotion dispense system allows for the enjoyment and appreciation of 24 exceptional wines from around the world by the glass.
The Lympstone Manor Wine Room is a special space for wine lovers to meet to learn, taste and enjoy.
Working with some of suppliers and in some cases direct with wine producers themselves, hotel's team has a range of wine events and wine dinners taking place throughout the year. For such events, Michael and his team of chefs work
closely to create stunning menus that are perfectly matched by the wines or Champagnes being showcased. These are rare and popular events for both wine connoisseurs and those eager to learn more.
Many who choose to visit Lympstone Manor Hotel are seeking peace and relaxation, with your every need catered and pampered for. And you won’t be disappointed.
Lympstone Manor is a place where you are totally in touch with nature. Enjoy walks around beautiful 28-acre grounds. Or else explore parts of the South West Coastal Path, one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline anywhere, and discover the Jurassic Coast which begins in nearby Exmouth
and extends some 85 miles to the east along the Devon and Dorset coast.
The Jurassic Coast is England’s first natural World Heritage Site, with cliffs, rocks and fossils that reveal detailed stories of Earth’s ancient past dating back 185 million years.
For those who are more active, there is such a wealth of activities to choose from.
As a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Exe estuary extends 10km south from Exeter to the open sea at Dawlish Warren. This complex of coastal habitats supports internationally important numbers of wintering and migratory waterbirds.
All to try and get you the best days fishing.
Exeter Cathedral is one of the oldest and most beautiful cathedrals in England, located on the same site for nearly 1000 years.
You can play golf at Budleigh Salterton, Woodbury Park and Exeter Golf & Country Club.
A cycle path that virtually passes through hotel's grounds, linking Lympstone Manor with Exmouth to the south and Topsham to the north.
An historic circular route developed in 1760. It extends around the boundary of hotel's grounds which skirts the edge of the estuary where you can head out onto the shingle foreshore. The walk takes about 30 minutes.
The village of Lympstone is just a short stroll away, down a quiet country lane, or, at low tide, a walk along the foreshore. Lympstone has three pubs and retains the atmosphere of a maritime village.
Sailing, stand-up paddleboarding, and kitesurfing.
Visits to vineyards and wineries of local Devon winegrowers producing outstanding wines to learn, taste and enjoy direct at the source.
LYMPSTONE MANOR HOTEL
Courtlands Lane EX8 3NZ ExmouthDevonEnglandUnited Kingdom