Ashcombe Country Cottages

29/11/2024

NOW RENTED

We have one property left for New Year's Eve... and it's one of the best!

New Year's Eve at The Cider Barn is an unforgettable experience, a large, exclusive property with incredible views and excellent facilities

13/09/2024

This still isn't going away. Sadly successive governments think it's a great idea to trash the rural economy

Removing the furnished holiday lettings tax regime will punish local economies.

The CLA warns that abolishing the furnished holiday lettings (FHL) tax regime will punish local economies, after the government published draft legislation to remove the scheme from April 2025.

In the spring budget, then- Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that the government planned to abolish the tax support; FHL tax regime reductions currently apply to properties that are available for holiday letting for at least 210 days a year, and are let for at least half that time. It is thought scrapping the holiday lettings relief is expected to save the Treasury about £245m a year by 2028-29.

CLA President Victoria Vyvyan says: "For many farmers and landowners, diversification into the holiday lettings market is a business necessity. The short-term rental and holiday let sector contributes billions to the wider economy, supporting local shops and restaurants and creating tens of thousands of jobs. Abolishing the FHL regime will only punish people who are helping to grow local economies.

"It is far from a tax loophole, providing a crucial support mechanism, strengthening the resilience and viability of many rural businesses that in turn enables them to invest in their work looking after the environment and feeding the nation.

"By converting unused or underutilised properties, that may not be suitable as homes in the private rented sector, into high- quality holiday accommodations, property owners contribute to the local community's economic vitality.

"Why are small rural businesses being punished for diversifying? This sweeping approach needs a far closer scrutiny of the perceived problem.

15/08/2024

Here we go again! The new Labour government want to do what we prevented the old Conservative government from doing: abolishing the FHL (Furnished Holiday Let) tax regime.

It is not a loophole if you are running a professional holiday let business which is more-or-less a hotel. We need to reclaim our considerable business expenses and interest payments to stay in operation in the face of hugely inflated costs, rising taxes and reducing revenues.

Ashcombe Cottages have provided over 100 beds for +4,000 all-year-round guests in top-quality accommodation for over 27 years. We also provide a lot of lovely extras: swimming pools, games rooms, playgrounds, firewood, in-house chefs.
A lot of work, not some part-time job.

We employ around 10 local people all-year round and our guests spend a considerable amount of money in the local area.

Our properties are nearly all barn-conversions and are restricted by planning to only be for holiday accommodation use. They have never been "second homes".

HMRC would initially raise about £750m more tax, but then lose about £2bn of GVA (Gross Value Added) to GDP. Ultimately the cost to the rural economy and UK balance of payments would be disastrous.

Please take a minute to sign this MP petition:

Support our rural and coastal visitor economies, please don't abolish FHL Tax Allowances Welcome to the 'Please don't abolish the FHL Allowances and support coastal and rural tourism' Petition. Please enter your Postcode, this will automatically call up the details of your MP. You will then need to....

14/08/2024

I went to photograph the Perseids, but came back with another out of this world vision of the Northern Lights. In Ashcombe England, in August. The second time this year. Incredible.

17/07/2024

Absolute tragedy at Nut Tree Farm when our ancient and extremely large walnut tree suddenly fell over when we were standing nearby. No wind, just old age and rotted-out roots and tree. Fortunately nobody was hurt.

I'm left with a load of walnuts to try to propagate and some would say that we will have to rename Nut Tree Farm as it was in its garden. Actually there's a bigger walnut tree growing behind the house.

In another 150-200 years someone else might enjoy the shade of one of the descendants. I'll just have to create a walnut table for now.

https://flic.kr/p/2q4eVvz

20/05/2024

We have a gap for our award-winning Nut Tree Farm holiday cottage this July! The fantastic house which can sleep up to 28 people in 13 bedrooms is available to book from 19-25th July. https://ashcombecottages.co.uk/house/nut-tree-farm/

Featuring a private heated outdoor pool (with access to our main indoor pool) the property has two gardens, two BBQ areas, three sitting rooms and all the bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms. Sharing a house, not personal space!

Nut Tree Farm is unusual holiday "cottage" as it accommodates up to 28 people in style, absolutely perfect for extended family groups

11/05/2024

The Northern Lights... in Ashcombe

10/05/2024

Now it's Nut Tree Farm's turn for outdoor wifi... so it works by the swimming pool and gardens.

10/05/2024

Two more super updates/upgrades now completed. Better outdoor seating areas at Cider Barn and Nut Tree Farm. Nut Tree now has another bbq to choose from.

If you want an outdoor charcoal cook-out then head to the front lawn. If you want to cook on gas (maybe in less brilliant weather) head to the Pig Pen indoor/outdoor bbq at the back!

01/05/2024

As usual we are busy making improvements and updates. The latest is outdoor mesh WiFi at the Cider Barn. Seamless connectivity for the garden and car park... handy for streaming, calls and using the EV charger.

22/04/2024

Help! We still need more signatures to save the UK holiday cottage industry from the moronic budget abolishing the FHL tax scheme.

The Parliament Petition needs 10,000 to get a question asked: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/658866

Our Ashcombe Country Cottages business runs like a hotel, but the government seem to think we (and other rural businesses like us) are "second home owners" and need to be stopped from reclaiming fixtures and fittings, mortgage interest and a lot more which would make already marginal businesses close-down.

We can't make our barn conversions residential as we aren't allowed to by Teignbridge's planners. We also don't go and stay in them and let them out as we see fit like second home owners. They are available all-year-round.

Ashcombe Country Cottages generate considerable VAT and income/ corporation tax revenues as well as a big chunk of the local tourist revenue in Teignbridge. We also employ over 20 people plus contractors and local trades.

Please sign and pass it along as it needs more support to get to 10k

Furnished Holiday Lets contribute a huge amount to local economies. They support jobs (cleaners, property managers, plumbers, etc.) and provide thousands of customers to local shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions. We want the Government to reverse its plans to abolish the FHL tax regime.

11/04/2024

6 days without Internet at Woodhouse was resolved when Airband rebooted their entire system... like I suggested last bloody Friday.

Ironically this box of Starlink Satellite Internet equipment arrived at the same time it all went back online. At least we will be not having any more outage issues again!

Once the new FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) connection is done these type of issues will be even rarer, but until then a robust backup is going to be available. Cheers Elon!

23/03/2024

https://ashcombecottages.co.uk/the-budget

Excerpts from The Daily Telegraph about the recent budget plans to abolish the Furnished Holiday Let tax regime. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/property/buy-to-let/farmers-face-ruin-holiday-let-tax/

The recent budget will potentially do serious damage to Holiday Let businesses. We employ a lot of people and boost the local economy

22/03/2024

https://ashcombecottages.co.uk/ashcombe-church-easter-egg-hunt/

Ashcombe Church & Easter Egg Hunt is on Easter Sunday at 9.30am at St Nectan's Church, Ashcombe. Easter Egg Hunt from 9am

12/03/2024

You might have already seen this petition from PASC (the Professional Association of Self-Caterers).

https://pascuk.eaction.online/FHL

The recent budget removing FHL taxation rules would be devastating for the holiday let industry and is completely counterintuitive. It makes no distinction between second home owners and professional businesses which are more like hotels.

Professional holiday cottage operators generate gains huge tax and VAT revenue, boost the local tourist economy, help the balance of payments and are often the main source of local employment. They are not second home owners.

In our case we can't change properties to be residential as they have restricted planning permission to only be holiday lets.

Jeremy Hunt has unfairly targeted professional property businesses for political window-dressing.

Please sign and pass on!

23/02/2024

https://ashcombecottages.co.uk/the-2024-customers-choice-award-goes-to-endeavour-farmhouse

Endeavour Farmhouse has won the Cottages.com Customer Choice Award for outstanding feedback score from guests of more than 4.75 out of 5.

23/02/2024

Endeavour Farmhouse has won the Cottages.com Customer Choice Award for 2024. Outstanding feedback score from guests of more than 4.75 out of 5.

Nice to see the hard work of our staff recognised for this popular 15 bed holiday cottage. Endeavour joins our previous winners: Nut Tree Farm (x3) and Columbia Cottage.

is one of most popular properties. More than enough room for 15 guests, private parking, , , private garden and just across from the at Woodhouse Farm
🏆 🍾 🥇