The IVF diary / 12 April, 2017 / Ellie & Jamie

The Jellie Diaries: Part 27 Babymoon at Bovey Castle

Jamie and I took two days out to head down to the stunning Bovey Castle in Devon for a night’s babymoon. Nestled in the spectacular Dartmoor National Park, Bovey Castle is a luxurious hotel with 60 bedrooms, 22 lodges and an impressive Elan Spa which offers a range of treatments.

On arrival, we were shown around the grounds via a golf buggy which was great fun, and as you can see from the video, the grounds of the castle are pretty magnificent.

We woke up on Friday morning both very keen to get going and miss the Friday rush hour traffic, so left our house at 7am arriving early down in Devon at around eleven o’clock. Our room wasn’t yet ready, so we went first for a leisurely lunch in the warm sunshine outside the Brasserie on the terrace, with breathtaking views of the golf course and grounds below, and the Dartmoor National Park.

We were so excited to check into our room, which didn’t disappoint. We had a fantastic view from the bedroom and bathroom windows, the room was large, airy and beautifully kitted out. We felt completely pampered and relaxed.

Once lunch had been digested, we both headed down to the pool, which we had pretty much all to ourselves. I’m usually not the biggest fan of swimming but being pregnant and being immersed in the warm water felt incredible. I felt completely weightless! It was lovely just to paddle about, and unlike most pools I’ve been used to in the past, the temperature in the room was perfect, there was no chance of catching a cold!

Jamie headed off after a while to make use of the sauna while I chilled by the pool looking out over the sunny view.

We had an early dinner in the Great Western and both enjoyed the experience. We don’t often get to go to 5* restaurants, in fact, I’m not sure if we have ever been to one, come to think of it (!), and we really enjoyed being waited on, hand and foot – eating things we wouldn’t usually, Jamie had pigeon to start and we shared the Beef Welly for a main. Bovey Castle pride themselves on sourcing local food, from their beef, lamb, game and seafood, and everything we had from their menu was delicately presented and incredibly tasty!

I woke up early on Saturday morning for yet another loo stop – and passing by our open window I caught the sun coming up over the horizon. I couldn’t get back to sleep because the view was just so beautiful. The snap taken below on my iPhone does not do it justice!

After a delicious buffet breakfast back in the Great Western, I headed to the tranquil Elan Spa and met the lovely Gemma, for an ESPA 55-Minute Pre-Natal Face and Body Ritual. This was my first massage and facial, and it was brilliant in helping ease the pain the third trimester brings! The facial was really interesting, using a UV lamp Gemma could tell my cheeks were slightly dehydrated, and tailored the facial accordingly. Apparently, just by smell your senses can detect what your skin is lacking in – Gemma presented me with two cotton wool pads, both with different scents on. The one I picked was the one that indicated dehydration! Amazing!

We had an absolutely fantastic stay, and made the most of our 24 hours. I can’t recommend Bovey Castle highly enough for a weekend babymoon. There are walks and other activities you can engage in – including Golf, Landrover treks, archery and all sorts of fun things for kids, but we went to chill, and found that the hotel had everything we needed within perfect reach.

Stay overnight from £179 per room (two sharing; room only), including access to the Elan Spa. Call Bovey Castle on 01647 445 007.