About us and the Elmfield Big Holiday House

About The Elmfield
The Elmfield Story So Far

About The Owners
Zoe, Matt, Harvey and Ted moved to the Elmfield from London in 2007 taking over an already successful Bed and Breakfast business. We ran the House as a Bed and Breakfast until 2015 getting great reviews and many trip advisor certificates of excellence. One Christmas we needed to be away and put the house up for hire as a big holiday house.

We left the booking system live to see what the demand would be and the house started to fill up for the rest of the year. On reflection, we decided that a big holiday house is the kind of holiday we would choose for ourselves and friends and family so we changed the business to what it is today.
About The House
The Elmfield started life in the late 1800's as a purpose built gentlemens residence covering a large area with an orangery and a market garden. During the second world war the Elmfield was used as a school for evacuated Londoners, we even had a gentleman visit us reminiscing about escaping the school and heading off back to London along the railway tracks aged 7.

The architecture and superb sea views made the town a firm tourist favourite from the Victorian era onwards with a number of royal visits.

The Elmfield became a hotel in the 60's during another boom time for Ilfracombe. The railway, since removed, still ran into Ilfracombe from London ending up across the valley from the house. There are stories of fold out beds being laid out in the dining room just to accommodate the sheer numbers of guests visiting the town during this period.