Castle Cottage

Lundy, Bristol Channel, Devon

Overview

Castle Cottage is built against the Castle Keep and has spectacular coastal views from its sitting room. Lundy’s beauty, community and way of life make a world apart and despite its size, a stay here never feels quite long enough.

  • CotCot
  • Fire or StoveFire or Stove
  • ShowerShower

Beds 1 Double

Sleeps
2
4 nights
£600 equivalent to £75.00 per person, per night

A room with a view

Castle Cottage is a granite structure built against the Castle Keep by the Post Office as a cable station. When first extended and converted, it was the second holiday cottage on the island. Its living room is dominated by the spectacular view overlooking the landing bay.

Floor Plan

Reviews

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4 stars
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Map & local info

Boasting one of the finest views from any Landmark on Lundy, Castle Cottage sits against the exterior wall of the Castle on the South East point of the Island, a short walk from the village.

If you're extending your trip to Devon, to find some of the best places to eat, take a look at the Where to eat in Devon. We have teamed up with The Good Food Guide to offer Landmarker's 6 months membership for £1, providing exclusive benefits and rewards at many of the restaurants listed. Ts&Cs apply.

Read all about Lundy

Clear directions

Places to visit nearby

Rocky shore rambles

Lundy wildlife talks by warden

Snorkelling safaris

Warden led walks

Seabird walks

Climbing

Rocky shore rambles

Lundy wildlife talks by warden

Snorkelling safaris

Warden led walks

Seabird walks

Climbing

FAQs
Booking and Payment
  • We accept Maestro (if issued in the UK), Visa, MasterCard, direct transfer and sterling cheques drawn on a UK bank. Cheques should be made payable to the Landmark Trust except for Lundy stays and boat/helicopter tickets which should be payable to The Lundy Company Ltd. All payments must be in sterling.
  • If your stay starts more than two months from the date you make the booking, you are required to pay a deposit of one third of the cost of your stay (or £100 per booking, if greater) at the time of booking. Camping on Lundy must be paid for in full at the time of booking. 
  • If you wish to cancel or change your booking, please contact Booking Enquiries on 01628 825925.
  • Please note that travel costs are not included in the cost of the accommodation.  For up to date fare information and timetables please visit: https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/lundyisland/timetable/
  • At the moment we only accept payment in sterling.
  • It depends. Some of our most popular Landmarks are booked up a long time in advance but many can be booked at short notice. We will always have Landmarks free for the coming weekend so it’s always worth checking online.
  • Please report to reception when you arrive on the island, where further information will be given.
  • If you miss the scheduled sailing or helicopter to Lundy, you’ll have to make your own travel arrangements using local operators.
  • If we cannot transport you to Lundy either by boat or helicopter at the beginning of your stay, and you have bought from us either a boat or helicopter ticket we will refund the rent you have paid for each night until you reach the island. If we cannot transport you from Lundy at the end of your stay and you have bought from us a boat or helicopter ticket we will cover the cost of each extra night’s accommodation on Lundy. If we offer you a sailing or helicopter flight to or from Lundy but you refuse it, we reserve the right to change your accommodation and/or to charge for it.
  • No, Landmarks are available to be booked for anyone.
  • No, all the information you need can be found on our website, although we’d like you to buy one anyway as it will be a pleasure to own!
Staying on Lundy
  • Some of our Landmarks are suitable for people with disabilities or limited mobility. However, many Landmarks have steep or narrow staircases, uneven floors and thresholds, changes of level, low ceilings or beams, as well as indistinct colours on steps and in corridors. We recommend that you call Booking Enquiries on 01628 825925 if you would like to find out the suitability of a particular Landmark for anyone with a specific disability.  Further information on access when visiting Lundy can be found here: https://www.countrysidemobility.org/lundy.
  • Yes, Landmarks are only available as self-catering accommodation. We occasionally offer bed and breakfast subject to property availability, with breakfast being served in the Marisco Tavern.
  • We do not provide catering, however, the Marisco Tavern is normally open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Please check the notice board on arrival for opening times.
  • Dogs are not permitted on Lundy except assistance dogs.
  • Lundy is a working farm with large numbers of ewes and lambs at certain times of the year. For this reason we cannot allow you to bring dogs or pets (except assistance dogs) when travelling to, or staying on, the island.
  • Your arrival and departure time on the island will be governed by the arrival and departure time of MS Oldenburg or the helicopter.  Your property will be ready by 4pm, however, this can often be earlier.  You must vacate your property by 10am.
  • We do not carry insurance for breakages. However we appreciate that accidents do sometimes happen. If you have a breakage during your stay, please let the housekeeper know and if appropriate we reserve the right to invoice you accordingly.
  • Yes, most of our Landmarks are perfect for children, with gardens to play in and secret places to discover. Our furniture is surprisingly robust and we positively encourage families to stay. However, some of our buildings may not be suitable for small children; for example, some of them have steep or uneven spiral staircases. We recommend that you call the Booking Enquiries team if you would like to find out the suitability of any of our Landmarks for young children.
  • Unfortunately, most of our Landmarks are not licensed for weddings.  However, it’s possible to get married or have a wedding blessing on Lundy subject to obtaining the relevant license and/or consent. Please contact the shore office [email protected] for further information.   
  • All our larger Landmarks are perfect for gatherings of family or friends. You may invite an additional two guests to visit you during your stay, however they must not stay overnight. This is very important because our fire regulations specifically note the maximum number of people in any one building. In addition our properties are prepared, furnished and equipped for the number of people specified and greater numbers cause damage and excessive wear and tear to vulnerable buildings. Should this condition be ignored we shall make a retrospective charge per person per day (whether or not they stay overnight) for each guest over the permitted limit, the charge being pro-rated on the total cost of your booking.
  • We deliberately do not provide televisions and find that most people appreciate this.
  • There is intermittent mobile phone signal on Lundy but there is a pay phone in The Marisco Tavern.
  • Yes, we have standard electricity sockets for UK appliances. If you are coming from outside the UK, you will need to bring your own adaptor plug(s).  
Facilities
  • Sometimes our kitchens and bathrooms have to be imaginatively fitted into the available space in buildings where before there were none, but they are all planned and equipped to a high and modern standard.
  • Yes, our kitchens are well equipped with cookers and fridges. There is standard range of crockery, cutlery, pots, pans and utensils. A full equipment list is available at time of booking.
  • Fuel for the open fires/stoves can be bought from the General Store.
  • Mobile coverage varies on the island.  There is a payphone in the Marisco Tavern.
  • No. At the moment, we have decided not to implement Wi-Fi in our buildings following a consultation with our customers. Many said that they would find it useful, but many also felt that it would somehow damage the experience of staying in a Landmark. As the responses were so split, and as we have so many other initiatives requiring funding, we have decided to put this on hold for the time being.
  • Yes, Landmarks are fully equipped with sheets and towels. All the beds are fully made up for your arrival.
  • A welcome tray with tea, milk and sugar awaits your arrival.  We also provide toilet rolls and a bar of soap per basin, but no other toiletries. We do not provide hairdryers. Here are other things you might consider.
Getting to Lundy

Getting to Lundy

Your Lundy adventure begins even before you set foot on the Island.

During the winter season, (beginning of November until the end of March), a Helicopter Service operates between Lundy and Hartland Point on Mondays and Fridays.  This exhilarating flight takes approximately seven minutes, providing spectacular aerial views of the Island and North Devon.

During the summer season, (end of March until the end of October), the Island’s own supply ship and ferry, the MS Oldenburg departs several times a week from either Bideford or Ilfracombe. 

Find out more

History

Built to house the terminal of the new telegraph cable

In 1894, the Post Office had a granite hut built against the north wall of the Castle Keep to house the terminal of the new submarine-telegraph cable from Croyde. The telephone instrument was in one the two Signal Cottages behind the castle, where a record of calls was kept for the islanders' bills. The cable hut had one room and a small lobby, and was enclosed by a retaining wall. The point of entry for the cable can be seen low down on the hut's west wall.

The idea of telegraphic communication had been mooted for some time before it was actually installed, as the Western Morning News of April 28th 1870 reveals:

Capt. Charles Chapman of the Mercantile Marine Service has during the week been busily employed in making arrangements for the laying of the cable between Hartland Point and Lundy Island. The importance of this undertaking cannot be overestimated. Masters of the windbound and homeward bound vessels will be able to report themselves and any wrecks and casualties that may occur will be speedily made known, especially in weather when the island is unapproachable. All this service will be rendered free of cost to shipping.

In 1870 we read that: 'The cost of Telegraphic Communication maintenance is estimated at £175 per annum'. A cable was finally laid by Lloyd's in 1884, broken in 1888, and renewed by the GPO in 1893, allowing the Rev. Hudson Heaven to despatch his celebrated message 'The Kingdom of Heaven Rejoiceth'.

In 1898 Frederick Allday became postmaster, when the post-office was moved from the island Store to Signal Cottages, where he worked as Lloyd's signalman. In 1909 when he retired from Lloyd's he moved the sub-post office from the Signal Cottage to the Cable Hut and continued his postal rounds with his donkey, Irwin, until 1926. Thursday was the recognised mail day, weather permitting. The mail boat waited about two hours so it was possible for speedy correspondents to send back their replies. In accordance with Mr Harman's desire to terminate all government departments on the island, the post office closed at the end of 1927, the same year as the Signal Station. At that time inside the hut were four bunks, stove, wash- basin, table and chairs, and pigeonholes for mail sorting. Until 1939 it was leased by Colonel ‘Tubby’ Harrison, who later rented the Old School. It was known as The Keep. After the War it could still be rented by the year.

In 1956 Albion Harman decided to extend the hut to make a larger holiday cottage. To design it, he enlisted the help of his war colleague ‘Wimpy’ Worrow. This was done very simply, by building up the retaining wall round the hut and then roofing it over, leaving the hut itself still standing inside. A large galvanised tank of about 225 gallons received rainwater from the roof. For the floor of the new main room, the slate bed of the billiard table from the Manor Farm Hotel was used, while a marble shelf in the bedroom was supported by billiard cues. Two bunks were put in the old hut, a small kitchen and washroom were provided and the living room had divans that doubled as seats or beds. Albion's two sisters furnished the cottage as a gift to the island and there was a grand opening ceremony in 1960. It was the second holiday cottage on the island, after Admiralty Lookout.

For a short history of Lundy please click here.

To read the full history album for Lundy please click here.

Availability & booking

Select a changeover day to start your booking...

What's a changeover day? and Why can't I select other dates?Explain MoreQuestion

A changeover day is a particular day of the week when holidays start and end at our properties. These tend to be on a Friday or a Monday but can sometimes vary. All stays run from one changeover day until another changeover day.