Bickleigh Castle Hotel

Bickleigh Castle Hotel - Castle

United Kingdom , Exeter
TIVERTON, Barn Cottage Bickleigh
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75 reviews shown

4/10

Poor

07 Oct 2025

Maria

The breakfast was very basic

Partner

2/10

Poor

14 Aug 2025

Stephen

4 star? More like 2 star!

Breakfast - basic, only toasted bread and croissants, basic choice of cereals. There’s nothing continental about the breakfast, and no cooked breakfast at all. Fruit - blueberries, strawberries and raspberries - not fresh, and I saw the owner Sarah clearing tables and uneaten fruit was put back onto the main table!
Accommodation - Dirty windows, bathroom dirty, new sealant on top of old, black sealant, shower screen grim. And the rest too (walls, skirting boards full of dust). No hairdryer. Beds dirty and uncomfortable, it was as sleeping on bed springs. Don’t expect cleaning on a weekend. We stayed there 11 night, so experienced 2 weekends, when asked why the room hasn’t been cleaned, it’s because they don’t have a cleaner on a weekend! The busiest time for any hotel.
Grounds - need to hire a gardener! Overgrown, weeds growing everywhere, fruit orchard neglected, ponds not worth looking at.
We stayed there 5 years ago at the height of Covid pandemic and at that time it was more like a 4 star hotel, hence returning! Back then we had cooked breakfast, grounds were beautiful and we took a lot of pictures. Not this time. Nothing worth taking pictures for. We stayed at the very same room, and it hasn’t changed a bit! Same bed spreads, small TV, same paint, as if frozen in time. We won’t be returning ever again.
Sarah husband’s health has deteriorated and staying in a room below ours - on late evenings Sarah was arguing with her husband and swearing. Very unprofessional.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

04 Aug 2025

Worst Hotel experience Ever!

On arrival, no one was at reception. We rang the bell for 15 minutes before the owner finally came out and casually told us they had been in the bath. We were given the key to Room 18, only to walk into a disgusting scene—dirty floors, used coffee mugs, an unmade bed, wet towels on the floor, a full bin of leftover food and cigarettes, and a filthy bathroom. The toilet hadn't been flushed, there was urine on the seat, and grime everywhere.

We returned to complain but were left waiting another 15 minutes. The manager eventually came and reluctantly agreed to view the room. She apologised and offered to clean it, but told us to be quick getting changed as she \"had plans in 30 minutes.\" Not professional at all.

Later that night, it was clear the room had barely been touched. The bin was still full, the toilet still dirty, and the bed just remade—not changed—crumbs and all. Even the bath mat was still wet from the previous guests.

The next morning, we were given towels with holes and tears. Breakfast was included, but we felt too uncomfortable to eat anything.

This hotel was run-down, unhygienic, and clearly not maintained. By far the worst hotel we’ve ever stayed in. Would never return and absolutely would not recommend.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

28 Jul 2025

toby

Goodness

Business

6/10

Pleasant

27 Jul 2025

The property is looking tired as well as the rooms. Fantastic surroundings though. Had no TV as the remote control was not available, the lady who booked me in had just had a loss in her family & was under a lot of pressure, so didn’t feel I could trouble her. Sorry to say I wouldn’t stay there again.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2025

eddy

Lovely environment, beautiful garden, friendly and helpful staff, I thoroughly enjoyed my three nights stay here. For anyone who love and would like to indulge themselves in history, this IS the place!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2024

Stuart

A lovely stay in the shadows of a castle

Our stay was lovely, relaxing and peaceful. The two rooms we booked were warm and spacious. The kids loved having access to the castle to walk around as well as the tennis courts. The owners were always happy to engage with our children and share their knowledge of the area.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 Oct 2024

Alice

Wonderful gracious hosts in the amazing historical setting of a castle

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2024

Judith

Interesting tour, lovely scones, nice room

Partner

2/10

Poor

01 Sep 2024

Ashok

The worst property I have stayed in for the amount paid.
Room was dirty, bedsheet and pillow over appeared not to have been washed, the mattress that was exposed had dust visible, bedspread torn, no control on heating.
No bath mat provided, no handrails for towels etc, no exhaust..the property is not liveable.breakfast not to mention was sparse and atasted stale!
I T

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

26 Aug 2024

marie adeline

beautiful setting and environment but it is aging

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

26 Aug 2024

Mark

Good value hotel stay, basic rooms but our family room was en suite. The restaurant and bar were closed during our stay so bed and breakfast only. Tranquil setting. Quirky but we had a good weekend with the kids.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

22 Aug 2024

Barbara

Atmospheric, and an experience!

4/10

Poor

03 Jun 2024

Karl

Castle surrounds are lovely, however the room I stayed in was dated, dirty, damp, grass cuttings on the floor and woodlice infestation.
Pictures are very misleading on the website.
Gentleman was lovely who checked me in, although I was waiting 30 mins.

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

02 Jun 2024

Anne

Fabulous place to stay staff looked after me well.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2024

Elizabeth

Fabulous weekend, very clean, breakfast was wonderful, great for history, a very peaceful weekend away.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Oct 2023

Raymond

Very quiet only one staying there, no evening dining.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2023

jeanette

Room in old thatched cottage adjoining castle with tour of the castle

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2023

Karen

I stayed with my husband and two children. The setting was incredible and steeped in history. It was a lovely sanctuary of peace and quiet. I recommend it as a truly unique place to stay!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 May 2023

Drew

Highly recommended property with a lovely hostess (Sarah) and conscientious family staff. The castle and grounds are fantastic and the church was beautiful (we could only see the outside). I don't care for cats but the one here followed me everywhere and was very precocious. This is a peaceful and beautiful retreat and the castle is beautifully lit at night. Sarah even upgraded our room because we were the only visitors. A gracious hostess with lots of stories and interested us. What a treat.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2023

Eileen

Amazing location and very friendly welcoming hosts.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jun 2022

Julian

overnight in the castle

A wonderfully peaceful stay away from the bustle of modern life. Lovely friendly staff happy to help and the owner was everything you would expect, someone who cares about the heritage, her staff and her clients. Its not a 5 star posh experience but it is rather magical

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Sep 2021

Paul

Night in a castle

Quite an experience. We stayed in the Castle and whilst appreciating fact aesthetically room needs to be in keeping with surroundings it does need a complete update. At breakfast there was no menu so you were presented with English breakfast whether you wanted it or not. The grounds are beautiful but there is no bar/cafe so you can access a snack on site. The owners/staff were quite nice but it was almost like we had gone back to P G Wodehouse days. I didn’t think it was worth the money but the surrounding accommodation may be better value. We wouldn’t stay again

Partner

4/10

Poor

13 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

All fur coat and no knickers!

The place was clean and comfy beds/bedding. Check in was awful...nobody about, no signs telling you where to go. Was really confusing. Nobody answered the phone after repeatedly calling.
The floorboards above us were so loud with people walking around till 3am we hardly slept.
No WiFi so grumpy teenager. No teaspoons to make a drink. TV didn’t work.
Lovely location but so many basics were overlooked.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 May 2021

William

A must stay if in Devon

Beautiful grounds, brilliant location, generous hosts we would recommend unreservedly

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

11 Sep 2020

Colin

Not really suited for business travel

I would image it is a lovely venue for weddings. very beautiful setting.
However for business traveller not really suitable. No food facility in the evening the nearest place is a drive away. In the room the TV didn't work No usable internet and was no curtain on a ground floor window needed to get a covering from reception and put it up myself

Business

8/10

Excellent

25 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

great place to stay;very friendly and nothing too much trouble; beautiful area

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2020

Helen

Beautiful setting and great service.

Great location and service. Breakfast was delicious. Hosts very kind and helpful. We didn’t have time to do the tour of the castle and unfortunately the weather was awful so we didn’t get the full benefit of the lovely setting but would definitely return.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

02 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Shabby

Room was dirty and very faded. There was a mystery door In our room that said “private do not enter”. There was a cupboard full of personal items. we were also right next to reception and could hear clear as day anything that was said (so assume they could hear us). There was cat hair on the floor, the toilet hadn’t been cleaned properly and we only had less than half a loo roll.

Partner

2/10

Poor

23 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

It was very bad experience with this hotel I rent this room 8 PM and Unfortunately the check in was close 6:30 PM it’s really unfair I came with my family and we stuck with no response and no phone answered.

My concern is how they accepted my booking for tonight and the check in already closed?

Friends_and_family Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

12 Aug 2019

Elliot

Carry on at the castle

Lovely little castle in a beautiful setting. Great service from John and dropped everything to help me with an issue I had (shower not heating up) loved my stay here was very relaxed. And no light polllution at night so a great view of the stars. Only downsides for me was no Wi-fi in the room- (there was Wi-fi available in a communal area). Also the shower needs a real up date. Very poor quality shower head. Other than that was a fantastic stay. Loved the fresh fruit of blueberries and raspberries for breakfast.

Business

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2019

Russell

Almost a perfect stay

Lovely hotel, with owners passionate to preserve the history of the castle. Cannot fault setting or scenery. The rooms are large and the decor is a little dated but you are staying in a historic site so it all feels inkeeping. A nice breakfast is also included and we found the rooms to be immaculately clean. Our only issue for the entire stay was the double bed and pillows in our room were extremely uncomfortable which is a real shame as otherwise everything about our stay was positive.

We really hope this venue continues to thrive and protect this little piece of local history. Would recommend as a base to explore the surrounding areas.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Phenomenal real British 900 year old property in stunning landscape and gardens.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

07 Aug 2019

John

nice area

Room was very small.
dogs barking in the evening
Breakfast 08.30 to late for business people.
no evening meal so bring your own.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jun 2019

Alison

Lovely place to spend a weekend away. Really enjoyed the guided tour of the castle - lots and lots of history! Friendly staff that made you feel very welcome. Would definitely recommend

Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

The friendly welcome and breakfast is why we return again again

Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2019

Shane

Best castle to stay in

It was amazing I think that some it all up

Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2019

Jennie

Mixed Review

I stayed here with a colleague for 2 nights, I booked it and I absolutely loved it! He, on the other hand rated it a 6/10 but this was due to the lack of a bar or restaurant. That didn’t bother me so I’d give it a 9/10. Robbie and John were absolutely lovely, we arrived quite late the first night and was met by Robbie (the owner) who gave us our key and all the relevant information, he pointed us toward the nearest pub so we could get some food, it was less than a mile away but we drove as the weather was miserable. We stayed in the purpose built cottages which are all en-suite. However, we had read the review about there not being a toilet, it turned out this is only if you stay in the castle itself and you have to pay extra for that. I think it’s only one room up there too so it’s not like you’re milling about on the landing with other guests - it’s pretty private. Breakfast is served typically between 8:30 - 9:30 but they allowed us to go down for 7:30 due to us working and leaving early. John also very kindly gave us a tour of the castle which took an hour and was nice to hear the history and see the original stoneworks. In the summer, this would be an amazing place to stay and investigate the grounds, in the snow, it was still wonderful (and warm) and I’d definitely stay here again!

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2019

Simon

Was great will be making it my regular hotel when I’m working in the south west 5 stars

10/10

Exceptional

15 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Beautiful old buildings. Owners who are happy to share the history of the property and were friendly.

6/10

Pleasant

17 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Historic b&b near Exeter

The staff were very nice. Decor is very outdated. No bar and no lunch or evening meals. Nice castle in lovely location.

6/10

Pleasant

04 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Little disappointed

Only stayed one night and the room was lovely and very clean however there was no mention on the booking site that the (small) bathroom was outside in the corridor. I understand that this is probably a listed building so alterations are not always allowed but the fact that the bathroom was separate really should have been mentioned. Full english breakfast was very overcooked (bacon & sausage cremated) which was very surprising considering that we were the first people down to breakfast. No time to explore the facilities etc. but the garden and grounds looked lovely and well looked after. Also no wifi could be obtained, probably due to area.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

Excellent b&b friendly

Lovely place nice room great breakfast but the tour in the morning was the highlight definitely recommended and will come again and again lol x

8/10

Excellent

18 Aug 2018

Jean

Our mini break in a castle

We saw the hotel online and thought it was impressed with it being a castle, and as we had just got married on the 12th August, it would be a lovely little honeymoon for a couple of days in a romantic setting. We arrived on Tuesday and was greeted in a friendly manner by the owner and staff alike, shown up to our cottage overlooking the courtyard, and we had a top floor room with large bed and shower facilities, all nice and clean. We had breakfast included and each morning we were given a friendly welcome from the staff. Breakfast was very nice and plenty of it, we toured the local area and found it was positioned in an idyllic location, with stunning views and walks, we came back home after a few days and really felt relaxed and happy staying there, we have said we will stay there again as it was that good.. We are telling all our friends, how good it was.. Thank you bickleigh castle staff, we will be back.. Stew and Tina.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Aug 2018

Sean

Good stay

No wifi in the bedrooms or phone reception, you could pick it up in a lounge which wasn’t the most convenient especially if you need to work whilst away

8/10

Excellent

08 Aug 2018

Anthony

Stay at bickleigh

Enjoyable stay at the castle
We had a problem with no water supply in the room but the owners rectified the fault promptly and invited us into their home for tea until water was back on.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2018

chris

wonderful location and amazing surroundings

Fabulous from start to finish, the location, surroundings and ambience were awesome

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2018

Amanda

Stunning place to stay all staff very friendly .. will definitely go back..

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 May 2018

Scott

Great stay

I arrived very late and they waited for me and was the best host ever

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2018

Donna

escape to Devon

Lovely friendly staff good food comfortable room very clean good tour of the castle I would recommend Bickleigh Castle

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2018

stuart

Amazing place

My family and I stayed at this lovely hotel during half term and we all loved it, the room was perfect, spacious and very comfortable. The surrounding area and hotel was very picturesque and only a 10 min drive to nearby tiverton. John made our stay very pleasant and was extremely accommodating. Thank you John and we hope to see you again in the near future.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2018

Susan

Friendly Place to stay oozing character

Loved all aspects of the stay. Lovely room. Lovely welcome. Look forward to staying again.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2018

michelle

Wonderful historical B&B

Beautiful piece of history to stay in, very friendly and helpful hosts. Enjoyed the guided tour around the castle and the history of it.

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2017

Eric

Lots of character.

Lots of character. Good breakfast.

8/10

Excellent

10 Nov 2017

Jenny

Warm and Welcoming

My daughter and I stayed overnight in the twin room. The room was very clean and tidy.

We had a full cooked breakfast in the Castle !

We will definitely return next time we are in the area.

6/10

Pleasant

05 Nov 2017

Nice hotel in a lovely location, decor out of date

Perfectly serviceable hotel, clean & lovely breakfast.

Family

8/10

Excellent

24 Sep 2017

James

Fortified manor house with couryard cottages

Very comfortable informal country house B & B, in historic setting.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Sep 2017

Reuben

One night stay

Excellent hotel, plenty of character and charm. Old but not tired, hotel has been updated. Staff were great, breakfast was also top quality. Would stay there again.

8/10

Excellent

03 Sep 2017

Andy

Charming location. Friendly staff.

Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Aug 2017

Peaceful

Nice stay, breakfast was delicious.
Lots of spiders in the room!
Went one day without any hot water, staff were kind enough to move us to another room.

4/10

Poor

28 Aug 2017

edgar

Great location

Just not a comfortable hotel to stay. Could smell cats urine

Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2017

Robert

Cosy and charming hotel

Nothing to say but stunning hotel. Since customer service to food and hotel condition. Highly recommended!!!

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2017

8 from USA

Absolutely Awesome Castle Experience

I can't even find the words to describe how amazing this castle experience was. Absolutely stellar. Beautifully restored. Amazing original art of former residents and mind blowing dark, hand carved furniture from centuries ago. Warm welcoming and accommodating staff. Wonderful country get away!

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2017

Melissa

Quite location with great scenery

quaint B&B with great scenery and quiet location.
Good breakfast choice
Nice spacious room - although bed along way from the TV which is very small
free battled water in the room
great stay - would definately stay again

6/10

Pleasant

26 May 2017

Vince

Bickliegh Castle. B&B

Pleasant room in the grounds of Bickleigh Castle cottages. Clean and Tidy, but breakfast was chaotic and somewhat disorganized. The check in time of 3pm is a tad late but we got the room 40mins early, and check out for 10am was tight owing to breakfast.
Over all quite an expensive b&b, with a small bar with the most expensive coke ever at over £1.60+ a can, beer around £3.50 a bottle. No draught!
We stayed as the Castle was hosting a WW2 Pre D-DAY Event, so made for an interesting stay.

6/10

Pleasant

18 May 2017

elysecas

Ok, but not for the price

This was an ok stay at an ok hotel. This review is skewed simply because I think it was at the wrong price point when we stayed.

The good bits: we arrives in the evening and all was good. It is in a \"castle\" of sorts. The room was really clean and the bed was comfortable enough. Breakfast had good quality ingredients.

So why only a three star review? The price. For £65 a night this would have been a good stay. However, for £140 a night I didn't expect the host to be hanging in our room talking for far too long, a teeny tiny strip bathroom with a shower that was a powerful but very awkward to use, to hear every footstep and movement upstairs until midnight and again from 5.30am. Nor did I expect a room which haphazard taste and instant coffee sachets and long life milk (put a little machine in!), no fridge, and only two hangers on a little rail. Further breakfast is a only served from 0830-0930 yet when we rocked up with somewhere to go by nine, the tables hadn't been laid. We didn't get any choice on our full English re eggs or missing things off it and there was no toast. There is also no wifi or phone signal so we had to drive into the village to get a signal to do what we needed to do.

So if this had been £65 or maybe even £70 this would have been a really fine stay. For the price we paid (£140) it was disappointing.

8/10

Excellent

30 Jan 2017

Mr Mark

Really warm welcome from the owner , breakfast was excellent , very clean

8/10

Excellent

14 Nov 2016

Chris

Lovely tranquil location and atmosphere.

All the staff were friendly and very helpful. The hotel is quiet and relaxing. Plenty of pleasant walks.
Not far from Exeter and Exmouth

10/10

Exceptional

02 Nov 2016

steven

Great location

Excellent location and property , pity about no bar available

Family

6/10

Pleasant

11 Oct 2016

Verified traveler

Remote location with lots of character.

We arrived about 6.30 and there was nobody at reception. Key was there with a note and order form for breakfast. Signage and directions were poor other than numerous numerous notes about what to do and not to do !
So first impressions were not positive however this all changed in the morning when we met the staff and owner who were delightful. Breakfast was excellent in a delightful any airy room.
This was a derilect property when the owners took over and they have done an excellent job of restoring.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Aug 2016

Gavin

Very Good

Not good for a person on business, but fantastic for a couple on a few days away.

8/10

Excellent

25 Jun 2016

Verified traveler

Lovely stay. Nice staff. Lovely grounds.jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

4/10

Poor

24 Jun 2016

Elsie

Weddings Are Priority

Bedroom great if a little tired furniture wise ,but not ensuite. Shower room next door so not ideal,it was tiny and badly needing up-dated. No t.v. reception when it rained which it did a lot. Owners more interested in wedding business. We tramped the red carpet on our way to breakfast,left out all the time so rather wet, dirty and soggy. The castle is attached to the accommodation.
Breakfast was good chef had lots of banter. He doubled as the server and clearer.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Jun 2016

Peter

Wonderful location but beware noise from above

Lovely location, interesting and quirky accommodation, fascinating tour of castle, nice breakfast. Would have been a perfect overnight birthday treat, but for the noise from the people in the room above. I don't blame those guests, as they were just behaving normally - it was just one of those buildings where every footstep reverberates downstairs. We were put in the family room 10 in Barn Cottage, which is an otherwise delightful room. If you are offered this room, I would only take it if no one was staying in the room above.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

08 Jun 2016

Verified traveler

Quirky stay in fabulous setting

Comfy bed , brilliant breakfast in an amazing setting. Staff were delightful .

Family