Arundell Arms

Anne Voss Bark has run it with two husbands, most recently Conrad, who for years was the BBC's man at Westminster. When he died, she was left, for the second time to run it alone.

From the outside, it looks what it has always been: a coaching inn. Having parked in the large car park, with a sweep of Devon countryside beyond, we enter a modern and elegant reception area. Here, to our astonishment, sits Anne Voss Bark herself, mistress of all she surveys. After 45 years she is still very much hands-on. She asks my husband if he has been fishing - presumably because he's wearing his old clothes.

A young woman, also behind the desk, takes us to a delightful suite. It is prettily decorated and furnished, and has a small settee and what looks like a new television. An adjoining small room, containing an antique wardrobe and tea- and coffee-making equipment, leads into an up-to-the minute bathroom with bath and shower. This is Country House Hotel as it should be....

……………………   was how Paddy started her review of The Arundell Arms in 2008.

This year, Anne handed over the management of the business to her son Adam Fox-Edwards and his family.

Says Adam “ for my mother, an ex-actress with no previous experience of running a hotel, taking on this business while bringing up two children was a huge task.  It was a role in which she excelled, achieving international renown for both the Arundell Arms and for herself as an award winning hotelier, expert fly fisher, published author and passionate conservationist. Now it’s up to me, my wife Tina and my two sons George and Harry, to build on those achievements – no easy task when you are following in the footsteps of someone with the drive and dedication of my mother.

We will continue to develop our international reputation as a leading fishing and shooting hotel. We will continue to offer great wild fishing in glorious countryside for our guests,  together with a warm welcome they have come to expect.

We are keen to expand  the other aspects of the hotel such as fine dining, weddings and conferences.

Masterchef Steve Pidgeon, who has the rare honour of being elected one of only 80 Master Chefs of Great Britain, has now won further recognition and two AA rosettes for our restaurant. 

We’ve also already embarked on a programme of improvements by introducing four extra bedrooms, refurbishing our village pub, creating a games room for all ages and introducing WiFi throughout the hotel.

My mother recognised early on, that no real success can come without the support of a great team of people led so capably by Heather Measey our General Manager. So one of our priorities is to provide ongoing training, staff development and internal promotion for our team."

  Clearly these changes have only added to the appeal as Fiona Duncan writing in the Sunday Telegraph elegantly described the Arundell Arms as , 'largely unchanged by the passage of time…..pretty bedrooms, a roaring fire in the comfortable, homely drawing room and hearty food in the bar add to the appeal.'”

... that's what Paddy said.