Armytage House Holiday House

Australian Traveller Magazine’s 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes When free settler George Armytage arrived in Tasmania in 1816 and was granted 500 acres in the Bagdad Valley, he planted some grain, built a few flourmills and began the creation of what would become a prospering 4000-acre estate. Nowadays it’s hard to believe Armytage House was once just a humble barn used to store George’s grain.

Although the simply delineated arched roof and original sandstone and brick walls remain – testament to the masons who laboured on the barn nearly 200 year ago – the interior of the property holds no clue to its lowly beginnings. It has been completely renovated, and now features two bedrooms (one on a separate mezzanine level overlooking the open-plan living and dining area), a fully equipped kitchen with granite bench tops, plush leather furniture and wrought-iron beds, walk-in showers and a bath with windows out to the expansive gardens.

Boy, does this barn scrub up well.

Details // Midland Hwy, Bagdad, Tas. From $170 per night per couple.
www.armytagehouse.com.au, (03) 6268 6354.