If, like us you are enjoying the beautiful sunshine of Spring, you may want to know where to find the best of this wonderful season. We love the incredible colour of the daffodils lining the lanes, the hedgerow primroses and the new born lambs filling the fields around us. It really is a season of new beginnings and possibilities – and the current weather is making it even more special!

 All around us throughout Devon there are an abundance of stunning places to visit and we highlight just a few here!

Where to find daffodils…

Dunsford wildlife reserve is said to have one of the finest displays of daffodils in Britain. Dunsford is sited on the River Teign, west of Dartmoor. www.devonwildlifetrust.org/reserve/Dunsford/ 

 Marwood Hill Garden is a magical 20 acre private garden with three lakes. Set in a valley only 4 miles from Barnstable, the grounds are awash with spring colour as the narcissi bloom throughout!

The National Trust are experts in daffodils, having 200 gardens blooming each year with them! Knightshayes and Saltram in Devon are just two examples to visit to witness the welcome arrival of Spring.

And for those of you wanting to create your own garden of colour, daffodils are one of the easiest flowers to look after, inexpensive, and keep flowering year after year. Just remember not to cut back the leaves after flowering, as they ‘charge’ the bulb with energy to create your flower display for the following year.

Where to see (and feed!) Spring lambs…

Many of our farms have their own livestock, including the beautiful Spring lambs that are making us smile every time we see them skipping about! You can see them throughout the fields in Devon but if you’d like to get up close there are a few places you can visit.

 Hele Payne Farm is a traditional working farm and very much welcome you to come and join in with feeding their lambs. www.devonfarms.co.uk/self-catering-holiday-cottage/hele-payne-farm/86.html

 Or if you would prefer to take the children on a family day out, The Big Sheep run feeding sessions from now until October where you can have the opportunity of bottle feeding one of their lambs. www.thebigsheep.co.uk/attractions/live-shows/lamb-feeding

You can find out more about our farms which welcome participation such as lamb feeding here; www.devonfarms.co.uk/fp/working-farm-holiday/farm-participation-welcome.html

And please let us know where you have visited during Springtime, we’d love to hear from you!

This month, we are focusing our attention on two local villages, to give you an insight to the variety of things they have to offer, and where best to stay when visiting the area!

Whimple 

Whimple is a lovely village largely centred round the 19th century village square and rebuilt Norman church. Located just 9 miles from Exeter and 3 miles from Ottery St Mary, it was listed in the Doomsday book as ‘Winpla’.

With two pubs, a village shop, post office and primary school, Whimple is surrounded by apple orchards and once boasted the largest cyder apple orchards in the world. Because of this, Whimple hosts an annual Wassail festival, an ancient tradition of apples, cider and cake which unsurprisingly attracts visitors from all over the country!

Strete Ralegh Farm is a great place to stay for visiting Whimple – it is a grade 2 listed Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast. Strete Ralegh has a livery yard on site with 5 star facilities which home dressage horses who are South West regional champions.

All the food served on the farm is locally sourced, and also includes Anthea’s home grown tomatoes and fresh fruit. She prides herself on her cooked breakfasts!

With varied scenery and plenty of fresh country air, Strete Ralegh farm is perfectly located for not only enjoying Whimple, but also visiting the moors and the nearby coastline.

Strete Ralegh Farm

www.streteraleghfarm.co.uk

01404 822464

Stoodleigh 

The village of Stoodleigh is a lively community with a wide range of events going on throughout the year. Easter markets in the Village Hall, Summer fun days, Autumn markets and Christmas festivals. It also has a variety of visiting musicians at the friendly local pub, and so there is never a shortage of things to do and see!

Stoodleigh sits mid-way between the north and south Devon coasts and is 6 miles from the bustling market town of Tiverton.

The National Trust venue Knighthayes Court is nearby with acres of glorious gardens and parklands.

When visiting Stoodleigh a perfect place to stay is Quoit-at-Cross Farm, a beautiful 17th Century Family Farmhouse which is based in the centre of the village. They have a variety of animals on the farm, including sheep, cattle, alpacas, ponies and their pet dog.

Linda serves a wide range of delicious breakfasts including local fruit, cereals, salmon and scrambled eggs as well as her famous farm house brekkie.

The farm has also diversified into producing Pig Pods which are an unusual, cosy alternative to traditional camping – well worth a look!

There is so much to offer when staying here, and Linda has a wealth of knowledge about the local area having grown up here. The rugged coastline, beautiful countryside as well as the moors and valleys, you will be sure to return again and again!

Quoit-at-Cross

www.quoit-at-cross.co.uk

01398 351280

This month, our #FarmhouseFood recipe comes from Linda at Quiot-at-Cross farm. It is a delicious marble cake, perfect for your Easter weekend.

Budleigh Salterton

The 2 mile long pebble beach and cliffs of Budleigh Salterton are part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site, in the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB.) It remains one of Devon’s most unspoilt and charming towns, with lots of independent shops and retailers, as well as a monthly farmers market. The beach is very safe for bathing and the water is clear. Families can relax at the beach side cafes or hire a beach hut, and there are plenty of places to explore by the rocks at the mouth of the River Otter. There is also a large wild bird sanctuary on the estuary which provides an important haven for migratory birds and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. For families, a wonderful day out is Bicton Park with its botanical gardens and great play areas for children.

Best DevonDays in Budleigh?

• Farmers market on the last Friday of every month
• Budleigh Music Festival in July
• Bird watching on the estuary
• Bicton Park Botanical Gardens

Seaton

Seaton has a mile long shingle beach sheltered between cliffs, where the mouth of the River Axe flows into the estuary and meets the bay. Above the beach is the Esplanade running from one end of the beach to the other. At the top of the red cliffs are the Cliff top gardens with picnic tables and fantastic views over the bay. Seaton’s Millennium Labyrinth can be found in these gardens. The small town has two main streets with a wide selection of independent shops. There is a small harbour mainly used for recreational purposes and homes all the local fishing boats. As well as tennis courts there is a putting green, children’s playground, a cricket and a bowling club. Or why not take a trip on one of Seaton’s famous Trams which carry over 100,000 passengers a year?

Best DevonDays in Seaton?

• Have a trip on an open topped tram
• Walk round the Seaton Labyrinth
• Watersports in Seaton Bay
• Take the 2 mile picturesque walk to Beer…

Beer

Beer is a very unspoilt Devon fishing village, set in a sheltered location on the Devon coast. It has a sheer cliff coastline which is a very distinguishing feature of this small town, with its well known attractions of the underground caves, lying hidden underneath the chalk cliffs. The Jubilee Gardens (created by the people of Beer to honour Queen Victoria) are high up on the cliffs and overlook the bay with beautiful views. The beach is shingle and full of brightly coloured boats, nets and fishing paraphernalia. It is very sheltered so a fantastic sun trap. The village is small, but has a lively community. There are lots of B&B’s, a few antique shops and you can get your fresh cockles too!

Best DevonDays in Beer?

• Explore the quarry caves
• Watch the fisherman bring in their catch
• Wander the pretty unspoilt streets
• Regatta week in August

Meanwhile, as part of our #FarmhouseFoods campaign our latest recipe is for delicious Devon Sesame Seed Loaf. This recipie is by Anne Boldry from Newhouse Farm, Oakford, Tiverton.

Don’t forget to send in your #FarmhouseFoods To feature on our blog and social media.

It’s the end of a wintery week here at Devon Farms, but Friday isn’t just a day to look forward to the weekend, it’s a day to look forward to what the rest of the year has in store. We’ve got lots going on here in Devon as we like to keep busy, but there’s far too much to fit into one blog so we have focussed on some of the festivals Devon has to offer.

Festivals

Festivals in Devon are a relatively new phenomenon but many of them have quickly grown into a fantastic income for the region and a great way for people to experience country life and great music while taking a break from their normal lives. Often there is great food and family entertainment by day and music under the stars by night.

Beautiful Day- http://www.beautifuldays.org/

Beautiful Days is perhaps the most famous festival Devon has to offer. In the past it has attracted acts such as Ben Howard, Tim Minchin, Sinead O’Connor and Rizzle Kicks. Based in the grounds of Escot House near Exeter, it always attracts big crowds from the local area and far beyond so don’t delay in getting your tickets fpr 2015 when they’re released.

Boardmasters http://www.boardmasters.co.uk

Although Boardmasters is a festival based in Cornwall it has strong links to Devon and many of the local community here and from around the country attend this festival which gives you a great mix of surfing, sun, sand and songs.

The Boardmasters website states;

The Watergate Bay music arena, with arguably the World’s best view from a festival site, houses 8 genre spanning stages, bars, endless food stops, festi-stalls and rides… and it’s less than 5 minutes walk to the campsite and Watergate’s golden beach!

Fistral Beach: surfing, skate, BMX, evening gigs, the surf village, surf art installations and more can be found at Britain’s home of surfing in Cornwall

Rudimental have already been announced as a headline act this year with another being announced on the 3^rd February.

Somersault http://somersaultfestival.com/

Featuring forest parties, boutique glamping, regular camping, great food and music to suit all tastes, Somersault is the festival for those who want an experience in the great outdoors with some home comforts too. The festival is based at Castle Hill in Barnstable. In the past Jack Johnson and Ben Howard have played Somersault and with everything from pottery to photography to get stuck into, there’s never a dull moment.

Other events

This blog only features three of the many events that are put on all over Devon every year, check out some more by visiting the events page of our website where we have a calendar full of them. https://www.devonfarms.co.uk/events-whats-on-in-devon.php

Hello all and a very happy new year to you. We’re a couple of weeks into the new year and things are very busy across our region. We thought it might be a good idea to start the new year with a summary of some of the best things Devon has to offer so that when you’re booking your year up you can chose from all the best of the variety we offer.

As some of you will know, lambing is beginning this month and continues into mid spring- with Devon Farms you can enjoy some of the action around the farm by getting stuck in and helping out. You may not want to be involved with the lambing itself but there’s plenty to do which makes for a fun and educational visit to Devon. Take a look at our ‘Fun on the Farm’ page to find out more about the activities and opportunities in the great outdoors.

Another activity which we love to take part in at this time of year is dog walking, which is great because we have plenty of dog friendly places to stay at Devon Farms! In fact, we have a whole section of our website dedicated to it because we know that it’s sometimes difficult to find places which are dog friendly to stay when you go away. Why leave your dogs in the kennels when you can bring them along and enjoy our beautiful countryside at the same time? Take a look at our dedicated dog friendly section of our website here.

On top of the great accommodation here in the Westcountry, we have some fantastic events planned throughout the year. You can take a look at the full list here, but some of the highlights are the music festivals and agricultural shows which always attract big crowds so best to buy tickets early to avoid disappointment. Alternatively, if you’d like to book your own events at one of our farms, why not get in touch? In the past our farms have hosted weddings, funerals, business events and outdoor activities- the great outdoors makes a perfect backdrop for such events and the delicious traditional catering and produce which many of our members provide tops your event off with more Devon magic.

If you have any questions about the events coming up in 2015 or you want to get in touch with some of our members, give us a call on 01769 560 796 or email enquiries@devonfarms.co.uk

Devon is beautiful at any time of year but these windy, rugged and natural days make the coastlines and  moors even more special.

There are many unspoilt beaches, walks and hideaways just waiting for you to discover. So dig out those walking boots, feel  the breeze in your face and have that healthy glow on your cheeks.

Then come back to the delights that Devon has to offer in our comfortable accommodation, country pubs, warming restaurants and many amazing attractions all waiting to warm you and make you feel so welcome that you will not want to leave.

Devon is just waiting for you, whatever the weather there is always plenty to do, so enjoy!

Tickets are now on sale for the Polar Express on Dartmoor Railway

The Railway line in Okehampton is only one of two places in the entire country that offers this exclusive ride. It really is a magical journey and one that anyone staying with one of our members should make the effort to go and visit. Click on the photo to visit their website and book your ride today

Steeperton Tor walk makes it into the top ten.

Visit Devon has complied a guide of the top walks in the county showcasing the natural beauty of Devon.  This seven mile walk starts from the village of Belstone on the fringe of Dartmoor, near Okehampton. Also listed in the top ten is the Ernest Bassett walk beginning in Okehampton which covers the historic architecture and an old waterwheel before continuing along paths, fields and through woodlands leading to the East Okement river.

Mary Stevens’ Delicious Devonshire Splits

We loved the message that came with this recipe. It simply said… “It is ALWAYS the right season for Splits!” You’ll get no arguments from us about that. Despite it being December, we think these would sit comfortably on any dinner table at this time of year.

The recipe below will make 12… which is enough for me, I’m not sure what anyone else is eating?!?!

Ingredients

450 g or 1 lb of strong plain bread flour
5 ml or 1 tsp superfine caster sugar
50 g or 2 oz. butter or margarine
150 ml or a ¼ of a pint of warm milk
150 ml or a ¼ of a pint of warm water
1 tsp salt
14 g. Allinson Easy Bake Yeast (Lidl actually sell individual 7 g sachets)

Directions

Blend the yeast with the sugar and a little warm milk, and leave in a warm place for 20 mins.
Rub the butter or margarine into the flour and make a well in the centre.
Add the yeast mixture, the remaining milk and the water and mix to a soft dough. Knead until elastic and no longer sticky.
Place in an oiled bowl and cover with oiled Clingfilm (plastic wrap).  Leave in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
Shape the dough into 12 flat rolls and arrange on a greased baking (cookie) sheet. Leave to rise for 15 mins.
Bake in a preheated oven 200C / 400 F/ gas mark 8, for 15-20 mins until well risen and golden brown.
Cool on clean tea towel.  Best eaten on the day of making, by splitting in half and spreading with Devon clotted cream and home-made strawberry jam made from strawberries grown in Devon.
Devonshire Splits are also affectionately known by some local people as “Cut Rounds” because you cut around them!
Good to freeze, which needs to be done as soon as they are cold to preserve freshness.

Thank you to Mary from West Hook Farm which is just outside of Okehampton.