Weekends May/June £1,250 for 16! Weeks in July/Aug:farmhouse:10+2 £1,800,Cottage:sleeps 6 £800 (£2,600 for 16). Nov 2012-April 2013:£1,100 weeknd for 16(excl.Xmas/NY)
Little Barton Farmhouse is a large, Victorian family house, with most of its original features intact. The Cottage is a barn conversion, with its original trusses, in the courtyard of farm buildings to the rear of the house. Both properties have big, light, airy rooms, with fantastic views from the first floor, big gardens, and a long access track through grassland and wildflowers. Together, the houses work well as a venue for holidays and courses as well as informal wedding parties. There is space in the grounds for a yurt or a marquee, and a 45ft barn and additional loft space is available for simple "green" celebrations.
This is not a house that's attempting to be a hotel, or to provide suburban accommodation in a rural location. Its undeniable charm lies in its stunning location on the Hartland Peninsula and the unmanicured nature of the place. The style is deliberately old-fashioned, with the impact of modern appliances kept to a minimum (though it has hi-tech comforts) and the delicious warmth of full, SEBUK AA rated central heating and wood burners in both houses, as well as an open fire in the farmhouse.
Altogether, the property offers the chance to step back in time for a traditional family holiday by the sea, and is ideal for romantics, who enjoy a truly isolated rural location, plenty of activity and good local food. It is a half hour walk, partly across National Trust land, from the back door to having your toes in the sea - or seven minutes by car!
NEW FOR 2012:
SURFING BREAKS: we hope to have a selection of wetsuits and boards for hire and offer the opportunity to be taken around local surf spots over a week or long weekend. Check out the link to the surf blog on the website.
WALKING WEEKENDS: you can book a guided walk on the coast path.
WORKSHOPS: lots of space to run meditation, t’ai chi and other kinds of workshops. Please ask. Check out the link to the blog on the website.
The farmhouse, run on broadly organic/ecological principles, sleeps 10+ people comfortably. It has big, light, airy rooms with natural wooden and terracotta flooring, and is set in a large, lawned garden with sea views and a south facing sitting area with garden tables and chairs and a simple BBQ. There is a small plantation of trees, which rings the south garden and is full of wildlife.
The cottage has an unusual handmade, farmhouse kitchen. There is a corner larder, an old fashioned Belfast sink with slate surround and a big kitchen table. The floor is made of terracotta tiles and there is a French window, which opens into the garden, letting in the glow of the reddish Western light in the early evening.
The sitting room is cosy and has a very comfortable sofa, a flat screen LCD TV, DVD player and radio. The new Clear View wood burner gives out lots of heat and is a focal point for the room. The bathroom is downstairs with an additional electric shower over the bath.
There is central heating throughout and a big utility room in which to keep wood, bikes and surf boards etc.
The lawned garden bordered by willow and ash trees is to the west of the cottage and is not overlooked. It has a simple BBQ and garden furniture.
Like the farmhouse, the cottage has a selection of board games, books and DVDs.
The farmhouse sleeps 10+, the cottage six, and both have an additional cot. The farmhouse has three double bedrooms, one single room and one room with a 6-foot double and an extra, adult-sized bunk bed - useful for couples with a child, who does not like to sleep alone. A further triple room has a bed shelf for two children aged 5-11, and an adult single bed. (There is an additional double futon on the landing, which can be used on request, depending on the time of year.)
The cottage has one double, one single, and a double/twin/triple room with twin beds, which can be pushed together to make a king-sized bed and a further single bed. The farmhouse has two bathrooms, the cottage one.
All 16 guests can eat together at one table in the farmhouse, with additional space available at a separate table.
Both houses have a washing machines, dishwashers, electric cookers,(additional electric oven + hot tray in farmhouse) fridges/ freezers, and kitchen equipment appropriate for to the group size and for serious cooking. The farmhouse also has a tumble dryer. (Drying facilities over Rayburn in the cottage).
Both houses have a washing machines, dishwashers, electric cookers, (additional electric oven + hot tray in farmhouse) fridges/ freezers, and kitchen equipment appropriate for to the group size and for serious cooking. The farmhouse also has a tumble dryer. WiFi is available in the cottage only.
Entertainment facilities include flat screen TVs, DVD and CD players, films, books and games. There’s a tuned piano in the farmhouse, and a large utility space for bikes, surfboards, pushchairs etc. In the barn there is badminton, a full size ping pong table and skittles.
Little Barton has its own water supply and eco sewage disposal. Low energy light bulbs are used where possible and eco washing and cleaning materials are provided.
The village shops, including a farm shop, stock an excellent range of food, including local meat, good local fruit/veg. and cheese. Marshford Organic Shop has an online ordering service and food can be picked up on the way here (five minutes off the A39). Supermarket shopping is not encouraged but Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco can deliver.
Pets are welcome by arrangement, but must be safe with livestock. Please note that NO SMOKING is allowed in either house.
A very special location, surrounded by pasture and unspoilt landscape, with magnificent views of the Bristol Channel and Lundy Island on one side and the Atlantic on the other, with the South West Coast Path and Speke’s Mill Mouth beach a short walk away. The village of Hartland is 30 minutes’ walk (partly on a path through the woods) in the other direction. The whole peninsula is a wonderful place for walks, with a varied landscape, from wooded walks along the valleys and the north coast to the wild Atlantic seaboard to the west.
Airports: Exeter (75 miles); Newquay (RyanAir) (53 miles)
Station: Barnstaple (25miles)
The local beaches are secluded and wild, rocky at high tide and sandy as the tide recedes. They are good for swimming, body boarding and surfing. A bit further down the coast (20 mins by car) there are large sandy beaches with lifeguards. You can walk from the house round to the pub at Hartland Quay, using the SW coast path, and there are many other excellent circular walks.
Two gardens open to the public are within easy walking distance. Ten minutes in the car will take you to The Milky Way, which provides excellent, all-weather fun for children of all ages. Cycling, riding, sailing and mountain boarding are all available locally. Extreme sports lessons and private boat trips out to Lundy Island can be arranged.
There are good places to eat within easy reach. Hartland has several pubs, two potteries and a wide range of local crafts. There is a Farmers’ Market on the first Sunday of every month, which also offers a really good, locally sourced fried breakfast! For more attractions, see the Little Barton website (link below).
Farmhouse alone from £750 – £1,850 per week
Farmhouse and Cottage from £1,000 - £2,725 per week
Please phone/email to enquire for prices, as these are a rough guide only.