Forget the continent: head for the farm

By Staff Writer Ruth Jackson Jun 06, 2008

Ruth Jackson

Stuck between rising living costs and a strong euro, many families are giving up their annual fortnight on the beach in favour of holidaying in Britain. But how do you keep the children occupied without all that sun, sea and sand? Easy. Take a holiday down on the farm. 

Around 10,000 British farms (of more than 300,000 in total) now offer holiday lets, making this one of the UK’s fastest-growing self-catering options. The warmer southern weather means Cornwall has the highest concentration – 21% of its farms have holiday accommodation.

Andy Gardney and his family felt like “extras out of TV’s The Darling Buds of May” after spending a week at Shepherds Rest near Launceston, he writes in the Sunday Mirror. The converted barn boasts “five-star luxury” with a satellite TV and a DVD player for rainy days, while the 140-acre farm offered great views and – if you are lucky – the chance to ride on the farm’s tractor trailer and feed the cattle.

For a day out, visit Lower Tokenbury Equestrian Centre, where the family can have a go at horse riding and enjoy “jaw-dropping views of Bodmin Moor”.

For those who want to get even closer to nature, head to Moores Farm near Bath. Guests stay in luxury tents with decked floors, proper beds and a flushable toilet. It’s “the perfect halfway house for those who want to discover the joys of the great outdoors without the hardships”, says Jane Memmler in the Daily Express.

The farm also has hens, pygmy goats and sheep. Guests can help themselves to eggs from the hen house – great fun for children, although “it’s a wonder the hens carried on laying any eggs at all after the hassle they got”, says Memmler. To give the hens some peace, take the children for a day out to Longleat House and Safari Park, or Cheddar Gorge, both nearby.

If you fancy the rural life, but just can’t bear the British weather, then there’s plenty of ‘agritourism’ in Europe too. Italy has the largest range of locations, but Portugal, Switzerland and Romania are catching up fast. In Italy, farming is largely arable, meaning fewer animals for the children to play with. However, Campalfi in Tuscany has “peacocks, parakeets, doves, chickens and the owners’ huge wolf-like puppy, Tula”, which “pretty much ticked every box” for the children, says Judith Woods in The Daily Telegraph (Invitationtotuscany.com; 020-8742 8552).

If the Italian heat gets too much for you, visit the nearby river Merse, where children can “explore the natural limestone pools, build dams, net tiddlers and swim to their heart’s content”, says Woods. The river is such a perfect aqua-playground that the farm’s owners haven’t bothered to build a swimming pool.

This means that, in the absence of the constant shrieks and splashes of a nearby pool, there’s an air of unbroken tranquillity. “Instead, we threw open our doors in the morning to the susurration of cicadas and the smell of wild thyme, and drank our morning espressos by the pond, where terrapins sunbathed on the bank and jewel-bright dragonflies danced over the surface,” says Woods.

Three top farm holidays 

Feather Down Farm Days

This company offers luxury tents on 13 farms around the country. Featherdown.co.uk; 01420-80804.  

Knowle Farm

This Devonshire farm has a heated indoor pool and play areas for when the weather turns bad. Knowle-farm.co.uk; 01365-73914. 

Quinta da Alfarrobeira

This organic farm in Portugal encourages children to help feed the animals. Responsibletravel.com; 01273-600030.

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