March snow gone, Lambing has started – Spring is here :)

Here are a few snowy photographs from around the farm for you to enjoy – Hopefully you can find the various locations around the farm without snow when you visit Huxtable Farm B&B in warmer weather conditions.

Lambing has started we’ve had a triplet and two doubles today, the daffodils and primroses are brightening up the garden, Easter is next week, the sun is shining so it’s starting to feel more like Spring 🙂

Books by North Devon Authors

1st March 2018 – World Book Day

World Book Day – A freezing cold day great for curling up with a good book.

We’re so lucky in North Devon to have a variety of great authors, past & present and books about North Devon

Book all about - Huxtable Farm - The story of a Devon Farm

Book all about – Huxtable Farm – The story of a Devon Farm

From our own book about Huxtable Farm edited by Barbara Payne ‘Huxtable The Story of a Devon Farm’ to Henry Williamson’s ‘Tarka the Otter’

‘Huxtable The Story of a Devon Farm’ can be purchased at £7.50 plus P&P Contact jackie@huxtablefarm.co.uk

Henry Williamson ‘Tarka the Otter’ – Follows an otters joyful water-life and death in the country of the two rivers, Taw and Torridge. The ‘Tarka Trail’ passes the entrance to Huxtable Farm B&B.

R F Delderfield’s ‘To Serve Them All My Days’  – First published in 1972, the book was adapted for television in 1980. Set between WW1 and WW2 the book is follows a young shell- shocked man’s life as a master at a remote Devon School. R. F. Delderfield’s time at West Buckland School served as an inspiration for ‘To serve them all my days’

Johnny Kingdom ‘A Wild Life on Exmoor’ A wildlife photographer specialising in his local area Exmoor & North Devon

R D Blackmore ‘Lorna Doone’ – A romance of Exmoor, based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly around the East Lyn Valley area of Exmoor

Books by North Devon Authors

Books by North Devon Authors

David Kennard ‘A Shepherd’s Watch’ – David Kennard lives a life most people can only dream about. Farming on a spectacularly beautiful part of the Devon coast he has an almost telepathic bond with nature and with his working sheepdogs.

Norma Huxtable ‘Positively The Last Word on Exmoor’ –  Norma Huxtable a farmer, landlady, writer, wit and all-round exposer of the social scene that makes Exmoor such a unique place to live

Veronica Henry ‘The Long Weekend’ , ‘A Night on the Orient Express’ and many more page turning romance novels. One of my favourite present day novelist.

Charles Kingsley – Westward Ho! (A north Devon seaside town near Bideford, with a large sandy beach & unique pebble ridge) – A novel was based on the adventures of Elizabethan corsair Amyas Preston who sets sail with Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and other privateers to the New World, where they battle with the Spanish.

Save the Date: 21st – 29th September 2018 for Appledore’s Book Festival – When you get a chance to meet some authors.

Which ever book you read today stay safe and warm

 

Snowdrops

February-Snowdrops and things to do this year

Bird box

Bird box

Time to enjoy the beautiful snowdrops of North Devon, littered in the hedgerow at Huxtable Farm B&B , RHS Rosemoor and at Snowdrop Valley (a privately owned remote valley in a hidden part of Exmoor close to Whedden Cross open to the public 27th Jan – 25th Feb)

 

The bird boxes are up around the farm again – Looking forward to house this year’s Spring birds.

 

Stream on Devon Wildlife Farm Trail

Stream on Devon Wildlife Farm Trail

This February you can also get a taste of Exmoor by sampling the delicious, local food prepared by some great Exmoor restaurants during ‘The Exmoor Food Festival’ – Eat your way across Exmoor during February 2018! Participating restaurants across the region will offer 2 courses for  £10.00 / 3 courses for £15.00 between 1st and 28th February. Great to stop off at during a walk on Exmoor or after having done Huxtable Farm’s Wildlife Trail

Our flock of sheep are due to start lambing at the end of March and during April – Do come and enjoy this time of year with us.

To help you enjoy what’s going on in North Devon in February and March we have some SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES at Huxtable Farm B&B until 13th March 2018.

Owl box on Wildlife farm trail

Owl box on Wildlife farm trail

Otherwise, please have a look at the fantastic variety of events due to take place in North Devon during 2018 by looking at Huxtable Farm B&B’s local Events/Farm Calendar 

Including some #Easter #Egg hunts to look forward to at all the attractions in the area;
April – RHS Rosemoor –  Easter Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt & Easter crafts.
Easter fun at National Trust Arlington Court & Cadburys Easter Eggs Hunt.
Quince Honey Farm, The Big Sheep, The Milky Way, NT Arlington Court, RHS Rosemoor, Hartland Abbey and find the Easter chicks at Clovelly!

 

 

Bo - Bottle fed tame lamb

Bottle fed tame lamb

Pumpkins

Halloween and 2018 lambs!

Pumpkin Face at RHS Rosemoor Gardens

Pumpkin Face at RHS Rosemoor Gardens

 

 

Happy Halloween, enjoy the festive fun of dressing up and having a laugh 🙂

 

 

 

Jacob ram with ewes

Jacob ram with ewes

The rams have now joined the ewes, so with a gestation period of 21 weeks we should have the first lambs around the 25th March and be #lambing during the 2018 #Easter holidays

Ram with ewes

Ram with ewes

 

 

 

 

 

Huxtable Farm Jacob wool products - Christmas gifts

Huxtable Farm Jacob wool products – Christmas and 7th (wool) Anniversary gifts

 

Please remember, if you’re looking for a unique Christmas or 7th (wool) Anniversary gift or just want to wrap up warm this winter please do have a look at Huxtable Farm B&B’s Jacob Wool products for sale; 100% wool throws, knee rugs, cushions, scarves, knitting kits, hand knitted hats and cowls. We also have 100gm balls of Jacob sheep wool in three different colours, cream, grey & dark brown.

 

 

 

Throws by the fire

Throws by the fire

 

Autumn leaves at North Devon B&B

October – North Devon things to do

So much happening in North Devon this October. . . .

Autumn conkers, North Devon

Autumn conkers, North Devon

‘Things you can do for free at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon’  – Feed the hens and collect their eggs, identify bats at dusk, enjoy the beautiful colours of the leaves in the woodland whilst taking a braising walk around Huxtable Farm’s Devon Wildlife Farm Trail, pick apples, collect conkers, see how many different fungi you can find and more . . . .

Autumn leaves (Autumn walks in North Devon)

Autumn leaves (Autumn walks in North Devon)

 

A variety of fungi in the woodland at B&B near Barnstaple

A variety of fungi in the woodland at B&B near Barnstaple

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Face at RHS Rosemoor Gardens

Pumpkin Face at RHS Rosemoor Gardens

To see what else is happening in North Devon  this October please click on the following links;

RHS Rosemoor in October,  7th & 8th October Apple Festival, 13th -15th October Wood Festival, 21st & 22nd Antiques & Collectors Fair, 28th & 29th Pumpkin Weekend.

Halloween Festival at The Big Sheep 21st – 29th October – Pumpkin carving, haunted house, spooky castle, free face painting and much more!

Star Wars at The Milky Way 28th Oct

National Trust Arlington Court in October: 21st – 29th October Haunted Halloween Trail, 27th Oct Spooky Night Walk, 24th & 27th Oct Halloween Crafts

North Devon Food Festival

North Devon Food Festival

 

North Devon Food Festival 22nd October

19th – 29th October Exmoor’s first Dark Skies Festival, celebrating Exmoor National Park’s status as Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. The Festival will appeal to families and children as well as those more experienced in watching the stars.

Don’t forget there’s so much you can do at Huxtable Farm B&B for FREE too

Sunflower

July – A bountiful of fruit & roses

July fruit

July fruit

The abundance of fruit (gooseberries, rhubarb, red currants, black currants, loganberries & raspberries) has kept us busy picking fresh fruit for the breakfast table and making a variety of preserve jams also for the breakfast table to enjoy with warm butted toast or croissants.

Raspberry picking

Raspberry picking

 

Raspberry picking

Thank you to my little helps ! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Hampton Court Flower Show Roses

Hampton Court Flower Show Roses

Having been to Hampton Court Flower Show 2017 and loving the roses purchased there,

Hampton Court Flower Show, Monty Don and Joe Swift

Hampton Court Flower Show, Monty Don and Joe Swift

makes me so grateful that we have RHS Rosemoor so close to visit at anytime of year, so special at the moment as it’s RHS Rosemoor’s Rose Festival until 30th July, the roses and their scent are amazing as is the gorgeous ‘Hot garden’.

RHS Rosemoor Gardens, rose festival and hot garden

RHS Rosemoor Gardens, rose festival and hot garden

Mean while here at Huxtable Farm B&B the newly created ‘Wild Flower’ patch is looking lovely and is a great hit with insects and butterflies, as is the wildlife pond too!

Wild Flower patch at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon

Wild Flower patch at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon

Wildlife pond at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Devon

Wildlife pond at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Devon

Recently caught on camera, whilst on the Devon Wildlife Farm Trail at Huxtable Farm a ‘Funnel-web spider’ with it’s prey, a grass hopper.

The French Toulouse Goslings are now fully grown

Things to do this July;

RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival has 2000 roses on display now 17th June – 30th July – The largest rose gardens in the South West. Pick up your free Rose Trail Garden Map when you get there.

Lynmouth Raft Race 22nd July

Clovelly Maritime Festival 16th July

Mid Devon Show – National Trust Knighthayes, Tiverton 22nd July 

National Trust Arlington Court – Family ranger days, drop-in family crafts & garden days – PDF of events

Things to do for free at Huxtable Farm B&B

Gardens to visit in North Devon

Beaches to visit in North Devon

Wildlife & Nature of North Devon & Exmoor

North Devon Show 2nd August

July – Picking fruit & making jam – Things to do

Blackberry flowers at Huxtable Farm B&B

Blackberry flowers at Huxtable Farm B&B

 

Looks like there’s going to be a bumper crop of blackberries this Autumn. However, there’s plenty of fruit to pick for the breakfast table at the moment to eat fresh or to make jam with – Fresh raspberries, ‘Gooseberry & Elderflower’ and Loganberry jams.

July fruit

July fruit

 

 

Things to do this July;

RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival has 2000 roses on display now 17th June – 30th July – The largest rose gardens in the South West. Pick up your free Rose Trail Garden Map when you get there.

Lynmouth Raft Race 22nd July

Man vs Moor 15th July

Clovelly Maritime Festival 16th July

National Trust Arlington Court – Family ranger days, drop-in family crafts & garden days – PDF of events

Things to do for free at Huxtable Farm B&B

North Devon Show 2nd August

 

Honeysuckle

June – some wild flowers found around Huxtable Farm B&B

Some of the wild flowers you can find on the Devon wildlife farm trail at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, situated between Barnstaple & South Molton, near Exmoor, North Devon.

Thistle

Thistle

Water Lily

Water Lily

Red dead nettle

Red dead nettle

Meadow saxifrage

Meadow saxifrage

Iris

Iris

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle

Hop Trefoil

Hop Trefoil

Groundsel

Groundsel

Elderflower

Elderflower

Cow parsley

Cow parsley

Common hemp nettle

Common hemp nettle

Clover

Clover

Birds foot trefoil

Birds foot trefoil

Charlock

Charlock

Wild flower ?

Wild flower ?

Beautiful roses - RHS Rosemoor

Rose Festival time

The ‘Rose’ is ‘Gardeners’ World Golden Jubilee Plant’ – An easy choice!

Not only is there a great variety, they are beautiful, many have delicious scents and are used to celebrate lots of occasions.

RHS Rosemoor Rose Festival has 2000 roses on display now 17th June – 30th July – The largest rose gardens in the South West. Pick up your free Rose Trail Garden Map when you get there.

Here are a few of the roses (two are not rose flowers can you spot them?) found at Huxtable Farm B&B, situated between Barnstaple & South Molton, near West Buckland, Devon,  offering quality farmhouse B&B accommodation, within half an hours drive to RHS Rosemoor and a variety of beautiful North Devon Gardens.

Roses

Roses

rose-20 rose-21

june-rose-15 june-rose-16 june-rose-17 june-rose-18

june-rose-2 june-rose-3 june-rose-4 june-rose-5 june-rose-6 june-rose-7 june-rose-8 june-rose-9 june-rose-10 june-rose-11

Roses

Gardens of North Devon

June – Elderflower & Gooseberry Jam, Roses & Cream Teas

Lupins and Roses at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Barnstaple

Lupins and Roses at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Barnstaple

June – With the longest day of the year approaching (21st June) with bright fresh morning and balmy evenings, we’re grateful for the long days as there is so much to do on the farm at this time of year, from making hay & silage for winter feed, cutting the lawns & weeding the garden to picking fruit.

The rhubarb, gooseberries & elderflowers are lovely this year giving us plenty of fresh produce for the breakfast table; honeyed rhubarb and homemade gooseberry & elderflower jam (a favourite with everyone).

– The Lupins and Roses are just coming into bloom, which reminds me to tell you to visit RHS Rosemoor to see their beautiful rose gardens during their Rose Festival June 17 – 30th July.

June is a great time to visit the beautiful gardens, National Trust properties, historic houses, harbours and market towns of North Devon & Exmoor or enjoy a stroll away from it all on Exmoor along the side of a river (We’ll share with you some special places to visit!).

Devon Cream Tea welcome

Devon Cream Tea welcome

With National Cream Tea Day on the 30th June, in Devon we like to put the cream on the scone and the jam on top of the cream. You can enjoy a Devon Cream Tea welcome any time of year at Huxtable Farm B&B

There’s so much going on in North Devon during June here are a few thing taking place over the next few weeks: –
What’s on at RHS Rosemoor – Rose Festival June 17 – 30th July
National Trust Arlington Court – What’s on during June – Meet the gardener, garden Trail, garden talk
South Molton Vintage Rally 3rd – 4th June
South Molton Olde English Fayre 9th- 13th June
17th June 2017 – Point to Point at Umberleigh.
16th, 17th & 18th June 2017 – Gold Coast Ocean Festival, Woolacombe & Croyde
Getting active during your stay in North Devon
Beaches of North Devon

Point to point horse racing

Point to point horse racing, North Devon