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Free Days Out

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We know how expensive it can be to keep everyone entertained on holiday. There is so much to do for free in South Devon from your base at Beeson Farm, whether its days out on the moor, playing on the beach or exploring the local landmarks.

Check out our top 10 things to do for free in South Devon for inspiration

  1. Start Point Lighthouse. Talk a walk along the coastpath to see the Lighthouse, with beautiful views over the Start Bay coastline, on a clear day you can see as far as Dorset!  Take a picnic and head down to Mattiscombe beach and stop off at Pear Tree Point to see the seals playing and basking on the rocks.
  2. Crabbing from the quay in Kingsbridge or Salcombe. Guests are welcome to borrow buckets and crab lines from us.
  3. Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum is free for under 16s
  4. Slapton Ley is the largest natural freshwater lake in the South West and a SSSI. Download a walking trail and explore the reedbeds, marshes, woods and raised walkways over the lake.
  5. Dartmoor National Park. Explore the beauty of the moor, from rugged Tors to babbling brooks there are 368 miles to explore and makes an easy day trip from Beeson Farm. Here are some easy walks on Dartmoor to try with kids.
  6. Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh, is a working Benedictine Monastery. Pack a picnic and enjoy a peaceful walk around the lawns and meandering paths of the formal gardens.
  7. The House of Marbles – This small attraction is home to some fascinating marble runs that will keep kids entertained and watch demonstrations of glass blowing. Outside there’s a garden with games and a play area
  8. The Box is an interactive arts and heritage museum in the heart of Plymouth. with interactive exhibits, digital displays there is plenty to wow your kids and is perfect for a rainy day.
  9.  Beaches, beaches and more beaches…with so many beaches on our doorstep you could explore a different location every day!

 

Valentines Weekend in The Linhay

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The Linhay makes a perfect couples (or family) retreat all year round- but especially at Valentines.

The Linhay has the largest living/dining area of all our cottages, with a triple aspect view out onto the courtyard, the wildlife pond and its own private garden.

Settle down on one of the squishy sofas in front of the log fire (logs provided from our own woodshed) and relax with a good book or a film. For those with musical talent there is also a piano in the living room!

The kitchen is well equipped should you wish to rustle up a romantic meal but there are also a plethora of excellent local pubs to choose from should you wish to eat out. We recommend The Cricket Inn at Beesands, The Bear and Blacksmith in Chillington and The Tradesmans Arms in Stokenham.

There is step free access out onto the sundeck which overlooks the wildlife pond, home to a nu mber of wild ducks and perfect for watching the ducklings in the spring.

A small number of steps takes you down into the garden which has both grassy and paved areas, perfect for a BBQ or for children to play.

The master bedroom has a romantic kingsize fourposter bed and ensuite with whirlpool bath- perfect for a soothing soak after a day out exploring the South Hams.

Put your boots on and enjoy a quiet walk through the village down to the beach at Beesands (which is just under a mile). The Cricket Inn is the perfect pub to enjoy a drink before strolling along the beach or following the coastpath towards Start Point Lighthouse (where you have a good chance of spotting seals at this time of year).

For Valentines Day we are offering a short break in the Linhay from Feb 16th-19th at the discounted rate of £220 with a bottle of Prosecco on arrival.

The Tale of the Whale

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February 23rd may have brought Storm Doris to the UK, however in South Devon we were blessed with a sunny day (although windy) that brought an unusual visitor to our coastline.

By midday there were reports that a whale had been spotted off the shore of Slapton Sands (a 10 minute drive from Beeson Farm). It was initially thought to be a Minke, but has since been confirmed by Brixham Seawatch as a Humpback- a rare sighting for the South Coast of Devon which initially lead to concerns that it may be in trouble since it should be much further North out in the Atlantic.

In the early morning sun on the 24th Feb we spotted the whale at Slapton Sands, where it was close enough into the shore to see it spouting water and breaching the waves. The children were beyond excited as they watched with their classmates before school in the morning and again in the twilight as the lighthouse beamed across the bay. Once again we marvelled at how blessed they are to grow up in natures playground where they have the chance to run free on the beach where they have previously spotted seals, dolphins and porpoises.

Over two weeks later the whale is swimming strongly up and down the coastline and appears to be feeding on the glut of sprats, accompanied by porpoises, seals and gannets.  Quite the wildlife show every day!  The British Divers Marine Life Rescue have stated that it is healthy and is feeding in the shallow waters on shoaling fish. They also state that “in recent years there has been an increase in sightings around the UK.  Most of these have been in Scotland where they would be expected, but humpbacks have also been recently spotted off the coasts of Cornwall, Devon, Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Northumberland and the North West.  This may be due to a good supply of prey, but also may indicate a recovery of the population since the whaling moratorium in the 1980s, with animals returning to feeding haunts of old”.

The whole local community are enjoying the spectacle of this living nature documentary! The memory of the day the whale came will stay with our awestruck children for the rest of their lives, reminding us all to love and protect our beautiful coast and marine environment.

Humpback whales range in length from 12 metres to 16 metres and weigh about 36,000 kg. Sadly, there are very few Humpback Whales left, with scientists estimating that there can’t be more than 15,000 of them in the world.

Photo credit to our friends at Forest and Beach http://www.forestandbeach.co.uk/– an outdoor education centre and forest school provider in our village of Beeson.