For most of the year a pristine and stylish shepherd’s hut stands alone at the top of a wild meadow behind Lower Birch Farmhouse. There’s a modern print above the bed with a single word in bold block capitals: a word that might escape your lips when you first see the view from this place. It’s a word you might use as you sink into the outdoor rolltop bath with a glass of the prosecco that’s gifted in your welcome pack. And one you’ll almost certainly say when you see the sun go down or when you look up for the first time and see the starry North Devon skies. That word is “whoa” and it’s likely the one that London-escapees Kate and Julian uttered when they first found this place: their home in the countryside.
This creative pair have decided to share their space through a shepherd’s hut of their own design and, for a few weeks in summer, a single bell tent with similar attention to style. Each sleeps two which means that, no matter when you come, the maximum capacity is a grand total of just four glampers. That’s four glampers in a three-acre field that’s been left to grow wild. We could tell you about the facilities but suffice to say that your hosts have got glamping nailed (with private facilities, log burner, cooking kit and a fire pit outside). Instead, let’s look at that wild; this place is full of life. The tangle of grasses and wildflowers is edged by a babbling brook and home to butterflies, bees, bats and foxes. There are little owls in the day, barn owls at dusk and tawnys when it gets dark. Binoculars are provided but often not needed to see the wildlife that’s here.
Lower Birch Farmhouse is not really near anywhere and that’s another part of its charm. You can walk to the nearest village to look at the church or cross country to get to the shop at Bratton Fleming but other than that, it’s a drive. It’s seven miles to National Trust properties and gardens, a little further to Exmoor and the closest beach – there are plenty to choose from round here. Head north to pretty coves and secret bays, west to surf-friendly beaches like Woolacombe and Westward Ho! Any or all of which are likely to make you say “whoa” yet again.
You can walk from site into the surrounding countryside, to the nearby village of Stoke Rivers or to the local shop at Bratton Fleming and an OS Map is provided to help you navigate on local footpaths. The Tarka Trail offers a great way to cycle in North Devon and you can join it in Barnstaple, seven miles from site. The National Trust’s Arlington Court and the National Carriage Museum (01271 850296) are about the same distance away and it’s just a little further to the privately-owned Marwood Hill Gardens (01271 342528). If you’re into gardens, it’s worth making the longer trip to RHS Rosemoor (01805 624067), 20 miles away. It’s around eight miles to the edge of Exmoor National Park and 11 miles to the closest beach at Combe Martin which lies within the national park, though there are plenty more to choose from including the quieter beach, Broadsands, a few miles further on – which is only accessible on foot. Watermouth Bay, the twin villages of Lynton and Lynmouth and the sandy expanse at Saunton are all about 14 miles from site. Woolacombe and Westward Ho! are a little further (about half an hour’s drive) but both have surf schools and are great places for days out on the beach.
A welcome hamper provides you with a few local goodies including bread, eggs and milk. Bratton Fleming is the closest place with amenities – which include a village shop, four miles away. For more than that, head seven miles to the town of Barnstaple. There, recommended places include Crafty’s (01271 523966) for craft beer and sharing platters and Boston Tea Party (01271 316777) for breakfasts. The closest pub to site is The New Inn (01271 342488) in Goodleigh, four miles away. Also recommended and within 10 miles are The Black Venus in Challcombe (01598 763251), The Fox and Goose in Parracombe (01598 763239) and The Pyne Arms in East Down (01271 850055).
