Reddivallen Farmhouse, Boscastle
17th century farmhouse on a working farm
Copper Meadow, Liskeard
Working dairy farm on edge of Bodmin Moor
Trenake Manor Farm, Polperro
Farmhouse dating back to 13th century in 300 acres with dairy herd and ponies
Shute Farm, Kingsbridge
16th century beamed farmhouse only a short drive from sandy beaches
Stanborough Farm, Totnes
Farmhouse on a working dairy farm set deep in the beautiful South Hams countyside of Devon
Grendon, Bovey Tracey
Thatched farmhouse, quiet situation, excellent access to cities and Dartmoor
Gatcombe Farm, Seaton
A 230 acre working farm set in a secluded valley
Yellingham Farm, Honiton
Farmhouse set in 45 acres of rolling countryside
Lower Severalls Farmhouse, Crewkerne
17th century farmhouse and converted stables near the Blackdown Hills
New House Farm, Glastonbury
Victorian farmhouse on dairy farm
Somerset
Land of legend, moor, caves, green hills and valleys. Let’s start with a walk on Exmoor, sharing it with the wild ponies, red deer and buzzards. The medieval village of Dunster lies on its eastern edge, dominated by its Norman castle and wooded slopes. At Oare, relive the classic Exmoor romantic novel ‘Lorna Doone’. Arthurian legend shrouds Glastonbury. King Arthur’s body is said to lie in the ruins of the abbey and Glastonbury Tor is supposed to be the mythical Avalon. [...]
Devon
Lush pastures in a latticework of flower-decked lanes; stunning beaches set in a rugged coastline. All kept guard over by the lowering Dartmoor – bleak and isolated at its heart, with its ten tors standing defiantly against the elements, Devon’s national park is surrounded by thatched villages nestling in valleys alongside streams and waterfalls. Visit the Museum of Dartmoor Life, at Okehampton. Exeter is Devon’s vibrant county town, dominated by the twin towers of its gloriously ornate cathedral. Then southwest to [...]
Cornwall
With its granite-fanged coast breaking the North Atlantic rollers, pointing the way to an ancient land of mystery and legend, wild terrain and exotic gardens. See Land’s End – England’s most westerly point – and the most southerly point, the awesome Lizard Peninsula. On the way, Penzance and the iconic St Michael’s Mount – England’s answer to Brittany’s Mont-St-Michel. To Cornwall’s great gardens. The Lost Gardens of Heligan – ‘the garden restoration of the century’ and Trebah, Trelissik, Trengwainton and [...]
Tamar Valley
The history rich and wooded Tamar Valley is centred on the rivers Tamar, Tavy and Lynher, straddling the Devon and Cornwall border. It’s marked out by four towns – Launceston, with its Norman castle and steam railway, Tavistock, known as the Gateway to Dartmoor, Callington with its mural trail, and Saltash, with Brunel’s amazing Royal Albert Bridge. This part of the world was shaped by its mining heritage – silver and tin and later, copper. Ride the copper mine train at [...]
South Devon
Some numbers…the South Devon AONB has around 100 miles of coastline, 200 miles of footpaths in 40 walks, five river estuaries and 70 beaches. Extending from Brixham to Plymouth and inland to Totnes. South Devon is a land of coves and cliffs fronting pastoral landscapes with wooded valleys and sunken lanes. Dartmouth reflects the rich history. Its magnificent river takes you deep inland to author Agatha Christie’s home, Greenway House. Burgh Island features in one of her books.Blackpool Sands and Bantham [...]
Quantock Hills
The wild and tranquil Quantock Hills were England’s first AONB, set up in 1956. Just west of Bridgwater, they run from the Somerset Levels to the Bristol Channel… and a fossil hunters’ paradise, to say nothing of the rockpools. Red deer and Quantock ponies roam the heathland, valleys and woods where the Great Wood is watched over by Lydeard Hill, Staple Plain and Beacon Hill. No towns in the Quantocks, just charming villages like Triscombe, Holford and Kingston St Mary, where [...]
North Devon Coast
The North Devon Coast AONB is also an ‘area of special places’ – from traditional family friendly resorts to rugged headlands to sandy beaches and rolling dunes. There’s Ilfracombe, with its harbour, grand villas and cottages and the more cosy Woolacombe and its renowned beaches. To the stunningly beautiful Hartland Peninsula, with views of Lundy Island, and on to nearby Speke’s Mill and Welcome Mouth, where waterfalls gush from the cliffs. Walkers-only at Clovelly, another village with its own waterfall. The [...]
Mendip Hills
Rising like a rampart a thousand feet above the Somerset Levels, the Mendip Hills AONB is a land of crags, gorges and valleys. Centrepiece is the Cheddar Gorge, England’s largest, and its caves and dramatic cliff top walk. Then there’s Wookey Hole, taking deep underground to a colourful spectacular – watch out for the witch! Black Down, the high point of the Mendips, has stunning views across to Wales, and with Burrington Ham has amazing wildlife and archaeological treasures. Deer Leap [...]
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly are a string of 140 islands 25 miles south of Cornwall that boast the mildest, warmest and sunniest climate in the UK…thanks to the Gulf Stream. The islands are covered in heathland fringed by beautiful white sandy beaches. The five inhabited islands – St Mary’s, Tresco, St Martin’s, St Agnes and Bryher – have a unique character, offering something different for visitors of all ages and interests. Tresco is dominated by the remains of Oliver Cromwell’s castle and hosts the renowned Tresco Abbey [...]
Isle of Wight
Well known for The Needles – jagged white chalk stacks reaching out into the Solent – the Isle of Wight is an island of contrasts. Famous for its beaches and the seafront promenades of Shanklin and Ventnor, and its sailing centres of Cowes and Yarmouth, it is mainly farmland with sheep grazing the downs and heaths and dairy herds the lower land. The AONB protects the Hamstead Heritage Coast in the north and Tennyson Heritage coast in the south. Dinosaur remains can be seen [...]