July – A bountiful of fruit & roses

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

Thank you to my little helps ! 🙂

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

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

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

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

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Comments Off Written by Jackie Payne

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

Water Lily

Red dead nettle

Meadow saxifrage

Iris

Honeysuckle

Hop Trefoil

Groundsel

Elderflower

Cow parsley

Common hemp nettle

Clover

Birds foot trefoil

Charlock

Wild flower ?

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Goslings have hatched & what to look forward to in June

French Toulouse Gosling hatched at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon near Exmoor

Love this time of year, the trees now have leaves, the spring flowers are amazing, the swallows are back and young animals are finding their feet!

Some of the goose eggs we obtained from The Black Venus Inn Challacombe, Exmoor have hatched – A great Inn to have a meal at whilst staying at Huxtable Farm B&B

Bo – Bottle fed tame lamb

This years tame orphan lambs (‘Baa-baa’ and ‘Bo’) are always keen to say ‘Baa’ to everyone and are waiting to be bottle feed their milk. All the other lambs & ewes are looking good in the fields too.

Baa Baa enjoying some company 🙂

There is so much to look forward to in June;-

The Jacob sheep will be shorn and we’ll have lots of beautifully soft Jacob & Jacob cross Texel fleeces for spinners & felters to purchase.

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

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 Cream Tea welcome any time of year at Huxtable Farm B&B

Here are a few links to things that are taking place during June to put in your diary (18th June Fathers Day): –
RHS Rosemoor – Rose Festival June 17th June – 30th July
RHS Rosemoor – In the Night Garden Trail 1st May – 30th June
National Trust Arlington Court events
Getting active during your stay in North Devon
Beaches of North Devon
3rd &4th June Antiques & Vintage Home Show, Westpoint Arena, Exeter
3rd & 4th June 2017 – South Molton Vintage Rally
17th June 2017 – Point to Point at Umberleigh.
8th – 12th June – South Molton Olde English Fayre.
16th, 17th & 18th June 2017 – Gold Coast Ocean Festival, Woolacombe & Croyde (Kaiser Chiefs)
Clovelly and events taking place at Clovelly during 2017 e.g Clovelly Seaweed Festival 4th June

Gardens of North Devon
RHS Rosemoor Roses in June

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Watch North Devon on catch up TV

Our beautiful area of North Devon has had some great TV coverage this month, put them on your list of places to visit when you stay with us.

Robson Green visiting The Tunnels Beaches at Ilfracombe, the historic harbour Clovelly and beautiful Lundy Island situated 11 miles off the North Devon Coast. Catch up on ITV hub -Tales from the Coast with Robson Green Series 1 Episode 1

Julia Bradbury walking Lynton/Lynmouth to Watersmeet. Britain’s Best Walks with Julia Bradbury Series 2 Episode 5

Both are programmes illustrate how stunning and how much North Devon has to offer, all within easy access of Huxtable Farm B&B

Huxtable Farm B&B is situated on the Tarka Trail and Macmillan Way West, a days walk from Barnstaple and two days walk to Lynton/Lynmouth, stopping over night at Challacombe. With walks from it’s doorstep including it’s own Devon Wildlife Farm Trail this is a an ideal hideaway for those wishing to do some Walking in North Devon

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February – snowdrops, daffodils and Valentines

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 28th Jan – 26th Feb)

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 2017! Participating restaurants across the region will offer 2 courses for £10.00 / 3 courses for £15.00 between 1st and 28th February

Breath taking sunset at the end a fresh, crisp frosty day at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon, with Valentines approaching!

We hope everyone is keeping warm during these fresh, crisp, frosty days. Here the wood burners are roaring with wood from the farm – great for warming up next to having come in from outside.

Roaring log fires at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon and the first frog spawn of 2017 will soon be appearing in the Devon Wildlife pond!

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 30th March 2017.

Otherwise, please have a look at the fantastic variety of events due to take place in North Devon during 2017 by looking at Huxtable Farm B&B’s local Events/Farm Calendar

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Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas from all at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Devon, Exmoor

National Trust Knightshayes Court at Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas from Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Barnstaple, Devon.

Looking forward to welcoming you to Huxtable Farm B&B in 2017.

Please click here to see what’s on in 2017

May all your wishes come true XXX

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Autumn leaves and fungi

Autumn leaves at Huxtable Farm B&B North Devon

Fungi in woodland at B&B situated between Barnstaple, South Molton & Exmoor

Enjoying the beautiful Autumn colours of the leaves and stunning fungi in Huxtable Farm’s woodland.

We’re also proud to announce the wonderful news that we now have our second beautiful grand daughter.

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

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August – Foraging wild food for free!

Foraging at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon, near Exmoor

Foraging blackberries, elderberries, hazelnuts, wild mushrooms & apples to name a few of the wonderful foods we can gather at this time of year from the hedges and around the fields at Huxtable Farm B&B.

Gatekeeper butterfly at Huxtable Farm B&B

Foraging at Huxtable Farm B&B, North Devon, near Exmoor

A wide variety of moths and butterflies visiting the farm can also be seen during August in addition to seeing bats fly around the courtyard at dusk.

Click to see what ‘Things you can do for free at Huxtable Farm’ or to find out what’s going on in the local area within the next few weeks please click here and on the following links;

RHS Rosemoor Gardens – Rocket Science

National Trust Arlington Court – Summer family fun

Exmoor Zoo

The Big Sheep – See Peppa Pig

We all look forward to welcoming you to Huxtable Farm and Bella, the springer spaniel to showing you around ‘Huxtable Farm’s Devon Wildlife Farm Trail’

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Blog

July – A bountiful of fruit & roses

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

Goslings have hatched & what to look forward to in June

Watch North Devon on catch up TV

February – snowdrops, daffodils and Valentines

Happy Christmas

Autumn leaves and fungi

August – Foraging wild food for free!

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