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 🙂
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
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
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
Leveret baby hare at Huxtable farm B&B, Barnstaple
I can’t believe it’s been six years since I hand reared this beautiful hare. I hope it’s him I see on the farm occasionally because we reared him and released him back into the wild once he was acclimatised to feeding himself.
He was found, as a leveret, under some branches Antony was about burn. Having researched how to rear a hare on the internet I read that they can be fed ewes milk. Our ewes were lambing at the time so an extra bit of ewes milk was warmed up when feeding the orphan tame lambs, he took to the bottle well!
Leveret drinking at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon
Known as the fastest mammal in the UK, the Brown Hare is capable of reaching speeds up to 45mph (72kph), making them able to outrun a predator.
A hare can be distinguished from their close relative the rabbit, by their distinctive long ears with black tips, powerful long hind legs and orange iris in contrast to rabbits eyes which are almost black.
The boxing behaviour that can be seen during March is usually female hares fending off amorous males.
The brown hare used to be a common sight in the British countryside but the population has declined since 1960 , due sadly to various reason such as changes in agricultural practices & traffic deaths.
Hare in field at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Barnstaple Devon,
Hare at Huxtable Farm B&B Devon
We’re so please to be able to tell you that we now have on sale at Huxtable Farm B&B some beautiful lino prints of some of North Devon’s beauty spots and bird collage prints by local artist Annie Hart.
Ilfracombe Lino print by Annie Hart
Annie Hart is a local artist who moved to North Devon in 1982 to start work as an Art teacher at nearby South Molton Community college. She gained a degree in Graphic design in 1979 from Bristol Polytechnic.
Annie works in various media including watercolour, lino-print, acrylic and collage.
Annie has exhibited locally and recently produced illustrations for country parks e.g., Colne Valley Regional Park in London. She undertakes commissions in any of the media above and common themes are flowers/landscapes/birds/local views etc. and is happy to work from photographs.
Collage pheasant print by Annie Hart
She can be contacted on 07644567814
or email: aineehart51@gmail.com
Collage bird prints by Annie Hart
Other lino prints include ‘Clovelly’ and ‘Tarr Steps’
These make great souvenirs of your stay at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Barnstaple, Devon, in addition to the beautiful Huxtable Farm Jacob wool cushions, throws, wool and hand knitted hats etc.
To help you enjoy what’s going on in North Devon during March we have some SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES at Huxtable Farm B&B until 30th March 2017.
Additionally, 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
Snow on Devon Wildlife Farm Trail & Farm B&B North Devon
Jacob ram at Barnstaple B&B
November 18th 2016 we have our first flurry of snow making us feel a little Christmassy!
Also, the rams have been with the ewes since the 1st November so the ewes should start lambing round about April Fools day in 2017 for the month of April.
If you’re looking for some beautiful unique Jacob wool gifts for Christmas we have some beautiful, throws, cushions, scarves and other products made from Huxtable Farm B&B’s Jacob wool, click here to see what’s available.
Grass rowed up ready for baling
Baled & wrapped
Pleased to know that this years winter feed for the sheep has been collected at Huxtable Farm B&B Devon 🙂