Demand is rising for Spring breaks in the UK for 2023, but that’s not surprising with delays at the passport office and according to yesterday’s press, airport strikes. Okay, the weather may not be terribly reliable (right now it’s raining here at Stonehayes Farm in Devon) but with hot tubs and a games room, it doesn’t matter. You can still have a relaxing time here, a change of scene; it's a time to make very special memories.
Now is a good time to be booking Spring breaks in the UK for 2023 and it feels like such a positive thing to do. This weekend the clocks ‘sprung forward’ so the days are longer and the evenings lighter. Do you like our way of remembering which way the clocks go – spring forward/fall back! It might be raining today, but it’s not going to rain every day and for us, here in the glorious Devon countryside it feels like Spring has definitely arrived. There’s just something in the air, you can feel it, it feels fresher and lighter and things sound different, like a promise, a whisper of good things to come.
We often go for a stroll around the grounds at Stonehayes Farm and yesterday we noticed that it all looks a little greener and that the flowers are popping up in the hedgerows; we saw celandines, primroses, wild periwinkles and the prettiest little dog violets. The birds are busy now and they’re in fine voice, singing beautifully every morning and evening, and happily chirruping most of the day. We watched a blackbird dashing in and out of the hedge collecting moss and bits and pieces for nest building, and friends are telling me their frogspawn has hatched – so there’s all the proof we need that Spring is well and truly here.
And Stonehayes Farm is a wonderful place to be in Springtime, whether there’s a big group of you staying at Pippinsands or Whinchat Barns for a family celebration, or whether it’s just the two of you having a cosy few days at Siskins Nook. It’s peaceful here, there’s no traffic noise, no busy streets, just country sounds – birdsong, sheep bleating, maybe a tractor chugging up the hill occasionally. You can wander down over the fields for a riverside picnic, or climb up to Dumpdon Hill where in late Spring, there will be a carpet of bluebells to feast your eyes on – but you’ll have to watch you don’t get ‘pixie-led’, which according to folklore in these parts is what can happen if you wander into the bluebells on your own – the pixies will get you and lead you, wandering around with no sense of direction until someone comes to the rescue!
Spring is one of the best times of the year to get out for a walk because it’s not too hot and it’s not too cold – it’s just right! And with the beautiful Blackdown Hills on the doorstep there’s no shortage of winding country lanes and footpaths to follow, taking you deep into the countryside, through meadows and woodlands, along green lanes and winding country lanes. If you prefer a clifftop stroll or a wander along the shore, the Jurassic Coast is only half an hour away; the walk from Beer to Branscombe on the South West Coast Path is one of our favourites, especially if you tie it in with lunch at the Masons Arms or the Fountain Head. Another good one is the Undercliff Nature Reserve from Axmouth to Lyme Regis – fish and chips on the beach or a bite at The Ship Inn are a good way to round it off.
The other good thing about Spring is that all the family attractions are opening up after what seems like a long winter. We have some brilliant places to visit round here, like Heron Farm and Wildwood Escot; good if you’re a National Trust member is Killerton, and if you have younger children in tow, Axe Valley Wildlife Park. The thing is, you can have some great days out – a visit to the Wildlife Park, lunch at River Cottage, then on to the beach. You could have a day in the city because Exeter isn’t far at all; go and see the Egyptian Mummy and meet Gerald the Giraffe in the RAM Museum, visit the Gothic cathedral and take a tour of the medieval underground passages that were designed to bring clean water in from beyond the city walls. Maybe wander down to the quayside and go to Clip n Climb, or hire kayaks and paddle up the Exe estuary to the Double Locks pub. There’s so much you can do round here, so many great ways to fill your days and make wonderful memories.
Our Devon holiday cottages sleep 4-14 guests but the beauty is that you can book as many as you want to (we’ve had the whole farm booked out before for family celebrations!); the cottages are dog friendly and family friendly, with cots and highchairs supplied, some of them have hot tubs. You’ll have the 15 acre grounds to explore, with a play area and barbecue area, and a games room where you can play pool, table tennis or table football and maybe make new friends! Stonehayes Farm is a happy place, a magical retreat for your Spring break in the UK for 2023. Find your favourite self catering cottage and book today!