About
The Bed & Breakfast at Orchard Barn is run from my home here and started as an idea nearly 2 years ago following my retirement from the Royal Marines after some 33 years service……at first I was planning a ‘gap year’ (an expression that hadn’t been invented as I left school and joined up as a young officer in 1972) and after a pretty full on career as a commando I was keen to just enjoy the freedom of filling my diary however I liked for the first time. However after 3 months of no haircuts nor donning ‘boots-n-beret’ I decided that rather than wait another 9 months to then re-enter the world of employment in an hitherto unknown capacity I hit on the idea of running something from home without the requirement to commute and to work for someone else…….I thus proceeded to furnish, decorate and equip the house to receive paying guests and to run a Bed & Breakfast from this my comfortable new home.
Living inside the Dartmoor National Park and owning a beautiful recently converted old 4 bedroom stone and cob beamed character Farmhouse overlooking the River Teign and the famous Dunsford Stepping Stones, it wasn’t difficult to imagine guests really appreciating the many features of distinction that Orchard Barn had to offer – for a start the house is warm and attractive with an Aga kitchen, oak, elm and teak furniture in all rooms, large granite fire place in the splendid drawing room with 3 comfortable matching sofas, wood floors and lovely rugs throughout the downstairs with numerous old prints, antiques, photos and original pictures in abundance. The front stable part glazed doorway made of local English Oak as well as the matching French doors lead in from a cobbled drive and old flag stone patio; on entry there is an immediate sense of antiquity and soul as well as welcome and character………..this double sensation is attributed to both the splendour of the homely surroundings and matched by the warm and genuine welcome from the host on arrival.
The property itself is the larger half of an old Devon Longhouse – its original function was simple, my neighbours own and live in the old farmhouse portion known now as Mill Barn as their property is closest to the Old Dunsford Mill, and I own the portion where cows were cubicled for milking below and hay was stored above next to an old orchard hence being accorded the name Orchard Barn. The concurrent conversion of both properties took just over 2 years from a rundown, and derelict farm dwelling with associated outbuildings unused for about 30 years, to two tastefully and sympathetically modernised 4 bed roomed properties and was the work of a good friend and old drinking pal called Toby Wright……he must take due credit for the many fine features and retained character seen in abundance throughout both dwellings, so often lost and removed by most developers.
So with nothing but an old slate sign placed out on the road with an arrow pointing would be guests this-a-way I launched the business in Jul 06 and welcomed my first PG’s touring from Holland that very same day…….23 months later and having met, hosted and fed many further guests since, with several returning again (always a good sign that I’m getting something right!!) I now find myself exploring the wwweb medium of advancing the business by advertising globally.
Ian Corner
