With bird feeders in the trees, we get a lot of birds visiting us – one of our favorites is a pair of woodpeckers who nest in the woods by the river and can often be heard making a racket knocking on the trees!
With dippers in the Teign Valley, king fishers, woodpeckers, lots of blue tits and nuthatchs, this is a lovely place to sit and admire these colourful active birds. You’d never believe that you are only 7 miles from Exeter….
Who's making all that noise!!
Orchard Barn is promoting self catering opportunites this year at an extremely reasonable rate……………at £100 per night for the whole house and all facilities for a minimum of 5 nights, this represents a real bargain.
The house was let for both Christmas and New Year……….and the plan is for Lesley and I to do a bit more traveling this year and so we’re promoting self catering via Trip Advisor and other media in order to build in short breaks throughout the year.
So if you’d still like Bed and Breakfast that’s fine, just ring or e-mail and ask and if rooms are available we’ll book you in……………if however you fancy a self catering option anytime over the year then again do contact us and float your prefered dates……….as long as it’s for a minimum of 5 nights we’ll look at it favourably and commensure with a confirmed booking , we’ll plan a short break holiday ourselves. There are just so many places we still want to go and visit, both home and abroad……….and this is a good year to do so.
So, if that floats your boats at all then do get in touch.
Cheers, Ian and Lesley
Dartmoor Visitor Information
Orchard Barn bed and breakfast lies just inside the beautiful Dartmoor National Park.
It is the perfect base from which to explore. Just ten minutes drive through the forest you find the lovely town of Moretonhampstead, sometimes called the gateway to dartmoor. From here you have many options for exploring the high moor with it’s rocky outcrops such as the famous Haytor. Dartmoor National Park gives you the opportunity for many activities from forest and lakeside walks to rock climbing and pot holing. There are many guided walks and lots of other activities, arranged by the Dartmoor Parks Authority. Orchard Barn bed and breakfast can advise you how to make the most of your visit to Dartmoor National Park.
For much more information, check out the Orchard Barn Bed and Breakfast website .
Teign Valley riverside Daffs in bloom overlooking the famous Dunsford Stepping Stones, all 14 giant granite steps being almost invisible under the recent flood water that is!!
‘Splash Club’ members – come and renew your membership here with ease !!
River Teign running reasonably high after recent rains…………and the Moles have had to move to higher ground too!!
Spring flowers are starting to burst into colour and Easter B&B bookings and beyond are also starting to show promise too.
Spring is ‘definately’ in the air at Orchard Barn….. and guests will be delighted to meet Lesley when they come and stay as she adds a new dimension to the happy atmosphere around the place!!
Stephen and Sandie Clark (and friends) at the Hatherleigh Market
A J Pyle and Sons were advertising an auction of Sporting Memorabilia at their auction rooms in Hatherleigh and I took good friends Stephen and Sandie Clark along for fun and to share the experience. Hatherleigh is a lovely old market town in a very agricultural part of Devon and has its own charm and character. On market days a whole host of stalls and outlets spring up throughout the extensive area of undercover sheds and has a buzz of eclectic characters buying, selling, gossiping and mooching about bargain hunting.
We firstly went to the Auction House by the Bridge Inn………having registered and got a purchase ‘Number’ and Lot Listing catalogue for £1.50 we then squeezed through the keen early ranks of bidding locals well over 30 mins after kick-off – the young and cheerful auctioneer was already on lot 70 something and seemingly selling yet another fishing reel……………there were then another 100 odd reels to go followed by what looked like about 200 fishing rods, then nets, waders, priests, and assorted tackle in the first 2 rows of assorted lots…………..then there were 2 more for shooting paraphernalia and then racks of guns and bayonets and swords attaining lots between 300 and 700 before finally various rows of assorted junk all with a loose sense of belonging to the theme ‘Sporting Memorabilia’………….I say loosely because the only item that took my fancy was an old metal railway sign depicting an interesting threat along the lines of “Anyone caught leaving this gate open…(or words to that effect)……………is liable to a fine not exceeding 40 shillings” !!
Realising that some 700+ lots would take all day at 100 lots per hour and this sign was lot 600 odd I left a bid (not expecting to be successful as I’m sure others will also have a use for this sign!!) and we then took a leisurely stroll through the town browsing in an artists shop, buying goods and foods various in the food market and taking in the atmosphere of the other main auction rooms selling local brick-a-brack before falling into The George Inn for a couple of pints of Spitfire and a prawn baguette by an enormous open fire…………..and then drove home. A fun day albeit without any ‘Bargains’ this time round!! I love Hatherleigh and will return for a brace of Duck at their Christmas Game Auction shortly!!
