Dartmoor Bed and Breakfast…………..welcome to the West Country, God’s Country as some would have it, but I’m sure we can all say that about our home county with pride. However in Devon we really can and many do mean it…….and the heart of Devon is Dartmoor and its beauty, its tranquility, its rugid topographic  variety mixed with a breathtakingly awesome soul.

Running a Bed and Breakfast business inside the Dartmoor National Park is a real joy……….and indeed a privilege. I’m fortunate enough to be able to welcome people to stay in my home and to happily give and suggest to them any number of facinating places to visit, to walk, to fish, or to play a range of sports, point them in the direction of numerous wonderful pubs and restaurants and lots of marvellous National Trust Properties all on our doorstep.

I’m very privileged indeed…………so much so that in addition to trying to promote Orchard Barn as a magic place to come and stay ………….I can also promote Dartmoor and all its glory with genuine ease and true emphasis.

The Dartmoor National Park authority looks after the best interests of  our national treasure………….in turn, The Dartmoor Partnership of which I and a number of other local business and property letting owners share as members mutuality in joining the corporate collective, have a vested interest. As such we all share in promoting and welcoming visitors from all over the World to come and visit Dartmoor and to stay and enjoy its many pleasures.

As a Bed and Breakfast Dartmoor business therefore I welcome you and your friends and family to take a look at my web (and others of course) and see for yourselves what’s on offer………….if you then book in and come and stay I promise you you wont be disappointed.

So take a look at orchardbarn(dot info)  on the web and see for yourself.

Cheers………..Ian and Lesley

James Duffy and his brother Dan stay at Orchard Barn over their second night en route cycling between Lands End and Rye in Sussex………….they arrived wet, tired and disheveled having crossed Dartmoor in appalling weather……….after a hot bath and several large glasses of wine they were sufficiently revived to walk up to the pub for supper.

They set off reluctantly the following day…………..and both boys needed a mental ‘Pick me up’ to get them going…………so I told them the dit about the Famous Cyclist from Dunsford who trained locally for Charity!!! I even showed them a picture………………………………!!!

Lesley took me off to Barcelona for a short mini break………….we loved it…………Tapas, Pinot, Gaudi, Rooftop Terrace Bar, Olympic Village, History of Catalonia and local culture, famous Cathedral, bus tours, Columbus, more Tapas, more Pinot………….walking up Las Ramblas pedestrian motorway…………….wow!!!

Weather was terrific…………..views were stunning………….Tapas were great and Pinot to die for!!

Sunset after a dip on the hotel rooftop terrace plunge pool………magic!!

G

Gaudi’s famous Gingerbread House………………..never heard of him before…………BUT I HAVE NOW!!!!

Fancy designing and building a Cathedral in 1913 and not finishing it ………… builders must be Brits!!

…….but then again it’s quite amasing and his input, influence and lasting footprint on the style and architecture in the City is awesome……………..and reminded me of Brunel’s efforts but all in one city rather than spread throughout the Nation.

We took several bus tours and here’s Columbus’s statue……….apparently he didn’t do the Catelonians any favours initially when discovering The Americas after heading West and not East thereby favouring Atlantic trade moving elsewhere other than Barcelona……………but they still built a wonderful column similar to Nelson’s all the same!!

Lesley having been there several times before was a fantastic Tour Guide………………..!! But she lost the book (well left it on a bar)……!!!

and had to do a spell of Guard Duty as a ‘consequence’…………!!

which was thirsty work standing in that hot hut for 24 hours she says!! What ever happened to stamina I say!!

…..take it all back……………she managed 2.5 pints down in one inside 25 seconds, not bad I say!! Barcelona……………in sum………..we’ll be back that’s for sure.