It’s no surprise then that the warmth and friendliness of Melanie and Robert Burrows, your affable custodians who greet you with firm handshakes and broad smiles, extends into the new glamping site they have set up. Plotted in an old meadow within the 27-acre farm, the field rolls down to a small stream with wildflowers and butterflies aplenty. It's small, comfortable and thoughtfully created, while the overall feel is one of utter care-free relaxation – the perfect holiday recipe.
To call it a ‘site’ is perhaps a little misrepresentative. The space consists of just one six-person safari tent, with views across the open meadows towards Dartmoor (its rolling tors visible on particularly clear days) and ample open space for kids to run free while adults blissfully relax nearby. There’s no playground, toilet block or gaudy reception building, just miles of open space interrupted by greening, wildlife-filled hedgerows. The small scale makes the place feel wonderfully exclusive, with not a soul to disturb you as you sit out on the veranda, basking in the sun.
Inside, the safari tent is certainly for those who like to safari with all the gear. If you were to truly take the tent out to Africa you’d need a small fleet of jeeps to carry everything inside! The kitchen is fully kitted out with everything you could need – from a stove and Belfast sink to salt, pepper, pots and pans – and a dining table provides an area for indoor meals. Its solid oak worktops came from a tree in the meadow – in fact, much of the furniture is from the farm with a history behind it. The coffee table was grandfather’s old trunk – the labels from shipping to Bombay are still attached.
There’s a large leather sofa, that swallows you up when cool nights leave you wanting to while away hours in front of the wood burner, while three separate rooms mean families and groups still have their own private spaces. The toilet and shower rooms are at the rear of the tent in their own private pods, with a proper flushing loo and piping hot shower. Oh yeah, and it's massive – 1200x900!
If you manage to drag yourselves away from den building in the woods and frisbee flinging in the meadow, then there’s a wealth of options on the doorstep. It’s an easy walk into the local village, where two pubs provide a perfect pair of watering holes and the Anglo Saxon church commands your attention with its tall, skinny tower. It’s still best to take a car, though, to zip along the conveniently placed A377 that follows the meanders of the nearby River Taw. Northwards it leads you into Barnstaple, where the town’s centuries-old role as a market place lives on in the bustle of Butcher's Row and Pannier Market, while south vibrant Exeter is under an hour away. For most, the beaches of the coast and the vast National Parks are the real attraction, but once you’ve parked up outside this glamping site you may just find you never want to leave anyway. Not that it’s a problem… you’re welcombe any time.
