Welcome to the Boswell Farm Journal
adventures, daily life, thoughts and reflections from the beautiful Sweetcombe Valley

I wanted to share this beautiful poem from The National Poetry Anthology 2010..
It was written by a guest (published poet) who has stayed here many times.

Dreamily we wandered
Beside the river bed,
Amongst wild garlic, violet blue –
Tall campions darkly red.

Always I’ll remember
Those soft spring days soon gone.
Sweet dappled dawns, still starlit nights –
The watermelon moon.

Oh, how I would return there
To that cottage near the sea.
The greening fields, those bosky woods –
A haunting memory.

Hazel Reeves, Southsea, Hampshire

Christmas at Cider House

Well … it is almost upon us, and we only have a couple of cottages left to be booked for the Christmas Week. We’re offering a 40% discount on unlet cottages for that period, so it is a fantastic opportunity to get away from the usual Christmas treadmill and find something really special at Boswell Farm.

For those of you who have spent Christmas here before, you will know that we go the extra mile to make the cottages especially cosy and seasonal with a decorated Christmas Tree, and other seasonal goodies.

Once you are here, of course, you can choose to get away from it all and relax in the peaceful beauty of Boswell Farm, or embrace the West Country Christmas – carols services in Exeter Cathedral, Christmas Markets in Exeter, Sidmouth, Lyme Regis and Honiton, or even the Boxing Day swim!

You can find more details about our Christmas and New Year offers here: 40% off Christmas at Boswell Farm

As for us, in between catching our breath at the end of one year, and planning ahead for the next, we will be taking time to appreciate friends and family in this wonderful place in which we live and work – Christmas does have a very special Spirit at Boswell farm.

I can’t tell you how excited and delighted I am, having just watched a Kingfisher darting across our pond here at Boswell Farm.

I had been out walking Star on this glorious late-summer evening, and it was the high piping call that alerted me that one was near by. Very distinctive.

And suddenly there it was, moving so fast – a blue and orange flash of colour skimming the top of the pond. Quite breathtaking, as I had never seen one before. And there it was again … and again!

I did know that some of the guests had seen them. The pond is a very good place for coarse fishing – we have brown trout here – and just for sitting and relaxing, so people do come and spend time here. It was in fact a guest who had told me to listen out for the Kingfisher’s call.

I was surprised at how small it was, and astounded by its speed. The RSPB website has some information on them and a recording of the birdsong – without hearing that I would never have stopped to look.

I watched for a few minutes before setting off with Star along the Snodbrook for the open fields.

It never ceases to thrill me when I come across another resident of Boswell Farm!

Rafiki and Cordelia in the wheatfield

Walking the dogs has been such a pleasure recently, as the farmer has been cutting the long stalk wheat. I do love to see it stacked in the traditional stoop way, drying in the warm summer air.

Boswell Farm, of course, is steeped in tradition, and many years ago, all this wheat would have been brought into our threshing barn for the very energetic (and somewhat dangerous) activity of  threshing. The men would swing huge threshing flails and strike the wheat on the threshing floor to loosen the edible grain from the chaff that surrounds it, before winnowing and sending to the mill – also here at Boswell Farm.

The threshing barn at Boswell Farm has been here since 1760  and is a grade two listed building. It is also a bank barn – accessible on two separate levels, and built into the side of a hill. It is reputed to be the only Bank Threshing Barn still standing on its original stone monastic pillars.

This whole area of course is important for agricultural history – not too many miles east is the village of Tolpuddle, famous for the Tolpuddle Martyrs,  and with a most fascinating museum – perfect for rainy days, or day trips to Dorset.

Meanwhile, in less turbulent times, my dogs, my grand-daughter and I, and all our guests at Boswell Farm,  can just delight in the glorious summer weather, with some of those traditional skills still on view, as we go walking on a balmy august evening …

Underhooken, taken from near the top

Well, we’re back home now in Wales, and it’s raining outside, so I thought I’d write a bit for the Boswell Farm blog – sorry journal!

We had a fantastic week at Boswell Farm in the middle of May – our second stay there. Luckily the weather was very kind – my sister even braved the sea, but one of the high points for me was a walk through the Underhooken – an atmospheric and very beautiful section of the East Devon Coast Path.

The area was created by a massive landslip in the 1700s, and is now a lush canyon between the main cliff and the remains of the old cliff. We actually walked there twice  – it was so good, walking along the beach from Branscombe and then up the very dramatic path to the top of the cliff.

Wilsons - lurking in the trees!

The views are spectacular and there are plenty of stopping off places to sit for a rest. I was so spellbound the first time that I didn’t notice the climb, and it was only when the bracing clifftop wind hit me that I realised we were near the top.

Once on the clifftop we turned left and headed back westwards toward Branscombe for a drink and a meal, but you can go the other way down to Beer.

I think if you’re at Boswell Farm you won’t be short of things to do, but if you’re looking for a simply stunning local walk that’s not too strenuous, I would wholeheartedly recommend this one! It’s just a couple of miles from the cottages too.

Green lawns at Boswell Farm Holiday Cottages

The bats are busy at twilight looking for moths and flies! They fly so quietly – you cannot hear them. The Swallows and Swifts have been nesting. Their air displays are quite beautiful.

The individual Cottage gardens are looking lovely. One possitive factor of the “non-barbeque Summer” is that all the lawns are lovely and green!

Frankie the saanen goat - Womble in the background

Our two Saanen Goats (Frankie and Womble) are enjoying the luscious green grass.

We take them out of the field, and move them round the farm so that they can enjoy different menus!

Goats are ‘browsers’ and so enjoy a varied diet of whatever they can find to browse on!

Buzzards have been noted by our guests soaring above, truly benefiting from our tranquil location. Green Woodpeckers can be heard with their distinctive call, and when startled it then flies off into the trees showing off its distinctive plumage.

Tuesday – 7.30pm. There was a knocking noise at our glass interior front door. Standing there was a young vixen in the lobby. The fox was just stood there making full eye contact. As it moved slightly – still keeping full eye contact, I saw an injury on its back right leg – it then sat down.

I then rang one or two Animal Sanctuaries but there were no replies. I then contacted the RSPCA – when the inspector arrived he examined the young vixen whose injury to her back leg was very serious and it was infested with maggots. Sadly, he had to put her to sleep.

It is almost unheard of for a wild animal to come for help like that. I am only sad that she could not have been made better and returned to the wild.

Some of our guests spotted this Grass Snake sunbathing in the beautiful sunshine!

Grass Snakes are completely harmless.