Birchill Farm Cottages, Devon
Birchill Farm, Langtree, Torrington, Devon
At Birchill Farm Cottages the children will have lots to keep them entertained and it is also a relaxing and indulgent place for parents too. Nestled in a tranquil, secluded haven in the heart of Tarka country it is perfect for visiting the magnificent coastlines of North Devon and Cornwall, and the dramatic landscapes of Exmoor and Dartmoor.
Set amongst beautiful rolling countryside the luxury, self-catering cottages have been carefully converted from an attractive range of traditional farm buildings. Family run by husband and wife team Simon and Margaret, they are dedicated to making your holiday enjoyable and stress free. Birchill Cottages are superb baby, child and parent friendly holiday accommodation that gives families a chance to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the surroundings whilst the children will have the opportunity to meet the very friendly farm animals.
The Holiday Cottages
Six self catering holiday cottages have been tastefully converted from old farm buildings retaining many of the original and attractive features which reflect their traditional and charming style. The largest property is a three bedroom cottage sleeping 6 plus room for a cot. Three further cottages can accommodate a family of 4 and finally there are two perfect one bedroom cottages that can sleep a family with a baby. The interiors have been carefully designed, furnished and equipped to ensure that families feel comfortable and relaxed from the moment your holiday begins.
All cottages have full oil-fired central heating and double glazing making them warm and cosy for family breaks all year round. With beautifully presented interiors, well equipped kitchens, good quality comfortable beds and sparkling white bathrooms with fluffy white towels and invigorating powerful showers, you can rest assured that all the comforts are provided for a genuine "home from home" stay. An information pack is provided in each cottage together with a selection of books and board games.
Baby, Toddler and Child Friendly Equipment
All of the cottages have washer dryers, plastic crockery, blackout blinds or curtains in the bedrooms and fully enclosed gardens or terraces. A stock of baby equipment is available free of charge including cots, highchairs, stairgates, bed guards, toddler beds, monitors, food blenders and baby baths.
A home cooked meal service is thoughfully provided to give worn out parents the opportunity to hang up the chef's hat for the night and enjoy a delicious meal in the comfort of your own cottage. Welcome hampers can be also be ordered, with a selection of locally sourced foods ready in your cottage for your arrival.
Meet the Farm Animals
The animals are an important part of the family here at Birchill Farm. Your host Simon leads daily animal feeding and egg collecting sessions at about 9.15 every morning. Children will relish the chance to meet the resident friendly goats Flora and Merryweather and the gentle alpacas, Fudge, Porridge and Treacle. For pony mad children, Pebbles and Amber will be keen to share an apple or a carrot with you and there may be an opportunity to help groom them. There are four cats Daisy, Molly, Lucky and Lottie; all happy to be stroked. And to complete the picture Rosie and Pluto, both black Labradors, and both always eager to greet guests. Don't worry if children are afraid of dogs, as they are very gentle and always kept on a lead around the farm. There are plans to introduce a woodland nature trail next spring 2011 so that you can get up close and learn about the local wildlife.
Child Friendly Facilities
Enjoy lots of space to run around and explore the outdoor play area with swings, slides, play house and trampolines - situated overlooking a valley, an ideal spot for parents to relax on a warm evening, whilst their children are happily amused! Learn to surf without getting wet on the surf swing. When the weather is not at its best discover the indoor play area with Wendy house, lots of toys, games and activities and a selection of children's books, as well as a pool table for the not so young guests.
Things for Families to See and Do in North Devon
Stroll, run or cycle along the scenic Tarka Trail, a 180 mile route through the stunning scenery of North Devon - accessible just half a mile away from your holiday cottage. The coastal scenery of Bude, Westward Ho, Hartland and Instow are a short distance away by car. Barnstaple and Bideford offer shopping galore for the high street junkies.
For families wanting to have a fun day out then The Big Sheep comes highly recommended situated on the North Devon coast. There are 9 hilarious animal shows from sheep racing, dog and duck trails, horse whispering and lamb bottle feeding shows. You also might enjoy the Milky Way Adventure Park where you get to Ride Devon's biggest roller coaster. With so much to see and do and all the rides and shows are included in the entrance fee. Or experience Devon's Crealy Adventure Park with legendary attractions, combining magic and myths, wild rides and exciting adventures, whilst getting nose to nose with nature and animals.
Lasting Impression
Birchill Farm has something for everyone and offers year round accommodation to suit all tastes and all budgets. Coastal and countryside views offer opportunities for families to enjoy a break from hectic lifestyles and appreciate family times together in a peaceful retreat. Children enjoy being on first name terms with the resident friendly animals and having that daily interaction.
17 review(s) for Birchill Farm Cottages
The Sigan Family writes on 15 May 2012
The perfect place for holiday with the kids! We have spent a wonderful week at Birchill farm and enjoyed every minute. The kids (4 and 1) loved the daily animal feeding. The play barn is a great place to spend your time with the kids in bad weather. And of course, there is no match for Simon.
Claire Trainor & family writes on 27 April 2012
I can't recommend Birchill Farm highly enough. We took our 1 year old son for a weekend and couldn't fault it. Everything has been thought of - the play barn and outdoor play space for kids, the fabulous farm animals, the gorgeous accommodation, and the amazing cream teas! Perfect weekend and we will definitely be returning!
The Newmans Family from East Sussex writes on 15 April 2012
We have just returned from a week at Birchill Farm and can honestly say it is the best UK holiday we have ever had. We stayed in Hazel Cottage which was lovely and plenty big enough for the toddler bed we had for our little one. The cottage was very well appointed and beautifully clean and had some good extras for children, plastic cups, bowls and cutlery etc. The farm itself was great, Simon is fantastic with kids and makes the daily feeding great fun. Our daughter wanted to spend all day with 'Farmer Simon' but we did manage to drag her away and had some lovely days out in the area! The playground is well appointed and very safe. The cream tea on the first day was the best one we had all week! We loved it all!
Sally Harris & family writes on 04 January 2012
We stayed with a group of 16 friends with both babies and toddlers and were very impressed with our welcome from Simon and the high standard of the cottages and the child friendly facilities. The cottages were beautifully presented, finished to a high standard and were lovely and warm. Parking was easy, animal feeding was a hit with the kids. It was a beautiful, restful and quiet location to spend new year
We'd return again and highly recommend it.
Ngahuia McNabb writes on 08 November 2011
I booked Birchill cottage on the recommendation of a friend and I have to say his comments where spot on with regard to how fantastic the experience was :) We have a 4 yo and a 2.5 yo and all our previous holidays have been difficult and left us feeling we needed a holiday to get over our holiday! But our 4 days at Birchill Cottage was brilliant. Simon and Margaret are fantastic hosts and its easy to tell they have had children of their own as all the little details are taken care of from bed rails to plastic cutlery in the cupboards. I would highly recommend this farm for anyone wanting to get away with small kids and have a relaxing time.
Debbie Cooper & family from Hertfordshire writes on 06 November 2011
We had a fantastic Autumn half term break at Birchill Farm. The accommodation was superb, well equipped, clean and warm. We stayed in the Granary a very large cottage with lots of space and a lovely view of the Alpaca field from the kitchen window and garden. We were welcomed by Simon and a delicious homemade cream tea. The highlight for our 3 year old was the animal feeding each morning, (which Simon made both fun and educational), riding the mini tractors around the farm, the trampoline and the fantastic playbarn, complete with coffee machine for parents to enjoy while the children played with new friends.
Birchill is set in a lovely part of the country with lots to do, if you can drag the children away from the farm. The customer service was excellent, at the end of her stay our daughter received a certificate that sits in pride of place in our kitchen. All in all a great holiday whatever the time of year. I have already recommended the farm to friends with young children and we hope to return next Spring.
Rachel Shaw & family from Lancashire writes on 20 August 2011
We stayed in Oak Apple cottage with our 2 daughters aged 5 and 3 in August.A fabulous location, near to lovely beaches and the owners Simon and Margaret are so welcoming and helpful. We had a fantastic holiday, and the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The weather was mixed, but that really didn't matter as this place is so well set up for families, from the animal feeding and lovely outdoor play area with trampoline, to the fabulous clean indoor play area complete with minature kitchen, dressing up clothes etc. The girls loved helping to feed the animals in the morning and collect the eggs (Simon is fantastic with the children), and the cottages are warm, homely and have everything you need when on holiday with children. Our children had such a lovely time, and as all parents know, when the kids are happy, you're happy! We even managed to relax ourselves!
Perfect!!
Colin Deer & family from Surrey writes on 15 August 2011
Thanks, Simon & Margaret, for our second stay at Birchill Farm Cottages. I would highly recommend this to anyone for a fantastic all-round break. On both occasions we’ve booked The Granary and there’s nothing I can fault it on - clean, spacious, modern and worth every penny. Simon’s brilliant with the children – engaging them all and making sure everyone gets their turn to feed the animals. The farm’s location made it really easy to find things to do – whatever the weather.
When we come to Devon again, it’ll make Birchill Farm the only holiday destination I’ve ever been to three times.
and then there were three … writes: on 19 July 2011
We stayed at Birchill with our three year old in May, this year. Simon was the ever present, enthusiastic and helpful host and Margaret quietly got on with loads behind the scenes. Our daughter still pretends to be a duck eating out of our hands 2 months later and talks about all the animals by name. Great location, great people, and very reasonably priced.
Craig Leverett writes: on 04 July 2011
Just arrived home from a week staying at The Granary at Birchill Farm Cottages. On arrival from our 5 hour journey we are greeted by Farmer Simon, (who is an instant hit with our son) with the most delicous cream tea. We are instantly in love with our cottage, if anything it is under sold on the website. Imaculate and very well equipped, with lovely cotton bedding and power showers, and then we walk out on to the lovely garden overlooking the countryside and backing on to the farms resident alpacas and Dotti the sheep. We later discover the superb kids out door and indoor play areas (with comfy sofa and coffee machine for the grown ups), very handy with two very energetic 5 year olds! Simon is a natural with the kids at animal feeding every morning, and still finds time to give all the local tourist knowledge anyone needs. Birchill Farm Cottages is a well thought out business, and though is obviously great for families, the kids stuff is subtle enough not to deter those without. Thanks Simon and Margaret for a great week!
The Catherall family writes on 01 June 2011
Just come back from a fantastic holiday at Birchill Farm. Lovely, welcoming hosts, gorgeous cream tea on arrival and beautiful surroundings. Our daughter (age 3) absolutely loved helping Simon to feed the animals - this was the highlight of her holiday! A brilliant holiday for young children, the cottage was well equiped, everything we needed was provided which saved us the trouble of packing everything but the kitchen sink!! A brilliant outdoor play area and a wonderful under 5's play barn, which is a life saver when the weather isn't great. Birchill also have a visitor room where we were able to borrow maps, buckets, spades, nets etc and they have a selection of homemade frozen meals, which were delicious and saved us cooking after a busy day out. They also have a large selection of books which can be borrowed for bedtime stories. Overall a brilliant, relaxing holiday which we all really enjoyed - we can't wait to return next year! Thanks Simon and Margaret xx
The Granacki Family from Worcestershire writes on 22 May 2011
We have just returned from our fourth trip to Birchill Cottages. We have 2 boys (4yrs and 2yrs) who absolutely love it there. Birchill just gets better with each visit - this year's addition being the fantastically equipped children's play barn (with a pool table for the dads). Simon's warm hospitality is second to none and nothing is ever too much trouble. Margaret's cream teas on arrival and homemade jams and 'posh nosh' meals are delicious. We cannot recommend the cottages highly enough. We have stayed in the Granary and Bramble which are both very tastefully decorated and exceptionally well equipped. The acres of woodland gardens are beautiful and good for adventure walks after days out. We will be sure to return for a fifth holiday soon.
Lisa Kirkman & Family from Hampshire writes on 15 May 2011
We stayed in the Granary for a week at the beginning of May after a google search result highlighted this place for a toddler friendly holiday in the UK - well it wasn't wrong! Our 2 year old had a fantastic time and the accomoodation and facilities far exceeded our expectations. FANTASTIC place for families with small children. Cannot recommnend enough and we are going back in September!
The Holland Family writes on 27 April 2011
We stayed for a week at Birchill Farm over the Easter period. The cottage was spotlessly clean and extremely comfortable with everything you could possibly need. Simon was a brilliant host, extremely approachable and excellent with our children. Lovely hamper on arrival, delicious homemade cakes made by Margaret, excellent facilities in a beautiful setting. We look forward to our return trip in October. Can't recommend highly enough if you want a relaxing break.
Lisa Davies & Family from London writes on 24 April 2011
Birchill Farm Cottages looked nice on the web and they are - for us and our toddler twins. The cottage was comfy, well equipped and had 2 large travel cots with proper mattresses, highchairs and stair gate. We liked all that and especially the evening meals we ordered from Margaret which were tasty, generous and good value. The kids loved the animals and feeding them in the morning and the play area but mostly just wandering around the meadows. Simon was great with our twins and inobtrusively helpful. With great beaches in reach, lovely local countryside and the Tarka Trail its a great location. And then there was the amazing weather which meant the indoor play area was only visited once. Full marks all round.
Sarah Preece & family from Bristol booked with three other families with babies and toddlers and writes on 14 March 2011
We have just returned home from a 4 night stay at Oak Apple Cottage with our 6 month old baby and a toddler. Our toddler enjoyed all his time at Birchill Farm made all the more special by the owner "farmer simon" that was so natural and kind when showing our son and his toddler friends that came on holiday as well the animals in the mornings. There was great excitment when the eggs needed to be collected and the ducks needed to be let out and feed. Very special moments with a camera for parents! The cottage was lovely and all the baby and child equipment was all in place such as a great mattress in the travel cot. Modern, clean, and warm. The play barn had just been opened and the kids loved all the toys that were great quality mainly ELC, there was also a beautiful wooden play kitchen all they toys you would like at home, plus a great sofa for the parents. Simon and family made this a lovely break providing some very special memories. We hope to re book for next year and would highly recommend for groups of friends that all want a break together.
Alec Selvon-Bruce and family from London writes on 04 January 2011
We enjoyed a relaxed and warm New Years family break at the Oak Apple Cottage. Birchill Farm was a great location for our young toddler Anoushka. She was up early to assist Simon (the farmer) on his daily chores of feeding all the animals (who were all equally patient with a young toddler). She made great use of the outdoor play area and got into the farming spirit on the toy tractor. The cottages are only a mile from the Tarka Trail (there is a car park available) and we made great use of the traffic free cycle path. Birchill cottages are an excellent venue for a family holiday and will be back to check out the planned play barn.
