Lipley - a Feather Down farm, Shropshire
Moss Lane, Cheswardine, Shropshire
Even the wet weather couldn’t spoil our weekend at Lipley Farm. The kids had a ball and it was nice to chill with a good book and a glass of wine. The kids were fascinated with the animals on the farm.
Lipley Farm is a working dairy farm in Shropshire, just a short drive from the motorway networks and located in the middle of Britain, making it an ideal spot for family get-togethers.
We rather keenly overshot the car park in our eagerness to arrive so should you pass the farmhouse you also have gone too far. Tracey, the farmers wife, mum of twins, and our host for our stay (who was extremely likeable and friendly), re-directed us and helped load our belongings onto wheelbarrows whereby Alfie, my youngest decided to hop in for the ride.
The five safari tents are pitched in a large quiet field (traffic free) well away from all farmyard noises so you can enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside. You pass the shower block and honesty shop as you navigate your belongings along a narrow fenced path passing the dairy herd on the way. The tents back on to Rushymoss Wood, which is a perfect natural windbreak. In the field there's plenty of space for the kids to run around and make new friends and even an impromptu game of rounders.
The Tents
The safari-style tents are quirky, spacious and stylish. A stay in these beauties combine all the best bits of camping without the hassle that bring- your-own involves. Camping the Feather Down way also means you don't have to relinquish the comforts of home. Raised off the ground and with varnished wooded floors, the well-equipped tents all have a large living area with a kitchen island, running cold water, a flushing toilet, a wood-burning stove AND proper beds with pillows and duvets. You make up your own beds as one of the first tasks on arrival, stripping them when you leave. Oil lamps and candles are provided, together with a rustic-looking cool box in which to store all your perishables or simply chill the beer. The lid is pretty heavy as it's fully insulated, so care must be taken with kids around. My favorite luxury was the quirky hand-grinder for fresh coffee, with beans available to purchase from the farms honesty shop for making up a cafetière. One of the highlights for the kids was sleeping in the cupboard bed - a fully enclosed cabin bed suitable for two kids (or one adult and child - yes I really needed to have a go!). There are a further two bedrooms - one a double and one with bunk beds.
Stoking up the internal wood-burning stove can't be done in a hurry. We much preferred cooking on the outside wood burning cookers as they heated up a lot quicker which was invaluable when the kids suddenly requested to be feed instantly.
The Farm Animals
As well as spotting the cute 5-day-old piglets lined up, basking in the sun, on our arrival we were lucky enough to stay a weekend when a calf was born. Campers can also partake in milking the 130-strong dairy cows, feeding the pigs and stroking the horses in the guided tour around the farm. The kids loved peeking in the henhouse every morning for freshly laid eggs - perfect for that morning fry-up.
Facilities
You have clean showers to freshen up in, just a stroll away from your field. Within the same block an honesty shop holds all sorts of essentials and tasty things to tempt you, including the hard to resist purchase - bags of marshmallows (daren't tot up the number we went through in a weekend but we did share ...honest), tasty barbeque food and a fine choice of wine and beer. Just write what you use on your tab, and settle your bill with the farmer on the last day.
Holiday Extras
At Lipley Farm you're given the handy option of having a cheesy jacket potato and a hot drink on arrival at your tent. Not only that, but your stove will be lit, the candles will be aglow and your beds made up. This is called the Premier Service. Or just opt for the Ready Beddy service if you don't fancy making your own beds up on arrival. Pizza night happens about once a week when the bread stove is lit and you can make your own with all the ingredients available from the honesty shop.
Farm Location and Local Attractions
Your hosts Tracey and Stephen have young twins themselves so are well placed to advise the best places to visit in the local area, with Monkey Forest at Trentham Estate being top of the list of family favourites.
Five hundred yards down the road from the farm is Bishops Wood. The 900 acres are great for exploring on foot or by bike. A cycle or drive the four miles to Tyreley Locks. More for a rainy day is the Hack Green secret nuclear bunker, once a top-secret site, now declassified and open to the public. Hawkstone historic park with its follies, the setting for the Narnia films, is a great day out just 20 minutes drive away. It has plenty of caves to explore too.