Culture, nature, gastronomy
Generations of artists, poets and musicians have been drawn to the peace and unspoilt scenery but there’s more to the Blackdown Hills than fields of cows. Within easy reach of the farmhouse are theatres, cinemas and art galleries as well as some of the most celebrated farm-to-table restaurants and independent pubs. We love this part of the world more than anywhere else and cannot wait to share it with you.
Art in the Blackdowns
Artists Robert Bevan, Spencer Gore and other members of the Camden Group captured the farmhouses of the Blackdowns in the early part of the 20th century, inspiring an artistic tradition that continues today. We can put you in touch with sculptors, painters and printmakers with studios nearby that are happy for you to visit by arrangement. There are also regular exhibitions at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery and Beehive galleries in Honiton and a permanent collection of esteemed local art at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter.
Eating and drinking off the land
The Blackdowns is a paradise for keen cooks and gourmands. Our local winery is Heron Farm at Honiton, where there is a children’s playground and yoga studio as well as wine tasting. We also recommend visiting the Lyme Bay Winery and Langham, which makes, in our view, England’s finest sparkling wine.
We can also help you arrange mushroom foraging in the Blackdowns with a local botanist, fishing on the Jurassic coast and a trip to Goren Farm wildflower meadows.
For our younger guests
I can see my children rolling their eyes at the thought of wine tasting and museum visits. They’ll vouch for the fact that there’s an unlimited amount of fun to be had locally including cinemas, bowling, cycling, riding, trampolining, rafting, Go-Ape, cricket matches, golf and wild swimming. Exeter and Taunton are within easy reach for shopping trips – my children always seem to need something – and in Honiton there’s a sports shop and a toy shop.
We also love …
A pub walk
There are good pubs in the surrounding villages. Take the dog and the children and an OS map and plot a circular route ending up at, say, the King’s Arms in Stockland.
Cliff picnic
Nothing beats an evening on the cliffs above Charmouth. We’ve got a secret spot we’ll tell you about with views of Golden Cap
Pottery
Great for a rainy day. At the Pottery Café in Honiton you can paint a pot or an egg cup, and enjoy a hot chocolate or coffee, too. Best to book in advance.
Brunch out
The Brightside is a Seventies diner just a few minutes’ drive away. It serves great coffee in heavy retro mugs and the best pancakes this side of Land’s End.
Blackdowns Farmhouse 