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Coombe Mill Blog
"Tales from the farmers wife" shares the funny and interesting happenings on our lovely holiday farm with Farmer Nick and our 6 children. A behind the scenes look on balancing family, farming, the holiday business and cooking for all.
We had an exciting day last week when Merlin and Arthur were born. New Life and changes on the farm is such an exciting time. Mummy ‘Brownie’ gave birth to two healthy boys who are now enjoying growing up together and bouncing around their indoor home. We can’t wait for our guests to be the first to see Merlin and Arthur along with our new lambs this April.
Spring and Summer Bookings – still some availability in May, June and September
We have been taking bookings throughout lockdown and are looking forward to meeting so many of you this Spring and Summer. We have changed our bookings to use Cornwalls Cottages but you are still able to book directly through us. You can contact us eiter by email, mail@coombemill.com or phone 01208850344, there will be no booking fee to pay. You can check out availability by clicking on our availabil on our web site https://www.coombemill.com/availability-prices/
Changes on the site
Whilst in lockdown, we have been trying to make the most of our time by trying to make certain cahnges on the site. One of these improvements has been in our games room, where we are refurbishing and opening up the area to allow more space and playing areas for our guests. The internal walls, kitchens and bathrooms have been removed and are ready for paint, new flooring and curtains. We will have a dedicated area for younger children, with a reading zone and a play area. The older children will also have their own area with an air hockey table, as well as pool and table tennis. I’ts still work in progress, but we will be ready for our first guests on 12th April.
More Changes this time outside
As the weather warms up, we know that our guests are going to want to start to use the outdoor BBQ area, so we have mended the roof and improved the flooring and put some solar lights up. It’s now an area which can be enjoyed by all on a sunny Spring and Summer’s evening.
We have added some outdoor gym bars for our guests to play on in the swing zone by the fairy garden. Our twins love these bars and enjoy being little monkeys on them.
Pitch and Putt changes
We know how popular the pitch and put is with all our guests, so we have added a 7th hole which will when finished be finishing in the hut. How many shots will it take you to get it into the hole? It certainly is a challnge!
In order to keep up with the times and make our guests stay as easy and as comfortable as ever, our first lockdown project was to remove the electricity pound coin metres in all of our six lodges. We are certain that this will be a popular improvement for all our returning guests, but hope that we can all continue to be conscientious about conserving energy and our planet.
Lockdown project 2 – Daily Exercise
We have really been enjoying exploring the local area’s beaches and finding some more good walks. This inspired us to place framed OS maps on the walls in each of our lodges and we hope that this will enable you to explore the local area with ease when you come and stay.
Lockdown Project 3 – Animals
Despite the absence of snow and guests, our animals are now enjoying hearty helpings of hay now the weather is significantly colder. Therefore, our third lockdown project will see Sally our pig being sent off to have her annual holiday of fun with her boyfriend next week. We hope to have new piglets with us by the end of May, just in time for half term.
Lockdown Project 4- Games Room
We have also been measuring up the games room and hope to have this opened up and refurbished by the end of March. There will be some new equipment for the older children, as well as games and books for the younger ones
Marketing
Our fifth lockdown project for January entailed investigating the potential to market Coombe Mill from a different angle. We are currently in the process of designing a new logo and updating the signs around the farm. We hope to be able to share some of these with you all in our future blogs.
Staycation Bookings this summer
The website https://www.coombemill.com/availability-prices/is regularly updated with regards to our availability and you can still book on the web site or through us. We are getting a number of bookings daily and are nearly full for Easter, May and the Summer holidays.
At Coombe Mill we recognise we are all living in uncertain times. We realise how important it is to have something special booked in to look forward to as a family. So to provide you with complete reassurance:
We offer a full Covid guarantee. If Lockdown or Tier restrictions occur over your holiday week – then you have a choice to
1. Have a full refund or
2. The opportunity to move your holiday to another week at the same price. If you choose a week at a more expensive price you will need to pay the difference.
Happy New Year to you all. We hope 2021 brings us a better year and that for our guests at Coombe Mill you have a year with less restrictions to travel. Have you thought about a 2021 staycation for your family? Read on to hear our plans and the big changes ahead.
At the end of last year Coombe Mill changed hands. Fiona and Nick who owned Coombe Mill for over 18 years have decided to put their feet up and retire and have passed over the reins to us – Anya, Emma, Millie, Sam and Sienna.
A bit about us
Emma and I are both ex – secondary school teachers and as a family have a love for the outdoors. We have moved down to Cornwall from Bovingdon in Hertfordshire where we lived for over 10 years but wanted to escape the rat race and have a slower pace of life.
The start of our journey has been a challenging one due to more Covid lockdowns but we were able to welcome a few guests from Tier 1 and 2 for the Christmas week.
Latest on the farm
We have turned on the lights in the indoor chicken shed and are feeding the chickens more food in the hope that we get some eggs in the next few days.
In the local area
Exploring the local area has been like our own little staycation. As a family we have discovered a number of child friendly walks. These will be added into the welcome pack in each lodge for you to enjoy.
Looking ahead
We are looking forward to developing Coombe Mill in our style. Rest assured we will keep you up to date with our plans and changes throughout the year on our Instagram and Facebook pages. First up is a brilliant wooden swing down near the river and the fairy garden. This has already been fully tested by our children and proved a big success.
Arrranging your next staycation
The Christmas decorations are now down and we are fully in the driving seat. Why not beat the January blues and look at a staycation here this year. Emma and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the coming year. Our children are keen to find new playmates.
We are delighted to be coming out of lockdown and open again this week. Cornwall has been assigned a tier 1 status along with just the Isles of Silly and Isle of Wight. If you are going stir crazy from a November indoors, then come and enjoy the safely of the space and freedom at the farm this winter.
Speaking of Christmas Festivities….
Christmas and New Year availability
We still have Trebah to sleep 4 available this Christmas and a good selection of different sized lodges for New Year.
Take in the picturesque harbour towns and villages of Cornwall with some quirky independent shops. Breathe in the sea air with some glorious coastal and beach walks or explore the beautiful moorland on our doorstep. Marvel at the most magnificent sunsets and then cosy up indoors with the family around the log burner.
Christmas planning underway
We have been getting into the festive spirit and unpacking our Christmas trees and lights. It may not be the full party season we have had in the past at Coombe Mill, but we are determined to make your family break as special as possible. Santa will definitely be stopping here and our BBQ hut is perfect for a festive treat night.
What if you are not in tier 1 yourselves?
Our current understanding is that anyone can travel for the 5 days of Christmas, regardless of their tier classification. If this means you need to alter your dates with us please do get in touch via email mail@coombemill.com or phone (01208 850344). Clearly this could change at any stage with Government advice; rest assured we will respond accordingly regarding your holiday. I hope you can join us soon as a tier 1 classification.
Sharing the best of lockdown autumn beauty.
November is one of the prettiest months on the farm. The colours in our wooded valley have been quite spectacular this year. If you follow me on social media you will have seen my daily posts. If you have missed out here are a few of the scenes we enjoyed.
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Winter on the Farm
All clean and gleaming
We are in the process of working our way around a big seasonal farm clean. This involves mucking out the pigs, chickens and guinea pigs who have indoor houses and providing plenty of fresh bedding in anticipation of the colder seasonal weather. No one is a big fan of the back breaking shovelling involved but the animals really do enjoy pushing their little feet through a clean home and kicking up fresh chippings or sawdust.
The Field shelters are being cleaned and stocked with a good straw base for warmth on frosty nights and a dry haven for wet days. The goats are particularly important as their coats are not designed for prolonged periods of wet weather.
Free ranging
While the days are dry and sunny the animals have been enjoying roataing between their fields and grazing the footpaths and lakeside. This has the double benefit of a varied diet for the animals and a saving in winter hay for us. They are as keen as ever to see Farmer Nick in the morning with a breakfast top up, however we look forward to have the tractor and trailer back out and some little helpers for Farmer Nick again this month.
On that note, whether you are spending the festive period here or at home,
This month all our thoughts turn to Christmas, and whether or not we will be allowed to see loved ones. We personally have two kids away at university wanting to come home, two mothers wanting to visit, and who knows what will be allowed with a second lockdown upon us. I’m sure you must all have your own concerns. As we work through the weeks ahead, remember this won’t last forever and fun times and holidays will come back. In our case they will be running from December right through the festive period and into next year, COVID restrictions permitting. Stay on line and read about the fun and events over the past few weeks and the plans we have ahead along with availability that may be just right for your family bubble.
Christmas and New Year availability
In these difficult times everyone need a little time out. Whether it is a long weekend or a festive break we have that COVID safe outdoor fun holiday waiting for you. The second wave of lockdown may have scuppered your November plans, but winter availability after is good. We have just Trevarno lodge left for Christmas but a selection of properties for New Year. Gather your family bubble and give yourselves a little Cornish farm break.
Improved Wi Fi for your convenience
We have become aware of your increased need to stay online during your holiday. Whether it be emails for work, looking up days out or streaming favourite programmes. We can’t help being at the end of a long copper line down in a valley, but can make the most of our limited resources with a new line. Hopefully this will mean fast speeds for all our guests.
A new style Halloween for Covid
Halloween is one of the notable fun days here on the farm. In previous years we have gone all out with creative ideas to keep families entertained all day. This year had to be different. Cancelling everything felt too harsh, so with a little thought and determination we came up with a COVID safe Halloween event at the end of half term for our guests. Fancy dress, pumpkin carving and a creative reverse Trick or Treat gave fun for all whilst maintaining social distancing.
From the Farm
The chickens are now indoors
The chicks we have nurtured from day olds are now looking like grownups and moved into their winter indoor house. The remaining few established ladies from the field will join them this week for the winter season. Their airy but dry home with lighting should ensure a few eggs over winter for us all and a fun stop on the tractor ride for our guests each morning.
The Rut is underway
We have two young stags this year. The one we were raising up for the job and the one that we brought into the field by default a couple of months ago. So far there is no fighting as we enter the rut. however they are becoming predictably skittish and hiding from us, then darting round in a loop for everyone.
Rambo is back in business
Summer is a long layoff period when you are a ram; all that sunning yourself and munching grass. However he is back in business having been moved into a new field with a new ewe entering his field each week. Rambo is very happy with the situation. Hopefully we will have lambs from late February through to May next year.
Autumn Storms take their toll
I always hold my breath when the wind and rain whistles through our wooded valley on a stormy night. Why do they always come overnight? Anyway, this time it was a huge tree down in the ravine causing a problem by cutting off the chickens fresh water feed. Farmer Nick has the genius solution of a pipe system over the path from his shed (man cave) gutters down to the pond. A good shower and the pond is now full of fresh water. The chickens may be going indoors but the turkeys, ducks and geese are very grateful.
This second wave of lockdown feels harsh with the short days of November, but I hope you can protect your family bubble and come and visit us after.
“Tales from the farmers wife” shares life on our lovely holiday farm with Farmer Emma and our children. Step into our beautiful 30 acres and experience nature close up with farming and educational crafts in stunning North Cornwall. Family, fun and adventure start here.
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