FARM LIFE

Fowlescombe Farm

Devon - England

A full-board farm stay in a hidden Devon valley, with ten beautiful suites, regenerative farming, farm-sourced dinners and Dartmoor close by.

Countryside

Pet Friendly

Restaurant

Orchard

Farmlife

Yoga

THE SETTING

Fowlescombe Farm is a luxurious farm stay in South Devon, tucked away in a valley near Ugborough, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. The South Devon coast is also within reach, so the setting offers both sides of Devon: open moorland, green hills, farm tracks, and sea air when you want it. The estate covers around 450 acres and has been shaped as a regenerative organic farm. The land comes first here. The animals, gardens, fields, orchards, woodlands and kitchen all work together, and guests are invited into that rhythm.

The buildings date back centuries, including a ruined manor house, stone barns, and the original Victorian farmhouse, which now forms the heart of the retreat. The atmosphere is calm, earthy and very considered. You arrive through narrow lanes, the valley opens up, and the noise of everyday life starts to fade.

THE ROOMS

There are ten suites at Fowlescombe, spread across restored stone barns and the Victorian farmhouse. Each suite is different, but the mood is consistent: local materials, soft natural colours, oak, stone, wool, sheepskin, generous beds, good bathrooms and windows that pull the valley into the room.

The smallest options, such as Garden Studio, Pond Suite, Rafters Suite and Orchard Suite, work well for couples or solo travellers who want a private, comfortable base. Several include kitchenettes, outdoor seating or views over the pond, orchard, meadows or woodland. The larger suites, such as Home Barn, Valley Suite, Tall Barn, and Long Barn, offer more space and are better suited for families, friends, or longer stays. Some have full kitchens, wood-burning stoves, terraces, deep baths, separate living areas, or two bedrooms. The design was led with real architectural care. Original stone walls, barn volumes, beams and agricultural shapes are kept visible, while the interiors add comfort without losing the building’s working-farm character.

THE FOOD

Food is the centre of Fowlescombe. All stays are full board, which means breakfast, a light lunch, afternoon cake in the farmhouse and a four-course dinner in The Refectory are included. This is important because the farm is slightly tucked away, and the idea is not that you spend your days searching for restaurants. You stay, eat, walk, rest and let the farm feed you properly.

Breakfast is served in The Refectory and follows the same land-led approach as the rest of the kitchen. Depending on the season, expect eggs from the farm, sourdough, pastries, cultured butter, preserves, local cheeses, cured meats, fruit, porridge or a fuller cooked breakfast.

Dinner is the main event. Executive Chef Elly Wentworth leads the kitchen with a daily-changing four-course set menu shaped by what is ready in the fields, garden, orchard and surrounding area. The menu is not built around endless choice; it follows the land. One evening might bring slow-reared beef from the farm, garden vegetables, herbs from the greenhouse or fruit from the orchard.

THE STAY

The stay at Fowlescombe is built around being on the farm. Activities are included and change with the season, depending on what the land, the kitchen, and the team are doing. Guests might join a farm tour, bake bread, help make the farmhouse cake, learn about composting, take a yoga session, gather botanicals for gin, try pasta-making, save seeds, join an art session or simply walk the estate.

There is also space to do nothing. The Farmhouse has comfortable shared rooms for reading, coffee, cake, board games or a drink by the fire. Outside, there are trails, gardens, meadows, woodland and quiet corners where the valley does most of the work. For guests who want something more tailored, bespoke experiences can be arranged: stone walling, private picnics in the woods, paddleboarding to a pub on the Salcombe estuary, guided Dartmoor walks, birdwatching, hedge-laying, stargazing over the moor or sundowners in the fields.

AROUND FOWLESCOMBE FARM

Dartmoor National Park is close for big-sky walks, tors, open moorland, rivers, ponies and pubs. The coast is also within easy reach. Mothecombe Beach, Bigbury-on-Sea, Bantham, Salcombe, and the South West Coast Path all make sense for day trips, depending on whether you want a swim, a cliff walk, a beach picnic, or a long lunch by the water. This is one of the strengths of the location: you do not have to choose between inland Devon and the sea.

Totnes is the nearest useful town for train arrivals, independent shops, cafés, markets and a more alternative Devon feel. Nearby villages and pubs add to the stay, especially South Pool and The Millbrook Inn, which share the same family hospitality story. The surrounding lanes, hedges and small settlements are also part of the experience. This is not a checklist destination. It is a place to walk, eat, drive slowly, swim if the weather allows, and let Devon unfold without overplanning.

THE OWNERS

Fowlescombe Farm is led by Caitlin and Paul, alongside Caitlin’s family. Caitlin brings hospitality experience, including time in luxury hotels, while Paul brings a strong design and architecture perspective.

Together, they have shaped Fowlescombe as a working farm first and a guest retreat second. That is what keeps it grounded. The design is beautiful, the food is ambitious, and the service is generous, but the place never loses its reason for being: the land, the animals, the kitchen and the wider idea of regeneration.

GOOD TO KNOW

Well-behaved dogs are welcome across the estate and in selected suites, but should be kept on leads near livestock. All stays are full board, including breakfast, afternoon cake, a four-course dinner each evening and a programme of farm activities. Complimentary transfers to and from Totnes train station can be arranged. Bespoke experiences, alcoholic drinks and certain extras are charged separately.

Rates start at £530 per night, including full-board dining and selected farm activities.