The February frog chorus at Wheatland Farm’s eco lodges! It’s the precursor for the annual summer froglet extravaganza that really gets going in June.
Continue reading “Frogs and toads in droves”Frogs and toads in droves
Dormice and Harvest Mice Nests
Winter tidying-up around the Wheatland Farm eco lodges often reveals dormouse or harvest mice nests like these ones.
Continue reading “Dormice and Harvest Mice Nests”Pollarding the Wheatland Farm Withy
Pollarding the withy bed at Wheatland Farm’s Devon eco lodges is a late winter job that generates sustainable firewood for summer guests.
Continue reading “Pollarding the Wheatland Farm Withy”Standing up for Dartmoor wild camping rights
Wheatland Farm is about lovely holidays for everyone. We’re about sustainability, and setting a good green example – about showing how things can be different and better. We generally try not to be too political. But some issues need challenging, and the threat to wild camping rights on Dartmoor is one of them.
Continue reading “Standing up for Dartmoor wild camping rights”Wheatland Farm’s new favourite coffee shop in Winkleigh
Wheatland Farm’s new favourite place to have coffee and cake is Catkin Blooms, in Winkleigh. Part flower shop, part coffee venue, it even has a lovely view of Dartmoor.
Continue reading “Wheatland Farm’s new favourite coffee shop in Winkleigh”Trying out the wood fired pizza oven
Yes, we’ve added a wood fired pizza oven to Wheatland Farm’s eco lodges. It’s part of the new party barn. So even if the weather doesn’t hold, dinner won’t be damp.
Continue reading “Trying out the wood fired pizza oven”Accessible Birdwatching In Devon
Here are a few birdwatching ideas for people with very limited mobility who might be staying with us at Wheatland Farm’s eco lodges. Of course, there’s plenty to see from your veranda too – but sometimes we all like to go exploring.
Continue reading “Accessible Birdwatching In Devon”February Frogspawn
It’s not properly February until the frogspawn turns up in Wheatland Farm’s ponds. As normal, we’ve first spotted it in the lodge field pond – on the 5th, though it could have been laid earlier.
Continue reading “February Frogspawn”Listed In The Guardian’s Top Ten Eco Friendly Places To Stay In Europe!
We’re thrilled to find Wheatland Farm listed this morning in a Guardian Top Ten list of eco friendly places to stay in Europe.
Continue reading “Listed In The Guardian’s Top Ten Eco Friendly Places To Stay In Europe!”Chagford Open Air Swimming Pool
During the summer months, one of the nicest places to swim in Devon is Chagford’s Open Air Swimming Pool, on Dartmoor.
Continue reading “Chagford Open Air Swimming Pool”Fox Cub Visiting Honeysuckle Lodge
Thanks to Wheatland Farm guest Nicola Clarke for sending us these lovely images of a fox cub that ‘came out to explore’ right outside Honeysuckle Lodge.
Continue reading “Fox Cub Visiting Honeysuckle Lodge”Clover Lawns Around The Eco Lodges
#30DaysWild no 30. At Wheatland Farm we’ve been easing off the path mowing just for a week or so, and here’s the result – clover lawns around the eco lodges that the bees are loving.
Continue reading “Clover Lawns Around The Eco Lodges”Tree Bumble Bees Make Placid Neighbours
#30DaysWild no 29. The tree bumblebee nest at Beech Lodge is still going strong, with bees coming and going and doing their own thing.
Continue reading “Tree Bumble Bees Make Placid Neighbours”Trimming Ivy On Otter Cottage Living Wall
#30DaysWild no 28 Ian has been trimming the ivy cladding on the Otter Cottage.
Continue reading “Trimming Ivy On Otter Cottage Living Wall”Rosy Sycamore Seeds
#30DaysWild no 27. We’re appreciating small beauties, like these rosy sycamore seeds, framing Beech Lodge in the background.
Continue reading “Rosy Sycamore Seeds”Mowing Grass At Winkleigh’s Community Biodiversity Project
#30DaysWild no. 26 Euan has been mowing at the Winkleigh community trees again.
Continue reading “Mowing Grass At Winkleigh’s Community Biodiversity Project”View From Honeysuckle Eco Lodge
#30DaysWild no 25. We’re taking a moment to enjoy the view from Honeysuckle Eco Lodge while we get it ready for this weekend’s guests. And we’re enjoying the visitors to the bird feeder too.
Continue reading “View From Honeysuckle Eco Lodge”Frog Exodus
#30DaysWild no. 24: The frog / toad exodus from the Wheatland Farm wildlife pond is in full swing!
Continue reading “Frog Exodus”Hovering sparrows
#30DaysWild no 23: The sparrows are learning to hover so they can get at the suspended feeders at Wheatland Farm!
Continue reading “Hovering sparrows”Summer Butterflies
#30DaysWild no 22. With the sunshine coming back at Wheatland Farm, so are the butterflies, like this Painted Lady.
Continue reading “Summer Butterflies”A Devon Solstice Run On Dartmoor
#30DaysWild no. 21. Ian joined the Okehampton Running Club’s solstice run, to see in the dawn.
Continue reading “A Devon Solstice Run On Dartmoor”Admiring The Weeds
#30DaysWild no 20. At Wheatland Farm sometimes we don’t get around to weeding the patio…
Continue reading “Admiring The Weeds”Toads On The Move
#30DaysWild no 19: We think of toads as living at the Wheatland Farm wildlife pond, but often we find them a long way from water.
Continue reading “Toads On The Move”Woodpeckers Feeding Their Young
#30DaysWild no 18. The Great Spotted Woodpecker has brought its baby to the Wheatland Farm bird feeders. Here’s a clip of the adult collecting some food and taking it to feed the young bird waiting in the relative safety of the vegetation.
Continue reading “Woodpeckers Feeding Their Young”Third Time Lucky For The Robin
#30DaysWild no 17: Our favourite Wheatland Farm robin seems to have finally raised a family.
Continue reading “Third Time Lucky For The Robin”A ‘first’ Scarce Chaser for North Devon
How exciting! #30DaysWild no 16, the Devon dragonfly recorder confirms that this beautiful beast, which we found yesterday, is a Scarce Chaser, and is the first record for the North Devon region.
Continue reading “A ‘first’ Scarce Chaser for North Devon”Photographing dragonflies
30DaysWild no 15: this Golden Ringed Dragonfly, resting in the turbine field at Wheatland Farm, let us get close enough to take pictures with a mobile phone.
Continue reading “Photographing dragonflies”Aerial Views
#30DaysWild no 14. Does checking on the cows by drone count?
Continue reading “Aerial Views”Funky Green Spider
#30DaysWild no 13 this startlingly green spider was spotted on stonework as we hung up the acres of washing from our eco lodge ‘change over’ day. Small is beautiful – if a little creepy. Or at least creepy crawly.
Continue reading “Funky Green Spider”Skylarks, a Dartmoor run and a day out from Wheatland Farm
#30DaysWild no 12. Ian’s wild moment today was a fell run across the north moor above Meldon reservoir, Dartmoor.
Continue reading “Skylarks, a Dartmoor run and a day out from Wheatland Farm”