After all that Christmas cheer it’s time to take in a bit of late afternoon sun and stretch our legs on Dartmoor.
Continue reading “Stretching our legs on Dartmoor”Stretching our legs on Dartmoor
An extra second of daylight…
Today we all got an extra second of daylight. At Wheatland Farm we got some Devon sunshine too, and leapt for joy! What did you do with your extra second?
Exeter Christmas Market
From about the beginning of December, there’s a Christmas Market around the Cathedral in Exeter.
Continue reading “Exeter Christmas Market”Rosemoor’s Winter Sculpture Exhibition
Devon’s RHS Rosemoor, 11 miles from Wheatland Farm, has it’s winter sculpture exhibition, running until 31 January.
Continue reading “Rosemoor’s Winter Sculpture Exhibition”Winners in the Devon Tourism Awards!
Yesterday the Devon Tourism Awards were announced. We’re delighted that Wheatland Farm has added to its trophy collection: the Silver in the Ethical Responsible and Sustainable Award (and commended in the Self Catering Category). It was the 10th Anniversary awards – and we were reminded that we were there at the beginning too, winning Silver back in 2009/10 (and some Golds in the intervening years). We’ve just checked, and in the past 10 years we’ve won over 10 awards for green holidays. So we’re thrilled to celebrate a whole decade at the top of genuinely sustainable tourism!
Continue reading “Winners in the Devon Tourism Awards!”Winter conservation work
It’s time to begin Wheatland Farm’s winter conservation work, starting with a bit of bramble bashing by the fishing pond.
Continue reading “Winter conservation work”10 Tips To Act on Climate Change
Winkleigh has joined many other Devon parishes in declaring a climate emergency. As a starting point, Winkleigh’s environmental action group has asked its members to list their top ten tips for taking action. So here’s Wheatland Farm’s suggestions.
Continue reading “10 Tips To Act on Climate Change”Making Copper Dragonflies With Ian
Half term often means holidays for families with young children. So Ian has been making copper dragonflies…
Continue reading “Making Copper Dragonflies With Ian”Helping at the Crediton Repair Cafe again
Ian was at the Crediton Repair Cafe this morning – in their new and improved venue at the Methodist Church.
Continue reading “Helping at the Crediton Repair Cafe again”Afternoon tea for vegan guests staying at Wheatland Farm
Guests coming to Wheatland Farm this summer are asking where they can get a vegan cream tea. So we’ve started the search…
Continue reading “Afternoon tea for vegan guests staying at Wheatland Farm”Huge elephant hawk moth caterpillars
OK, so no actual elephants at Wheatland Farm, but how about these elephant hawk moth caterpillars, found a few days ago near the wildlife pond?
Continue reading “Huge elephant hawk moth caterpillars”Make a Splash at the North Devon Wake Park
Rain or shine (well, you’re going to get wet anyway…) the inflatables or wake boarding at the North Devon Wake Park are great fun for kids and adults.
Continue reading “Make a Splash at the North Devon Wake Park”Beer Can Flowers
Some of Wheatland Farm’s summer flowers are starting to go over – but not these ones on the side of Balebarn Lodge.
Continue reading “Beer Can Flowers”An Independent Trip Into Exeter
Sometimes not everyone on holiday wants to do the same thing. Sometimes kids are growing up and want a bit more space. So we thought we’d ask the boys to do a series of short videos about their independent Devon days out. Here, they go into Exeter to the cinema.
Continue reading “An Independent Trip Into Exeter”Good Green Energy For Our Eco Lodges
We’ve been noticing for a while that we could be buying cheaper and apparently just as green power elsewhere, so why do we stick with Good Energy?
Continue reading “Good Green Energy For Our Eco Lodges”Making bread in a campfire oven
We’ve been down to the woods to bake some bread – in a campfire oven.
Continue reading “Making bread in a campfire oven”Brimstone butterfly emerges
Stretch those wings! A brimstone emerges from its chrysalis by Nuthatch Lodge at Wheatland Farm.
Continue reading “Brimstone butterfly emerges”First Emerald Damselfly of Summer
Emerald damselflies start emerging in July and will be flying around the ponds at Wheatland Farm until about the end of August – maybe into September.
Continue reading “First Emerald Damselfly of Summer”Marbled White Butterfly
We spotted this stunning marbled white butterfly in front of Balebarn Lodge this morning. We think this is a male. We’d rather it was a female so we got some more butterflies… So here’s to hoping he finds a mate.
Continue reading “Marbled White Butterfly”Peacock butterfly caterpillars munching nettles
We promise this clip isn’t speeded up! The peacock butterfly caterpillars are munching their way through the nettles near the Wheatland Farm wildlife pond. Soon we’ll have fresh adults flying in the lodge field.
Continue reading “Peacock butterfly caterpillars munching nettles”Bumblebees Revelling In Poppy Pollen
Each sunny morning, more poppies flower by the Wheatland Farmhouse, and the bumblebees seem to be almost drunk with delight! The buzz in this video clip is the glorious sound of our Devon summer.
Continue reading “Bumblebees Revelling In Poppy Pollen”#30DaysWild No. 30 Wild camping on Dartmoor
It was a last minute decision – a late afternoon walk on Dartmoor, an overnight bivvy, and back to Wheatland Farm in time for morning coffee.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 30 Wild camping on Dartmoor”#30DaysWild No. 29 Caterpillars are out-pacing plant growth!
#30DaysWild No. 29. We might have been too successful in attracting wildlife to the lodges. We bought these little alder buckthorn plants because the larvae of brimstone butterflies eat them, and we wanted more butterflies at Wheatland Farm.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 29 Caterpillars are out-pacing plant growth!”#30DaysWild No. 28. More than just a puddle
This is one of the scrapes we dug last year. They’re still muddy, and it will be a while before they bursting their banks with tall reeds, but already they are attracting 6 species of dragon- and damselflies, as well as supporting baby frogs.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 28. More than just a puddle”#30DaysWild No. 27: Little Green Bug
Today’s #30DaysWild moment was to post this fabulously green beetle creature on facebook.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 27: Little Green Bug”#TheTimeIsNow and #30DaysWild No. 26
#30DaysWild No. 26. Today was #TheTimeIsNo mass lobby of MPs in Westminster. Organised by a coalition of major charities, including WWF, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, several faith-based development charities etc etc, it called for strong action on the twin issues of climate change and nature recovery. We felt we had to be part of it.
Continue reading “#TheTimeIsNow and #30DaysWild No. 26”#30DaysWild No. 25 Learning from Devon farmers
#30DaysWild No. 25 Today’s action for nature is to learn from others – Ian is attending a workshop on managing soft rush at Rose Ash Farm, run by Cyril Cole.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 25 Learning from Devon farmers”#30DaysWild No. 24 Painted Ladies have arrived
They weren’t here yesterday, but they are today: painted lady butterflies. At least ten are fluttering around the Wheatland Farm wildlife pond.
Read more#30DaysWild No. 23 Waiting out the rain
#30DaysWild No. 23. Sometimes it rains. Well, it has to. Even in Devon. So we wait, like this bumblebee. At least the plants are getting watered and the ponds topped up.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 23 Waiting out the rain”#30DaysWild No. 22 Summer is about butterflies
Another spectacular day – and another ‘new for the summer’ butterfly at Wheatland Farm. Small tortoiseshell are flying over Popehouse Moor.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 22 Summer is about butterflies”