Year 3 of Father’s Day Feather’s Down camping adventure! This year we chose Billingsmoor Farm in Devon because we were after a bigger tent and it was only them who had these!
Billingsmoor is a dairy farm part of the Duchy of Cornwall estates (formed in 1337 to provide the heir to the throne with an income, a role it continues to play). Interestingly, the Duchy doesn’t own all of Cornwall. In fact, only about 13% of the Duchy’s land is in Cornwall. The rest is spread across England and Wales, including Devon, Somerset, Herefordshire and elsewhere. Good to know!
We enjoyed an easy walk cross the fields, over river Exe and into the countryside. We had to shorten our walk to allow for a pub stop at the Fisherman’s cot in Bickley and it was totally worth it. Sitting pretty on the banks of River Exe, this riverside setting really is picture perfect (even better as an unexpected find!).
The Fisherman’s Cot in Bickleigh – one of the prettiest riverside pubs in Devon, sitting right beside the River Exe and the historic Bickleigh Bridge. The thatched building was originally built in 1933 as a fishing lodge for nearby Bickleigh Castle and is now a pub with rooms
Always good to take the farm tour and learn about the animals, the farm and the family running it.
On Sunday, after a coffee and smoothie stop we headed out to The Pig at Combe, always a favourite, such an atmospheric place to have Father’s Day lunch!
Exceptional “25-mile menu” dining, with ingredients sourced from its kitchen gardens and nearby producers.
Lots to see, always fun to take the garden tour as there are walled gardens, a mushroom house, lots of fruit trees and a beautiful parkland to explore and enjoy:
- Three walled gardens: a Kitchen Garden, Herb Garden, and Infusion Garden, all supplying the restaurant with fruit, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers.
- Victorian greenhouses full of seasonal crops such as tomatoes, chillies and peppers.
- Heritage fruit trees, berry cages and espaliered apples, pears and plums.
- Rows of vegetables, herbs and flowers that the chefs harvest daily for the changing “25-mile menu.”
- Beautiful parkland with ancient trees, sweeping views across the Otter Valley, and plenty of quiet places to sit and wander.
Until next time!
You know it aaall! 