Featherdown Fun

We are lucky enough to live a ten minute drive from the Countryside, but it's rare we come across a sight such as this! These are the cows that live at Featherdown Farm in Dorset, off for their afternoon of milking...

After being met by our host and given a bundle of bedding for our stay, we were pointed in the direction of the carpark and the wheelbarrow park. No cars allowed outside tents at Featherdown (quite right too) but obviously our tent was the furthest away from the car park...at least the sun was shining.


And yes, we did pick the one with the sqeaky wheel...

The first glimpse of our home for the week. Comment of the day from me? "Ooh, it looks just like the one in the brochure". Hmm. It had been a long journey...

If you look closely at the lovely husband you can just about make out the 'God I'm knackered' look. In my defence it was hard work carrying a handbag and a 'Bag for Life' whilst wearing flipflops, let me tell you!

And this was the view that we looked out on from our tent. Not bad at all. The tents have been cleverly staggered at this farm, and no one tent is looking directly onto another. Thus giving privacy when you are hopping about in your knickers trying to put your jeans on.

Vegetarians look away now...bacon sandwiches EVERY morning, what a treat, followed by mugs of tea when we finally got the most enormous kettle in the world to boil. One very clever girl (thanks Kim) gave us the tip of taking a thermos, and filling it with boiling water the night before, thus speeding up the morning cuppa. It worked a treat, thankyou! (as did our supply of hot water bottles)

We couldn't explain to ourselves why we enjoyed washing up by gas lamp when the biggest trauma in our lives LAST year was the dishwasher exploding and it taking a couple of weeks to replace.
The camp wood oven. The one evening it was lit it poured with rain, so we hid in our tent rather than join the hoardes of small children in the wellies (still not quite ready to be surrounded by hoardes of small children in wellies)

The bigest highlight for me was the selection of bright red enamel cookware. So easily pleased! If you look carefully you can just about make out someone hiding in the background. The door to the left is the toilet (most impressive) and the little cupboard doors on the right open up to a cabin bed, which housed my clothes for the week.

The bed was sooo comfy. I don't know how we will survive when we next go camping in our tent.

We did manage to drag ourselves away from the farm for several outings. This was the most gorgeous cottage in Lulworth Cove. Although it was shut the day we went the sign says that they sell sweets fudge and ice cream. It had a beautiful cottage garden that were greatly admired by yours truly.And of course we all know what happens when we plant a bucket in the garden, don't we? You get a bucket tree. Perfect.

If any of you are considering a visit to Featherdown then we would both highly recommend it. It was just what the doctor ordered. Peace and quiet, fresh air, no television, no phone calls. We spent hours sitting in deck chairs, reading our books, drinking cider and beer (not to excess, I hasten to add!) and just chilling out. We went to sleep at night to the sound of a pair of owls hooting, and lovely husband was woken up one morning to the sound of a squirrel dancing on the roof. One evening on the way back from the squeakily clean shower I saw a baby deer in the field opposite, and the next evening the most enormous hare.

Hope you're all having a lovely bank holiday weekend, and thankyou so much to you all for your words, cards letters and gifts of support. It means so much, and will continue to do so for a long long time.x