Sunday 25 May 2008

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

16 comments:

Tracy said...

Such FUN! Glad you had a grand time and break away! :o) I've been hearing all kinds of terrific things about this place..Wish we lived closer. Happy weekend, my friend ((HUGS))

Unknown said...

Very impressed Mrs Field - for a moment there I was even quite tempted by that form of camping...looks like something I could just about handle. The photo of the bacon made me want to cry - the bacon here is so yucky and the only way we can consume it is chopped up in a pasta sauce or something. Streaky bacon is just plain wrong compared to back bacon. What I wouldn't give for a bacon buttie. Glad you had a lovely time, will point the blister in the direction of your bolg for more detail on Featherdown Farm...xxx

dragonfly said...

I'm so glad you had a lovely time.
We saw a deer one evening too, it was beautiful.
Love the photo of the cows going off to be milked...

No one is you ...& that's your power said...

Hi ,
It sounds like you both had a lovely time and it sounds lovely getting away from all the things that we rely on everyday and going back to basics!. I had a brochure of where you went and it looks lovely.
Lulworth Cove is lovely and it is in my blog somewhere, I remember the bucket tree too. We stayed in a small hotel on the lane that goes down to the sea in the cove.
It sounds like you had a lovely time and I hope it did you the world of good too. We are camping in our summerhouse tonight!!, me , hubby and children all in a row! I think it is going to rain tonight though. I am wondering if we will last the night!. Children are soo excited!, i told them to pretend we were on a camping trip in Cornwall, my little boy said Russia ??!!, I was like ok !. Still will post about it in my next blog !

take care x Dom

dottycookie said...

I'm glad you had such a lovely time, it sounds like just what you needed! We're booked up to go to the Norfolk version in a couple of weeks, so thank you for the flask tip. I had been warned I might want to take a camping stive for just such an emergency but it hardly seemed in the spirit of the thing!

Janette said...

glad you had a great time. We got the brochure a few months ago and were really chuffed to find there's a featherdown farm only 20 minutes north of Preston which means a definite weekend break sometime this year. Hope you have a good bank holiday.

Love Janette

Heidi said...

Now this is my kind of camping!!! The beds alone could make me sign up! So happy to hear you sounding so much better! Have a great week!...Heidi :)

Wendster said...

Thank you so much for bringing us "along" ... I had the best time camping from right here at my computer desk, reading your post.
I love the tent you stayed in. It looks quite homey.

Glad you enjoyed!

Wendy

mollycupcakes said...

Oh hun, what a fabulous time and well deserved too.
My heart just did a up of joy when I read the words featherdown farm, we are hoping to visit one this year and everytime I see a post about it, I want to be transported straight there and cook bacon, toast marshmellows and play with the chickens lol (I know I'm a big kid hehe!)
Thanks for sharing your lovely break with us all sweetie. And glad it did you the world of good.
Hugs.
Catherine x

Ragged Roses said...

Hello Anna - so you've returned in one piece and no mention of hypothermia!!! Really I am soo pleased to hear that you had such a great time. It just looks too idyllic (yes the red enamel would have the same effect on me!). I've been sitting here with Big sister swooning over this post, it sounds wonderful. So glad you enjoyed it, you really deserved to have a good time.
Kimxxx

driftwood said...

it looks lovely Anna, so glad you had a nice time!

Mocha Sticks said...

Oooh I want to go! I have a thing about red enamel. Glad you had such a refreshing break! S xxx

April said...

Sounds like you had a great time - I love the bucket tree, that really made me smile.

So glad to hear you sounding a bit brighter.

Take care

Hugs

April xx

Carol said...

Wonderful.....I would love to go there oneday.
Glad it was a great break away from it all.
Carol xx

Cowboys and Custard Mercantile said...

Dear Anna
your 'Two go Mad in Dorset' escapade looked great fun and you were much on my mind last weekend when the deluge began.. I hope you managed to stay dry.
I could become a convert to this style of 5* camping!
It looks tres romantic and the perfect tonic for you..

Michelexx

Hazel Designs said...

It looks so lovely! Glad you had a nice time here!