English Country Cottages are Best Family Holiday
Lovelynch Barn in Somerset near Exmoor has Horse Riding and More
Jul 8, 2009
English country cottages provide the ideal family holiday in a peaceful rural retreat. Many travelers forget about Somerset, though, as they book their vacations in the better-known counties of Devon and Cornwall. But Somerset, especially west Somerset where it borders with Devon, has equally beautiful countryside, with the chance to go walking on Exmoor, enjoy scenic coastal drives, and indulge in pursuits like horse riding and fishing.
English Country Cottages: Lovelynch Barn in Somerset
Lovelynch Barn is a modern cottage conversion of an old milking barn on Lovelynch Farm near Milverton in Somerset, and offers horse riding, fishing in its private lake, and the chance to go walking through woodland or cycling down country lanes, or simply relaxing. This is no ordinary farm, though, as instead of cows or fields of wheat in its 38 acres, there are alpacas grazing, rare breeds of sheep and pigs, goats, horses, Shetland ponies, and even a peacock and peahen strutting around the farmyard.
Lovelynch Farm Past and Present
The date over the door says 1605, making the main farmhouse a fine example of Jacobean architecture. Not much is known about the history of the farm, although it was once the home of the local MP. It is now owned and run by artist Sarah-Jane Boler, whose eye for design is evident throughout the barn conversion, which has been stylishly and comfortably modernised.
Lovelynch Barn: Facilities
Lovelynch Barn can sleep four people in two double ensuite bedrooms. Downstairs is a huge living room, an extra toilet, and a well-equipped kitchen with fridge, washer/dryer, a range cooker, and a microwave. The living room has a woodburner, DVD player with DVD library, a plasma TV with Freeview, CD player, children's games, and hundreds of books for browsing. Outside is a patio area with seating, ideal for morning coffee or an evening sundowner while watching or even feeding the inquisitive peacock.
Lovelynch Farm Location
The farm is ten miles from the nearest beach on the beautiful north Somerset coast, and less than seven miles from the centre of Taunton. It's about a mile from the village of Milverton, and as well as driving there's also an easy path across the fields and alongside the woods linking the farm and the village. In Milverton there's a well-stocked village shop, and a pub, The Globe, with an excellent reputation for food. There are dozens of other excellent eating places in this part of Somerset, including Cobblestones of Dunster and The Royal Oak, a few miles from Milverton in Hillcommon.
In short, while Lovelynch Barn doesn't look like a typical English country cottage, it has all the facilities anyone could want, in a quiet, rural farm location.
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Lovelynch Barn can be booked through the Farm and Cottage Holidays website.
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Check out a recommended Lonely Planet guidebook to Somerset and the rest of the West Country.
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