Last Updated on November 29, 2014 by HodgePodgeDays
For a year now I’ve been following Fiona @CoombeMill on Twitter. She takes the most beautiful pictures of the place where her and her family live and work, Coombe Mill. A couple of months ago I casually mentioned that’d we’d be nearby for our summer holiday, Fiona very kindly invited us to swing by and spend the day exploring. So we did.
Coombe Mill is a 30 acre estate in North Cornwall. Fiona and family have some lovely Scandinavian lodges and stone cottages which families can book for their holidays, the accommodation is beautiful, but the real reason people stay at Coombe Mill is that is it fantastic for kids. It has it’s own working (but very safe) farm, as well as a model railway, playground and play areas, and an under construction fairy garden. It’s ace.
We arrived just before 9am and Fiona treated us to a massive mug of much needed coffee. We were waiting for her husband, aka Farmer Nick to come round with the tractor, so we could join him and all the other children staying at Coombe Mill for the morning feed run.
We hopped aboard the tractor and headed off across the stream to feed the animals. The small boy is obsessed (understatement) with farms and animals, so he was utterly delighted to meet the the pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks, donkeys, deer and wallabies at Coombe Mill.
We pootled around feeding them all and collected eggs from the chickens which he loved doing. He met some baby chicks, hopped after the wallabies (Bruce and Sheila, naturally) and fell in love with the cheeky goats.
The highlight for us was the “deer hunt” which was not as sinister as it sounds. They have a herd of fallow deer and a few of the ladies were pregnant and due any day, Farmer Nick had an inkling that we might find a newborn deer if we were very good, very quiet and very lucky. We searched through the bracken, around the trees and rocks and we found, nestled in a gap in the rocks, a baby deer. I tried to take a picture but it was impossible to get a good look at it. But it was a real privilege.
After feeding time with Farmer Nick, the small boy got to help drive the tractor back to Coombe Mill, and we took of freshly laid eggs and had egg of toast with Fiona. It’s a simple but rare pleasure, a freshly laid egg, but it was a real treat.
Fiona then gave us a little tour of the site and the lodges (which are beautiful and spacious), she then took us to the little railway they’ve constructed, which wasn’t running until later that day, but even that provided a good half hours entertainment for the small boy.
It’s such a beautiful place. In truth we were eyeing it up with a view to staying there next year and I think it’s the perfect holiday spot for anyone with little ones. The small boy had an absolute ball and has talked of nothing else since which is always a good sign.
We had a lovely day and send a big thank you to Fiona and Farmer Nick for including us in their busy day. Coombe Mill is a great place, I can see why everyone adores it!
It was a pleasure to have you stop by and show you a little of what goes on at Coombe Mill. I hope you can join us one day for a full holiday and hop aboard the train rides too, Thank you for such a lovely write up.
Thank you so much for having us! We’re definitely planning on coming back soon, we all had such a lovely day, thank you x
It always sounds wonderful and this post has done it again! We really fancy Fiona’s beautiful holiday spot ourselves but it would have to be much later in the year when my hubby’s arm is finally better and he can drive! I’m sure we will get there one day soon:)
Sounds like we won’t be the only ones eh?
It’s fab Pru, the kids would love it and from an educational perspective there’s so much to see and do and learn from. Hope hubby’s arm is better soon!
Sounds like a lovely day out. We can’t wait to join on the tractor ride 🙂
Are you going soon? We can’t wait to go again!
Yes, it is indeed a great place to visit with children of all ages (and I include grown ups in this too)! Highly recommend it-very relaxing spot for a holiday 🙂
That’s good to know, we thought it was a great spot for a holiday and we’re looking forward to going again next year!
Fun to have a tour. Envious of you seeing the baby deer. I can see you heading back for a stay next time. #CountryKids
We’d love to stay next year, the small boy (and us) would love it! Thanks for commenting x
It does look so lovely and it’s so nice you got to have a tour for the day. #countrykids
I know, we were very lucky, as so lucky to get to see the baby deer! Thanks for commenting x
I’m so jealous! Coombe Mill looks a fantastic place!! There’s always something interesting and exciting going on!
It’s so beautiful and peaceful Kim, you’d love it. I can’t wait to go back 🙂
I am so jealous, we definitely need to make a trip to Coombe Mill, it’s really not very far from us! Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested
Are you not far away? We’ll have to have a tweet-up next time I’m down that way 🙂
I’m very jealous, would love to visit Coombe Mill – I keep on at the hubby that we need a holiday in that direction! I love Fiona’s pictures too and Coombe Mill does look amazing. Glad you had a nice holiday x
It’s really beautiful. I’d been banging on about it to hubs and he didn’t believe how beautiful it was till he saw it with his own eyes! If you can go, do, it’s a really special part of the world 🙂
Looks like a great place to visit! xx
It’s just stunning and it was lovely to meet Fiona who is a bit of a blogging hero of mine 🙂
It all sounds lovely – and I’m very excited to say that a month today we’ll be there on holiday! 🙂
You will have such an amazing time! I’m really, really jealous 🙂
Coombe Mill is definitely on my list of places to visit!!
Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested x
We did that for the day when on holiday recently, we actually gatecrashed Greek Easter. Fiona and her family are wonderful and the kids adored it. We had previously stayed on the farm and plan to again soon.
Lucky you! We’re kicking ourselves for not being able to get there again this year. We’re thinking we could possibly go down for Christmas but we’re not sure. It’s such a great place for kids 🙂