Rural Diaries – country life, the countryside and rural issues

Posted by Sally on April 8th, 2009 in Country Living, Green Living, Rural Resources

Have you started planning your summer holiday yet or just fancy a relaxing weekend away? There are many reasons why you should consider a farm holiday in the UK rather than going abroad.

We are all becoming more aware of the environmental impact of flying abroad for a relaxing break but at this time of year it is quite tempting to grab some holiday brochures and plan to head for the sun. Remember, it may be cold and miserable now in the UK but summer will soon be upon us.

With the recession biting down and the stress of modern life wouldn’t it be great to avoid the airports this summer and just chill out amid the quiet wildlife.

There is a whole selection of places you can stay in the UK countryside, from the Lake District Yurts to working farms, bed and breakfast to 5 star luxury cottages and the great thing is you can usually take the family pets, rather than have the hassle of finding someone to care for them or the worry of putting them in kennels.

There are just far too many great country holiday destinations in the UK to list but I have found a few examples to show you the variety of locations and activities you can find.

Working farms are great for holidays with children, they can really experience the countryside and get close to animals they may never see in their daily life but before booking check with the farm what activities the children can try out. Some working farms are more child friendly than others, so check what variety of animals they have and if they welcome involvement by the children.

Looking for something totally different, then try a Lake District Yurt which sleeps 6 and look a lot more luxurious inside than they look from the outside. This would be a great holiday for a group of friends. If you have a dog you will need confirm this when you book and agree to their dog policy.

Family holidays need something to entertain the children and somewhere like the Wheatland Farm Eco Lodges in Devon is ideal. They are very environmentally friendly, just read their environmental policy which means your holiday will have a very low carbon footprint. The owners lend out free bikes so the kids can go off for a bike ride or the family can cycle to the local farm shop. Walking and fishing will also help to entertain the kids and the place is teaming with wildlife . They don’t supply cycle helmets so you would need to bring your own. Have a look round their site and imagine how peaceful it would be relaxing in that beautiful scenery.

Horse riding holidays are always popular and great fun for the kids. Cornwall offers riding holidays at Carnwidden Farm and horse owners can even take their own horses on holiday with them. Accommodation is self catering in two barn conversions and Cornwall has a nice mild climate so you should be able to ride out every day. This would be an ideal holiday for a couple of horse owning friends that don’t like leaving their horse behind.

The Peak District National Park offers a variety of farms like Rushop Hall which is a working farm with livestock, including herds of highland cattle and alpacas. They offer farmhouse bed and breakfast or holiday cottages. Again you can take your horse on holiday with you and tuck in to a full English breakfast each morning.

If you fancy a bit more luxury then try somewhere like , a 5 star bed and breakfast on a working farm … with swimming pool, now that’s a farm I would like to live on. The bedrooms look magnificent but they are still a working farm with cattle, goats, hens, horses, pigs and dogs.

There are farms offering hunting and fishing, ones where the kids can watch cows being milked and feed lambs or just tranquil places to get away from the city.

Cumbria, Northumberland and Scotland all offer rugged unspoilt countryside … really I could go on forever listing great farm holidays in the UK but to aid your search try using Farm Stay UK where you can search for farm holidays by area, type, activities, etc.

Go on, get away to the country this year and have a farm holiday in the UK.