Burrow Farm

The Old Stable Block

2012-01-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

Our old stable block is looking a bit of a mess now that all the ivy has been taken off the walls. All the rendering is coming away from the cob walls, so it will have to be stripped off ready for new rendering in the spring. The climbing rose has had to be cut down to the base, but hopefully it will recover and grow back up the wall. We have also temporarily taken down the dovecote, but the doves weren't using it anyway, prefering the medieval barn! However they will be getting a shock this year when we fill in the gaps so they can't roost in the barn.

Medieval Barn

2011-12-19T05:53:00.000-08:00

We have been working on restoring the medieval barn this autumn. At the east end of the barn a stone wall was repaired and all the ivy which was creeping over the wall and roof was taken down. Now we have started repairing the west end of the barn. The window that you can see has the original fifteenth century ornate wood work at the very top. The vertical slats have been replaced at sometime, but are still old and in very good condition. Once the paint is dry we intend to build a new shed half way up the barn wall spanning the two outer stone walls. One half of the area will be a log store and the other half is for all the recycling boxes that have been provided by West Somerset Council. We have so many boxes that we need somewhere to put them all which is accessible.

The Old Stables

2011-10-27T03:38:00.000-07:00

The horses moved out of the old stables in the spring to the converted barn and since then the stables have been empty. There are three stables inside the old building along with a corridor and a good size room in the roof which has some interesting old beams. We would very much like to convert the roof space into an office and just keep two of the stables with the third stable being used for the staircase access. However we need a new roof and all the ivy which is growing up the back of our buildings needs to come off before we can assess what state the cob wall is in and how much repair work is needed. We hope to clear all the ivy off the buildings this autumn.

Clearing the Stream

2011-10-27T03:31:00.000-07:00

This year we have had a problem with an invasive pond weed which is taking over our stream and covering it with a horrible green mass. We have now got to the stage where you can't even see the water which makes it difficult to cross as you end up stepping in th water, as well as it being so unsightly. We think the warm weather and lack of rainf this summer has helped the plant to grow, but we have no idea where it has come from. So we thought it was about time we started to clear it out of the stream and this half term week we have had some help from our young guests Matthew and Abigail from Dorset.

Summer Dressage Show

2011-09-06T10:14:00.001-07:00

In August we ran our first horse show for the local West Somerset Riding Club, which was a dressage show with two arenas one on the grass which can be seen in the photograph and the other in our outdoor school. We were so lucky with the weather, it was absolutely glorious and everyone could sit around and watch their friends and enjoy this summer's day. We had a lot of entries and many riders who live locally supported us and rode to the competition. A big thank you to all the riders and of course without you our helpers on the day.

Hay Making

2011-07-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

We were very lucky to start our hay making season, on would you believe it, 31st May!

This must be one of the earliest ever. Then we had to wait another month until the first week of July for good weather when we cut the grass in the field by the road to make small bale haylage. We still have two more fields to make, but the the rest of this July has been very changeable with some heavy downpours. We desperately need a dry spell so we can finish making our hay. This photo is Derek turning the grass in the field by the road on a very warm and sunny day.

Mim starts her Schooling

2011-06-20T02:24:00.000-07:00

Gosh how time flies! Mim was three years old on 15th May this year, so I decided it was time she started her schooling. I started her on the lunge and initially Rob helped me by walking around the outside of the circle with her and me standing in the middle until she got the idea on what we wanted her to do. Then I carried on my own lunging her little and often so that she didn't become tired or bored. I introduced her to some poles on the ground to walk and trot over and firstly of she was good and then erupted and started being a bit naughty when she couldn't get her own way, but she soon settled down. I now intended to keep up the lunging over the summer and at some point I'll put a saddle on her back with the idea that I'll get on her in the autumn. Hopefully with all this work her muscles will become stronger and she'll lose that grass tummy!

TREC Training at Burrow Farm

2011-05-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend of 21/22 May we had a group of riders staying at the farm who had all come to train and improve their TREC skills. Most of the riders arrived on the Friday afternoon and during the evening to get their horses settled, some were stabled and others corralled. On the Saturday morning Robert worked on the theory of orienteering on horseback and just before lunch the riders went to practise their compass bearing skills on foot in some woods in the village. After lunch the riders had the chance to practise their ridden skills or PTV on a few obstacles: S-bend, rein back, corridor, gate, bending, maypole and low branches which had been set up in two of our fields. This was followed by a circuit around one of the field edges to learn the paces of their horses for a bearings section and to practise timing between the sections.

After all the horses had been settled for the night we had an evening meal and after the meal a talk and demonstration by Helen Tompkins from near Barnstaple who is a Mctimoney practitioner. We then went to the stables to practise our massaging skills on three of the horses, this went on until after 10pm before everyone disappeared off for a good nights sleep.

On the Sunday morning Rob gave maps to the riders who then drew the route for their orienteering day or POR whilst Rob gave them tips and helped with marking for timings and then when they were ready they set off in five minute intervals towards Timberscombe common and then eventually Croydon Hill. All of the riders found the route difficult to navigate in places, but at the end of the day they all said they had learnt alot from their experience.

New Ducks for Burrow

2011-05-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

After losing our ducks and only having one female left we knew we had to find her a mate as quickly as possible. We were fortunate enough to find her a white male only 7 months old who had also suffered a trauma by losing all his family to a fox. We bought him from Jackie at BRB poultry near Wellington and then we set about trying to find some more Indian Runner ducks. Many phone call later and without much luck as most people did not have any for sale or they only had ducklings or were waiting for eggs to hatch. Then we heard that there was a poultry and waterfowl sale at Salisbury market. Even though it was a long drive there we went to the sale and had a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting day. We then came home with five more ducks who have all settled in together and enjoying life at Burrow.

A Dry Spring

2011-05-02T05:40:00.000-07:00

We have had very little rain since the beginning of March and everything is now beginning to look a bit desperate.
This March we fertilised and spread lime on our grass fields and here we are at the beginning of May without much grass, and I can still wander around the fields and see granules waiting to be dissolved by rain. However our guests this spring have enjoyed T-shirt weather and have finished their holidays with summer tans!
The Wisteria on the back of the house is looking particularly good this year and several of my other plants seems to be enjoying this unusal hot spring. Well at least I haven't had to do a lot of lawn mowing.

Good Week, Bad Week

2011-02-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Time has zoomed on this year and I've not updated the blog. This week has been a mixture of highs and low. Firstly we started with good news that Western Power has agreed to remove three telegraph poles and all their spaghetti electricty wires and allow us to put all the cables underground, so the view across the yard won't have a network on hanging electricity cables and it means only one telegraph pole with trees for a back drop. So work has started on digging the trenches on the drive this week. The only losers will be the swallows in the spring who won't have any cables to sit on.
Then last Thursday (I was away on a first aid course), Rob went to let the Indian Runner ducks out onto the pond for the morning but to find a massacre. Two ducks dead, three badly injured and one in shock. He suddenly heard a sound turned round and saw a mink. Imagine my sadness when I returned that evening to hear what had happened. Talking to neighbours they said there had once been a mink farm next door, but that was fourty years ago and no sign of mink since. Trust our luck that this mink had got through a small gap in the drains. We tried to nurse the three injured ducks, but their necks were so bad we had to put them down, which left one on its own. After ringing around various breeders we located one lone white drake and quickly brought him home to keep my grey duck happy.
Well we thought everything was fine with a local gamekeeper coming along and to lay some traps incase the mink returned and yes he did today. This time he came along the leet from our neighbours into the small run where the two ducks had been put for the day, but Rob and my brother saw him and quickly trapped him under the stone slabs in the yard. So he was despatched with a 410. I just really hope the local gamekeeper is right and there will only be one and we do not have any further visits.
I am off to see a man in Okehampton who says he may have some suitable Indian Runner ducks for me so my two can have some more mates.

Snowy December

2010-12-21T09:07:00.001-08:00

I thought we might be lucky and not get too much snow this winter, unlike the rest of the country but overnight on 21st we had five inches. It might look beautiful but it's tiring work having to look after animals in the snow. Spent ages shovelling snow to make it safe to walk the horses from the stables to the field. Now I just need to get to the shops!

Thatching the Ridge

2010-10-17T01:14:00.000-07:00

This autumn we are having the ridge on the house repaired and rethatched, around one of the chimneys and in the valley at the back of the house.
Terry from Bishops Lydeard, nr Taunton is our thatcher and will be with us about 10 days. He will also clear the moss and debris on the existing thatch to hopefully allow the rain to run off the roof quickly. He does this with a hedge cutter and you can already see the difference. We hope that we will not have anymore major work to the thatch for another ten years, subject to no leaks!

Stone Barn Roof

2010-08-21T04:05:00.001-07:00

We are now in the process of having the front part of the roof on the old stone barn replaced. The back half of the roof is covered in slates and the other half wascovered in old sheeting which was sagging and many of the timbers broken and full of wood worm. To aid light into the barn we are having some roof lights which should make it feel light and airy. PFG Fabrications from Bampton in Devon is doing the work for us, they also built our new modern agricultural barn. We will then have new wiring before the walls for the stables can be completed and the rubber flooring and walls put in place.

Painting the End Wall

2010-06-28T03:23:00.000-07:00

The end wall of Burrow Farm House has been covered in Ivy, even climbing on to the roof and over the thatch, so we took the decision to take out all the shrubs growing along the wall of the house so that we could get to the Ivy. This weekend we stripped the walls ready for painting and in the autumn we will restore the grass verge and plant some new bushes beside the house as well as some spring bulbs. At least our guests should be able to find us now, even in the dark as the wall is so bright and they will no longer be fighting with a bush as the open the gate!

The Guinea Fowl

2010-06-28T03:16:00.001-07:00

Whilst at Moonridge Farm in Crediton I bought four guinea fowl. Two hens and two cock birds. One male is a Lavender colour whilst the others are called Pearl. We kept them in the old chicken house for several weeks until they were settled before we allowed them free to wander. They are supposed to roost in the trees at night, but so far they prefer to go back into the chicken house when I feed them in the evening. They make very good guard 'dogs' as they make a terrible noise if anything disturbs them, so I hope if a fox does snoop around they will alert me.

New Indian Runner Ducks

2010-06-28T03:07:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the year I lost two Indian Runner ducks to a fox, so this spring we have put up some electric fencing along the edge of the garden fence to hopefully stop any foxes preying on the ducks. I have bought two brown and white ducks from http://www.moonridgefar.co.uk/ near Crediton, Exeter who breed waterfowl and poultry.

At the moment the two young ducks and one of my drakes are residing in my brothers garden until they know each other well and I can move them to the garden with the other Indian Runner ducks and drake.

New Wall for the Orchard

2010-04-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

At Christmas Russell our stone mason slipped over and broke a knee cap, so he has been off work until the middle of March which meant he was not able to finish to main wall.

To help him ease back into work as he had lost a lot of his fitness and also had to wait for his knee to mend we asked him to create a small stone wall to hold back the earth by the garage and orchard. I have planted some Aubretia in pockets within the wall, but I don't think they are surviving too well because the ducks have been busy pecking at them. I will try and replant in the autumn.

Medieval Barn

2010-04-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

The wet winter and exceptionally cold weather in February has caused a lot of damage to the medieval barn and alot of the rendering has fallen off in patches, so we have been busy repairing and painting sections of the barn. The rendering on the chimney for the cottage also fell off, but when the scaffolding was put up for the repair work it was worse than we thought, so Andy our builder took down the whole stack and rebuilt it. The only good thing was when he took off the brick work it revealed part of the original stone chimney.

Snowy start to 2010

2010-01-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

We had snow on Wednesday 6th January but at least we only had 4inches and we haven't suffered like the rest of the country. Today (Thursday) I awoke to a beautiful sunny day with an amazing blue sky. I just had to take a photograph of Dunkery with Fairgarden Farm in the foreground. We have this view to the west from our fields. I walked to Wootton Courtenay village today and it reminded me of an Alpine walk with the sun shining on the glistening snow. The road was icy near the village so I took a detour along a bridleway and crossed a field of ponies to reach the village without having to go up the hill. I met several local people out shopping and walking dogs and only a couple of vehicles driving through the village road which was clear of snow. The horses enjoyed rolling in the snow this morning, but the goats refused to come out of their house and I think the ducks are a bit fed up as half of their pond is covered in ice, although the water is running through it from the stream.

Conversion of the Old Barn

2009-10-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

We have started clearing out the old barn so that we can have six indoor stables. The roof has to held up with acro-props as the telegraph poles are in the wrong place for the stables and will have to be moved into a new positions.

At the moment we are busy clearing years of muck and dirt from the floor before we can lay concrete.

The Last Section of the Wall

2009-10-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

The last section of the wall which is alongside the barn is almost complete and we hope that all it will be completed by Christmas.

The newly seeded grass is beginning to grow and it has been helped by the warm autumn and showers, although today (23/10) was the heaviest rain we have had since the beginning of September.

I have mixed wild flower seed with the grass seed so I hope we have a good mixture of flowers next spring.

Outside of the Wall

2009-10-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

At the end of June Russell our stone mason started working on the outside of the wall which has been going up a lot quicker than the inside despite the inclement weather this summer.

Steps will be built from the door which we hope will complete the design. We had to angle the corner of the wall due to the stream being so close.

Walled Garden Finished Inside

2009-06-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

The walled garden has been completed in stone on the inside, which now leaves Russell to spend the summer working on the outside of the wall. He is working on the stream side first as this is the most difficult as we have had several weeks with dry weather and the ground is firm enough for him to bring his tractor and trailer to the edge of the stream. He is working just behind the door in the corner of the new wall which you can see in the photo. The drains have been laid and the area has been covered with small stones ready for the membrane which will be laid all over the riding arena before the sand. The surface material has been ordered and is due to be delivered at the end of June. We have bought our surface from Martin Collins who is well known for his products and we have chosen Activ-Track which is a sand and wax mix.

Progress on the Walled Garden

2009-04-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

Work on the arena within the walled garden has gone well during March and April because of the long dry spell. Russell has completed the corner of the wall where there is to be a door with steps on the outside which lead down to the stream. Russell is now working on the last corner on the inside of the wall. We can then start the ground work for the outdoor menage. Half of the drains have been laid so hopefully if we have any major downpours the inside of the walled should now no longer resemble a pond! There will not be enough stone from the demolition of the original wall to complete the ourside, but fortunately we have located a fallen down stone building at a local farm and the farmer has agreed to sell us some stone.

New Garage awaits its Roof

2009-03-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

The garage is almost complete, just needs its roof!

New Garage

2009-03-24T12:56:00.001-07:00

This March the new garage was built behind the old dog kennel. It has been built by Charley Brentnall and his team from Wiltshire. Charley worked on the restoration of Shackelton's hut at the Antartic and was also involved in the restoration of Windsor Castle after its fire. The oak for the beams has been sourced from the Badminton Estate and the Larch and Douglas fir has come from the Winchcombe Estate in Gloucestershire. The roof on garage will have old slates to match the other buildings. We have also come to an agreement with the Electricty company for all the telegraphs poles to be removed and the electricity to go underground, so we don't have to look at all the ugly poles and wires draped across the courtyard. Charley will be returning later in the year to take measurements in the medieval barn which has to have new oak roof trusses to replace the steel RSJs which were put in after its fire and is part of an agreement we have with the Exmoor National Park for its restoration.

New Roof for the Goats and Ducks

2009-02-28T13:37:00.000-08:00

Last summer the back section of the roof on the dog kennel and goat and duck house had its slates replaced and we have now finally started on the front half. Several slates had slipped down after the snow and rain was starting to pour in. New felt and battons have been put on the roof and most of the old slates are being put back and hopefully it will be complete before it starts raining.
At the back of the building which used to be an old pig sty there is a small door which we are going to open up door so that the goats can go out and then cross over the stream. We are going to put a railway sleeper over the stream so the goats can cross over into a small paddock.

A Snowy Start to the Year

2009-02-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

We have had a quiet January with Russell still building the wall and it is beginning to look quite impressive. However, because of the heavy frosts in January he has had some problems with the pointing reacting to the frosts and this has caused some damage which may mean he has to point sections of the wall all over again. The planning permission for the three bay garage which is to be sited behind the dog kennel was given at the beginning of January and so far the footing has been put it in, but again the frosts have stopped the brickwork being completed. The timber frame for the garage is due to arrive at the end of February so I hope Spring comes soon and this wintery weather goes away.

While the whole of the country was being engulfed with snow I thought we were going to get away with it, but overnight on 6th February we had about six inches of snow fall starting at midnight. We awoke to deep snow on the Friday morning. The ducks were not impressed with their pond having a deep layer of snow lying on top of it, so they stayed at the shallow end where the stream trickles through the wall from the courtyard to Derek's garden. The goats decided to stay in for the day but the horses wanted to go out. Moo decided to roll and roll and thoroughly enjoyed the snow. Enzo's little legs were lost in the snow and he struggled to walk as it was nearly up to his belly. Surprisingly Mim who has never seen snow wasn't interested.

Rob decided the best mode of transport to the village shop was the Kawasaki Mule. Although the drive was a cold as it has no roof or windscreen and he said the snow hitting you on the face as you drove along hurt and he should have worn his ski goggles. Derek cleared the snow around the stables and the barn with his JCB so we didn't have to struggle through the snow.

The Wall starts to go up

2008-11-21T09:57:00.001-08:00

At the end of September we started on building the new wall. The centre of the wall is being built out of blocks and each side of the wall will be faced with the stone from the old wall. The concrete footings was laid thankfully in good weather and then allowed to go off before Russell could start laying all the blocks. This has only been laid to a height which he can comfortably work to until one circuit has be completed. Russell will then need to bring in a tower block so that he can reach the top of the wall.

We are now half way through November and he has almost completed the first part of the stone walling which is inside the future outdoor school. Half of the drainage in the outdoor school has been laid, but this cannot be completed until Russell has finished working on the inside of the wall which will probably be after Christmas.

We are planning to have a door installed in the corner of the school with steps on the outside which will take you down to the stream. The photo shows Russell working on part of the wall beside the opening for the future door which shows the upright to the left of the photo.

The Wall Comes Down

2008-09-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

We have now got the go ahead from Exmoor National Park to start to take the wall down and rebuild it 10 metres further back so that the riding arena can be the full 40 x 20 metres with a grass surround so that we don't have to ride right up to the wall. We have found a local stone wall builder, Russell Liversidge from Timberscombe who will be starting on the project in two weeks time. The foundations for the replacement wall need to be built first before Russell can erect the scaffolding to start rebuilding the wall. We are planning for block work to go up in the centre of the wall and the stone will be faced on the outside. The plan is to faceup the wall on the inside of the arena so that the riding arena can be built and then Russell will come back in 2009 to finish off the outside of the wall. The first phase of the project is likely take three months, which should take Russell up to Christmas. We just need the rain to stop and dry up so that we are not working in a muddy bog.

Riding Arena in the Walled Garden

2008-09-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well for us August has been a wash out, I guess the same as the rest of the country which has meant delays to starting our outdoor projects. However, we did have some good dry and sunny days at the beginning of the month which allowed Derek to remove all the top soil in the walled garden and then start to level the area ready for the outdoor school to be used for horse exercising. Some of the soil is going to be used on the restoration of an Exmoor bank in one of the fields and the rest we will stock pile as it is such good soil.

Baby Birds

2008-07-11T11:43:00.001-07:00

We have had a lot of birdnests this year around the farm with Blackbirds nesting above the main door in the new barn and also the old hayloft. Sparrows are in the ivy by the pond and in the roof of the old stables and Swallows are inside the the old stables. All the baby birds have now left their nests but the swallows are still coming back at night to sleep on the rafters in the old stables.

The new bale wrapper

2008-06-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

We have started our haymaking and so far we have made hay in half of the 10 acre field with the other half currently drying and if the weather stays kind we hope to bale on Monday, the last day of June.

This year we are attempting to make small bale haylage for the horses and we have bought a McHale bale wrapper. Our first attempt today went fairly well, although we have decided the grass is still too moist and we are leaving the rest of the grass until tomorrow. The baler is also using rather more plastic wrapper than it should per bale, so some adjustments will be necessary.

Bridge over the stream

2008-06-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

We have finally finished work on the orchard, although we haven't been able to plant all the fruit trees but they will be coming in the autumn. We have also completed the connecting bridge from the holiday cottage garden over the small stream so guests are able to let their dogs run free and also children can play in the orchard. We have bought an old metal swing from a neighbour but it needs the feet repairing and a new seat before we can put it in the orchard. The grass is growing well and it shouldn't be long before the new grass seed catches up with the rest of the lawned area.

A foal for Moo Moo

2008-05-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Moo Moo presented us with a beautiful filly at 3.00pm on Thursday 15th May. It was an amazing experience to witness the birth of her foal and it only took 12 minutes from when the front feet emerged to the foal being born. I have named her Marika.

Luckily I was just putting the donkeys out for the afternoon as I had brought them all in that morning because it was raining hard and quite cold and Moo and the donkeys had been shaking. I was just passing the stable where she had been standing in for the morning when I suddenly realised she had laid down on the concrete. I quickly got her up and then realised she was giving birth. Fortunately the stable next to her had a good thick bed already laid down for another horse who is coming to stay for a week with its owner. I took her into it and although a bit small it was the best place. If you would like to see some photographs taken just after the birth then go to Marika

The Orchard

2008-05-06T12:11:00.001-07:00

Now the warm weather has arrived the new grass is really growing in the orchard and this weekend was spent planting shrubs and fruit trees which were bought from Wibble Farm and Nurseries near Taunton. They were very helpful and gave good advice. I was't able to buy the plum and apple trees, but have ordered them for collection in the autumn. We just need the gate to the orchard to be swung and then it will be dog proof for our guests.

Baby Ducks Arrive

2008-04-25T02:48:00.000-07:00

My neighbour Maxine Garner kindly agreed to incubate some Indian Runner duck eggs. I gave her six eggs. Maxine has had a lot of experience hatching chicken and quail eggs in an incubator so I was hopeful we would get at least one duckling. Maxine explained all the problems that went with incubating the duck eggs such as getting the humidity and temperature to be just right as if there was a mother duck to sit on them. Then during Tuesday evening this week the first egg hatched so Maxine then put the incubator in her bedroom and in the early hours of the morning another hatched. When Maxine woke in the morning all the eggs hatched except one which had died and so there were 5 duckings! It wasn't long before their legs were straight and they had learnt to drink and eat.... aren't animals amazing! Now they are with me indoors and will be for a few weeks until they are weaned off their heat lamp and ready to go on outside.

Erin stands guard on the Bridge

2008-03-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

Erin spent today asleep in the spring sunshire on the bridge over the stream behind the old kennels and what will be our animal annex. She stood guard all day and wouldn't let her two offspring Gay and Gordon onto the bridge!

The Walled Garden

2008-03-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

The picture shows the back of the medieval barn which is at one end of the walled garden. The previous owners used to keep pigs in the walled garden and a few old apples trees. We have pruned the ivy on the top of two of the walls before the birds start nesting as we are planning to construct an equine sand school within the walled garden. However we now have to wait for permission from the council before we can start building as they have to approve an archealogical survey within the walled garden. They will be looking for any artifacts as Burrow was built on a medieval settlement. There is evidence from a later date of old concrete circle which may have housed an engine that would have been driven by horsepower.

The Indian Runner Ducks

2008-03-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

We have just collected two ducks and one drake from Jacquie at Brandel Rare Breed Poultry near Wellington in Somerset.
The picture shows the ducks on their first day out after spending a week inside to get them used to their surroundings. Hopefully once they are more settled and less nervous we will be able to introduce them to the pond in the courtyard, but in the meantime they have to make do with a plastic bowl for washing!

The Barn is Finished

2008-02-19T13:46:00.001-08:00

PFG has now completed the barn and all the tractors, horsebox and JCB are safely installed inside. The weather has been dry and cold recently which has meant that work outside the barn has started. Two new manholes for the water off the roof and the yard have been built and we are just waiting for the piles of earth to dry out a bit more before the Exmoor bank can be built and the driveway infront of the barn can be completed. A bit more tidying up to be done yet before the top surface on the road can be laid, but we are getting there!

The Barn goes up

2008-01-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

PFG Fabrication have started putting up the barn despite the wet and windy weather. They had to pump out water from the holes that had been dug for the steel uprights before they could start. The roof is now complete and the guttering has been added. The sides which will be wooden boarding will take longer to put on and once that is completed a concrete floor will be laid.

All the tractors and other equipment are currently outside getting very wet and hopefully we will soon be able to get them all inside.

Another New Roof!

2008-01-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

The new slate roof on the Animal Annex is now complete and because it looks so good we have decided to replace the roof on the Pigmy goat house and the future duck house.
Work has started on stripping off the old roof and replacing the timbers before we can re-slate.
In the centre of the photo is Derek's black cat DC who is helping supervise the work.

Animal Annex New Roof

2007-12-15T02:24:00.001-08:00

We have started reburbishing the old kennels which will be our 'Animal Annex' to go with the holiday cottage. Derek and Rob are renewing the slates on the back of the roof and then we will start on altering the inside.
There will be a wash down tiled area for dogs that are muddy when they come back from their walks and lots of towels for a rub down. There will also be a big 'Tuffie' dog bed for them to lie on while they dry. We will be having some guinea pig/rabbit and hamster cages, so guests can also bring these pets on holiday.

The Pond

2007-11-10T10:13:00.001-08:00

Derek has now started work on creating a pond. The stream runs through the courtyard in Burrow Farm and then through a wall and along the bottom of Derek's garden. It has been overgrown with marsh marigolds and iris as well as a lot of silt on the bottom. Derek has created a small dam at one end so that he can catch the water from the stream.
Alongside the pond he intends to create a vegetable patch after he has levelled out the ground. In the background you can see Derek and Rob working on the new post and rail fence.

Clearing the compost heap

2007-11-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Derek has started clearing the huge compost heap behind the old kennels with his JCB and removing elder trees and general rubbish to open up a big area which goes down to the stream. About 20 old tyres have been dug up and these are going to be difficult to get rid of as no one wants them and its hard to find a refuse tip that will take them. The compost is being loaded into a trailer and taken by tractor to one of the fields where we will be restoring an old exmoor bank. The bank has fallen into disrepair and has an overgrown hedge on top with a few dead trees. We will be planting the two copper beech tree saplings from Ranmore Common onto the bank with the new hedge. The saplings have been sent to us from friends, Helen and Frederick who live on Ranmore Common.

The Dovecote

2007-11-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

The new dovecote has arrived from Lincolnshire Dovecotes. We just hope that the two remaining white doves will set up home, originally there were five but three have been killed by birds of prey. Their original dovecote was taken by the previous owners when they moved, so the doves have been roosting on the roof of the stables. I have been feeding them wild bird seed every morning to keep them at Burrow Farm.

The Donkeys arrive

2007-10-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend Amy and Enzo arrived from Farnham, Surrey after being weaned from their mothers.
Both of the donkeys have settled in well and the sheep find them very interesting.
However the horses think they are 'aliens' and have been snorting and galloping up and down the field whenever they see the donkeys, so it may take a few days before they settle down.

Our own 'Tarr' Steps

2007-10-07T14:56:00.001-07:00

We decided that as the lawn in the garden of the holiday cottage was getting rather worn we would put in some stepping stones. We found the stones on the farm when Derek was digging the new road so Rob spent today laying the stones. We hope to find some more and then lay another path which will link to the bridge which is going to be built over the small steam into the orchard. Bridge yet to be built and orchard looks like a field at the moment, but we have been given two pear trees from our neighbours back in Surrey, Helen and Frederick Polhill.

(Tarr Steps - Prehistoric bridge over the river Barle near Winsford. Dating from 1000 BC, some of the stones weigh 5 tons and were said to have been placed there by the Devil to win a bet.)

The roof and the start of the road

2007-10-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

After two days of terrible wet weather at the beginning of October the roof decided to leak! This was not a new leak and had obviously happened before, but the previous owners did not tell us. The first I knew about it was when water started dripping through a bedroom ceiling. Terry Griffiths a Master Thatcher from Bishops Lydeard near Taunton quickly came to our rescue and patched up the offending hole around the chimney. We decided to have both sides of the chimney rethatched.

The weather this week has been glorious and now that the JCB has arrived Derek has been able to start on the new road across the field so we will be able to gain access to the future new barn which will be going up at the end of November.

We have so far had 5 loads of scalpings with more to come next week. A new pipe has been laid to divert the stream and then this has been covered with more road scalpings and earth so vehicles can drive over and through the gateway. The area for the future horsewalker (subject to planning consent) has been scrapped over and flattened, more scalpings to be added.

August 2007 - the start

2007-09-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Our first guests came and stayed in the holiday cottage over the August Bank Holiday, Chris, Kelly, Joseph, Samual and Leah. A really lovely family from Rotherham, Yorkshire.

Joseph and his cousin decided that the French Ouessant sheep needed names so they christened the three boys, Peter, Ben and Eric. The Ouessant sheep decided they didn't want to live on their own anymore so jumped in the field with the Castlemilks and after being chased around which they thought was great fun it was decided to leave them together.