Countdown to Christmas

The Christmas countdown is well under way here at Luggs - the Barn has long been booked for the festive season but we're already taking bookings for 2014.

The weather's been lovely lately, fairly mild most days but sunny and I've been taking advantage of this with lots of long walks with Monty and Ted up to Culmstock Beacon to enjoy the panoramic views.


The mild weather means that our gorgeous Devon countryside still looks very autumnal rather than wintry. The girls are hoping to be snowed in soon, but I'm keeping everything crossed that the snow can wait until the New Year so that all our guests can get here safely! We've traded in our trusty Land Rover for a more economical (and still 4x4) Skoda Octavia estate which we're delighted with, so fingers crossed it lives up to expectations when the weather turns.

It's been lovely to see some of this year's peak season guests taking advantage of our last minute deals and coming back for short breaks this season. We love seeing people return time after time, and enjoy the fact that Luggs provides a haven for so many people as well as ourselves.

I'm proud (and perhaps slightly smug!) to say that I've bought and wrapped all but one present already this year, and have also done my food shopping online for delivery just before Christmas. All the main supermarkets deliver regularly to Luggs Barn; many of our guests love the convenience of arriving to a well-stocked kitchen, especially this time of year. We're looking forward to welcoming the party from Christmas 2011 for their second festive season at Luggs Barn - they booked on Boxing Day last year, saying 'It just wasn't the same this year - can we come back next Christmas?!'

We're hoping to get up into the attic this week to find all the decorations, and will enjoy making Luggs Barn and our own farmhouse look even more beautiful for the festive season. We'll be collecting holly and ivy from the surrounding woods and are looking forward to choosing some gorgeous trees from our friends at Dunkeswell - we go every year and it's always a very special occasion. I like to wait until the week before to put all the decorations up, so that they still look their best for Christmas - and so that we're not all sick of them before twelfth night! Needless to say, chocolate advent calendars and a great deal of seasonal craft projects are ensuring that our kitchen looks appropriately festive already!

If you're thinking of planning a visit to Luggs Barn in 2014, now's the time to ensure your preferred dates don't get snapped up by someone else! Call now on 01823 681605 or email luggsbarn@gmail.com.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our guests past, current and future. We look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible during 2014 and beyond.

Summertime...

The last few weeks have seen  wonderful sunshine, prompting frequent barbecues and beach trips by our guests in Luggs Barn!

Farmers always watch the weather especially closely, and over the weekend everyone we know has been silaging - despite the odd shower, most of our friends are now happy to say their grass is now cut and stored. Their timing was perfect, as we're back to wind and rain today!

We spent a wonderful evening in our friends' garden on Saturday watching the huge machines at work. Another late night for the children, but a memorable sight for us all.

The wisteria on Luggs farmhouse is at its peak at the moment, taking over from the bluebells for scent and spectacle. Thanks to Bill's expert pruning, it's flourishing and on dry days, we can fling all the windows open and enjoy the scent all through the house.

A few vegetables are beginning to grow and hopefully the more seasonal weather now will push everything on a bit. Just in case, we're nurturing tiny butternut squash seedlings in our glass roofed entrance - Bill is still dreaming of a hardwood greenhouse but it may have to stay on the wish list for now!

We were also thrilled to receive a gift of a beautiful sketch of Luggs farmhouse by a very talented guest recently. Watch this space, as hopefully it will soon be framed for future guests to appreciate. The same party also bought a stunning seaside painting by Trudy Crook as a souvenir of their holiday here, so we're eagerly awaiting its replacement as the artwork in Luggs Barn is enjoyed by all our guests.

Lightning stops play

I'm writing this update camped out in a friend's office while awaiting our new router...last Friday afternoon during a spectacular thunderstorm, lightning struck a telegraph pole in Culm Davy, knocking out all our land lines and blowing up everyone's routers! Luckily no-one was on the phone at the time and the telephones were fixed fairly quickly - just as well in an area with limited mobile signal! - but we're still awaiting our new router. Our neighbours at http://kittowcattle.co.uk/ had a spare router so are back online and have become the IT hub of the hamlet while the rest of us are struggling! Many thanks to Dave and Sarah for lending us some office space to stay in touch with our guests this week.

I've been to another superb workshop this morning via the Blackdown Hills Business Association with Cosmic IT. Entitled The Future of Business, it gave us an eye-opening introduction to technologies which will soon be available, and made us all realise that we need to keep abreast of all these developments to ensure our businesses remain competitive in today's world. From image (as opposed to text or voice) searching to Augmented Reality apps enabling us all to see beyond our own eyes, it was fascinating but also slightly daunting! The cornerstone of all this wizardry, of course, is good broadband connection and speed - which we in rural Devon tend to struggle to obtain. One option is satellite broadband which is something that we're hoping to explore with the help of Cosmic IT at some point in future.

No-one could have predicted last week's lightning strike, but hopefully it won't strike twice here in Culm Davy and normal service will be resumed very soon. Please telephone with any urgent queries on 01823 681605 or send an email, which generally comes through to my mobile as long as it's on the windowsill! The leaves are finally coming out now and the whole area is looking lush and green - with the bluebells at their best, it's a welcome sight after the storms of the past week!

We still have some availability in June and September, although the summer holidays are fully booked I'm afraid. If you're considering a break, please get in touch and ask about last minute deals, or see our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Luggs-Barn-Devon/143513745697324

A beautiful rainbow after a less damaging storm the other week!

Amazing Spring deals from Luggs Barn...and another tale of a bad dog!

We've enjoyed wonderful weather for the past few weeks here in the Blackdown Hills AONB. Our Bank Holiday weekend guests had several barbecues and couldn't believe their luck!

Fancy waking up to this view? Take advantage of our great Spring discounts and get some friends or family together for a week of relaxation! The huge garden and balcony are perfect for soaking up these views with a glass of wine...

We're extending our previous offer to a fantastic £300 off 7 night breaks in May or June, subject to availability. Currently available start dates are: 10 May, 17 May, 7 June, 21 June and 28 June. Usual price is £1050 for 7 nights in May and £1350 for the same in June. With this offer, for just £750 up to 8 adults (plus cots) can enjoy a 7 night stay in stylish and spacious self catering accommodation. That's a saving of up to £600!


Our surroundings are looking beautiful this time of year - the wisteria isn't quite out yet, but the primroses carpeting the orchard are glorious, and the bluebell woodland is coming up to its best. The magnolia tree next to the farmhouse is also beautiful (see below). At the time of writing we also have ewes and their lambs in the  field in front of Luggs Barn; is there anything like waking up to the sound of birdsong and newborn lambs?

The 15thC farmhouse is Luggs Barn's only neighbour. With a network of scenic footpaths on the doorstep, this is the perfect base for exploring the Blackdown Hills AONB or the numerous attractions within reach for day trips. 

Spring sunshine, glorious scenery, numerous local attractions and beaches only 40 minutes away! Often May and June enjoy the best weather of the year. Why not take your break away from the madding crowds? Luggs Barn is perfect for young/extended families, ramblers, photographers or just groups of friends of all ages.


Please call 01823 681605 or email luggsbarn@gmail.com now for more information or to reserve your chosen dates.

In other news, Monty Dog is yet again in deep disgrace. My poor cousin got the shock of her life at 3am on Sunday morning as he had come up to her room (he never goes upstairs...) and had a Bad Accident by her bed! She trod in it before realising bless her - needless to say the cleanup (with her child sleeping peacefully in the same room) was both hilarious and horrific! We were mortified.

Anyway, Monty was going to send a voucher for a pedicure to her by way of apology, but has plumped for a destressing massage instead from the Clarins spa in John Lewis, Southampton. I got chatting to a lovely lady who's arranged the voucher for me and is also hoping to come and stay at Luggs Barn some day! So the dog may just about survive that little misdemeanour...

On a brighter note, we had a beautiful Jacob ewe and one of her lambs in the Barn's garden this morning! They'd somehow hopped over the fence and were chatting to Lily and Lucy who are holidaying in there to keep the grass down. The mother's other lamb was in a panic on the other side, but all are restored to their rightful places now. We're all enjoying seeing the front field full of lambs this week, but it was a real treat to have some temporarily in the garden!

We opened the redundant gate at the back of the photo and this beautiful ewe and her lamb are back with the third member of the family now! Think they must have jumped over the fence so we'll be keeping an eye out for future visits...

 

Spring discounts and summer weddings

For anyone considering a Spring break, we're offering a massive £200 off all full price term-time 7 night stays during April and May. Luggs Barn's garden and surroundings are particularly stunning at this time of year, and it's often when we enjoy the best of the sunshine. Bluebells abound in the woods and wisteria and roses adorn the buildings. Give us a call to check availability and take advantage of this offer!

After such a cold start to Spring, it's been a joy to see a week of sunshine to begin April! We've been busy outdoors getting ready for the growing season - seed potatoes and broad beans were bought today, and Bill has also spent several days hedge-laying. The drive now looks much smarter and the extra light on the vegetable garden will hopefully pay dividends later in the year. We've also painted the girls' playhouse, a mere 6 years after being given it!

Bookings are looking good for summer, with several enquiries for 2014 already coming in. We've just received some stunning photos of the wedding of Mr and Mrs Lock last August, which I've put in an album on our Facebook page for anyone who fancies a look: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.491748364207192.1073741825.143513745697324&type=1

As they're so beautiful, here are a few of the images to remind us of summer! If you're planning a relaxed countyside celebration, Luggs Barn could prove the perfect setting for a memorable day... 

(photos used courtesy of Mr and Mrs Lock and Ross Davenport, loose-canon.net)

Online Booking has begun!

In the absence of our poorly Web Man, to whom we wish a speedy recovery and return from hospital, I've been trying to make it easier for guests to book with us. I'm planning to introduce online booking across our own website and all directories we advertise with when I can, but in the meantime I've made a start with the Holiday Lettings site. Guests can now book online via our listing on their site:

http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/honiton/271054

We'll keep you all posted when the tweaks to this website are made, but in the meantime please keep an eye on this blog and our Facebook page for up to date news.

Here's a snowy photo taken yesterday for a bit of seasonal cheer! After a wonderful week's sledging, the (disgruntled) girls have been deposited at school via Land Rover and I'm back at the desk. Bookings are rolling in for Spring and Summer - even Christmas! - it won't be long before I'm posting photos of primroses and bluebells again, but in the meantime keep warm and check back here regularly for more Luggs news.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all our guests past, present and future! 2013 has kicked off with our usual flurry of bookings for spring and summer - we've also taken a booking for next Christmas already, although New Year is still available.

We're having trouble getting the updated prices onto the website, although I think they're correct on all the directories we advertise with now. For reference, here they are. Hopefully won't be long until our Prices page is correct as well.


Low season

November – Spring (pre Easter holidays)
October – November (except school holidays)

3 nights 650
7 nights 850
Bank Holiday Weekends 850

Mid season 
After Easter holidays –Whitsun Half Term/Mid-late Sept 
3 nights 750
7 nights 1050

High season
June/Early-mid September
7 nights 1350

Peak season
July and August
7 nights  1550

Feb Half Term 1150

Easter 2013 1350
Whitsun Half Term 1350
Autumn Half Term 1350

Christmas/New Year
(5-7 nights depending on dates) 1550


Weekly bookings run from Friday to Friday (7 nights). Short breaks are also available in low/mid season in the form of weekend (Friday to Monday – 3 nights) or mid-week (Monday to Friday – 4 nights) breaks.
All prices include power and heat, linen, towels, logs and a welcome pack. Well behaved dogs are welcome (max 2 depending on size/breed) at £25 per booking each.

The owners reserve the right to change these prices at any time.

We have about half the summer holidays still available at the time of writing, and one week left of the Easter holidays. Only Autumn half term is free now. If you're thinking of a Devon holiday this year, now's the time to secure your preferred dates. Just call or email for up to date availability as it can change frequently at the moment. 

We're also thinking up a suitably enticing prize for a New Year competition - keep an eye on this blog as well as our Facebook page (Luggs Barn, Devon) and we'll post an update very soon.