Back to school...with a shiny new website!

Walks to Culmstock Beacon are a highlight of our week!

After a very successful summer season, we're now in the back to school mindset! Early Autumn is my favourite time of year - I love the colours, the weather's usually lovely, bookings are quieter and I can focus on all the jobs that have piled up during the summer holidays!

The old orchard at Luggs is always productive

This September, the big news here at Luggs is that we have a new website! It's just gone live so please take a look at www.luggsbarn.co.uk and let us know what you think. We loved the style of our old site but knew we needed to update the functionality for visitors, especially those using tablets or phones to visit. We also wanted to make sure that our search engine rankings are as high as possible; Marmalade Designs of Wellington have created a superb site which brings Luggs Barn up to date while retaining our established brand and subtly refreshing the original style which we loved.

Woodland walks around Culm Davy

Bookings for Autumn/Winter 2014 are definitely up on this time last year which is excellent - we're seeing a lot more advance bookings for periods that would normally only fill up at the last minute. Our new website will hopefully make the process even easier for guests, featuring an availability calendar and interactive enquiry and booking forms. We've also added lots more glowing testimonials from our Visitors' Book which reflect how much previous guests have enjoyed their stay with us.









Trip Advisor continues to be instrumental in securing new bookings, and we were pleased to receive a special Trip Advisor key ring in the post a few weeks ago! Hopefully it'll encourage guests to leave us a review and therefore help prospective visitors make an informed choice.

Whatever the weather, you'll be cosy at Luggs Barn. Curl up in front of the wood burning stove and enjoy the peace and the stunning views! The balcony is an ideal spot to relax at sunset, while old beams and squashy sofas create a haven for all ages

Christmas and New Year are fully booked as usual, but at the time of writing October half term is still available. Our girls go back to school on 8th September so I'll be back in the office properly from next week; in the meantime, please let us know what you think of our beautiful new website and if you're considering an Autumn or Winter break, get in touch to secure your preferred dates!

Summer sunshine and last minute deals: June short breaks in Devon

Can't believe how long it's been since I've updated this blog! Sorry for radio silence lately - I know most of our followers keep in touch via Facebook these days, but hello to those of you who enjoy reading news and updates from us here at Luggs Barn. Do keep in touch and let me know if you'd like to see more pictures of particular views, rooms - or dogs! Many of our previous guests consider themselves part of the Monty and Ted fan club...

Luggs Barn's picturesque setting: down a private track in Devon's Blackdown Hills AONB

We've had a very busy Spring, with guests in Luggs Barn almost every week and some beautiful sunshine, especially during May. Now we're into June, the wisteria and bluebells which have cheered us all so much for the past month are giving way to roses and lupins. The garden's looking glorious at the moment; many of our recent guests have taken advantage of the barbecue and had long leisurely meals overlooking our spectacular views. With a huge fenced private garden, children and dogs have plenty of space to let off steam, while adults can often be found on the balcony with a glass of wine!

Luggs Barn is an atmospheric location for a summer party or wedding reception

One particularly memorable time was in late May - our guests stayed for a 10 day break to mark a special birthday, culminating in a black tie dinner party catered by Twisted Willow Catering with entertainment by the incomparable Edward Jacobs on the piano. The warm and sunny evening meant that the music and laughter floated across to the farmhouse, along with the scent of the wisteria, and we loved seeing such glamorous guests enjoying their champagne in the garden! Photos will hopefully follow soon but for now, here's a wonderful shot taken at dusk at a wedding reception here last summer.

We've had several families here for short breaks during half term, with one little girl particularly enamoured with Ted the Jack Russell. Issy and her family were here for the second time from Hampshire and are already planning their next break!

At the moment, we have a couple of short breaks in June still available at just £495 - that's almost half price (usually £895). 9-13 and 13-16 June are still available, so why not get friends and family together for a long-awaited catch up in these beautiful surroundings? Working out at just £20 pppn for a 3 night stay, and only £15 pppn for 4 nights, that's a last minute bargain for anyone in need of some rest and relaxation! These breaks are advertised on all our usual pages as well as this blog, so please get in touch now if you're interested. 01823 681605 or luggsbarn@gmail.co.uk

There's also availability in July at present, although we're expecting that to change soon now that half term is over. Some schools break up earlier than others, so come and enjoy a break in Devon before the August crowds; we're within easy reach of beaches and countryside attractions for family friendly days out. There are also plenty of options for cycling and walking, with a network of scenic paths on the doorstep.

Finally, looking ahead to August: we've had a cancellation which means that the first week, 1-8 August, is unexpectedly reavailable. Price is £1600 which for peak season in accommodation of this size and quality is great value. All the school summer holidays have been booked since New Year, so this is an ideal opportunity for anyone who, like me, wasn't quite that organised in January!

Family friendly beaches abound in Devon 

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)