The Dartmoor Journal

March Blog 2008

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Tue, 4 Mar 2008 16:47:00 GMT

Earlier this month we welcomed a new family to Holwell, and it’s just as well we don’t have any near neighbours !!

Pictured above is our first litter of Wild Boar cross piglets at one day old. The parents are hybrids of Wild Boar that have been crossed with the Tamworth variety of pig to produce “Iron Age” pork; a rare delicacy. There were 7 in the first litter and all are this beautiful honey colour with the distinctive Wild Boar markings down their backs. They are very friendly; as are the rest of the family and quite playful too. Hopefully … they will remain in their “Wild Boar heaven” confines and will not end up “running a muck” as their more feral rivals have when released onto the northern part of the moor a year or so ago.

We need suggestions of names please for the Boar and Sow if you have any, please email them to us at; info@holwelldartmoor.co.uk

I have finally managed to get into our two new cottages here at Holwell long enough to take some photographs …

For regular “Bloggers”, you will be very sad to learn that poor old Aston the donkey who was in foal for what seemed like an eternity, finally went into labour at the top of the drive one afternoon a few weeks ago. She struggled for some time and the vet was called as soon as her waters broke, but it was apparent early on that there was a problem. The donkey foal had ended up with the cord round it’s neck and due to the length of time the foaling took, was unable to survive the birth. Martin her partner has been a great support to her as she has gradually come to terms with her loss and for the first time this morning they skipped out of their box like their old selves again.

Bookings for the cottages are looking very healthy this year and we are now busy through the Spring and Summer with the exception of May currently; which is surprising since it is by far the best month on Dartmoor – everything bursts into life from the new births of foals, lambs, calves to the flora of the prolific bluebells. We have a special offer on our website of 10% discount off the tariff for May bookings taken before the end of March; email us now to check availability info@holwelldartmoor.co.uk or call us on 01364 631471.

If you are unable to join us on Dartmoor this Easter, perhaps the next best thing is to order one of our special Easter Meat Boxes. 10 kgs of mixed, prime, free range beef, lamb and pork, delivered FREE to your door. Check out our order on line website at www.tortotor.co.uk There is something for everyone – even the dog now with our excellent Pet Mince at £1 a bag and bones too!

Here is Glen (short for Glenmorangie), the new Golden Eagle that joined the Holne Chase Falconry team late last year; he is now fully trained and ready for action … come and meet him next time you are down with us; he really is very friendly!

Glen will be off to Italy this Spring to feature in a display at an exhibition aimed at the Italian travel market, highlighting the increasingly popular sport/art of Falconry as part of a holiday. Villa Pallero in Tuscany will be promoted at the event alongside Holne Chase and Holwell too. Apparently the Italians have a great fondness for the classically English Country Life!

Look forward to seeing you soon …

March Newsletters:
Click here for our Holne Chase Newsletter
Click here for our Holwell Dartmoor Newsletter
Click here for our Pallero Newsletter
Click here for our Tor To Tor Newsletter

New Year Blog

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:35:00 GMT

Well the last Christmas tree has finally been eaten now – yes, eaten … the pigs love them and then play with them after they have been stripped of needles and have a fun scratching time too.

Christmas at Holwell got off to a great start with two new litters of piglets being born on Christmas Eve which all the children loved watching. As regular “Holwell Bloggers” will now know, once the birthing process starts it’s a bit like shelling peas and they usually emerge one every 5-10 minutes.

By New Year they were brave enough to be running around in the yard playing “it” with each other; carefully watched over by the chickens whilst Mum had a well earned rest … 12 of the little darlings can take the shine of anyone’s Christmas ! Needless to say Dad was no where to be seen, or rather he was otherwise engaged with a new harem round the corner.

It would appear that the concept of “domestic bliss” and Christmas are rarely compatible these days, but put a demanding herd of breeding pigs into the mix as well and you have a recipe for disaster. To avert just such a festive finale, we took a call from a friend just after New Year who had been given a fairly plain ultimatum; “its the pigs or me !” and so we agreed to add to our herd the “Trotter Family” from Cornwall.

Actually to be accurate, it was Wales as there is a magnificent Welsh boar called Dafid and his two Saddleback wifelets called Davinia and Letitia. Dafid is mangnificently well-equipped for his task in life but how he manages to walk at all defies every law of gravity. Unfortunately when he was being moved to his new billet in the woods gravity won and his spotless white form disappeared into the mud altogether.

Still no sign of baby donkey II – Aston disappointed the villagers of Widecombe by failing to produce in time for the Nativity. Never mind, maybe she will have her act together in time for Easter.

Talking of sequels, we are just putting the finishing touches to “Wild Pony II” – a repeat of the very successful 3 night/4 day residential course at Holwell handling the wild Dartmoor pony stock from the 2007 progeny. Hosted by leading equine trainer Vanessa Bee of Positive Horsemanship, the course proved inspiring, educational and enjoyable for everyone, be they in the business of working with or owning horses/ponies or just with an interest in the process. The dates will be mid-week towards the end of April 2008 running from a Monday to Wednesday inclusive. Please email; info@holwelldartmoor.co.uk if you would be interested in receiving full details or know someone who would be.

If you are keen on new learning experiences, you may also be interested to know that we are offering a unique opportunity to combine the skills of Photography and Falconry. George Hedges, based at Holne Chase Hotel is offering half or whole days with his Eagles, Hawks, Falcons and Owls to give a fantastic individual “Photo call” which should result in some unforgettable shots. Please click here for more information; Falconry Offer

As we enter our THIRD year of the increasingly popular Widecombe Village Market, we have now added a “special feature” into each event to add to the unique appeal. If you are coming to Dartmoor, you might like to keep a copy of the dates and features by clicking the link; Widecombe Village Market

Tor to Tor also celebrated it’s THIRD Christmas – which was even more frenzied than usual with all the Meat Box Orders that went out to Dartmoor Meat fans all over the UK.

If your New Year’s resolution was to buy healthy and UK reared meat, then our latest Tor to Tor offer could be of interest to you; This January we have launched a new incentive of ONE FREE DARTMOOR MIXED MEAT BOX for customers who place a standing order for 8 or more boxes to be delivered during the course of 2008. If you would like to place an order online, please go to; www.tortotor.co.uk Also, keep an eye out for our new SMOKED MEAT PRODUCTS that will be available from Easter – now there’s a thought !

Click Here For Our January Tor To Tor Newsletter

Happy New Year to you all and see you down on the farm soon !

Prepared For Christmas?

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:08:00 GMT

If you are so well prepared for Christmas (unlike me) that you have time to read this blog, then all I can say is – well done !

Since I last put fingers to my keyboard to update all you Forgotten Farmers out there, the weeks have flown past at such a rate I am struggling to recall all that has been going on …

Early November saw our first Wild Pony Handling break which was a huge success and you can read some of the comments from those attending by clicking here.

The event was also a surprisingly popular media “coup” with a TV crew from France arriving on the doorstep to film the experience followed by our local West Country TV crew. An orderly queue was then formed with local BBC radio, national BBC Radio 4 with Matt Baker; newly appointed Patron of the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust and several regional newspapers too.

We are now planning to hold a follow up event with some of the foals that we didn’t get round to handling in the Spring, so please let me know if you would like your name provisionally put down for it. We will run it along the same lines as the last which was over 4 days and three nights mid-week.

Of equal interest during this break was the opportunity for some of our guests to try out the ancient art of “Hawking on Horseback”; as reported in The Telegraph last week, George would appear to be the only falconer in the country who is actively using a bird from the horse to hunt with.

Fortunately the end of our lovely Indian Summer finished as the last foal was released back out to the herd and the Wintry heavens opened.

The hard work then started – bringing in all the cattle for their TB tests first; thank goodness no reactors so we can breathe a huge sigh of relief for another 6 months.

We then separated out the South Devon cattle from the Galloways and put the latter cattle who are hardier and can withstand the Dartmoor elements back out to pasture. This year’s more mature calves were then sent down to the valley where they will be fattened and finished to arrive back with us eventually for Tor to Tor. The South Devon cows are now cosy and warm in the barn for the Winter.

We have split our large barn in two with the cows one end and the other end is now full of our weaned Saddleback pigs who are in “pig heaven” snuggled up under layers of straw. They don’t get up very early so when we are ready to start feeding in the morning you could be forgiven for thinking no one was home. If you look carefully however you see the first twitches of awareness from under the straw and every now and then an ear will surface. The whole floor of the barn then rapidly erupts into a squealing mass of stripy porkers.

One aspect of this Winter’s mess arrangements that wasn’t quite planned and has caused a stir with our Tor to Tor customers is the fact that all the chickens have taken to sharing the pig’s billet and co-exist quite happily together. Sadly, when they lay their eggs the pigs eat them ! We have had to apologies to our regulars that at present until we find a solution the supply chain is “scrambled”.

The two new cottages; Saddle Tor and Chinkwell Tor have now been completed and I am frantically rushing round trying to finish them off in time for the Christmas arrivals. They do look fantastic and again, we have managed to keep the original features so they are true to their origins. The re-built round house which is now a bedroom is particularly appealing and the open-plan galleried landing that connects the first floor above is equally stunning. The two cottages will work well together to accommodate parties of up to 16 too.

Having just arrived back from our new addition to the fold; Villa Pallero in a beautifully festive Tuscany, I was struck by how the nearby medieval walled towns and cities have managed to retain a dignified restraint towards their decorations that allows each to be enhanced rather than exploited by Christmas. More importantly too, it is focused on the religious implications of the period rather than pure commerce. Maybe you should try it for Christmas shopping next year ?

www.pallero.com

I have been putting the finishing touches to a really exciting calendar of themed events and breaks for Villa Pallero in 2008 that will include seasonal celebrations of the various harvests such as Wine, Olive Oil, Saffron, Chestnuts and Truffles with some of the more notable dates for Festivals of Music, Art, Culture, Dance etc. Activity orientated breaks will also include painting, photography, yoga, Italian for beginners and riding. For preliminary details of what is going on in and around Villa Pallero for 2008, please click here.

Stay tuned for the release of further details in our New Year Newsletter due out early January.

Tomorrow heralds the start of the Holne Chase Christmas with the annual trip up to the new Covent Garden market in London. Here at the Nine Elms Flower Market, the senses are catapulted into Festive mood despite the outrageously early hour; it opens at 4am and by 6am it is all but over. The smells of the flowers, spruce, eucalyptus etc are intoxicating and really colourful. You can’t help but be inspired and enthused to put on a really special show of “real” decorations. Holne Chase lends itself perfectly to a real “Country House Christmas” .

A hotel full of expectant and discerning guests from 20th December to 9th January is a daunting prospect for any new chef to contend with, especially one who has only just arrived to the job. In the case of Ross Duncan however, the task is slightly eased by the fact that he has already “been there and got the t-shirt”. Ross has returned to the fold after nearly 6 years when he left our brigade to return to his homeland in Scotland. Ross very nearly didn’t pass muster when he joined us the first time back in 1996 whe he made porridge for Sebastian’s breakfast with water and salt instead of lashings of clotted cream and brown sugar.

On that rather sticky note, I will have to abandon my blog to go and take delivery of nearly 100 of the best Dartmoor Bronze Turkeys which are arriving nice and freshly plucked this evening ready for all our Tor to Tor orders. We have been really delighted with the reaction to our new easy to use “on-line” ordering website at: www.tortotor.co.uk and hope you will be checking into it in the New Year too.

On that rather expectant note, we wish you a wonderfully Happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you at either Holne Chase, Holwell or Pallero in 2008.

Philippa, Sebastian, the boys and all the animals …

Celebrating Our 2nd Full Year Of Renting At Holwell

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:53:00 +0100

Isn't this a fantastic photo of George our Falconer on Lynus with Fiddich the Golden Steppe Eagle as the Sun went down on Hound Tor. The picture was taken by leading photographer from the Western Morning News and it made the front cover last week and also appeared in The Times!!

This month we celebrate our second full year of renting out the holiday cottages here at Holwell. As we approach this milestone, we wanted to share with you the progress and developments to date here on the farm incase you missed out on any of the news via earlier "Blogs".

The guests to Holwell have helped us enormously in creating and improving the unique holiday experiences that every member of the family can enjoy and remember.

We would also like to mark this 2^nd year Anniversary with you by offering a "Loyalty Discount" for your next stay with us of 20% off the published weekly tariff as a "thank you" for your support to date and hopefully ongoing involvement with us here at Holwell. (Applicable to bookings up to end March 08, excluding public/school holidays).

Many of you will have followed the initial "transformation" of Holwell via the TV series "Forgotten Farm", but that was only the beginning ...

The original four cottages will be joined later this year by the final phase of two new cottages. Saddle Tor and Chinkwell Tor overlook the yard below and have fantastic views over the roof of the lower cottages to Ripon Tor. Saddle Tor the largest with 4 double bedrooms, has been converted from the Threshing Barn and we have re-built the magnificent Round House that will now contain the principal bedroom. A cross galleried balcony will connect the two first floor bedrooms and a huge open-plan living/dining and kitchen area will be open to the apex of the roof.

Chinkwell Tor has been converted from the original kennels and will have two ground floor bedrooms and one large loft bedroom with adjoining en-suite bathroom. These two cottages together would accommodate up to 14 in total.

When completed we will then be able to take up to 50 guests at any one time at Holwell which potentially opens up a new opportunity to encourage more gatherings for family celebrations such as mile stone Birthdays and Anniversaries or even for business use; please advise if you would like details of our Exclusive Use Group and Corporate rates; info@holwelldartmoor.co.uk Catering can also be organised for a special occasion dinner at either Holwell or Holne Chase Hotel.

The new farm buildings came into their own earlier this year when the wet weather forced all the animals on the farm indoors under cover. We also played host with our new 12 box stable yard to several riding groups and hunting parties who came to have a day out with the South Devon Hunt from Holwell.

At the beginning of the Summer we also had the first Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust Sale at Holwell which was the focus of the "Johnny Kingdom" programme which followed a herd of wild ponies off the moor to be handled and then sold as children’s ponies.

This was so successful that it will be repeated next year, hopefully with a bigger itinerary to include a few “pony races” too. In November we will be continuing the “Wild Pony Handling” theme with a special 4 day, 3 night fully inclusive package at Holwell with renowned horsewoman Vanessa Bee and still have a few places left; Click here for more info on the Wild Pony Break

We will be using for this event some of this year’s foals that were born at Holwell and on the commons of Dartmoor. If you would be interested in buying any, we have a gorgeous variety available from £150 non-pedigree to £750 each registered pedigree Dartmoor. I can email images if anyone is interested; info@holwelldartmoor.co.uk

Two new attractions that have proved very popular to Holwell guests include the provision of a Health and Beauty Suite at nearby Holne Chase where a variety of treatments and massages can be booked. Also, our full time Falconer who is based at the hotel has been increasingly busy this year with Flying Experiences and Courses with his amazing collection of Birds of Prey from Eagles and Hawks to Falcons and Owls. Hunting trips from Holwell are awesome watching the birds soaring on the thermals over the mire and stooping from 2000 feet on to quarry below. TV’s “The Really Wild Show” came up to film a sequence with Evie the Sea Eagle; with a massive 10 ft wingspan, she eats small children for breakfast!

Finding a “route to market” for the animals that are reared at Holwell has led the meat delivery business “Tor to Tor” to develop further with a full time butchery at the farm itself. This has been a great advantage for guests who can pre-order their holiday meat or buy during their stay. Having recently launched a “Meat Box” service that delivers FREE anywhere in the UK also means that the unique flavour of our Dartmoor meat can be savoured when back at home as well.

Tor to Tor is now taking Christmas Orders and you can call us on – 07968 390 618 for a Price List or email; meat@holwelldartmoor.co.uk This year we will be featuring Barn Reared Bronze Turkeys from Frenchbeer Farm, Chagford, Dartmoor “oven ready” game such as Partridge, Pheasant and Venison, Dressed Devon Geese, Cooked Honey Glazed and Breaded Hams, Home-Cured Gammons, French Style Rack of Organic Holne Lamb or prime Rib of Widecombe Beef. There will also be Sausage Meat, “Pigs in Blankets”, Chippolatas etc. Christmas Meat Boxes can be put together to your order and delivered free anywhere in the UK; ideal Presents too!

See you soon!

INDIAN SUMMER THIS AUTUMN …

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:12:00 +0100

Well it certainly looks like it. Having really struggled most of this Summer to collect in our hay and straw harvest we are now basking in a truly magnificent spell of hot weather that is predicted to continue well into September.

Already the colours on Dartmoor are dynamic with the contrast of the purple heather, yellow gorse and clear blue skies. Riding out early this morning as the mist was burning off I encountered a family of young fox cubs pouncing on moles and had for company a courting couple of buzzards overhead.

It was great to finally have some “me” time in what has been a manic Summer. I have been inspired to put together a package at Holne Chase for all similarly “frazzled” Mums who have been madly juggling children and work for what seems like an eternity.

Apart from the thankfully shortlived spectre of Foot and Mouth rearing its all too ugly head recently, the guests we have welcomed to Holwell this Summer have all had a marvellous time and many have already re-booked. We are currently taking bookings for next Summer at this year’s rates, so if you don’t want to miss out, call us now on 01364 631471 or email; info@holwelldartmoor.co.uk

Wild Pony Days on Dartmoor (Microsoft Word .doc)

Guests have been busy comforting and feeding our orphan lamb “Cadbury” who is now a familiar if slightly shy face on the farm now. Many of our visitors have also been impressed to see how well our other orphan friend is doing; Prickle the foal is now growing bigger by the day and has recently been featured on the BBC Countryfile Diaries.

Donkeys Aston and Martin are getting broody again as Aston’s second foal is looking imminent. They continue to try and “nest” in the new cottages that are being converted and if the builders forget to barricade it up at night they have a nice surprise in the morning and it’s usually still steaming!

At Holne Chase we welcomed recently the Ferrari Owners Club with a fabulous collection of machines that gleamed proudly in the Summer sunshine outside the hotel. There were however a few anxious moments when Fiddich the Step Eagle nearly landed on one during the Falconry Display.

With Autumn fast approaching, the famous Widecombe Fair will soon be upon us. This year we plan to cook more than just the one hog roast as the one we cooked last year lasted precisely half an hour before selling out.

The annual “Drift” of ponies off the moor will be next on the calendar towards the end of September and this year we have arranged a special all inclusive residential package at Holwell to “handle” the Wild foals with renowned horsewoman Vanessa Bee.

We will shortly be launching a new “Portal Website” linking all the various sites together in one big on-line “Department Store” to ensure visitors to one site can easily access another. The portal will feature Holne Chase, Holwell, Tor to Tor meat delivery, Quadrants Fractional Ownership and now Pallero the Italian Villa in San Gimignano, Tuscany. Watch this space for the “going live” date as we will be rewarding our email database with lots of special offers and prizes for sending the new portal web address on to contacts you feel it would be of interest to.
See you soon !

Countdown To Summer…

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 10:23:00 +0100

Its all go as usual down on the farm …

Latest foal count is 12, so that's a full strike rate from our clever stallion once again – well done Starfighter. There are just two full pedigree Dartmoor fillies left from the 2006 stock now.

Our baby donkey DB7 has also now fled the stable and has gone to a nice new home with another Dartmoor foal from here on Bodmin Moor. Parents Aston and Martin were very miserable for a few weeks but seem to be back to normal again now.

They were certainly up their mischievous selves yesterday and gave us all a shock. One of our regular guests arrived to park his car in the yard and was surprised to see above his head in the Linhay parking area, a couple of hooves sticking through the ceiling!

The alarm was raised; i.e. me running frantically round the farm mustering up all the "muscle" I could find and upon closer inspection we discovered that Aston had fallen through a hole in the barn when she and Martin were "exploring" after the sand-blaster had been in preparing the buildings for conversion.

We all lifted her gently out and thankfully she was unhurt, but very shocked. So was the guest who can now add "Donkey Rescuer" to his CV.

Hope you managed to catch our falconer George's "moment of glory" on Channel 4's "F Word". Albeit short and sweet, Glenfiddich the Golden Steppe Eagle performed to perfection by taking out a hare for Gordon Ramsay on first attempt.

Basking in his new found fame, Fiddich decided to take a little "detour" when he was out for a bit of training at the hotel the other day and was found the next day up at Princetown. Even the local radio stations had helpfully put out a request to keep an eye out for him and several sightings later he was spotted having a bit of fun with the rabbits up near the Prison.

Evie the Sea Eagle was centre stage yesterday down at Plymouth with the popular "Springwatch" TV series. Thankfully she had been fed before she went so there was no untimely "snacking" on small dogs or children!

One accident waiting to happen that did was Sebastian getting flattened by yet another cow. This time he was trying to re-unite a calf with its anxious mother who had temporarily "mislaid" it and instead of saying a grateful "moo", decided to charge instead and pushed him backwards into a wall. A broken ankle, finger and 2 ribs later; ouch!, he staggered away and eventually (about a week later) off to casualty.

Batty Two came to the rescue at the hotel last week when a distraught couple staying in the stable suites rang up to reception to advise that their beloved old Labrador dog had collapsed and was in urgent need of a Vet. Sebastian limped down to find a very sad scene as the owners of the dog tried to comfort the lifeless form in front of them.

A few moments later her ladyship sashayed down the drive towards them and as she approached in her usual provocative manner, the Labrador miraculously recovered, had a good sniff and padded off happily after her. His stunned owners looked on in amazement as Sebastian quipped "That will be £80.00 please!"

Tor to Tor has been busy on the farm developing a new range of sausages and BBQ specials. We now have a "Summer Sizzler" Box full of chops, steaks, sausages, burgers etc from £75.00. To order yours, just email us at info@holwelldartmoor.co.uk or ring on 07976 535078.

Coming soon … "Hound Tor to Tor" - Delicicious "Jumbo Sausages" that you can boil up for your dogs and slice as required. Full of 100% Dartmoor meat and goodness; we'll even throw in a few marrow bones too.

Also coming up next month we have the "Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust" Pony Sale at Holwell on 21st July. Everyone welcome and Johnny Kingdom's TV crew will be there to film him handling the wild ponies with expert Vanessa Bee.

Apart from a few gaps this month, we are then fully booked through the Summer, but if you want to catch the Rowan Berries and fabulous show of heather and the Pony Drift, then book now for Autumn. Widecombe Fair is Tuesday 11th September. Ring now to book on 01364 631471 or email us at info@holwelldartmoor.co.uk

See you soon !

Philippa Hughes

www.holwelldartmoor.co.uk

Dreaming of Spring …

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Sun, 4 Mar 2007 16:13:00 GMT

With such a warm winter the Daffodils have now burst forth and are contrasting beautifully with the already lush green fields.

Several new arrivals to report; two early calves, both with clearly defined “belts” from their father; the belted Galloway Bull called “Pop” (short for Popacatapetal – regular blog readers will remember that all the Holwell “alpha males” are named after Volcanos).

We have also got a “free range” calf that was born before Christmas who was looking a bit “peaky” so we brought him out from the rest of the herd and he has now teamed up with the donkeys and is roaming around the farm quite happily. A visiting guest had the opportunity to christen him, so he is now fondly known as “Arnold”.

A quite unexpected new arrival to the equine team came in the form of the return to Holwell of Liverton Lass, or “Liffy”. She is now 18 and after failing to get her in foal 2 years ago, remained at stud to keep a rather smart Connemara Stallion company through the Winter. On further inspection when it came time to bring the stallion back in for the 2007 covering season, it was discovered that the mare was not as barren as first thought and is now due to have a foal imminently.

The first batch of pedigree Dartmoor Pony yearlings will be ready for sale in the Spring. All have wintered well considering the wet weather, but the warmth has meant there has been more grass than past years. They are all the spit of their father who has “stamped” them well – the only problem is telling them apart. If you would like more information on buying one, please call; 01647 221335; they really are gorgeous and would make a perfect first child’s pony as their temperament is excellent and their looks are ideal for showing too.

In preparation for our first season of “Hawking on Horseback” from Holwell, we have now welcomed Lynus the “Hawk Horse” to the farm. So laid back he is horizontal, Lynus is not phased at all when an 8 foot wing span Golden Steppe Eagle lands on his rider’s arm. This is a really exciting prospect and we are looking forward to our first hunting forays.

Talking of the latter, the South Devon Hunt have had some cracking outings around Holwell recently and accounted for a huge dog fox last week; just as well as we lost our Gander to him the night before. Geese mate for life and the two distraught females left behind have been visibly traumatised watching their “hubby” dragged off whilst trying to protect them. We are introducing another later today so fingers crossed they can all get along together. Such a shame as they had just started laying in readiness for a Spring clutch of goslings too.

We have now had a few hunting trips with the Eagles and Harris Hawks up at Holwell and I must admit they do look so at home up here. Watching the Eagles picking up the thermals and spiralling up higher and higher in the sky has been mesmerising. The Harris Hawks are also now being regularly flown through the woods in our copse to break down the crows nests before they get too established. We really must pull out all the stops this year to help the Lapwings get their young hatched and fledged.

At Holne Chase we have been thrilled to finally receive back from the printers yesterday the new brochure and DVD. It has been a number of years since our last brochure and the photography and footage of the new package is fantastic. You can download from the website; http://www.holne-chase.co.uk/ or ring for one to be sent to you; 01364 631471. Various new changes and improvements there so far this year include a “Massage and Treatment” suite. This will be up and running from Easter offering a range of options to really help guests to unwind, relax and enjoy a pampering session.

More and more guests to both Holwell and Holne Chase are now starting to order their meat from our new box scheme on a regular basis. With free delivery anywhere in the UK, this is such a convenient way to secure fresh, quality, traceable meat from Dartmoor. For more information, visit http://www.holwelldartmoor.co.uk/ and click on “Tor to Tor” or phone; 07976 535078.

Happy New Year Blog

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Tue, 9 Jan 2007 20:18:00 GMT

We finally took out the last Christmas Tree from the cottages after a very busy Christmas and New Year with all cottages being fully booked throughout.

Despite the rather damp weather conditions over the festive period everyone really enjoyed their stays and we are looking forward to seeing them back again soon.

Some fantastic news to start the New Year on the right note was reading yesterday in the Sunday Times “Top 100 Holiday Destinations on the Planet for 2007” that Holwell was in at number 19 !! They praised the “working farm” element of their selection and highlighted the variety of activities that we offered.

The weather is really challenging us this Winter; in contrast to last winter when we had snow and frost to contend with, this year we are plagued with warm rain. The grass hasn’t really stopped growing throughout the Winter so far, but oh the mess;

We have had to bring the majority of the animals in to stop them “poaching” the fields but this has increased our daily workload considerably in the “mucking out” department. I was rather glad the cameras weren’t with us the other day to witness me struggling up the ramp to the muck trailer with an “over-full” barrow load when my wellies didn’t quite grip the slippery surface and my legs disappeared from under me. I emerged a few moments later from under the contents of the barrow.

At least Sebastian is pleased that his calculations last year on the increased demand for small bale straw and hay seems to be working.

The first batch of pigs of the New Year went in today. Just as well; we sold out of all the meat we had prepared for the Christmas period and had an excellent response to the increased festive range including our home-cured Gammons and wonderful free range turkeys from Frenchbeer near Chagford. This year will see more additions to the range as our Butcher Derek starts to develop a line of smoked and cured meats. Don’t forget, you can still enjoy our Dartmoor meat selection by ordering a regular Meat Box; 10kgs made up to order from £80 inc. delivery to anywhere in the UK. Phone us on 07976 535078 to place yours.

“It’s a bit soggy out here boys”

At the hotel we are getting ready for our forthcoming “Burns Night” celebrations on 21st January. This is usually a super night that helps see us through what is often a fairly mundane month recovering from Christmas excess. Our head chef Joe has again produced a super themed menu with the staring role being afforded to the Haggis. This is ceremoniously “Piped in” to the restaurant by our visiting Piper clad in full Scottish attire. We then “address the haggis” Burn’s style with a recital of his poem and toast it in Whisky before bracing ourselves for a gastronomic experience followed by some energetic “reel” dances. If you want to join us, check out the website; we still have some space left – http://www.holne-chase.co.uk/

With the pressure to reduce stock on the farm due to the prolonged wet weather, I have been reluctantly preparing my pedigree 2006 Dartmoor foals for private sale. There are about half a dozen; mainly fillies now ready to be taken on and will make superb children’s first ponies. They are all an almost “orange” bay with black mane, tail and points and are very pretty with lovely kind natures. Prices are from £750 each, so if you are interested, please give me a call; 01647 221335.

Our little Donkey DB7 is growing nicely and is a real character. He will be weaned shortly and as we will not be able to keep him as well as Martin the stallion, we will also be looking for a suitable home for DB in the early Spring. I suspect Aston is already pregnant again as Martin is nothing if not persistent !

Hopefully I have now found someone to develop our “equine” facilities here at Holwell. It is amazing that the most popular attraction that guests would like to see when they return to stay with us is to have the option of riding from the farm itself. This Spring will therefore see us phase in a small number of appropriate mounts to satisfy this demand.

We are starting to see more bookings from guests who will also be bringing their own horses and even have a visiting contingent from the Atherstone Hunt who we are looking forward to welcoming to Dartmoor.

“Snowdrops” emerging by the lych gate over the grave of dear old Batty One

Dartmoor Autumn

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 23:00:00 GMT

So much has been happening down here on the farm in the last few weeks, it is hard to know where to start.

The annual pony drift saw our combined herds of Dartmoor Hill Ponies and pure bred Dartmoors produce a total progeny this year of 12 foals. I took a few to the Chagford Pony Sale which was surprisingly well attended and encouraging to see the prices of ponies increasing again. All 400 or so that were entered sold and although the highest prices were reserved for the coloured stock, there were healthy amounts to be had for the native types too. I did find the whole process of going to the sale and entering the ring with them very un-nerving and not an entirely pleasant experience because you didn’t know who was bidding and who ended up buying the stock. In future, I will try and sell any stock privately once handled.

We had a “pony handling” few days a couple of weeks ago with Ian Anderson and I was very impressed how he took a herd of wild ponies and one by one encouraged their trust and gradually got them used to being handled and walking with a head-collar. By the end of the first day we had 7 in head collars, walking and having hooves picked out and loading on to a trailer. As they had only been weaned a few weeks earlier this was a result.

They all have a lovely nature and after some frantic whinnying for the first few nights away from their mums, they have quietened down nicely now. I have loaned one of the hill pony foals to the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust so he can be used in their education programmes. Our calves from this year have also moved off down the valley now to be wintered and finished so the fields have a chance to recover a bit now.

We have had a frenzied farrowing few weeks with the pigs; over 60 piglets being born, so lots for the cottage guests to see.

Talking of pigs, I was fascinated to watch a good example of “teamwork” last weekend when out for a walk. In the distance I could see clods of earth being hurled in the air and on closer inspection I could see they eminated from a pig that had escaped from “Pig Heaven”. Tootling along quite happily behind him and picking up the worms and grubs that had been unearthed was a huge buzzard. The pair of them were working the field oblivious to my presence with barely a foot in distance between them. Extraordinary sight.

We have been madly plucking pheasants and partridge this week as the first 100 birds came in off our nearby shoot. It really is the short straw for this job and with the same number coming in every week now until the end of the season I can see us looking for a market for the feathers; any ideas ?

With our meat delivery service Tor to Tor, we have just launched a selection of Meat Boxes; from £80 for 10 kgs of farm fresh Dartmoor bred and fed Beef, Pork and Lamb, including Delivery. We have also been offered some excellent Turkeys that have also been bred on Dartmoor so are gearing up for Christmas orders.

George is now settled well into the Walled Garden at Holne Chase with his collection of Eagles and Hawks. They have all got very smart pens with their names carved above and seem very at home there in amongst the towering woodland that surrounds the garden. Because George trains the birds on the lawns every morning it is a great way to encourage guests to have a try themselves and book a half day experience or a Night Owl walk. We have high hopes for this activity really taking off now.

Widecombe Fair

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 10:43:00 +0100

They say the best things come in small packages and this week was no exception to this rule. Collecting the eggs the other morning I subconsciously noticed an additional set of ears peeping out behind our “Jenny” donkey called Aston. On closer inspection I was delighted to see that she had just given birth to the most beautiful little baby.

As the father is called Martin, there was really only one name for this little chap and DB7 it is, or “DB” for short. He is absolutely gorgeous and although only a few days old, very inquisitive already.

Martin, randy as usual, has had his amorous activity curtailed for a while as Aston is otherwise pre-occupied with her new baby and he is therefore to be found sulking in the corner of the field.

DB had his first “photo-call” this afternoon when the well known animal and wildlife photographer Richard Austin came over with film crew in tow to snap away. Suitably intrigued by all the attention DB obliged and I am eagerly waiting to see the results.

The famous Widecombe Fair took place last week and was a great success. We had sold out of the rather large pig that was put on a spit – in just under an hour and could easily have sold another whole one on top. Just as well we had brought a BBQ along to cook some sausages and burgers too. We also offered a “guess the weight” competition for two of our little weaner pigs, although Sebastian was at pains to point out that the decision on who was going to have the winning guess was going to be determined by a decent bra size, so there was really no point at all in a man entering!

Bertie and his Dartmoor Pony Rodney teamed up again for the leading rein classes and yet again was put to shame by “Mrs Matching Pig-tails” and her daughter who obviously put a great deal more effort into entering these events than we do. He did manage a few rosettes though and they both looked great in their combined “Pirate outfits” for the Fancy Dress with Rodney sporting a rather dashing flag from his derriere!

Animals came in “Two by Two"

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Sat, 9 Sep 2006 15:10:00 +0100

Following on from my last blog, our long awaited vast window for the new dwelling here at Holwell finally arrived all the way from Germany via Wembley of all places where it was carefully cut to size.

The crane arrived at 9am and the glass arrived at 7pm. By 7.30pm it had all gone horribly wrong and we all stood transfixed with our own individual emotions and frustrations as we saw the glass chink and shatter before our eyes as it was removed from the lorry.

Well, now what – my worst nightmare was here. The first family of guests was due to arrive the next day and although they knew the spec. of the house included under floor heating, they were not likely to be prepared for a radical new form of air conditioning – ie no glass in the window! Sadly we had to board up the not insignificant hole again and wait for their arrival.

Fortunately, the house itself so surpassed their expectations that it wasn’t the end of the world and they were very understanding and enjoyed a lovely week of walking and relaxing.

Even Sebastian had to reluctantly admit that my “Italian Puff’s Kitchen” was growing on him and that the house now furnished and pictured out was gradually becoming somewhere he could imagine living after all.

I actually think that the overall team of architects, builders, National Park planners and ourselves have not done a bad job of it; it blends in perfectly with the surroundings – thanks largely to the granite we were luckily enough to secure from the Duchy of Cornwall, and works really well as an overall design.

The final landscaping of lavender bushes was made only to be ripped up unceremoniously by the meandering donkeys who snuck into the garden when I wasn’t looking and rooted every plant up and shook it vigorously before dropping it back on the soil. Little buggers also proceeded to crap all over the new granite patio and grind it into the gravel whilst terrorising the guests dog at the same time. I have now made it clear to the new incumbents that they must keep the gate closed at all times.

Despite having to wait for the first pane of glass for over 3 months, miraculously a replacement pane arrived at the docks last week and with the lessons learnt from the first attempt, this was second time lucky. It was worth waiting for after all. Now all I have got to worry about is how to keep it clean and avoid one of our now many doves flying into the centre of it.

Today was another landmark day for Holwell; the final attempt to get planning permission for the last remaining barns. After several abortive attempts, refusals and withdrawals, the process of negotiation had resulted in a compromise that was acceptable to the members of the National Park and all were suitable happy with the proposal; phew ! I think they were also relieved to be at the end of the extensive planning activity at Holwell over the last 2 years.
We are also coming up to the anniversary of our first guests to the farm cottages next week. We have been delighted with the way they have been received and the fact that they have been so busy in this our first year.

This week the animals came in “two by two” – on Wednesday we had two new belty calves and yesterday we had two litters of piglets totalling 30 in all ! Because the sows were both in the same pen we did have a few anxious hours when it became obvious that one was more dominant than the other and one sow ended up being booted out of the arc but her piglets remained in with the other. Separating them out was a tad tricky, but at one day old it isn’t the end of the world if one or two end up with the wrong tit !

My Dartmoor Stallion Star Fighter brought his harem of mares and foals back across the now dry mire to the dairy fields below the green lane. They have been over at Emsworthy now for just over 6 months and it is as if he knows instinctively that he must leave the grazing over there to recover sufficiently before the Winter and to bring his girls back over to Holwell to keep their condition up on the grass here before the goodness goes out of it.

The other unusual aspect of this move back here is that the 4 or 5 mares he “annexed” off the moor into his lair have all stayed over there; again, an instinctive move on his part to only bring back those which belong here; such a clever chap !

One Unhappy Chicken

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:31:00 +0100

The rain finally came with avengence last week. Unfortunately on most occasions it was torrential and didn’t have the chance to soak into the ground as was desperately needed. It is amazing how quickly the grass has come back to lush green again though.

The new Shop Lorry extension to our Meat Delivery Service of Dartmoor produce; Tor to Tor has now come back from it’s MOT and is awaiting livery. We have selected a lovely image of Hound Tor and Great Tor with the bluebells in the foreground to apply to the whole length of both sides of the vehicle. At 7 meters long, this will be quite a striking vision and hopefully help to build awareness quickly.

We are now busy sourcing local Dartmoor produce to fill it in addition to the farm fresh pork, beef, lamb, game and poultry. Establishing venues to visit is also taking quite a time to identify, research, approach necessary authorities for permission etc.

One bit of good news this week was being advised that Tor to Tor had been nominated for the title of “Local Food Hero” – an initiative being run by the UKTV Food Channel that will result in a series of programmes that look in more detail at the activities of those businesses shortlisted by the voting process. Fingers crossed we managed to get enough votes to be in with a chance.

The annual South Devon Hunt Pony Club Event on Holwell Lawn took place thankfully before the rains came. We offer them the use of our top fields as they are nice and flat for their Dressage sections and the occasion was a huge success again popular with our cottage guests who enjoyed a picnic on the lawn watching the cross country phases with the stunning backdrop of the Becka Valley and Great Tor rocks.

Both Sebastian and I were in the “hot seats” this week, but for very different reasons;

Last week I was invited onto a programme called “Women in Property” to be shown on the new Sky Channel for Overseas Property due to be launched next month. This took the form of a studio interview with two presenters and myself surrounded by swinging cameras and blinding lights in a converted Church in the middle of a rather “iffy” area of North London. Sebastian on the other hand found himself escaping from a rather more dangerous predicament when the Low Loader he had been using to stack straw bales ignited and went up in flames from what looks like an electrical fault.

We are just finalising our Autumn packages for Holne Chase, Holwell and La Manga so keep an eye out for them if you subscribe to our “late deals” option. (link …)

There will also be a special “Coast and Country” 5 or 6 night break coming up soon in conjunction with St. Mary’s Hall Hotel on the island of St. Mary’s, The Scillies. We are teaming up with them to produce a Two Centre Autumn, Winter or Spring holiday inclusive of all accommodation, food and transfers. Holne Chase is ideally located to break the journey on the way and way back with “the bit in the middle” being the beauty all year round of this unique collection of islands. St. Mary’s always reminds me of what the Island of Sodor would be like from Thomas the Tank Engine; somehow surreal with it’s simplicity and innocence from any of the cruder effects of 21st century life.

My nails have reached an all time low waiting for this blessed window to put in the New House; Holwell Barton. With the first occupants due in on Friday, the Window is being delivered from Germany and fitted on Thursday; nothing like running up to the wire is there. If it does arrive, we will have one unhappy chicken who will no longer be able to sneak in and lay her eggs in the fireplace !

August in England

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:53:00 +0100

I never thought I would be glad to see rain in August in England but boy do we need it now ! Hot on the heels of the hay making, we have just finished bringing in over 10,000 bales of wheat straw from the lower valleys surrounding Dartmoor.

This last Winter saw many farmer’s stocks of straw depleted as a long, cold run to Spring used up a lot of reserves. Sebastain’s aim of selling enough straw to cover the cost of our own straw for the forthcoming Winter would seem to have paid off which is a relief.

I am certainly glad to see the last trailer unloaded; I have needed to replace the hoover with a baler in the house; every time I come back into it there is a neat little trail of straw all the way through it to the shower, upstairs, everytime the washing machine is emptied etc etc. But then I am a farmer’s wife so what’s the problem!

The boys are contenting themselves with their chores and are enjoying playing “host” to all the children staying in the cottages. Daily routine orders start with them collecting all the kids to go egg collecting, pheasant feeding, pig herding and hunting for the elusive duck eggs in the hay bales. Several of the adult guests have even stirred their stumps away from a relaxing read of the paper on the lawns to come and lend a hand with unloading the straw.

A “Nature Ramble” down to the not so boggy mire yesterday revealed an exciting find for the boys; nestling in the undergrowth with the frogs and newts was an “Elephant Hawk Moth” caterpillar. Upon further research when we returned home to check our find, we discovered that their favourite diet at this time of the year is Willow Herb which is to be found in plenty in the mire.

Having been promoting the Fly Fishing and Hawking experiences hard from Holne Chase Hotel this year, is finally starting to make a difference with numerous guests returning with grins from ear to ear as they recall their magic moments. One family last night delighted with pride as the chef brought in their “catch of the day” for them to savour in the restaurant.

Another satisfactory sight for me today when I called in to say thank you to the staff for coping with such a busy weekend was a family playing croquet on the lawn after a picnic by the River. The last time we had the croquet set up was when poor Batty One ran into a hoop one evening on the way home in the dark and we heard her yelps of pain as she was stopped in her tracks. When we shone the torch on her and discovered the source of her sudden discomfort there were a few giggles as we un-hooped her!

The past few weeks have also seen us engage in frenzied activities abroad as well as at home. Sebastian ventured to France with a friend-mechanic to drive back a “Magazin Camion” or “Shop Lorry” as they call it in France. These are the amazing vehicles that transform into a mobile shop at the wonderful markets on the Continent.

We have purchased one as an extension to our Tor to Tor meat delivery service and plan to operate it as a Mobile Farm Shop touring Dartmoor and nearby towns and shows etc. The vehicle will sell all produce reared, grown, made or laid on Dartmoor and will now be branded with a stunning image of Dartmoor to also promote the destination on its travels. Unfortunately it was too late when Sebastian realised that there was only one driver’s seat and the top speed was 45mph ! They had to take it in turns to sit in the fridge !

I, on the other hand would only have been to pleased to have spent a few days sitting in a fridge after my recent trip abroad; I dashed over with the children to La Manga in Spain to rapidly finish furnishing two apartments ready for the first rental guests last week. Trying to achieve this with two children who wanted to be in water constantly to avoid over heating and purchase goods/accept deliveries/make beds and clean all in temperatures in excess of 36 degrees can only be looked back on now as sheer madness. The results of my toil can be viewed by visiting the new website at; http://www.lamangabeachclub.co.uk/

We have also managed to launch the new look website for Holne Chase. After over 8 years of an “evolving site” we felt the time was well overdue for an overhaul and a fresh approach. See what you think; http://www.holne-chase.co.uk/ any comments, suggestions would be gratefully received.

All was safely gathered in eventually!

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Sun, 9 Jul 2006 12:49:00 +0100

Well, no thanks to the Met Office, we have finally managed to get our hay in for this year. When we subscribed at no small cost to their "Talk to a Forecaster" service, he was invariably “away from his desk” or “otherwise engaged”. Great. Meanwhile we were desperate to have some guidance as to whether to cut our hay which would then require a 2-3 day period on the ground to be “fluffed up” by a tedder prior to bailing when the sun had dried it.

As Sebastian would continue to stress to them; making hay is rather like overtaking on a blind bend; when you have made your mind up, you have to put your foot down and go like hell !

So, the unexpected storms last week threw us completely. When the Met Office predicted a 24 hour window of dry weather we started to bale and it rained again in buckets and when they said it was going to pour down, we worked till 1.30am to get one field in only to find it hadn’t rained at all in the night.

Many friendly hands to the deck yesterday saw the balance of bales safely stowed in the barns just as the first drops of a very wet night fell.

Another two foals have been born in the last week.. I have decided that the theme for this year’s progeny will be with a sweet tooth in mind; Pudding, Crumble, Posset, Trifle, Biscuit, Merangue etc; any other suggestions gratefully received.

This week we took delivery of a dozen “Tumbler” Doves; beautiful white creatures that when they fly they suddenly and quite literally “tumble” down towards the ground before alighting and flying up again. They were bred originally to keep the horses interested that were in stable yards of days gone by. Bored horses can crib bite or worse, so it will be nice to see them eventually take up their new residence in the dove cote hanging on the side of the stable block.

We are now starting to get our first few guests booking to come down with their horses to enjoy the quite stunning riding from here.

Work on the new house; Holwell Barton is nearing completion and the kitchen will start to be installed this coming week. We have just completed putting circa 300 tons of topsoil around the house to bring the levels up and the wallers have now completed the retaining wall around the property which looks so natural.

At Holne Chase the other evening we hosted a “Hands on Hawking and Introduction to Fly Fishing” evening with George and Brian; our experts in their fields of Falconry and Fishing respectively. The event was a huge success and all those who participated ended up hooked on both pursuits, if you will excuse the pun.

Duck Launching

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:36:00 +0100

2006 will go down in my memory as the return to "Flaming June". The weather really has been fantastic over the last few weeks in particular. Long days of unbroken skies, light breezes and heavy dews has meant that the growing season has now taken off in earnest.

One of the best years for the May Tree blossom too; it really is stunning with the rich scent and vivid white emblazoned on the landscape.

Last year we were cutting hay by the second week in July, but looking at the fields now, I think we are not far away from having to make a start. This year we are planning to make small bale hay and sell some of our surplus. Nowadays it is very hard to find farmers who are still making small bales - they all prefer to do the large round bales which is all fine and dandy if you have all the heavy tractors and forks to lift them. For horse owners in particular this format is completely unworkable. The top fields now produce some really lovely hay; when you consider our first season saw just 1000 or so poor bales, this year should reap nearer 5,000 and the smell - well, there's just nothing quite like it.

After a clutch of Aylesbury Ducks finally hatched out a couple of weeks ago, we had been keeping them in a stable whilst they were so vunerable, but today Henry and I transported them in buckets to "launch" them on the pond. They loved it and hardly got out all day. As their mother was fox fodder just before they hatched out, they seem to have been "adopted" by a broody goose whose eggs all went bad, so things have turned up trumps for all concerned.

Henry and I made a treck over to Emsworthy afterwards to check out the Dartmoor Pony herd. We had a ramble en-route in the mire which is looking stunning with all the rare orchids and bog flora. We found nearly 10 varieties of frog in the reeds and lots of the saught after Marsh Frittilery Butterflies. Damsel Flies and Dragon Flies could also be spotted flitting from leaf to leaf.

Those of you who are following the progress of Batty Two after her unfortunate episode with a bog, will be relieved to hear that she is now well on the mend. She had a plate put in her leg at Bristol Vetinarary School and it is healing well. We had to rush her back up there last week as an absess had developed under the splint, but that seems to be improving now too.

Copper and I went out for a ride this evening but momentarily parted company when we were set upon by a herd of "playful" cattle. Stampeding towards us, Copper took off in the other direction and I was not as prepared as I should have been so ended up on the deck. Fortunately she didn't tank off too far and I was back on before long, but I know I will be feeling it tomorrow and the "Deep Heat" has just run out!

Top of the World

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Sun, 4 Jun 2006 21:35:00 +0100

Wow what fantastic weather we are having at the moment on Dartmoor. The sun has been pouring in through the windows from dawn and the chorus that accompanies it includes contributions from cockerels, donkeys, sheep, ponies, ducks, geese, cows as well as the rich bird life here at Holwell.

This weekend we have seen the British Horse Society TREC event which started on Holwell Lawn and then took in a whole day's riding in this amazing scenery around us. We had a few of the participants at livery with us here in our new stable block which is now coming in to its own.

This evening I took a guest out for a ride below Pill Tor and over towards Buckland Beacon which gives the fantastic view down into the Widecombe valley. There really is nothing quite like riding on Dartmoor and from the top of the tors you feel on top of the world. We happened upon one of my herds of Dartmoor ponies together with foals and the stallion Another Lord who has sired about half of this season's progeny, now up to 9 in total.

Batty Two is up with Bristol University Vet School and will have her leg operated on tomorrow so fingers crossed she will be home soon.

Another one in the wars is the stallion donkey Martin; he has an absess in his fore hoof so I am poulticing it to draw the puss out. He is being very good bless him, and I have used the little boot that Batty Two was given for her splint and it is keeping his hoof nice and clean. Aston the Jenny is really very worried about him and keeps licking his leg for him.

With the hot weather now with us we have been caught a bit short in the BBQ department so over the weekend we have rapidly been clearing a lovely spot down by the brook and have put a picnic table there too; just hope too many people don't discover it !

The wet spell we had a week or so ago has produced perfect fly fishing conditions on our beat of the River Dart. There is a great run of Sea Trout up with our water at the hotel and a few salmon have also been spotted together with loads of brownies. It looks like we could be in for a good season. We have been busy cutting back on the banks to help the fishermen and women cast and also the paths beside the river. As Sea Trout are caught when it is dark, we have to make sure people can navigate safely. Sebastian was asked recently by Health and Safety how he knew if the guests night fishing made it back safely. True to form he replied that he wasn't that bothered because he always makes sure they leave their credit card before they go fishing; it avoids getting caught up in probate !

Deer Thing

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Wed, 24 May 2006 21:37:00 +0100

Monday brought sombre mood as Sebastian and I took Batty Two up to Bristol University Veterinary School for a final verdict on whether to put our beloved 8 month old Basset down after nearly drowning in a Dartmoor bog.

We were surprisingly encouraged and very impressed by the professionalism and attitude of the Vets we met there. The benefit of their research and increased evidence of similar conditions gave us hope to think that the nerve and ligament damage might well heal with time.

On returning back to Holwell, relieved that we could nurse Batty Two back to what could be a full recovery eventually, we were delighted with the news too that twin fawns had been born to a Roe Deer in the woods.

Quietly, I took Bertie up to have a look and there nestling in the undergrowth with a cautious mother observing us from behind a nearby tree, lay two of the most adorable creatures I think I have ever seen. Not much bigger than the palm of my hand, yet perfectly formed and beautifully marked, these two tiny fawns seemed completely unconcerned at our interest in them. Apparently they carry no scent so as not to attract preditors, but they did all the same seem so vunerable and we wondered how the mother would be able to protect them from the Buzzards that also live in the copse. But then, you can't question too much; this is nature !

Talking of which, we lost our aged and rather wobbly old gander to the fox last night. A collection of bloodied feathers lay where he used to shelter in the sheds. Despite his fragile state, poor old boy must have put up a bit of a fight judging by the spread of debris.

Aston the Donkey, other half to Martin the Donkey stallion has finally shown that she is most definitely in foal. Her tummy has dropped in the last few days and our stock man Joe actually felt the foal kicking this afternoon. We are hoping she doesn't have too much trouble foaling as she is quite small and this will be her first.

Our other four legged friends at the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust took part in their first "Ten Tors" expedition over the weekend. They gave an excellent account of themselves covering over 30 strenuous miles with their trainer Natalie and Project Officer Dru. By all accounts they stole the show and were a firm favourite with all those who took part. When you consider the two Dartmoor ponies in question were completely wild just a few months ago, this is some feat to have achieved. They were taking part to promote the work that the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust is undertaking in an educational capacity where children can be involved in the "taming" and "trust building" process which is so beneficial to both parties.

GONE TO MARKET

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Fri, 19 May 2006 22:20:00 +0100

The last Saturday in every month there is a Village Market in Widecombe Church House. This market is unique in that it really does offer something to interest everyone. A showcase for local produce and anything that has a link back to the Widecombe Valley is available for sale from fresh, farm, traceable meat to local preserves, fresh eggs, plants, deli goods, speciality teas and coffee, olive oil, fresh breads and home-made pies and savouries, cakes; vegetables and flowers. There is also a large collection of hand painted and oak furniture. The event tomorrow will also feature an exhibition of Dartmoor photographic images for purchase.

The market attracts a wide cross section of people from locals to day visitors up to the moor to combine a walk and maybe a pub lunch with an opportunity to do their monthly meat shopping. Also, as a "honey-pot" for tourists, there are also items for them to buy and take home as gifts.

The first market was held as a one off last November, but was so successful that people asked for more. We now have quite a following and people put the dates of future markets in their diaries and even travel quiet some way to come up specially; Cornwall and Dorset for example.

From Holwell, we take our sausages, bacon, eggs and joints of pork. Our bacon is so saught after that there is usually a mad rush in the first hour and then it has all gone.

Poor little Batty Two took a turn for the worse today and is really not well at all. Having made such good progress in the last week, we now believe she has not recovered sufficiently internally to make a full recovery. She is back up to Bristol on Monday for a final prognosis, but it is looking very depressing at the moment.

The rain has finally come and started to make a difference; after such a long period without rain, the warm, wet conditions have seen a massive acceleration in the growth of grass, leaves, bluebells etc, so when it finally does clear and the sun comes out, the lushness of Spring will be magnificent; can't wait !

The Sea of Bluebells

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Sat, 13 May 2006 22:32:00 +0100

The sheltered valleys and wooded slopes of Holwell have now changed colour to a vivid blue and gradually the magnificent Spring vista is spreading to the ares of open moorland around us.

The adjacent downland of Holwell Lawn will have turned completely blue over the next week to ten days; it really is a sight to behold and from the road really looks like an inland sea.

The last few days has seen 4 more beautiful foals born; the most recent this morning was born just at the side of the road for all passing cars to witness. I got there about 10 minutes after it had been born and was struggling to its feet.

Our trusty Saddleback Boar; Vesuvious has packed his trunk and gone on holiday. He has earned a rest poor old boy. When we first started out with the pigs in December 2004, we had 12 sows and one boar. Now we are up to nearly 300, so he has had an excellent strike rate; unlike TV's Jimmy's Farm who never seem to have had much luck with their boars fertility.

The ladies will miss him I am sure but, hey, there's a new kid on the block and he's frothing at the mouth, ready for action. We have called him Krakatoa and he certainly looks the part and was turning a few heads when I last looked into "Pig Heaven" down the Green Lane.

We have moved the chickens today; all 200 of them, or rather there were 200 until yesterday when Charlie Fox paid a visit and took 30 out; just leaving most of them dead around the coups. We have moved them now to a field where the new house is being built so hopefully the noise and activity in the day time will deter them from being too bold.

Sootie our tame sheep has taken to coming in to the cottages if guests leave their stable doors ajar and this has been a bit of a shock for some to first hear her baa-ing and then to find her standing on the rug waiting for breakfast.

Poor Batty Two is not having much fun in her cage. She has to stay in it for the next 4-6 weeks whilst she recovers from nearly dying of hypothermia in the mire. Unfortunately the prognosis is not good; she will probably loose her tail, will be permenantly incontinent and will most likely need surgery to put a plate in her hock.
But, as I keep telling Sebastian, it could have been alot worse; she could well have met her end in mire and we may never have even know about it.

The Treacherous Mire

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Wed, 10 May 2006 21:40:00 +0100

Dartmoor is like a sponge - it has the ability within its fabric to absorb and hold huge amounts of water whether from underground streams and springs or the infamous bogs and mires. Here at Holwell we have one of the largest mires on Dartmoor. A rare habitat for flora and fauna including Snipe, Curlew, Red Deer, Frittilery Butterfly and a wide selection of mosses. The spagnuym moss which is most common was used during the First World War as a wound dressing because of it's healing and absorbtion properties.

Mysterious and trecherous, it has the ability to lure in unsuspecting animals and humans who are quickly lulled into a false sense of security by its tussocky hillocks which can be used like "stepping stones" to cross it. Beware, however, you only have to put one foot wrong and you can go down into it like a boulder. Legend has it that there are at least 2 carts complete with horses and drivers down in the Emsworthy Mire. Yesterday, there was very nearly another name to add; that of Sebastian Hughes and his Basset Batty Two.

Batty One met with an untimely exit when she was flattened by a cow last Autumn, and yesterday it was Batty Two who had nearly disappeared without trace. Together with her sister and brother, the terrible trio are regularly to be seen skipping across the mire towards The Rock Inn at Hay Tor for "Happy Hour" being returned later only when they have run out of money!

Yesterday evening only Batty's sister and brother returned, caked in mire mud and looking a bit sheepish with it.

By nightfall there was no sign of Batty Two, so an expedition was launched and it wasn't long before her plaintif howls could be heard coming from the direction of the mire. Eventually located with just her head out of the mud, she was carfully hauled out to safety.

Unfortunately, the suction of the mire was so strong that she has suffered what is now likely to be ireperable damage to her tail and hind leg. Still at the vet's making slow progress as this blog is written, so fingers crossed we can get her back home soon.

It would be comforting to think that after such a "close shave" this is not something she will be in a hurry to repeat, but as other Basset owner's will sympathise; Basset's are bears of very little brain !

First New Dartmoor Foals Born

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Sat, 6 May 2006 22:06:00 +0100

As the early morning mist lifted on Wednesday I noticed there was a little dot next to a larger dot on the area of moorland opposite my kitchen window. After breakfast I took the four wheel drive vehicle over to where my herd of pedigree Dartmoor Ponies were grazing and sure enough; our first foal of the season was gingerly taking its first steps.

Most likely born that night it was pretty as a picture sticking to its mother like glue. I will wait for a few more of the imminent mares to foal and then bring them in to the stables to start handling the foals. Ideally this should be done within 24-48 hours of birth to ensure they are used to human contact from the outset. Fortunately the mares are all halter broken so they will come willingly. That is not however the case for the other herd of wild Dartmoor hill ponies who graze out on the common; they have to be herded and it is not so important to get these foals halter broken. In fact I prefer to keep the wild ponies timid as that way they are less likely to be attracted to the carparks where they are fed unsuitable food by unsuspecting tourists and also run the risk of being hit by cars.

On the way back I saw my herd of wild ponies and the older ginger mare had also managed to sneak her new baby behind a mound of granite, but I could just glimpse her outline as it was just as distinctive a colour as her mother.

We have had some really super weather this week; warm rain over night and they beautifully sunny, clear, warm days. The leaves are very nearly all out now and on Friday I saw the first bluebells coming up in the shelter of our valley by the brook. In a couple of weeks the whole area around us will transform into an "inland sea" of bluebells; it is such an extraordinary vision and not one people expect to see out in the open. Bluebells are normally associated with woodland, but on our downs here they are protected in the Summer by the bracken which towers over them until the Winter.

We had a welcome visit from Alan Titchmarsh this week who flew into our hotel; Holne Chase for lunch with his production team for the new series of "Nature of Britain". They were filming on the Southern part of Dartmoor to capture the element of "heath and moorland". They had a perfect day for it and enjoyed their lunch sitting outside and listening to the silence.

Spring on TV's not so "Forgotten Farm"

pkh@pangolinprofile.co.uk (Philippa Hughes) — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:17:00 +0100

After an agonisingly long Winter 1400 feet up here on Dartmoor, the landscape is now changing almost by the hour. The lush Spring grass is being devoured as it grows by the livestock that have existed on fresh air, gorse and bracken on the open commons.

At Holwell its not just the buds that are bursting, the animals are too; we have 6 Saddleback Sows who are making the most of their last few days of freedom before they start shelling piglets like peas. Each sow will farrow down shortly and give birth to on average 10-12 "twiglets". It never ceases to amaze me how these tiny creatures make it on to their mother's tit before they are even out of the sack.

After a day or two the piglets are running around and into everything; they seem to get naughtier the older they get.

Here at Holwell Farm guests who are staying with us in our holiday cottages are able to visit the piglets and even see them being born. Saddleback's are a very friendly breed on the whole and are quite accepting of an audience.

We have had 7 beautiful new Belted calves in the last week; we're into stripes here. The Belted Galloway herd are popular on Dartmoor becuase when they lie down on the tarmac in the Winter; livestock lives out on the open moor all year round on Dartmoor; they can be seen better at night if they have a bright white belt round their middle. This marking is very distinctive on the new calves too, so our magnificent Beltie Bull; Popacatapetal has done his job well.

Down in the lower fields near the mire I have kept back 12 pedigree Dartmoor pony mares; at least 8 of which are well in foal now and due to start producing their gorgeous foals at any time. The majestic Dartmoor Stallion Star Fighter is the patient Daddy who is very sensible in making sure the stay close by to the farm rather than venture back across the mire to the other side of the valley; if any of the mares experience difficulty foaling then he knows I will be close at hand to help.

One of our current frustrations that is a result of increased visitor traffic to Dartmoor is the invasion of crows who forage around the carparks during the day and prey on the prescious Lapwings at night. These rare moorland birds nest on the ground and at Holwell we have one of the last nesting places on Dartmoor so it is vital that we can control the crow population to allow the Lapwing eggs to successfully hatch and survive; a real challenge.

Several of our guests this week had an unforgettable experience with our Falconer; George of Hedges Hawks and Eagles. Dartmoor is superb terrain to really experience the awesome power of these birds as they hunt. Flying one to one with them and observing their grace, instinct and accuracy is very humbling indeed and a sport that once tried is rapidly addictive. We are looking for a horse that would be suitable for a Falconer to fly a hawk or eagle from - any suggestions gratefully received.

Another question for someone out there; how do you stop a Donkey braying at 6.30am every morning like clockwork; we have some seriously ticked off cockerels, not to mention the guests in the cottages ? My husband's Birthday prestent was 2 Donkeys from nearby Pennywell Farm. He actually wanted an Aston Martin car, but I told him to "dream on", the children chose 2 donkeys for him and we have called them Aston (the Jenny) and Martin (the Jack). They are very friendly and the Jenny is in foal, so we will call it Bentley if it is a boy and Porsche if it is a girl !

With the highest recorded Walled Garden in Devon here at Holwell, we are just about to see a transformation start from a derelict space that has been neglected over the last 50 odd years spring back into life again. The pigs have done a great "cleansing" job over the Winter and now we can look to sewing vegetables, fruits, herbs, salads etc; really exciting, especially as guests will also be able to get their supplies from it themselves as well as the home-reared meat and eggs.

Just another day, but full of expectation ...