The life of a farm dog is, generally speaking, a very happy one, especially in Devon where the fantastic variety of countryside provides a wonderful environment for dogs to explore. Our dogs are no exception. They know every inch of our land, where the best places to get under a fence are, where the red deer cross the valley, the trees the squirrels are always in, and the most likely places to find rabbits.
Bruce, the sheepdog, is very much focussed on sheep and, although he will get excited about squirrels and rabbits, sheep are really ‘his thing’. The spaniels, however, are in their element. They completely ignore sheep, but the scent of a pheasant will send them into a frenzy. Jessie, the old bitch and matriarch, and young Teazle are both springer spaniels and will literally hunt until they are exhausted, whereas the clumber spaniels, Barley and his daughter Holly, are more discerning, preferring to use their noses to scent out where game is, rather than charging around like maniacs.
Best of all for the spaniels is when the missus takes them with her when she goes out beating for local shoots. Their job is to flush out the peasants, and this involves diving into gorse and bramble thickets, swimming across streams, struggling through bogs and clambering over all manner of barriers – absolute heaven for a spaniel. There can, however, be a cost. Jessie, now retired from beating, has lost an eye and a toe while Teazle was lucky to escape with her eye after an incident with a bramble. The clumbers are rather more careful about themselves. Once Barley was trapped in a tangle of old barbed wire, but rather than struggle and damage himself, he just remained perfectly still until the missus could climb down to him, at the bottom of a 20 foot deep gulley, to cut him free.
After a days beating the dogs are fed a tin of dog food each and then, on special occasions when they are particularly wet and cold, they are allowed into the house to dry off. The photo below shows the two clumber spaniels recovering in luxury after a particularly hard days work.
Lindy and Robin Head
Harton Farm
Oakford
Tiverton
Devon EX16 9HH
Tel: 01398 351209
Harton Farm
Oakford
Tiverton
Devon EX16 9HH
Tel: 01398 351209
www.hartonfarm.co.uk
House of Marbles are makers and purveyors of a world famous range of glass marbles, board games, classic toys, puzzles, pastimes & decorative accessories for the home and garden. Based on an historic site of pottery making, it is a free attraction with ample free parking and was originally started 1973, when its founder began making board games in his workshop to sell at local craft fairs.
The company produces quality, vintage and traditional toys, games and puzzles, plus marbles and glassware. The working glassworks on site is just one of many reasons to visit. You will be entertained for hours by the wonderful array of marble runs, animated animals, fairground mirrors, penny press and even a giant floating marble! The collection of vintage and antique wares is rivalled only by their current stock! You will also discover lots of interesting hidden amusements in almost every nook and cranny of the site – Top tip: look for the secret door in the garden area and don’t forget to find the loveable, snoring bear!
You can tour the site’s historic trail with museums of glass, games, marbles, and Bovey Pottery, as well as the listed kilns. Many visitors find they can while away an afternoon or two just browsing the gift shop, glassworks and taking refreshments in the licensed restaurant.
They now make a wide selection of beautiful glassware, apart from the marbles, and produce work for galleries and department stores around the world. They are particularly proud of some of the special commissions they have produced.
When it comes to log cabins, there are a few different construction types. No log cabin will be the same as another, which is a big part of the appeal for many people. Timber for log cabin construction can be cut in many styles, here are some of them:
Clovelly is a unique village once owned by the Queen of England and, from the Elizabethan era until the present day, it has been in private ownership. This has ensured it has preserved its original atmosphere. Clinging to a 400 foot cliff in North Devon, it has no vehicular access on its steeply cobbled street, just donkeys and sledges. The man-powered sledges transport all goods to the village, from groceries to furniture. Donkeys used to be the main form of transport for centuries, but now mainly give children rides during the summer or can be seen posing for photographs in the street.
Six hundred feet below Lynton is the small harbour of Lynmouth. The two villages are linked by a famous and ingenius cliff railway which is well worth a ride. In the 19th century the steep cliffs separating the two villages were a major obstacle to economic development. In 1820 holidaymakers also started arriving and thought was given to how to transport both goods and tourists up and down. In 1890 a tramway, powered by water from the River Lyn, was finally opened to the public amid much acclaim.
