Life on the farm

Bluebells in the foreground of a countryside view across fields and hills.
A spring view across the countryside at Primrose.

Primrose is a working family farm in the Otter Valley, with three holiday cottages sharing the setting. Sheep work changes with the seasons, the collies have their own characters, and the garden and orchard keep Izzie busy. These are the animals and everyday jobs behind a stay here.

Jess, Beau and Tia together on the grass.
Jess, Beau and Tia, three of Primrose’s four collies.

Meet the collies

Zac is the older working dog. His enthusiasm for sheep work remains, even though he now tires more quickly. His daughter Tia keeps a close watch on the chickens and anything else that moves.

Jess is the red-and-white youngster being trained to take on sheep work. Beau, Andrew’s pup, is more interested in pestering Jess than in sheep at the moment. In the photograph, Jess is on the left, Beau in the middle and Tia on the right.

They are the farm’s own dogs. If you are bringing yours on holiday, read the cottage dog information and keep them on leads around livestock.

Two grey kittens beside a small plastic step.
Bo and Jo as kittens.

Bo and Jo

Bo and Jo were found as very young kittens in the haybarn. They are farm cats with strong opinions about being house cats, and they are quite capable of asking for food as though nobody has fed them. The photograph shows the pair as kittens.

Sabre being ridden across a field.
Sabre, the oldest horse at Primrose.

The horses

Sabre is the oldest horse at Primrose and is much loved by the family. His friend Bess is retired. Sienna has a strong personality, while George is talented and still has a habit of bothering the others.

The photographs show the family’s life with horses. If you have a question about meeting any of the animals during your stay, ask the team what is suitable.

Riders and horses on a country lane.
Out with the horses, part of family life at Primrose.

Alfie and Ronnie

Our two rescue Dartmoor hill ponies both arrived when they were only a few months old. Alfie has grown into a much-loved member of the family and is gentle around children. Ronnie came from the Dartmoor drift sales and took time to settle into life here.

We have enjoyed watching them grow in confidence. Their care and training move at the pace that suits each pony.

A dark-faced ewe with two young lambs in a straw-bedded pen.
A ewe with her lambs at Primrose Farm.

Sheep through the year

We keep pedigree Blue Texel and Hampshire Down sheep. In autumn, the flock has checks of feet, teeth and condition before the rams join the ewes. The rams stay with them for about four weeks, keeping the expected lambing period fairly concentrated.

Scanning usually takes place in January. In February, wool around the ewes’ hindquarters is trimmed in preparation for lambing. Our usual lambing period begins around mid-March and continues into April. It is a busy time, and the sheep’s care comes first.

Once the weather settles, the ewes and lambs can go out onto the grass. Adult shearing normally follows in June. The photographs show the flock before and after shearing, as well as the work in between. Weather and the animals’ needs can change the timing.

Sheep with full fleeces gathered in a straw-bedded farm pen.
The flock gathered before shearing.
A sheep being shorn in the farm barn.
Shearing under way at the farm.
Newly shorn sheep standing together in the barn.
The flock after shearing.
A ewe standing with two young lambs on straw.
A ewe and her lambs in the barn.
Three people pressing apples and bottling juice outdoors.
Apple pressing at Primrose Farm.

Eggs, growing and gathering

The chickens provide eggs that the family and guests enjoy. When arrangements allow, children can help collect eggs with the team. It gives them a direct connection with where food comes from, beyond a box on a shop shelf.

Izzie tends the fruit and vegetable garden and the orchard. The apple-pressing photographs show another part of the work involved in using what grows here. What is happening when you visit will depend on the season and the jobs under way.

A person feeding apples into a hand-operated fruit crusher.
Preparing apples for pressing at the farm.

A farm stay at your own pace

You can enjoy the setting without filling every day with outings. Sit on your cottage decking, spend time beside the guest carp lake, or choose a route from our walking ideas.

Farm jobs and animal care determine which activities are possible. Speak to us before planning around egg collecting or seeing a particular job. Meet the family who look after Primrose, then compare the three cottages for your stay.