nancita

does anyone have any experience with staying on a working farm? perhaps in devon? and I won't have a car - does that seem crazy?
will be in london for about 6 nights with my son and wanted to balance it out with something different.
appreciate your advice! thanks

PatrickLondon

Never done it, but a Google on 'working farm' holidays turns up a lot of returns. I notice there's one for the Isle of Wight, which is easily reached from London without a car, is much closer to London than Devon, and is often referred to as 'England in miniature'. Might be worth a look.

m_kingdom2

If you could do a car, I'd recommend a touring holiday, if you can do a car please advise, and I'll be only too pleased to discuss an itinerary with you.

As for farm stays, I just can't see what would be appealing...wouldn't you rather stay by the sea and go on walks and relax on the beach?

flanneruk

Don't have specific suggestions. But, without a car, how are you going to get to this farm? And even if it's so located that the nearest railway station has taxis and you can hire one to the farm without a mortgage, what on earth are you going to do with your time?

I mean, once you've watched the lambs get milked or whatever it is they do on farms, what's your son going to do the rest of the day? Or days? Or week?

There are a number of B+Bs near me that advertise being working farms. And so they are. But they're not set up to come and collect you, they really are several miles from civilisation and today's Health and Safety mafia limit the things a (presumably small) boy can do. Terrific places for families to include in a motoring holiday, or to stay in while visiting the wealth of stuff to do nearby. But I'd hate to be stuck in one, carless, with an energetic child for a couple of days.

There may well be operations somewhere you might call dude farms. But B+Bs on working farms, at any rate round my neck of the woods, aren't that.

ron

I agree with the others that a farm stay without a car would be pretty limiting. But, if you are serious, take a look at Sink Green Farm, http://www.farmstays.co.uk/bb/sinkGreen.html. It is about 3 miles from Hereford, and there is bus service, First Bus 78, that runs from the train station past or near the B&B.

We spent a week there, with a car, a few years ago. But only about two hours viewing the farming operations. It was an excellent base for touring the area. There seems to be sufficiently good bus service as well as train service to allow a fair amount of touring, if you don't have a car. It is a B&B though;, David is way too busy running his farm to do other meals.

janis

As I read it you have 6 days in London and then want to add a farm holiday afterwards. Is that right -- or do you mean you want to take a break in the middle of your London stay?

Anyway, there are hundreds of B&Bs on working farms. You would not have to go as far as Devon. But as the others say, any farm stay would be a LOT easier/more fun if you had a car.

If you are sure you don't want to drive, I'd pick a B&B somewhere in a village near a rail line in the Cotswolds or maybe in Wiltshire/Somerset

But a car is the best way to make this work -- afterall most working farms are in rural areas not well served by public transport.

nancita

thank you all for the advice about staying on a farm with my son. I didn't want to rent a car because am too scared to try driving on the left side of the ride with both our lives in my hands!
and the idea of the farm was to vary the london experience. we've stayed on farms here in the u.s. but of course I had the car.
any ideas then for someplace to go for 2-3 days without car after london? or does it make more sense to spend the full 9-10 days in london and just make daytrips to see some countryside?
thanks!

Kayb95

I think you'll find that just about anywhere outside of London will be a different experience. London is big city hustle and bustle. You can easily take the train from London to any number of smaller towns like York, Canterbury, Bath or somewhere in the Cotswolds where you would still be able to use public transportation (or walk) and still experience different things.