"Pig styes" and "drizzly weather" don't scream luxury vacation but, since the pandemic-fuelled "staycation boom", Brits are donning muddy boots and swapping caviar "for eggs they've collected themselves", said Madeleine Silver in Condé Nast Traveller. Working farms are giving guests the chance to "slip into country life" for a few nights, dining on field-fresh produce and unwinding in the great outdoors. Here's our top pick of the best farm stays in the UK.
Heckfield Place, Hampshire
For those with kids who have "outgrown the petting zoo vibe", this "extraordinarily chic" country house hotel is a great option, said Alicia Miller in The Times. The 400-acre estate offers a "fun way to get hands-on with biodynamic and organic farming"; the working farm turns out everything from fruit and veg to eggs and milk from Guernsey cows. Children can join a workshop on "weaving a bird feeder from willow", while parents enjoy a relaxing lunch at the hotel's green-Michelin-starred restaurant, Marle.
heckfieldplace.com
Stonebriggs, Aberdeenshire
Husband and wife duo Carole Short and her husband Matthew offer "cosy, year-round camping cabins" at their 200-acre cattle farm on the northeast coast of Aberdeenshire, said Sally Howard in The Telegraph. Expect wood-burning stoves, "panoramic views" across the Moray Firth, and "roaming sheep, peacocks and hens" to keep the kids entertained. For grown-ups, it's well worth enjoying a dram at one of the local whisky distilleries.
downonthefarm.net
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Easton Farm Park, Suffolk
From bunnies to ducklings, the "animal roll call at this long-running farm outside Woodbridge reads like a four-year-old's dream", said Miller in The Times. Little ones can help the farmers collect eggs, amuse themselves in the soft play area and even take a tractor ride. And "when it's time to crash", there are plenty of accommodation options nestled among the "grassy pastures", including camping pitches and converted cowsheds.
eastonfarmpark.co.uk
River Cottage, Devon
Chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall opened this "West Country sanctuary" in the 90s, and the beloved property remains the "godfather of farmstays", said Silver in Condé Nast Traveller. The idea is to "tune into the rhythm of farming life"; you won't find any televisions inside these whitewashed rooms. Consider booking the day-long River Cottage Experience, during which you'll ride a tractor and trailer to visit the farm animals before taking a bread-making class and learning how to home-cure bacon. Of course, dinner is the real highlight: finish your day with a delicious three-course meal crafted from foraged ingredients.
rivercottage.net
Cowbridge Cabins, Vale of Glamorgan
Guests can enjoy "true farm-to-fork dining" at this 2,000-acre working farm in the Welsh countryside, with tasty dishes made using ingredients "sourced just metres from the table", said Sarah Marshall in The Independent. If you're visiting on the weekend, be sure to sample the excellent Sunday roast, which featured in The Good Food Guide's Top 50 Sunday Roasts in Britain. Days are easy to fill, exploring the beautiful nature trails or taking a day trip to a nearby beach for surfing and sailing.
cowbridgecabins.co.uk
Guardswell Farm, Perthshire
"Wind back the clock for a taste of enviably bucolic life" at Guardswell Farm, which sits on a secluded hillside in Perthshire, said Silver in Condé Nast Traveller. Kids can build dens and climb trees at the outdoor children's camp before lunch around the campfire, while grown-ups can take a no-dig organic-vegetable-growing workshop or a flower-pressing masterclass. The farmhouse itself is cosy and welcoming: expect "stone floors, mismatched crockery and jugs overflowing with fresh flowers".
guardswell.co.uk
