Exmoor Beauty. This old house we call home.
EXMOOR BEAUTY…
...the agents listing had simply said. It couldn't have been a more perfect description.
We were visiting Devon during the summer holidays, with 3 noisy, energetic children and a list of five farms to view. Heading back to the car after several hours spent on a scorching sandy beach, the phone rang. Another farm had just come on to the market. No real details available, but right sort of area, price and acreage stuttered the agent...mobile service is still poor over Exmoor!
Why not? Let's squeeze in another viewing before tea. Groans from the children, as we bundled them back into the car, (with Martha strapped in after a 'bit of a' chase around the car park!)
Driving down an overgrown lane with wonderful glimpses of the moor over the high banks, we arrived in a scruffy yard with a mixture of new and old stone buildings. Promising but not overly exciting. 'Lots to be done here.' Commented My Farmer. The agent led us down some steps towards the house. It was pink!! More groans from the boys, but Martha(aged 3) was delighted!
The house was nestled on the side of a hill, this was clearly the working side of the house, with old stone barns, ivy clad, surrounding it. A large stone stand where the milk churns would have waited, and small windows facing north.
Entering, in traditional farmhouse style, through the tiniest of back doors, we saw the Boot Room for the first time. I still think its my favourite place in the house. It embodies Exmoor farm life. Antlers and rams horns adorned the walls, hunting pictures and an old pub settle. They're all still where we saw them.
It's now, also, filled with our daily props: coats, coats and more coats, (I have learnt that there is never such a thing as bad weather, just the wrong coat!) caps, dog leads and whistles, walking sticks, riding crops, tack waiting to be cleaned, boots, boots and more boots, a box of ear tags waiting...the next job to be done.
I knew instantly this was home.