Lower Hearson Farm Cottages - North Devon

Lower Hearson Farm Cottages - North Devon 6 family-friendly cottages in North Devon, sleeping 2–7 (whole site sleeps 26 + infants). Just 5 miles from Barnstaple and 30 mins from beaches & Exmoor.

Perfect for families or groups. Heated outdoor pool, games room, gardens & friendly animals to meet. Welcome to Lower Hearson Farm – a small collection of family-friendly holiday cottages set on our 15-acre smallholding in beautiful North Devon. We’re just a short drive from Barnstaple, the stunning North Devon coast, and Exmoor – so it really is the best of all worlds. Whether you're paddling in

rockpools, exploring wild moorland, or enjoying a slower pace of life on the farm, there’s always something to discover. Our six self-catering cottages are practical, comfortable and well-equipped – designed with real families in mind. You’ll find space to play, space to gather, and plenty to keep everyone entertained. We’ve got a seasonal outdoor heated pool, a games room, big shared gardens, and lots of friendly animals to meet – including chickens, sheep, guinea pigs and our much-loved kunekune pigs. We’re proud to offer relaxed, down-to-earth holidays where you can make memories, reconnect, and enjoy time together. We’re always here to help with anything you need – and that’s part of what makes staying with us so special 😊

Whether you're planning a break with toddlers, a big family get-together, a multi-generational holiday, or just a weekend away with friends – we’d love to welcome you to Lower Hearson.

🌷What's your favourite sign that reminds you that Spring is just around the corner?I think for me it's this beautiful tr...
28/02/2026

🌷What's your favourite sign that reminds you that Spring is just around the corner?

I think for me it's this beautiful tree just at our entrance. The pink blossom is just stunning and is a gorgeous bold splash of colour to herald the imminent departure of winter 🌸🌸

There’s something that I think is an absolute essential for a child-friendly holiday – any guesses what it is? 👶👧👦A drum...
18/02/2026

There’s something that I think is an absolute essential for a child-friendly holiday – any guesses what it is?
👶👧👦

A drum roll might be overkill for this but…🥁…it’s a washer/drier – and you’ll find one in each of our cottages, just sitting there, ready and waiting in case the kids find the muddiest puddle on your walk, or run into the sea with excitement just a little bit quicker than you could grab them or they drop the ketchup covered chips straight down their front during your day out.

It’s not always the exciting features that make a holiday go smoothly – the small practical things can make a world of difference 👍

I’ve learned a lot since moving to Lower Hearson and running the holiday cottages. This week’s lesson? Toy train tracks ...
12/02/2026

I’ve learned a lot since moving to Lower Hearson and running the holiday cottages.

This week’s lesson? Toy train tracks are much harder than they look… 🤦‍♀️
Embarrassingly, I had to resort to the instructions to get it joined up and going under the bridge!

🚂 Next time I’ll ask one of our younger guests to help me… I’m quite sure anyone under the age of 10 would have it set up in minutes 😂

Do you ever wonder what we do when you're not around? Well, here's a look behind the scenes, as today was "New Pillow Da...
10/02/2026

Do you ever wonder what we do when you're not around?

Well, here's a look behind the scenes, as today was "New Pillow Day" for the Threshing Barn 🎉. I doubt this event will ever get upgraded to a bank holiday or get a Google doodle but I like to celebrate it by launching the old pillows down the stairs 😁

New comfy pillows, peace and quiet, no street lights....sounds like a perfect recipe for a good night's sleep 💤

We always wanted to have lots of animals, but I’ll be honest…sheep weren’t particularly high on my list. I was thinking ...
08/02/2026

We always wanted to have lots of animals, but I’ll be honest…sheep weren’t particularly high on my list. I was thinking goats, alpacas and miniature donkeys.

Then lamb B1 entered my life, soon affectionately called Curly Wurly. The most gorgeous scrap of a lamb I’d ever seen ❤️ He was different. He wanted to spend time with us. He gazed into our eyes and walked forward when the other lambs startled and ran away.

Now he’s fully grown, he’s just as interested in spending time with us as when he was tiny. I never imagined having sheep, let alone a therapy sheep who patiently listens to me and always manages to make my day a little bit brighter 🌞. I know lots of our guests, both the young and the not so young, feel the same way and meeting him has been one of the highlights of their stay.

I hope you enjoy the photos of life with our special boy 🐑

27/01/2026

💦If you've only stayed with us in the summer then you've potentially never seen the stream at all, let alone it being as "enthusiastic" as it is today!

Plenty of water coming off the hills after the overnight storm🌧️ - it's hard to imagine that this dries up completely in the warmer months.

We’ve only lived here for a few years but Lower Hearson has been here for a lot longer. We think there’s something speci...
17/01/2026

We’ve only lived here for a few years but Lower Hearson has been here for a lot longer. We think there’s something special about staying somewhere with history, where you can feel the calmness and stability that come with a site that’s seen the decades and even centuries come and go.

I love looking out of my bedroom window first thing in the morning, cup of tea in hand, to watch the sunrise, hear the birds start to sing and know that I am sharing in a moment that previous tenant farmers and owners will have experienced thousands of times over. I am also sure that I won’t be the last person to love this place and look out over those views and be thankful to be in this exact spot in the world 🌅

Those of you who haven’t visited us for a few years might find that the pool has changed quite a bit since your last sta...
09/01/2026

Those of you who haven’t visited us for a few years might find that the pool has changed quite a bit since your last stay. We’ve made adjustments that make the pool more fun to use but crucially improved the safety as well.

Over the last couple of years we’ve added:-

✅ 6 foot continuous fencing around the whole pool area
✅ Self-closing gate with key code access
✅ New air source heat pump so we can offer a lovely water temperature from 1st May to 30th September 2026.

Do you remember the old, misty plastic dome cover? Well, it’s long gone and there are so many benefits -
🌞 Enjoy the sunshine
👂 It stopped the echo, so a much more pleasant experience for anyone who is sensitive to noise
👀Much easier to watch the kids while you relax on the poolside
🤽‍♀️No longer restricted head height so much better for pool games
🍍Plenty of space for your favourite inflatables

What’s your favourite North Devon attraction or place to visit? 🏰🎡⛱️🌅I’m working on a new guidebook to help guests creat...
05/01/2026

What’s your favourite North Devon attraction or place to visit?
🏰🎡⛱️🌅

I’m working on a new guidebook to help guests create their perfect itinerary while they stay here at Lower Hearson. I’m pulling together our top picks and recommendations, but I wondered what your “must visit” suggestions would be?

There is so much to do within 15 mins to an hour drive, as well as local walks to enjoy, so I thought I’d pick your brains about the memorable days out, the places you talk about between holidays and the locations you visit every time you stay.

🫶Let me know where you love visiting in the comments below.

Another year of wellies by the door and pool inflatables drying in the sun has come to an end. We wanted to say a huge t...
31/12/2025

Another year of wellies by the door and pool inflatables drying in the sun has come to an end.

We wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported our small family business this year. The fact that so many of you trust us with your summer holidays, special occasions and precious time away with family really is such an honour.

We love welcoming you to Lower Hearson Farm Cottages, whether it’s for a weekend away or a longer stay. This might be where we live, but it’s all of you that help make it feel like a home – you really bring it to life.

Whether you’ve booked a holiday or simply liked one of our posts, we’re incredibly grateful. We’re now looking forward to welcoming our 2026 guests and introducing them to this lovely corner of North Devon, our cottages and our animals 🐑

It wouldn’t be a New Year post without a little selection of my favourite photos from the past 12 months. If you’ve got any pictures that sum up 2025 at Lower Hearson, we’d love to see them in the comments ❤️

Happy New Year and all the best for 2026, with love from our family to you and yours 🥂

Anna, Tim & Cameron ✨

20/12/2025

Rosemoor’s Glow, watch out 🌟

We’ve been searching the lofts and cupboards, then checking out lights, sizes and sparkle (including some excellent pine cone bling) to find the perfect tree for each cottage 🎄

I’m loving the impact of the lights🤩… but what about you?

Are you “understated light show” or “cram on all the baubles”?

✨🎅✨

Address

Swimbridge
Barnstaple
EX320QH

Opening Hours

Monday 12am - 11:59pm
Tuesday 12am - 11:59pm
Wednesday 12am - 11:59pm
Thursday 12am - 11:59pm
Friday 12am - 11:59pm
Saturday 12am - 11:59pm
Sunday 12am - 11:59pm

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