Smallholding
Somerset
We live on a 5 acre smallholding in West Somerset, on the edge of Exmoor National Park. We are a family-run place, and life here is very much centred around family, shared meals, working together, and supporting one another.
We have six grown-up children who now live elsewhere, as well as one gorgeous grandson who visits regularly. Because of this, the house has a natural rhythm of people coming and going, and family life feels active and connected without being overwhelming. When you come to stay with us, you won’t feel like “help”; you’ll feel like part of the family. This is a sociable, lived-in household and is best suited to people who enjoy being part of family life.
Our land has been developed gradually and thoughtfully. We grow flowers, fruit, and vegetables without the use of chemicals, focusing on working with nature rather than against it. Alongside the growing, I am also a potter and have my own pottery studio at home, where I make functional and decorative work.
I also run a local charity, Wivey Kitchen, which cooks surplus food into nutritious meals for local people in need. Community, food, creativity, and caring for others are at the heart of how we live, and this naturally shapes the experience of staying here.
We hosted WWOOFers for six years while building the gardens from scratch and had consistently positive experiences. Many of our former WWOOFers are still close friends of the family.
Most of the tasks here are garden-based and seasonal. At the moment, we are looking for help to bring our vegetable and flower gardens back into shape, along with caring for herbaceous borders. Tasks may include planting, weeding, harvesting, bed preparation, composting, and general garden maintenance.
An average day usually starts together in the morning, followed by around six hours of activities. We do the tasks steadily rather than at a frantic pace, with plenty of conversation and shared learning along the way. We enjoy explaining why we do things as much as how, and WWOOFers will gain hands-on experience in organic food and flower growing on a smallholding scale. There may also be opportunities to see pottery being made and to learn about community food projects.
We particularly enjoy hosting open, communicative people who are happy to join in, ask questions, and become part of daily life here.
WWOOFers live in our home and are fully part of daily family life. We eat together, work together, and help each other out. Bedding and towels are provided.
Accommodation is in a comfortable dormitory with a shared bathroom. Male and female WWOOFers have separate rooms. You will be expected to muck in with family life, including helping with food preparation, clearing up after meals, and keeping your room and personal belongings tidy.
Meals are shared and home-cooked, often using produce from the garden when available.
Outside of gardening, we enjoy good food, pottery, creativity, conversation, and a relaxed family atmosphere. We live in a beautiful part of Somerset, with great walks straight from the house. We are about a mile from the local town, and bicycles are available for you to borrow.
We are right on the edge of Exmoor National Park and about an hour from the beautiful beaches of North Devon, making this an ideal place for walkers, nature lovers, and anyone who enjoys being outdoors.
If you choose to come and stay with us, we genuinely believe you will have a happy, safe, and rewarding time here.
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Learning opportunities
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Dairy farming
Beekeeping
Meat processing
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Bakery
Natural cosmetics fabrication
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
No-till farming
Permaculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
1.6
Hectares
|
4
Acres
Kate
Member since 2015
Languages spoken:
French, Italian, Thai
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Mon
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Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 2 days
Somerset
50 miles from Bristol airport. 30 miles from Exeter airport. 10 miles from Taunton our local town. 1 mile from Wiveliscombe (small marketing town).
Reviews
Benjamin
United Kingdom
•
May 2026
I had a lovely time at [Host]. Kate and Harry are the kindest, most thoughtful hosts, and the stay is in a beautiful part of the country. I spent the 3 weeks doing some weeding, transplanting, and preparing beds for sowing.
Sarah
United Kingdom
•
April 2026
Kate and Harry were very welcoming and accommodating hosts from the minute they picked me up at the train station until they dropped me back at the end of the week! The house is very charming and in a lovely part of Somerset. Good food was plentiful and they kindly accommodated my vegan diet and supplied me with alternative products! Kate is an amazing cook and I had lots of pleasant mealtimes with the family with interesting conversations. My room was cosy and I was supplied with lots of blankets and a hot water bottle :)
Work on the farm is 6hr per day as part of the exchange - Kate and Harry are relaxed about what times of the day you prefer to work. I did a lot of weeding during my stay in preparation for getting the garden back to its former glory for their family celebrations later in the summer!
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Reply from Kate
Thanks sarah.
Sweet review. Don’t forget to come back if you need another blast of time in Somerset.
Love Kate
Sadie
United States
•
June 2023
Highly recommend visiting Pitt Farm if you get the chance! I’ve wwoofed at 5 places in the UK this summer, and this is the place where I felt most like I was part of a family. I learned so much from Kate, Harry, and the other visitors during my time here. You can tell how much work they’ve put into creating a positive, welcoming, and healing environment for visitors. This place is just good for your soul.
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Alice
United Kingdom
•
June 2023
I loved my stay at Pitt Farm, it was a truly enriching two weeks! Kate and Harry are both very kind, warm, and welcoming people and made me feel at home straight away. I worked mainly in the beautiful kitchen garden and cottage garden doing weeding, bed prep, potting out, sewing seeds and watering. Meals often consisted of delicious fresh veg from the garden and Kate’s homemade ice cream! I also had the opportunity to get involved with Kate’s community projects which were very inspiring. The Benson household is a vibrant and comfortable place to stay and I would recommend it to anyone. I hope to come back soon! X
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Benedict
Belgium
•
April 2023
Staying at Pitt farm was a fab experience ; we received such a warm welcome into the Benson family life and got to help out with some farming tasks as well as the amazing projects Kate organises around the area!
Was a wonderful week, thank you for having us! X
Nadia
United Kingdom
•
April 2023
I had a wonderful two weeks wwoofing at Pitt farm. While I was at Pitt farm (mid March), tasks involved feeding the horse and chickens, weeding, sowing, transplanting and helping at a local food kitchen set up by Kate. The Bensons are extremely kind, generous, interesting people who made my time very instructive, enriching and comfortable.
