Medieval farmstead in protected landscape on the River Tamar

Devon

7 reviews • Updated 1 month ago

Hello WWOOFers! My name is Louise and together with my husband Andrew we are lucky enough to live in a beautiful farmstead, tucked away in the Tamar Valley on the banks of the River Tamar. *** 2025 is now fully booked with WWOOfers until October onwards *** The farm is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a World Heritage Site and even has SSSI status on our deciduous tidal woodland that floods every high tide and is a prized rare environment. Within the 17 acres, we have a large apple orchard with 80 trees, all different varieties of Tamar Heritage Apples. Currently we have been in conversion and achieved our Soil Association Organic Status this Feb 2025! Producing a large amount of delicious apple juice which we harvest, press and pasteurise in the Autumn. A busy time on the farm which is often the most beautiful time of year weather wise. We very much farm with nature, fully appreciating that we are sharing this environment with the varied wildlife that we see on a daily basis! Our aim is to preserve this beautiful farmstead and leave it in a better state than we found it for generations to come. The original part of the farm is a medieval Devon Longbarn, dated to 1296 that has been added on to over the centuries. Our porch doorway and fire surround in the living room came from Tavistock Abbey after Henry VIII disbanded the monasteries in the mid 15th Century! We are currently renovating using traditional methods including lime mortaring the buildings which is an epic job if you'd like to learn! Despite its age we have worked hard to make it a comfortable place to live. We have installed a biomass boiler that supplies all our heat for the buildings and hot water - a lot of our day is spent moving and processing wood. All of which comes from the Dartmoor Wood Cooperative within 25 miles of the farm. Combined with solar panels we have installed on the tractor shed we strive to be self sufficient in the most environmentally friendly way. Typically our day starts with caring for the livestock. There are a lot of mouths to feed at breakfast time! We farm rare breed species and are passionate on helping to preserve these breeds valued once for their slow growing nature, bred to thrive in our Devon landscape. We have a small herd of rare breed English Goats, a flock of Castlemilk Moorit sheep, Berkshire Pigs, West of England Geese, a flock of rescue ex-battery hens and bee hives too. Combined with our family of three jack russell terriers and an ancient angry white cat! The biomass boiler needs feeding and we spend a large part of our time processing wood. Either from the Dartmoor Wood Cooperative or from coppicing and hedging on the farm. Nothing is wasted with the brash being fed to the goats and what they don't eat is chipped and used on the large vegetable patch and fruit cage. Our Devon climate - it rains a lot - means that we are surrounded by lush green vegetation and there is a never ending fight with weeding in the veg patch. We have a large poly tunnel growing mostly heritage tomatoes. In the vegetable garden you will find perennial plants such as daubentons kale, potatoes and squashes including our much loved Trombonchinos! We grow a lot of Dahlias and other cutting flowers to use in the house, holiday accommodation and for when we hold events (weddings and celebrations) in the Events Barn. We have several converted buildings within in the farmstead that welcome holiday guests that Louise manages. You can even get married on the farm and occasionally we host large groups for parties and celebrations - at these times we cannot accept WWoofers as all the accommodation is let out. We have a private annex for you to use with your own walk in shower room, separate toilet and bedroom/lounge area. You will have your own front door and access to the garden to enjoy. Meals will be in the farmhouse with the option of you eating with us as you wish. Most of our food comes from the farm so there is a lot of hogget (our 'lambs' don't mature till at least 18 months old), goat, eggs and veg from the garden. We are good cooks and cook traditional English fare along with Indian, Middle Eastern and Mexican food. If the weather allows we love to cook outside either in the pizza oven or outdoor kitchen. We are both Gig Rowers and are members of the Cornish Pilot Gig Association. When not on the river Gig Rowing we like to explore the river either by canoe, paddle board or wild swimming in the Summer. Dartmoor National Park is only a 10 minute drive away and is a favourite place for a good yomp with the dogs. Calstock over the river in Cornwall is a 5 minute train journey across the viaduct and is a lively village with a thriving folk music scene and has several pubs and great galleries highlighting talented local artists. Bere Alston is our most local village and train station - a five minute drive, that has an excellent well stocked post office with local home made bread and milk from the dairy next door to the farm, a butchers and a small co-op supermarket. Tavistock is our nearest town and is a famous stannary town very popular with tourists in the summer with restaurants, shops and a fantastic farmers market. Plymouth is a 20 minute train journey and is a great place to explore - especially Royal William Yard and across the water to Mount Edgecombe House. Although English is a our first language we both speak school level French and German and are a dab hand at google translate!!

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Poultry farming

Pig farming

Sheep or goat farming

Raising of other farm animals

Beekeeping

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Beer, cider, wine, or juice making

Renewable energy production

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

Holistic management

No-till farming

Host type

Production farm

Certified organic

6.9 Hectares | 17 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Length of stay

Less than a week

1-2 weeks

Louise

Member since 2024

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 96% Response time: typically within 9 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Devon

Bere Alston

Reviews

Alison

Barbados • September 2025

We arrived at Beres Alston railway station to a wonderful welcome by Lou and 3 terriers! We arrived mid afternoon and settled into the Annex, superb accommodation. We were ready for work, and enjoyed our first tasks of apple picking and barn “tidy up”. Followed by dinner with Lou & Andrew, a perfect start to our WWOOFing week at [Host]. Each day starts with a coffee and daily briefing with Lou. The routine is varied, based on priorities. It was harvest time so we worked on apple picking, washing, grinding, pressing and bottling. We learnt allot & throughly enjoyed working with Lou & Andrew as we participated in real process of creating pure juice “apples to bottle” & enjoying 5 star pasties & cider! [Host] is diversified, expect to be involved with the live stock, vegetable maintenance, herb beds, and the general clean up of areas that require trimming pruning & replanting. Dinner is family style with Lou & Andrew, expect great conversation, many stories of travel and life, and delish tasty home cooked meals. [Host] has a very active event business, we were lucky enough to be there for one of the pop lunches in the Barn, we attended and it was truly a one off experience, thank you ! The week was too short! We will keep in touch and perhaps make our way your way for harvest 2026. If you love nature, history, traditional architecture, farming and great company we recommend you apply for a WWOOF stay at [Host] just perfect ! Thank you Alison & Steve.

Eva

Germany • August 2025

I had a great time at [Host] Farm, and I enjoyed working with my hands rather than my head for a change from my office job. It was a pleasure to start each day by feeding the animals – goats, pigs, geese, chickens, and sheep. I especially loved cuddling with the goats in the morning! Once the animals have been taken care of, it’s breakfast time – with the best coffee ever (I usually drink tea...), and it is planned what needs to be done during the day. The activities on the farm are varied and fulfilling. I enjoyed helping with trimming the meadow, picking fruit and berries, weeding, planting flowers, mucking out the stables, sprucing up an old Land Rover, making preparations for wedding ceremonies on the riverbank, and much more. Every day is „celebrated“ with a hearty and delicious dinner together. The farm is truly a little piece of paradise, and the atmosphere is warm, relaxed, supporting and very appreciative – and there is a lot of laughter! There is always something going on. Lou and Andrew made me feel very welcome and integrated me into their everyday life, I got to know their friends, was invited to attend a rowing regatta in a cute fishing village on the coast and a big summer barbecue with their friends on the riverbank. This was my first WWOOF experience and it was wonderful! I really enjoyed spending time with Lou and Andrew, their three cute dogs and all the other animals, and helping them on their beautiful farm! Thank you again for everything!

Nathalie

France • August 2025

I just had the most delightful 1 week stay at Louise and Andrew's farm. Everything was perfect, thanks to their wonderful charm and sense of hospitality that make you feel immediately part of the family, in a fun and laid back way. The beauty of the house decoration, the grounds and the animals (discovered and loved the heritage goats!) adds to the thrill. My days consisted mainly in helping feeding the goats, weeding a veg patch, collecting apples and rapsberries, with a bit of clearing high grass. The room is even more gorgeous than on the picture, the food absolutely fantastic, all spiced up by lovely conversations. What an unforgettable experience!

Hadley

United States • June 2025

My husband and I stayed with Lou and Andrew on their beautiful farm and we absolutely LOVED it. We learned so much from them and are so grateful to them opening up their home to us. The accommodations were fantastic and the work was very fulfilling. You’ll be spending time doing a little bit of everything from feeding the animals, building, weeding, and really anything they need help with around the farm. Every visit will be different work wise but I can guarantee it will be enjoyable. Lou and Andrew were so welcoming and involved us in their community of friends which we loved. This was our first WWOOFing experience and it really started our tour Europe on the best note. Thank you Lou and Andrew!

Emma

United Kingdom • April 2025

A Truly Unforgettable WWOOFing Experience with Lou and Andrew Staying with Lou and Andrew on their beautiful farm was nothing short of magical. Lou is the kindest, most supportive host you could ever wish for—her depth of knowledge, wide-ranging life experience, and natural teaching ability made every day an opportunity to learn and grow. Their home is warm, welcoming, and clean, with a calm and cozy atmosphere that makes you feel like part of the family from the moment you arrive. The accommodation provided for WWOOFers is far beyond what you’d expect—luxurious, incredibly comfortable, and truly a hidden gem. No task was ever too much trouble for Lou and Andrew. They were always available to answer questions, offer constructive feedback, and share stories that brought laughter and insight. Each day brought something different—from mucking out the goat shed and feeding the kid goats and the chickens (including learning what a “grandpa feeder” is!) to gardening, painting woodwork in the event barn, rescuing goats from fence mishaps, helping with Easter hunt plans, and organising the working shed. I even got to let the chickens out! Their cooking is phenomenal, and they generously welcomed me into their wider community, introducing me to their friends and creating a real sense of belonging. This was my very first WWOOFing experience, and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better start. Lou and Andrew set the bar incredibly high, and I’m beyond grateful for that.

Charlotte

Canada • October 2024

I had a wonderful time at Rumleigh Farm! It's a gorgeous loacation, a relaxed atmosphere and I learned a variety of skills from bee-keeping, willow branch-weaving, chutney-making / preserving, apple-harvesting, and how to use tradiditional hedgelaying tools like the billhook. I also enjoyed helping with the gardens, the animals (geese, goats and three of the cutest dogs in the world) and tasks like moving wood and using the wood-chipper. Lousie and Andrew were extremely generous and kind hosts. They cooked delicious dinners and taught me a lot about life on a small-holding farm. It was really inspiring!