The Crafty Star of Fables living at Newbarn Farm

A symbol of European literature for centuries, the Red Fox has appeared in countless Aesop's fables as the crafty and sly fox who always outwits everyone. To this extent this is true. The fox is very crafty; it has been hunted down mercilessly in English fox hunts, and shot just for its fur, and yet its numbers are not affected. It has managed to survive quite well in its country and town homes.

Here at Newbarn Farm we have a resident red fox who often appears during daylight hours bold as brass ambling around one of our neighbours field which not only do we overlook but a large percentage of our lane runs alongside it! This fox we believe to be a dog fox because of his size - dog foxes tend to be a good 20% larger than the vixens. So regular are these sightings we have now named the field mentioned 'Foxes Field'. Many an angler on the banks of our ponds here on a Devon Fishing Holiday have caught delighted glimpses of our bushy friend. Guests staying in our self-catering cottages & fishing have also seen him taking a mid morning stroll across the field.

Foxes can potentially live up to 12 years of age, but few live longer than 3-4 years, especially in areas of high hunting presures. Hopefully our friend will then possibly surpass this as hunting is not a sport pursued in our locality - thankfully!

Red foxes will eat anything, as they are very versatile when it comes to diet. It is this reason that they are such successful predators. They are true omnivores, and will eat rodents, fruit, vegetatain, insects, human garbage and even young deer. Rodents and rabbits form the bulk of their diet - both of which are in high abundance here at Newbarn Farm, a popular Devon Fishing Holiday location. In the more urban areas of their habitat, they will scavenge on human refuse, and even eat out of pet food bowls left outside. Foxes hunt game by stalking and pouncing like a cat. They usually hunt in meadows, where their main prey, mice and voles live. With their incredible sense of hearing, they can locate voles and mice through the thick grass and even in their underground burrows. They wait until the mouse or vole comes above ground, then the fox jumps high in the air and pounces on its prey. To kill its prey, the fox severs the spinal cord with its teeth.They typically eat 1-2lbs of food a day. They will cache any surplus food near their denning area, to be eaten later. Here at Newbarn Farm, home of Holiday Cottages & Fishing in a tranquil oasis, we only know too well how the fox will cache food. Last year in early spring we unfortunately failed to lock in our free range chickens one night (all 9 of them!) - the following morning the coop was empty bar countless of feathers. Later that morning I saw twice a fox, probably the same one walking proudly by with one of our feathered friends in his mouth carrying it of to his den for a future feast!

But in recent months especially through the artic conditions we have had of late, my husband and I have forgiven our red friend for the massacre last spring. He has given us so much delight allowing us to watch him from afar and on a few lucky occasions from very near - staring each other out until he decides it time to trot off into the distance.

So next time you are considering a Fishing Holidays in Devon why not give Newbarn Farm a go you just may get a little more than you bargained for!!!!

Newbarn Farm - A Great Hideaway

Wrap up warm and enjoy a few events taking place this month!

Newbarn Farm is really a great hideaway - tucked away from the main road, set high up on a hill-top within 42 acres of glorious woodland and pasture with the South Hams undulating countryside rolling out in front of you and the magnificent back drop of Dartmoor and her tors reaching out into the distance - who could ask for more? The makings of a delightful solid base from which to explore the surrounding area and take in just some of the outstanding events taking place within the locality. And if that doesn't take your fancy - the fantastic Fishing in Devon here at Newbarn Farm has picked up again after the recent harsh spell! Read on for more information.

On Thursday 29th January, Buckfastleigh Farmer's Market is an ideal opportunity to taste the delights of distinctive local foods and meet members of this friendly local community. One of the best in the area, it is distinct in its wide range of produce including: free-range home-reared beef, lamb, pork, poultry & game, meat pies, bacon & sausages, gammons; fresh local fish and smoked fish, shellfish, home produced fish based ready meals, fishcakes, West Country cheeses, goats & sheeps milk cheeses, butter and eggs; home baked fare, organic salad and vegetables; locally sourced vegetables; plants; venison; Luscombe cordials; hand crafted knitwear and Aloe Vera range products. So plenty to choose from and buy to savour the taste of Devon in the comfort of your luxury 4 STAR self-catering cottage (& fishing).

Proving that Spring is just a leap away, Pennywell Farm are opening their doors for the half-term week commencing Monday 16th February. Join the activity leader, Olly Lamb (yes, that's his real name) for a truly ewe-nique line up of activities, shows and dsiplays, giving the whole week a very special feel. Enjoy the new born lambs skipping about in the winter sunshine. Don't be sheepsish, there are plenty of lambs to cuddle and bottle feed in the main barn. Who knows, you may be lucky enough to see some lambs coming into the world. As well as lamb cuddles and lamb feeding, you can make your own baa-rmy lamb to take home as even the craft acitivities will take on a lambing theme. Every day the winner of a lamb treasure hunt wil win a giant cuddly toy sheepdog and there are some great fun facts to discover in the 'Did ewe know?' quiz. Entry for Adults £9.95, Children (3-16) - £7.95. And if you would prefer to be on the banks at Newbarn Farm doing a spot of angling on you Devon Fishing Holiday - don't worry there are plenty of lambs here too - frolicking in the winter sunshine!

And finally for a little night-time entertainment! Ladies dig out your legwarmers. Gents don your mullet wigs. A barrage of non-stop hits from the spectacular show, 'Pop goes the 80s'. Showing for one night only on Saturday 21st February at the Princess Theatre in Torquay (tickets from £12.50), the programme includes Gold, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Walk Like an Eqyptian, Rio, Livin' on a Prayer and Thriller to name but a few. With a sensational cast of West End singers, dancers and musicians, this fun filled night to remember will use dazzling laser shows and has enough lavish costumes to please any Material Girl. Celebrate this senstational decade, from the birth of Electro Pop through the age of soft rock to the flamboyance of the new romantics.

And all of this just a stone's throw from Newbarn Farm - a great hideway - probably one of the best Fishing Holidays location in Devon. And as promised earlier, this is the Fishing in Devon catch report for this week:

Oliver Denison from Newton Abbot graced the banks of Mirror on Sunday, making his base Hut 5 he had a great session for this time of year. His first two Mirrors, 6lb and 8lb were each caught on a single boilie cast to the middle of the lake. Throughout the day he went on to catch another 7 Mirror Carp - 19lb, 19lb, 18lb, 15lb, 11lb and 9lb - he certainly has bucked the recent trend of late - he is pictured here fishing again on Mirror at the later end of last year.

Two personal bests from Sam Blackman made for a very happy man especially when he also won our catch report lottery for a free day ticket. From Newton Abbot, Sam's luck is certainly in at the moment; his personal bests were a first Ghost carp of 10lb and a 13lb Common, he also teased in a 12lb Mirror. He can collect his ticket from the office anytime!

Dan Woodward from Torquay caught a 18lb 8oz from Hut 9 on Mirror on good old sweetcorn! Rob Penfold from Brixham caught a 13lb Common using Pineapple Pop-up on a Zig Rig and Kevin Lock also from Torquay had two fair sized Mirrors from Hut 8.

So maybe the fish are getting hungry now so come and try us out for some good carp and silver fishing in Devon.

Newbarn Farm: Fishing in Devon: Devon Fishing Holiday: Fishing Holidays Devon: Holiday Cottages & Fishing: Self-catering Cottages & Fishing

A Time to BOOK

Timing is everything if you want to get the best deals this summer

Traditionally January and February are the prime booking months for summer holidays - and this year, as ever, wherever we go we are presented with images of sunbaked beaches and sunsets over palm enriched resorts. The tour operators and travel agents as usual are hitting us hard with their advertising and marketing campaigns, encouraging us to book now. But is that really the best plan? Isn't it better to wait for last minute deals?

Well some of you will be surprised to find that even in this dreadful economic climate the answer to this question is NO. Many have decided that a foreign holiday is off the agenda this year and quite rightly so - the pound being so weak against the euro and dollar would make foreign trips a great deal more expensive than previous years. So with financial imperatives taking the lead in the choice of a holiday destination many are deciding to holiday on home ground. Self-catering is a popular choice, cottages in national parks and prime coastal areas are quickly snapped up - especially quality ones. So that a UK holiday should be booked as far ahead as possible to secure a quality cottage especailly during the summer school holidays.

Here at Newbarn Farm, a very popular Devon Fishing Holiday destination we have had many enquiries and bookings from people who would normally holiday abroad but have decided a domestic holiday is the sensible choice with the pound's recent dramatic slump against the euro. With dozens of sandy beaches to choose from, heritage rich sites, designer shops, quirky tea rooms, fine dining and so much more on our doorstep our 4 star Holiday Cottages & Fishing make for a perfect base for that much needed week or fortnight away. And as I have just mentioned it will be cheaper than say renting a cottage in France or Spain, even eating out here is less expensive now. With the current exchange rate, prices for British travellers going to eurozone countries have risen 15% since laat summer and nearly 30% since summer 2007, making a week in the South West look much better value.

So pick up the phone to book your Devon Fishing Holiday for this summer to secure your quality self-catering cottage & fishing.

Note, however, that in these tough financial times, you really shouldn't have difficulty finding somewhere for an out-of-season short break. And here at Newbarn Farm we are open all year around not just peak season.