Marching into Spring.....

. . . just a few of the activities taken place within a flower's reach of Newbarn Farm this month

Searching for Spring Trail - Castle Drogo. Sat 5th & Sun 6th February

Follow the trail around the garden and grounds to discover the signs that winter is passing and spring is on its way. As well as shopping and having a warm drink with an inviting cream tea or an inviting piece of cake, visitors can also enjoy dramatic views over Dartmoor thanks to Drogo's ideal setting above the Teign Gorge. Located in Drewsteignton, Castle Drogo is one of the most remarkable works of Sir Ewin Lutyens and is also believed to be the last castle to be built in England. 11am - 4pm National Trust Child £1.50 per trail (including prize). Winter admission charges apply.

Valentine Dinner & Dance at Paignton Zoo. Saturday 13th February
An evening for romantics. Treat your loved one to a sumptuous candlelit dinner in our Island Restaurant, then listen to romantic melodies from vocalist Katie Jaye and dance to the disco. Paignton Zoo Envirnmental Park. Advance bookings only on 01803 697520.

Woodlands Adventure Park - Totnes. Sat 13th - Sun 21st February

Exhilarating Rides, Action and Family Fun. The big family day out in glorious Devon with brilliant attractions for all ages. Experience 70 action packed acres with 15 family rides, 10 powerful playzones, 300 animals and 100,000 sq ft of indoor fun. Expect amazing adventures exploring forts, assault courses and enchanting play palaces. Enjoy dazzling drizzly days in the UK's biggest indoor venture centre including three exhilarating rides. The Woodlands experience promises the widest variety of attractions and all weather family fun. Open 9.30am - 5pm. £6 per person. Newbarn Farm have 12% discount vouchers for all of our guests.

The Rocky Horror Show. 1st March - 6th March

Dust of your corsets, strap on your suspenders and fish out those fabulous feather boas as The Rocky Horror Show returns with a bang. Let Frankie rose tint your world all over again as Richard O'Brien's frolickingly fabulous classic returns. It's the original, it's the best, it's the world's favourite rock 'n' roll musical, so jump on board for another rip-roaring ride! The Princess Theatre Torquay, evening performances only. Tickets from £19.00.

Just a tiny selection of things to do when staying at Newbarn Farm this month. All events within 30 minutes travelling time from the Farm.

BOOK a week's holiday in February or March 2010 and receive a 5% discount. Quote Ref:10FM

Newbarn Farm - Fishing Holidays in Devon, Fishing in Devon, Self Catering & Fishing.

Ways to cut Holiday Costs

Book a Cottage at Newbarn Farm for a money saving holiday

Are you about to book your big family holiday now and are looking for ways to cut the cost this year?

Well look no further!

Opt for a staycation. Cut the price of flights and stay in the UK. Fishing Holidays in Devon

Book Late. This can be a gamble. Don't relay on this one, but having said that here at Newbarn Farm we occassionally have some great last minute deals. Self-catering Cottages & Fishing

Save on Travel Insurance. With annual, multi-trip cover if you plan more than two trips this year. Devon Fishing Holidays

Team up with Friends. Rent a big cottage, more more, better value for money per head. Devon Fishing Holidays

Avoid Peak Holiday Times. This applies to school half-term holidays too! Newbarn Farm Fishing Holidays in Devon

Newbarn Farm Helping the Birds

Don't forget the birds during this cold spell!!

As the big freeze continues to keep South Devon in its grip with the gritters a regular sight and most of us with one ear glued to the radio for hope of a thaw, give a thought to our feathery friends. Plenty of us are wondering whether we have have enough food stocked in our cupboards and freezer. I for one made a dash to Sainsbury's yesterday to stock up on frozen food just in case!! I was shocked to see so many empty shelves but logic told me there and then I wasn't the only one especially when I saw there was only peas left in the frozen vegetable department!

So do spare a thought for our feathery friends who need our help to survive the cold snap. The combination of snow and frozen water makes it harder for them to find food and ensure they eat enough of it to build - and maintain - adequate fat supplies to store on the body and 'burn' for energy.

Here at Newbarn Farm, a great Devon Fishing Holiday location, though probably not so during this cold spell! We make sure that the bird feeders remain full and that there is plenty of free flowing water for the birds to flourish. The ground just becomes too hard for birds like thrushes and lapwings to probe, and natural food like berries, acorns and seeds are buried.

During cold spells like this current one, birds are more likely to come into our gardens to seek sanctuary and this is where you can help. By putting out food such as meal worms, fatballs, crushed peanuts, dried fruit and seeds and grains. For those who don't have any of this bird food to hand, leftovers such as grated cheese, porridge oats, soft fruit, pasta, COOKED rice and the insides of baked potatoes are just as good and provide much needed nourishment.

Water is also vital for both drinking and bathing and bird baths can be kept from freezing over by using small floating items like twigs or ping pong balls.

Remember, freezing weather is a potential death sentence for many birds but by feeding the birds in your garden you can help them survive the worst of the winter weather. Just a little water, food and shelter can turn your garden into a vital haven for birds in the freezing winter months.

Wrap up and stay warm without forgetting our feathery friends.

Here at Newbarn Farm we love seeing the wildlife in abundance during the summer months and so too do our guests staying in our 4 STAR luxury self-catering cottages with fishing. We have bird feeders positioned so that most can watch the birds feed as the sunrises whilst they are eating their leisurely breakfast!! Those same bird feeders are kept well stocked throughout the winter months too!

Wrap up warm and enjoy Newbarn Farm

A Little warm up of things to come!

It would be true to say that not many people decide to up sticks and venture forth for a holiday on our shores - 'mad dog and Englishmen' sums it up nicely! Mad Englishmen - yes I can almost hear you mutter - with cheap package deals to warmer climes surely what is the point?

Well this is what the point is! For as little as £280 for a week's stay in a luxury 4 STAR cottage which includes all heating and hot water, linen,towels and every kitchen utensil you could image, Newbarn Farm offers far more than just a fishing holiday in Devon! Just check out some of the events taking place less than 30 minutes drive from us. And this is only a sample:

Stoke Gabriel Wassail. Saturday 16th January.

A magical evening at the ancient ceremony of apple tree wassailing. Join the lantern parade to the orchard for the traditional wassailing ceremony. Be entertained by the Newton Bushel Morris Dancers, Bovey Tracey Mummers, folk music and story telling with Clive Fairweather. Home made soup, pasties and cakes, BBQ, bar and warm mulled cider. Bring your lantern and torch and wrap up warm. Event opens at 4.30pm for food, music and morris dancing. Procession starts at 5.30pm. £2.50 adults, £1 children.

Big Time American Wrestling. Friday 29th January

The colourful, charismatic kings of the canvas are coming to town for American Superslam team action. You have seen it on TV, now experience the excitement and atmoshphere of big time wrestling live - there's absolutley nothing like it! Solo and tag team bouts and over the top rope rumble battles will provide an unforgettable spectacle for the whole family! Performance at the Princess Theatre, Torquay. 7.30pm. Adults - £15.25, Children - £12.50.

Buckfastleigh Farmers' Market. Every Thursday in January

An oppotunity to taste the delights of distinctive 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 inlcuding: 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 readymeals, fishcakes; West country cheeses, goat & 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.

Pennywell Farm - Lambing Special - Opening 13th February

Join activity leader, Olly Lamb (yes, that's his real name) for a truly ewe-nique line up of activities, shows and displays, giving the whole week a very special feel. Enjoy the new born lambs skipping about in the winter sunshine. Don't be sheepish, there are plenty of lambs to cuddle and bottle feed in the main barn. Who knows, you may be lucky enough to see some new lambs come 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 activities will take on the lambing theme. Every day the winner of a lamb treasure hunt will win a giant cuddly toy sheepdog and there are some great fun facts to discover in the 'Did ewe know?' quiz.Just a tiny selection of things to do when staying at Newbarn Farm this month. All events within 30 minutes travelling time from the Farm.

So just remember next time - Newbarn Farm is not only a lovely haven for fishing holidays in Devon but a great base for exploring this beautiful county with may I say it some of the best self-catering holiday cottages (with fishing)!

Sparkle This Christmas

Sparkle this Christmas with Newbarn Farm's Recipe for a great Christmas

Take a little Christmas sparkle and then follow Newbarn Farm's (Fishing Holidays in Devon) recipe, for a magical festive season:-

Newbarn Farm's Christmas Sparkle

(Fishing in Devon, Devon Fishing Holiday, Holiday Cottages & Fishing, Self-catering Cottages & Fishing)

1. Select carefully your chosen freinds and family. The main criteria here is to make sure they all get on well. Now invite them all to your Christmas celebrations - be careful not to overdo it - 3 days is the maximum time required!
2. Order Turkey, Gammon Ham and any other meats required for your celebrations at least 3 weeks in advance.
3. Order all vegetables in advance - organic tastes better - splash out it's Christmas!
4. Buy all cupboard foods required with a good shelf live - at least two weeks in advance.
5. Buy bread and cheeses on Christmas Eve - plan to go early to avoid and use the 10 items till.
5. Plan your menus carefully and write down a time plan.

6. Make sure all presents are bought and wrapped at least one week prior to Christmas with name tags carefully secured on each.
7. Endeavour to have all Christmas cards written and sent out using 2nd class stamps at least one week before the last posting date.

8. Organise a trip to your local pantomine - a must for all the family.
9. Find your local crib service or carol service and ensure the younger members of your family or friends are treated to one - they love the magic it creates!
10. Let the children decorate the Christmas cake - they are more likely to eat it if they feel they helped make it.
Blend all the above together slowly and whole heartedly to make a Christmas to remember, incorporate slowly and in moderation beverages of your choice - allowing time to settle in between.

Sparkle this Christmas with Newbarn Farm's recipe (probably the best Fishing in Devon, Devon Fishing Holiday, Fishing Holidays Devon, Holiday Cottages & Fishing and Self-catering Cottage & Fishing)

Devon In Fishing - Queenie out once more!

Despite the weather here at Newbarn Farm, everyone's favourite fishing holiday in Devon location, we have had a great week! Paignton angler Jimmy Whack won Newbarn Farm's Carp League after another successful catch in the final round. Whack caught an 18lb 6oz mirror carp to take his league tally up to an insurmountable 224lb 10oz. The other two anglers to record catches in the final round were Tony Pellant with a 15lb 8oz mirror and Tom Rushby with an 11lb 8oz common.

Jimmy is pictured above with a previous catch earlier this year of an 18lb Mirror.

The league will begin again in January and there are two places still available. Call us on 01803 553602 for more details.

Meanwhile Reg Hart, Lawrence Lee and Colin South had their weekly Newbarn Farm silvers match with Lee beating the other two by a mile, courtesy of a carp of 4lb and bag of silvers of 43lb. All caught a carp of similiar weight - maybe the same carp doing the rounds?

Richard Ward had a good session with a personal record of 12 carp to 21lb 10oz. Ward caught a number of these using our Newbarn Farm chocolate and pineapple boilies. He also had his first catches using pop-ups.

And only last Friday Dave Pierce caught Queenie on a night fish weighing in at 27lb 13oz, Dave is pictured here!

In addition to his carp league win, Whack also won the catch report lottery and can collect his free day ticket anytime this week!

And don't forget for those flung further afield we have 8 self-catering holiday cottages on site and fishing, so maybe you could organise your own league, round up your local group and have a great fishing competition at Newbarn Farm, a great Devon Fishing Holiday!

Christmas Present Ideas!

Christmas at Newbarn Farm

I don't know about you but at this time of year I come out in a cold sweat - just thinking about all that Christmas shopping and having to locate the best Turkey sometimes gets a little too much!

Do you sometimes feel the same? Do you still have a ton of Christmas preparation to do? If the answer is yes to either of the above questions - we may just be able to help.

Fo as little as £175 for a weekend break (3 nights) or £280 for a full week, you could treat your loved one to a fantastic holiday in a beautiful rural retreat here at Newbarn Farm in South Devon. Torbay commonly known as the English Riviera is less than 10 minutes away by car - with plenty of things to do and fantastic restaurants for gourmet meals or a light lunch! Or simply take in the abundance of fresh air at the farm - take gentle strolls through 42 acres of woodland and pasture, read a novel or two. Just unwind and relax in one of South Devon's most peaceful and tranquil locations.

And for those who like a spot of coarse fishing we can offer you so much more - not just a holiday but a 'DEVON FISHING HOLIDAY'. One day's coarse fishing for £7.00, a three day ticket for £18 and fof a full week just £42. For any keen carp anglers out there, I'm sure you will agree a fishing holiday or short break would make an ideal gift. And for those who live in the locality why not buy a copy of your loved one's favourite angling magazine and pop a three, five or seven day fishing ticket inside and gift wrap ready to put under the Christmas tree.

These tickets can be used on any day of the year on any lake (unless a lake has been closed for a match) and will be valid for a full year.

Happy Christmas Shopping!

Fantastic fishing in devon, lovely self-catering cottages & fishing - Newbarn Farm a great Devon Holiday location!