FAQ's

Got questions? We’ve got answers! Whether you're planning your first visit to North Hayne Farm Cottages or just want to know a bit more about our facilities and services, you're in the right place. We've compiled a list of the most commonly asked questions to help make your stay as smooth and enjoyable as possible. If you don’t find the answer here, feel free to contact us – we’re always happy to help!

About Your Holiday

 

Do you live on-site?

Yes, our home is on the site.

What time can I arrive?

Arrival times are normally 4pm.  If you have some specific need to arrive earlier (baby feeding/sleeping times etc) then please ask and we will see if we can get your cottage ready earlier or make a facility available to use while waiting.

What time do I need to depart?

Checkout time is 10am.  As you can imagine we have a lot of work to do to get each cottage cleaned and ready for our next guest.

NB. Please do not use your hot tub on the morning of your departure as this will make it harder to get it ready for our next guests.

Can I pay for my holiday in instalments?

Yes.  If you would like to pay for your holiday in instalments just let us know and we can easily set your account to enable this feature.  The final instalment will need to be made no later than 12 weeks before your stay.

Are there any hidden costs?

No.

Why do you take a deposit?

A deposit forms a contract with us to make your cottage available to you for your chosen dates and in doing so we agree to not continue marketing it further.  A deposit also provides us with the confidence that you intend to complete your purchase according to our terms.  

Can I cancel at any time?

Please have a read of our full terms and conditions for up to date details.

We do recommend that you take out your own travel insurance to cover the cost of any unforeseen circumstance that may prevent you from coming.

What happens if I need to cancel my booking?

Please see our full terms and conditions on our website for up to date details.

We always strongly recommend you take out holiday insurance to cover you should you need to cancel, especially if the full balance is due or has already been paid.

Do you ask for a security deposit?

No. We do however ask that you treat us fairly and tell us straight away if you break or damage anything.  Significant damage will result in costs being recovered from you but these would always be reasonable.

Can I bring my dog?

North Hayne Farm is home to a range of both farm and domestic animals, many of whom have been rehomed and can be nervous themselves.  We are therefore a dog free site with the exception of welcoming assistance dogs.  Please get in touch if you have an assistance dog you need to bring.

 

The Farm and Our Animals

 

How old is the farm?

It was originally a manor called La Hayne and the land we know as North and South Hayne farms were given as part of a dowry

by Sir William Peverell on the marriage of his sister Lucia (Circa 1185 to 1238) to Sir Alan Basset (Circa 1190 to 1223).

It has been actively farmed up until 1988 at which point planning was given for the old farm buildings to become holiday cottages.

Is it a working farm?

No.  The farm is a dedicated children's farm with holiday cottages.  It is run exclusively for our guests that stay on site and is not open to the general public.  With no plant machinery it is a secure and safe site for young families.

Do you feed the animals every day?

Yes, we run twice daily animal feeding sessions, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon including Christmas day.  Check out our seasonal feeding times.

My child is unsure about animals, is the farm a good place to come?

Definitely.  We run the farm to meet the needs of all children, no matter how confident or unsure they are.  We are always monitoring the feeding session and will step in to help when we see one of our young farmers is struggling.  Altering the session for them or just spending that little extra time explaining why the animal is noisy or wanting the food in their feed pan is often enough to give them just the little extra confidence they need.

Can we feed our kitchen scraps to the animals?

No. DEFRA say that no food should be given to animals that has come from your kitchen.  Whilst this seems a little extreme there is good reason to be careful.  While cooking food correctly will kill any contaminated animal meat, there is a potential for preparation areas or knives to become contaminated.  If vegetables are prepared on contaminated surfaces then this creates a direct route of infection to our animals.   

If you would like to donate fresh vegetables to the farm then please bring them directly to the feed room without them first going in to your cottage.  Doing this helps us comply with DEFRA and keep our animals safe.

Do you really understand Autism?

After running the farm for several years we realised we were seeing a growing number of families with children with complex or what seemed to be challenging needs.  At the time we didn't understand so we spoke to those families and learnt.

Since then we have chosen to gain a deeper understanding of neurodiversity by receiving training but more importantly talking to parents and carers about the specific needs of their child.

We will never know everything but we truly want to make a difference to all our guests no matter how challenging that might sometimes seem. Our team always looks for ways they can help make your child feel able to participate.  Small improvements are never really that small; to their parents they are huge, to the child they are immense. 

Please see our Inclusivity page for more details of what we do to support neurodiversity.

Your Cottage

 

What essentials do you provide?

To help get you started, a kitchen starter pack is provided for you which includes:

• Dishwasher tablets
• Dish cloth and sponge
• Tea towels and oven glove
• Tin foil
• Cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• Tea bags and a small starter pot of ground coffee
• Sugar
• Fire lighters and initial basket of logs for Samuel Whiskers and Jeremy Fisher
• Kitchen roll
• Washing up liquid
• Hand soap
• Cream tea on arrival with local Heron valley apple juice or elderflower fizz

Bathrooms

• A toilet roll is provided in each bathroom

NB. We can sell individual items thereafter or feel free to bring any extras from home that you might need.

Can online grocery shopping be delivered to my cottage?

Yes.  We simply ask that you arrange for any supermarket shopping to arrive after your arrival.  The exception to this is for FarmBox deliveries which we will accept and put away for you prior to your arrival.

Do you have good phone and WIFI coverage?

Phone signal strength is generally good around the site.  Signal strength will be impacted within your cottage due to the traditional stone wall construction of the farm.

Each cottage has it's own WIFI access point providing excellent signal strength.  Access points are also placed around the courtyard providing WIFI coverage as far as the children's farm.

Our broadband bandwidth is currently sufficient for general use but not for heavy multiple video downloads.

Are bedding and towels provided?

Yes. All bedding and towels (with the exception of cot bedding and hot tub towels) will be provided and are included within the price of your holiday booking

For a small extra charge cot bedding, beach towels and hot tub packs can be provided.  Please order these when making your booking or speak to us at a later date.

Do you have bedrooms on the ground floor?

Katies Corner, Tom Kitten and Jeremy Fisher all have ground floor living and bedroom areas.  Our other cottages have a mix of ground and second floor bedrooms with first floor living areas. 

Do you cater for specific accessibility needs?

Yes we do.  For a full description of the site and how it supports those with accessibility needs, please see our accessibility page.

Are the gardens enclosed?

All cottages have enclosed spaces, either a garden, patio or decking area.  Each has it's own BBQ and private hot tub.

Is parking nearby?

Our car park is situated approximately 70 metres away from the complex.  Jeremy Fisher has it's own car parking space approximately 20 metres from the front door.

On arrival you can bring your car down to your cottage to unload before returning it to the car park.

Please speak to us if you have limited mobility and would find the walk to the main car park difficult.  We will confirm where you can park your car to make things easier.

Is parking free?

Yes.

Can I bring more than one car?

Parking spaces are limited so we would advise speaking to us if you need to bring more than one car.  We do have overflow areas but would need to be sure that these would provide sufficient parking spaces.

Can I charge my car?

We are investigating options for providing charging facilities but this is proving to be particularly challenging due to our current power draw for the site.  There are multiple charging options available within a 10 minute drive in our nearby town of South Molton.

Can friends visit us?

Please speak to us first but we are happy for you to have friends pop by.  If we aren't too busy they are more than welcome to join you at animal feeding time.  They are however not allowed to use your hot tub.

Please be aware that you remain responsible for any damage that is caused by them during their visit.

Do I need to bring bottled water to drink?

No.  We have spent approximately £40,000 upgrading and maintaining our private borehole water supply since taking over the business in 2004.

Our water processing and management system has been professionally installed and maintained since we took over.  It produces water of an exceptional quality which is tested annually by the North Devon District Council Environmental Health team. 

Do the cottages have hairdryers?

Yes, each cottage has it's own hairdryer.

Hot Tubs

 

Is there an extra charge for them?

No.  The cost of your hot tub is covered by your holiday booking.

How are they maintained?

We follow best practice as detailed by the H&S hsg282 document.  It requires that hot tubs are emptied on every changeover of guest or after 7 days if bookings are for longer periods.  Monthly microbiological water samples are sent off for analysis to South West Water and every three months a test for Legionella is also taken.

Your hot tub is monitored twice daily to ensure quality is maintained and upon arrival you will be given instructions on its proper use to help make your stay as trouble free as possible.

Do I have to manage the hot tub myself?

No.  Your hot tub is completely managed by us to ensure it is maintained correctly and you are kept safe at all time.

How will I know how to operate it?

On your day of arrival you will be given a full demonstration and guidance to help ensure you have a safe enjoyable time using your hot tub.

What are the benefits?

Hot tubs have many benefits and are a great way to relax.  They massage tired achy muscles, reduce stress, improve circulation, and have some evidence that they can give relief from conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.

The Local Area

 

How far away is the national park?

Exmoor national park is just 5 miles from our farm (approximately 10 minutes by car).  The park is well worth a visit and is home to the Exmoor pony and a number of deer as well as protected and rare species and diverse wildlife.

How far away are the beaches?

We are approximately 40 minutes from many of the North Devon beaches.

How close is the nearest pub?

North Devon has a very good selection of pubs to choose from.  Our nearest are approximately 10 minutes away.

How close are the shops?

South Molton is only a 7 minutes drive from us and has a good selection of shops including butchers, pharmacies, gift shops, bakery and tea shop, florist, takeaways, an award winning indoor market, post office and a small Sainsburys.

Can we get a taxi?

Yes, South Molton has several taxi companies to choose from.

Do you need a car to get around?

A car is by far the best option as there is so much to see and do here in North Devon though it is possible to plan your stay using public transport/taxis.

Find out more about the local area and things to do here.