East Shilvinghampton Farm, Portesham, Weymouth, Dorset.
The farm and surroundings
East Shilvinghampton is a 353 acre mixed farm situated outside the beautiful village of Portesham in West Dorset.
The farm is superbly located with easy access to the spectacular World Heritage Jurassic Coast. East Shilvinghampton is nestled under the South Dorset Ridgeway in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you go west of the farm on the coast road to Bridport, you will discover one of the most scenic routes in England with stunning views to east and west, of Portland, Abbotsbury, Chesil Beach and Lyme.
Location of the Feather Down tents
East Shilvinghampton is situated on the south side of a valley which stretches from Portesham and Upwey. The farm itself is half way along this stunning valley with far reaching views along the valley in either direction.
The Feather Down tents are located in a field right in the heart of the farmyard close to the farmhouse. When Martin’s father was a young boy this field was an orchard. Over the years this field was used to graze cattle, the plan is to plant around 30 fruit trees in this area returning it to it’s former glory. From this area you’ll be able to see “Hardy’s Monument”, which is a stone tower honouring “The Battle of Trafalgar” and it’s hero, Sir Admiral Thomas Hardy. On his deathbed, Admiral Horatio Nelson is quoted as saying to Hardy “kiss me Hardy”.
The Family at East Shilvinghampton
Farm
The Bartlett family have farmed at East Shilvinghampton for 65 years Martin farms in partnership with his parents, Tom and Sheila. Martin lives on the farm with his wife, Joby and their children, Henry( 4), Annabel (10) and Georgina (12).
The farming East Shilvinghampton Farm
The Bartletts run a beef suckler herd; contract- rear dairy replacement cattle for another dairy farmer, and grow wheat, barley, rape, maize, and grass.
There’s a menagerie of animals on the farm: Tess and Ora the Labradors; Charlie the grumpy Collie; Trit and Trot the goats;,Pit, Pat and Paddle the ducks, Pippin and Dizzy (Georgina and Annabel’s ponies) and not forgetting Henry’s pigs, You’ll also find chickens, cattle and lambs..
Pets allowed
Pets are welcome, but please keep them under close control near livestock.
Activities for hire
• A camp fire is available
• Home- cooked meals are available if ordered in advance
• Slow Food - Farmers Soup or Stew from the Open Fire £27.50 (soup) / £32.50 (stew)
Not only is it delicious but it’s also a great stress buster... Slooow Food at Feather Down is the real thing with real ingredients, great taste and unexpected flavours that you just couldn’t capture at home. You will receive all the ingredients, including fire wood, the recipe and cooking utensils to prepare a delicious Farmers Soup or Stew at your tent enough for four people.
>> Click here to make a reservation at East Shilvinghampton farm.
• Weymouth is 5 miles away and has a long crescent shaped sandy beach which is great for kids and has a historic harbour, marina and nature reserve
• Portland (linked to Weymouth via a causeway) is the location for the 2012 Olympic sailing
• The Jurassic Coast ( UNESCO World Heritage site) where the beaches are well known for their fossils.
• Chesil Beach, an 18 miles stretch of pebbled beach brought alive in Ian McEwan’s novel “On Chesil Beach.”
• Portland castle which was Henry VIII’s stronghold
• Dorchester is 7 miles away and is the historical County town of Dorset and features heavily in Thomas Hardy’s novels, as does much of the area around East Shilvinghampton farm. Hardy’s birthplace is just outside Dorchester.
• There are many museums to keep you occupied: Dorset County Museum; Tutankhamen Museum; Dinosaur Museum and the Keep Military Museum
• Abbotsbury is a very pretty village with thatched cottages, tea rooms and craft shops which is only 4 miles away. Abbotsbury is home to a swannery with 600 swans. From mid May to late June you may be able to see the cygnets hatching and also help feed them. Another claim to fame is that Abbotsbury was a film location for “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.”
• Subtropical gardens in Abbotsbury which were reported by Alan Titchmarsh to be “one of the finest gardens I have ever visited.”
• Children’s farm in Abbotsbury with a soft play area.
• Great walks around the whole area.
• Bridport is a great market town just 10 miles away.
>> Click here to make a reservation at East Shilvinghampton farm.
