The Swallow at Waterhay Farm

• Sleeps: 2
• Bedroom: 1
• Bathroom: 1
• Minimum stay: 2 nights

The reason why this lovingly-restored vintage horsebox is named The Swallow will become clear when you arrive at Waterhay Farm. Boasting 150 acres of grassland that teems with over 100 species of birdlife, you’re likely to catch sight of countless feathered visitors!

Featured in The i, as well as the popular BBC1 show My Unique B&B, owner and keen birder Andy carefully restored The Swallow himself… with a little help from his family, who also live on the award-winning regenerative farm.

The horsebox was originally constructed in the 1960s, and you’ll discover plenty of original, detail-rich features that hark back to simpler times. Bakelite switches and steel water tanks meet reclaimed floorboards, glinting stained-glass, and a cosy handmade quilt dotted with swallows.

You’ll find a pair of binoculars thoughtfully provided too, so you can keep a close eye on the surrounding birds, cows and wildlife (and with such beautiful, ever-changing views like these to keep you entertained, who needs a TV?)

Relax on the sofa with a good book, sunlight streaming in through the full-height glass doors, or open them wide and savour a chilled glass of something lovely on the furnished meadow-view deck. Along with a gas hob, you’ll have a firepit and barbecue to cook sizzling sunset suppers… in fact, why not treat yourselves to grass-fed steak direct from the farm?

A true foodie’s paradise, you’ll also be welcomed with a complimentary cream tea with farm-fresh preserves, while a 15-minute ramble over the fields will take you to Moos on Thames, a family-run dairy farm selling organic milk and milkshake, cheese, eggs, and fresh coffee. Meanwhile, you can visit the neighbouring Coad Micro Farm to stock up on delicious microgreens to accompany your meals.

What about washing facilities, you ask? These are housed separately, in a quirkily converted horse trailer just outside. Here you’ll find a composting toilet and a piping-hot rainfall shower with a folding window. Simply raise the hatch to feel like you’re freshening up in the Great Outdoors!

At a glance

• A lovingly restored, TV-featured vintage horsebox with authentic, detail-rich features, secluded on an award-winning beef farm in rural Wiltshire.
• Ideal for a romantic couple, there’s a cosy double bed and a log-burner to relax around, along with a single-ring gas hob for cooking inside.
• Why not treat yourselves to grass-fed steak from the farm and enjoy a barbecue on the firepit, as you relax on the meadow-view deck with a well-deserved sundowner?
• A private composting toilet and gas-powered shower are housed in a converted horse trailer just outside.
• Use the binoculars provided to spot the cows, birds and wildlife up-close, or head out on one of the many historic walks to be taken in the local area. You can stock upon fresh foodie supplies from the neighbouring farms.

Features

• Adults Only
• Off-Grid

More information

By evening, light the wood-burner and get lost in romantic conversation as you relax and reconnect with your loved one. After a sound, silent night’s sleep, take your time over that first morning coffee… why not enjoy it out on the deck, to a rousing background chorus of birdsong?

What next? You’ll find plenty of information in The Swallow about the local wildlife and the best times and places to spot them; whether that’s the marsh harriers swooping over Cleveland Lakes, grazing roe deer, or the rare, distinctive snake’s-head fritillaries blooming in Upper Waterhay Meadow.

There are plenty of history-steeped walks to take close by, too. Lace up your walking boots and head for Avebury and West Kennet Long Barrow, or amble just 200 metres to Leigh Old Chancel, a fascinating 13th century ruin.

Finish your trip with a half-hour stroll to the local pub, where you can hole yourselves up a merry while – perhaps treating yourselves to dinner cooked by someone else – before making your way back to your cosy nest at The Swallow.

Things to note

Check in from 4pm, check out by 10am. Pets are not permitted. There is no TV inside The Swallow – though with awe-inspiring views of nature all around, who needs one?