The Faraway Tree

NATALIE MILLAR-PARTRIDGE rediscovers her childhood fantasy - a treehouse with all mod-cons.

- Natalie Millar

IMAGINE a unique stay where you are so close to nature that you’re actually sleeping within the branches of a tree? Atlantic Farm, in Stratton, just five minutes drive from the coast of Bude, offers just that. The Ocean View Treehouse is a beautifully crafted bolt hole, perched six metres up in a tree, looking out towards Wide mouth Bay and miles of open country. Boasting a breathtaking 360-degree vista from the upper terrace, it’s easy to see why this back-tobasics retreat holds such special memories to those who have stayed within its heights.

Peter Cobbledick bought Atlantic Farm in 1999 and hasn’t looked back since. A working farm, formerly known as Westgrove Farm, it had been in the same family for generations. When it came on the market, Peter saw an opportunity to turn his vision of a unique glamping retreat into reality.

‘The farm was in a poor state of repair, so I invested a large amount of time in regenerating it. The accommodation side grew organically as we started out by offering basic camping for £5 a night,’ says Peter.

The 26-acre farm faces south and reaps the benefits of great weather. ‘Being so sheltered means it is often much warmer and less windy than it can be on the coast,’ he explains.

Atlantic Farm remains a working farm, home to sheep, pigs, chickens, alpacas, geese and turkeys and allotments grow various vegetables, rhubarb, berries and potatoes. The livestock supplies the onsite farm shop with its free-range produce ideal for guests’ barbecuing on site.