North Hayne Farm is an award-winning, perfect farm holiday destination for those with young families, multi-generational families and those with additional needs, and particularly those with autism, dementia and anxiety.
Our eight character cottages sleep between 3 and 10 persons and each cottage also benefits from its own private hot tub to relax in and unwind.
A purpose-built on-site children’s farm provides daily animal activities and donkey rides! There is also a games room, indoor playbarn, two outdoor play areas, meals available to pre-order, babysitting and a treatment room offering a range of holistic treatments from our trained therapists.
Cottages at North Hayne Farm: Katie’s Corner (left), Tom Kitten (middle), and Jemima Puddleduck (right)
Location
Based in the stunning North Devon countryside in a designated dark skies area, North Hayne is just five miles from the Exmoor National Park and close to an incredible coastline offering over 20 beautiful beaches with something for everyone. Near the popular market towns of Barnstaple and South Molton, North Hayne benefits from great accessibility and is just over three hours from London.
Children can enjoy feeding the lambs
Committed to inclusivity
Voted Best Self Catering Accommodation of the Year by Visit England, and winner of local and regional gold and silver awards for accessible tourism, and awarded the national Autism Friendly Award since 2018, our holidays are also Dementia Friendly (awarded in 2022).
Treating everyone with care and consideration is a key value of ours. Recognising hidden disabilities, understanding them and creating a supportive environment for everyone, places inclusivity at the heart of our holidays at North Hayne Farm.
Our autism-friendly farm holidays provide a carefully structured animal feeding routine TWICE a day. This provides an essential regular framework, allowing a sense of security to develop, which has many beneficial outcomes.
We recognise it can be difficult adjusting to any changes to normal home environment, so our farm activities provide a consistent routine in a secure, safe and non-judgmental environment. For those guests with anxiety, simply spending time with their favourite animal can be just what they need to relax.
The living space inside the Jeremy Fisher accommodation
Learning experiences all year round
For many of our young visitors and their families, school holidays can be particularly overwhelming, and they benefit greatly from quieter times of the year.
We are happy to provide learning experiences, whatever the time of year. These can include more personal animal feeding sessions, opportunities to learn about the animals and help care for them in smaller groups.
There are also farm trails (all linked to various story books), where outdoor exploration is encouraged, and learning can be evidenced through challenges and workbooks if required (EYFS and KS1 packs available).
Inside the Mrs Tiggywinkle cottage
Tranquil setting
Our farm is set in 10 acres within the tranquil fringes of Exmoor National Park, providing a relaxing holiday environment and opportunities for quiet time and quiet ‘escape places’ on site, which can be vital for sensory overload and for those guests who simply need space.
Donkey rides – another attraction of North Hayne Farm
Our inclusive policy means we welcome all ages and aim to provide the best holidays for all our children. We have a range of complimentary ASD aids to borrow from reception, which may also help with changes to routine. These include:
- Daily planners
- Visual aid picture cards
- Weighted lap blankets
- Noise-reducing headphones to borrow around the animals
- Indoor light and sound projector
- Fidget toys
- Spinning chair to help with sensory regulation
- Trampette (as above)
- Taller stairgates
Makaton signing is also used on the farm to help with communication if required.
Farm holidays for all
North Hayne is open all year and offers a range of tailored breaks for individual families, as well as for larger groups. This includes short breaks (min 2 nights) or longer stays to get maximum benefit.
Extra special and seasonal breaks are also available, providing a perfect holiday for those special times of the year, such as Christmas, New Year, family celebrations and quiet out-of-school-holiday breaks.
Prices
Availability and details of pricing can be found on our website and can vary depending upon the time of year, size of cottage and length of stay.
More details can be found on our website: www.northhaynefarmcottages.co.uk
If you would like to discuss your needs and a possible stay, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01769 550807 or email us at info@northhaynefarmcottages.co.uk
