All about The Wood Life

All about The Wood Life

The perfect location of The Wood Life came about by pure chance. Matt's family have lived in the area for generations and it just so happened that the woods on their land were ideal for the project, offering seclusion, beauty and convenience.

Environmental policy

The Wood Life is completely off-grid. The tent itself was designed and built by Albion Canvas, a brilliant British tent-making company, the shower is powered by a wood-burner and the compost loo is as eco-friendly as they come. The Wood Life operates seasonally not just because it would mean burning a large amount of fuel to warm the tent in bad weather, but also to give the resident badgers a bit of peace now and again.

Wildlife

There are foxes, deer and badgers living in the woods and a large variety of bird life from owls to woodpeckers. Guests are encouraged, with a range of wildlife guide books and magnifying jars, to learn about their surroundings as well as to treat the with care.

In & around The Wood Life

• Two Gas Hobs in tent
• BBQ
• Fire Pit
• All Utensils
• Crockery
• Fridge
• Eco Washing Products
• Dishcloths

• All provided, even towels

• Kids toys
• Cards & Board games
• Books
• Wildlife guides
• Magnifying jars

• A torch
• A good map
• Wellies
• As little as possible! The Wood Life is fully equipped

• Check in time is from 4 to 6pm
• Check out time is 10:30am
• Kids of all ages are welcome at The Wood Life
• Pets are not allowed at The Wood Life, by order of the resident badgers
• There is no electricity in the tent
• Phone coverage is patchy but possible on some networks
• There are no laundry facilities on site
• The Wood Life is not suitable for large groups

Getting there

The Wood Life, Kenn, Exeter, Devon

By car

Follow signs to village of Kenn on the A85 from the end of the M5. Look for Pennycombe Farm. These directions go to the farm from which you will be guided to The Wood Life.

By train

From Exeter St. Davids station there is a bus (366 at time of writing) to the village of Kenn. The Wood Life is a couple of miles from there.

If you are getting to the Cabin by train, bus or any other non-car means you can think of be sure to take a photo and enter our Go Greenly competition to win a 4 night stay at The Wagon or The Ark.

Local activities

The Wood Life itself is a fantastic place to play. Take out the magnifying jars and guide books into the great outdoors, mess around on the rope swing and climb about in the treehouse platform...

The sea at Dawlish

Outdoor & active

The sweeping sands of Dawlish Warren and the open expanse of Dartmoor are both nearby. There are numerous cycling and walking trails in the area and Exeter itself is just a few miles away to the east.

You can hire a bike from Saddles and Paddles in Exeter and cycle along the river and canal right down to The Turf Locks about 5 miles away avoiding any roads. Or go no further than the Double Locks, another good pub on the edge of Exeter. Saddles and Paddles also hire out canoes and kayaks (hence the name) and offer basic tuition if you've never canoed before.

Places to visit

Cast your eye over rare and beautiful plant species at the Bicton Botanical Gardens

Powderham Castle is about a mile away, located in a unique, picturesque setting beside the Exe estuary. Housing over six hundred years worth of history as one of England's oldest family homes, there is plenty to explore both inside and out, situated in the centre of a deer park home to around 600 fallow deer. There is also a farm shop there with a café as well as other attractions for kids like the fort and a secret garden full of cuddly animals.

The Miniature Pony Centre is also under an hour away by car, set in 20 acres of beautiful countryside within Dartmoor National Park.

The Bicton Park Botanical Gardens span nearly 300 years of horticultural history set in East Devon's picturesque Otter Valley. There are also the RHS gardens at Rosemoor.

Exeter is only a 15 minute drive away and has a magnificent cathedral. Also worth touring are Exeter's Underground Passages that date back to 14th Century with tours available, along with many other historic sites and lots of shopping.

Eating & drinking

Pubs & restaurants

The Ley Arms, Kenn (1 mile). A traditional village pub in nearby Kenn. It's child-friendly and easily walkable from The Wood Life.

The Anchor, Starcross (3 miles). A truly charming inn, specialising in seafood but offering a menu to suit all tastes. Reputedly over 450 years old, it was originally opened as a Seamen's Mission. Now an old English pub, decked out like a cavernous boat inside, it stages live bands, jazz music and entertainment twice weekly - take a look at their events calendar to see who's playing while you're down.

The Turf Locks, (4 miles). Serves classic pub food and, when the weather permits, a popular barbecue from their huge beer garden bordered by the Exe Estuary on one side and Turf Locks on the other. The owners pride themselves on being one of the few pubs in the country not accessible by road. Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, walking, cycling and boating are the only ways of reaching it.

Orange elephants, or South Devon cattle as they are often known

The Quay Brasserie, Topsham (7 miles). If you fancy something a bit more fancy, The Quay prepares quality food from locally sourced ingredients in a beautifully converted boat shed situated on Topsham's historic quay, just a 20-minute drive from Exeter.

The Orange Elephant ice cream parlour, Taverner's Farm (3 miles). Winner of Taste of the West award for its Lime & Elderflower flavour ice cream, they have also come up with such interesting varieties as Cathedral Crunch, Skate Rattle and Roll and the mysterious Muddy Green Wellies. They also make a mean cream tea, have a good farm shop and play equipment for kids and then, of course, there're the orange elephants themselves...

All about The Wood Life

The perfect location of The Wood Life came about by pure chance. Matt's family have lived in the area for generations and it just so happened that the woods on their land were ideal for the project, offering seclusion, beauty and convenience.

Environmental policy

The Wood Life is completely off-grid. The tent itself was designed and built by Albion Canvas, a brilliant British tent-making company, the shower is powered by a wood-burner and the compost loo is as eco-friendly as they come. The Wood Life operates seasonally not just because it would mean burning a large amount of fuel to warm the tent in bad weather, but also to give the resident badgers a bit of peace now and again.

Wildlife

There are foxes, deer and badgers living in the woods and a large variety of bird life from owls to woodpeckers. Guests are encouraged, with a range of wildlife guide books and magnifying jars, to learn about their surroundings as well as to treat the with care.

Booking terms for The Wood Life

Booking Conditions

Please note that Canopy & Stars is acting as an 'Agent' in the booking of The Wood Life on behalf of Matt and Amanda Bate (hereafter referred to as the 'Owner'). The Owner of the property is responsible for your stay and is the 'Principal' in this agreement. Customers renting property through Canopy & Stars are referred to as the Guest. The rental arrangements are made by Canopy & Stars, on behalf of the Owners and the contractual relationship is directly between the Owners of the property and the Guest.

The Canopy & Stars booking line (01275 395 447) is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, except public holidays. When using the online enquiry form, please allow 24 working hours for us to contact you by telephone to confirm the booking. If we are unable to reach you by phone we will attempt to contact you by email. We will contact you during Canopy & Stars working hours. Online enquiries will be dealt with in the order they are received, but please be aware that we cannot guarantee reservation of your selected dates until the receipt of suitable payment.

1. Booking and payments

1.1 The dates of your booking will be held upon payment of a non-refundable deposit of 25% or payment in full. Deposits are only payable when booking more than 10 weeks in advance of your check in date. Any booking less than 10 weeks in advance of your check in date must be paid in full immediately.

1.2 On receipt of the deposit, a booking confirmation will be sent to you within 24 hours in the case of email and seven working days in the case of post, containing the details of your stay and of payments made and due. If you have not received your booking confirmation within the specified time, please notify us as soon as possible. We're sorry for any inconvenience, but payments can only be made by credit and debit cards. A 2% surcharge will be applied to credit cards. We do not accept American Express, cheques or cash.

1.3 Where a deposit has been paid, full balance payment will be due 10 weeks in advance of your check in date and a reminder will be sent to you two weeks prior to this date, where applicable, by email. If you are unable to pay the balance before the stated due date, you will forfeit your deposit and your booking will be cancelled.

2. Cancellation

2.1 Cancellation by you at any time will result in your deposit being forfeited, as all deposits are non-refundable.

2.2 All monies paid for a holiday (deposit and balance) are non-refundable within 10 weeks before check in date.

2.3 Cancellation of any holiday after it has been paid in full and at a date 10 weeks or more in advance of your check in date, will result in forfeiture of your deposit (or an amount equivalent where one was not paid as the holiday was paid in full) and the balance being returned to you.

2.4 Cancellation insurance is available but will be a third party arrangement and not involve Canopy & Stars or the Owner in any way.

2.5 If the location of your booking is inaccessible due to adverse conditions your booking can be deferred to a later date subject to availability and at discretion of Canopy & Stars on behalf of the owner of the property.

3. Alteration

3.1 Alterations to your booking can only be made more than 10 weeks prior to the check in date, after which time alterations will be treated as cancellation. All alterations will incur a £30 administration fee and are subject to availability and at the discretion of Canopy & Stars on behalf of the Owner of the property.

3.2 Differences in the total amount payable resulting from alterations will be refunded to you in the case of a decrease in price and paid by you in the case of increases in price.

4. Complaints

In the event that you have any complaint about your stay, please notify the Owner of the property as soon as possible and they will use all reasonable endeavours to resolve the issue. Whether or not your complaint is dealt with satisfactorily, please also contact us as we appreciate all feedback.

5. Pricing

Prices on the website are not binding, but costs stated in any booking confirmation email you receive from Canopy & Stars will be honoured as shown and will include all VAT and any charges.

6. Information

Information on the website is correct to the best of our knowledge, but circumstances outside of our control may cause it to become inaccurate. We apologise for any inconvenience that may result from this.

7. Liability

7.1 Canopy & Stars accept no liability for accident, loss of property or personal injury whilst on your stay.

7.2 Canopy & Stars will not be liable for any act, neglect or default on the part of the Owners or any other person not within their employ or otherwise under their control, nor for any accident, damage, loss, injury, expense or inconvenience, whether to person or property, which the Guest or any other person may suffer or incur arising out of, or in any way connected with the rental unless Canopy & Stars is responsible. In addition, the Owners and Canopy & Stars accept no liability for loss of or damage to the Guest’s possessions on the Owners’ property or land.

7.3 Nothing in these conditions excludes or limits the liability of Canopy & Stars or the Owners:

a. for death or personal injury caused by Canopy & Stars or the Owners negligence.

b. for any matter which it would be illegal for Canopy & Stars or the Owners to exclude or attempt to exclude their liability.

7.4 The use of swimming pools, lakes, climbing trees, tractor rides and any other activity on the Owners land is the responsibility of the Guest and is done so at their own risk.

8. Pets

Pets are not permitted at The Wood Life. We apologise for any inconvenience.

9. VAT

Many of the Owners of properties in the Canopy & Stars portfolio are not registered for VAT in which case no tax is payable. Where VAT is payable the tax is included in the weekly rent.

10. The Holiday – Guest Conditions of occupancy and Conduct

10.1 The Guests have the right to occupy the Property for the paid for holiday period only (within the meaning of Schedule 1 Paragraph 9 of the Housing Act 1988).

10.2 Guests undertake to behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner with due respect to the Owner, the Property and other guests and their property. If any guest behaves inappropriately or improperly (of which the Owner will be the final judge on their Property), or illegally, the Owner reserves the right to ask the guest and their party (at their discretion) to leave the Property before the end of the holiday period. Any refund for so doing will be at the entire discretion of the Owner in consultation with the Agents. In addition, the Owner reserves the right to sue the guest for any loss, damage or injury caused to the Owner, the Property or to other guests and/or their property.

11. Breach of Booking Conditions

11.1 If there is a breach of any of these conditions by the Guest or any of their party, the Owners or Canopy & Stars reserve the right to re-enter the Property and end the holiday and ask the Guest and their party to leave in addition to their other rights specified in these Booking Conditions.

11.2 Ending the Holiday by either the Owners or Canopy & Stars, or the Guests does not affect that party’s other rights and remedies.

12 Governing Law and Jurisdiction

Any dispute will be governed by the non-exclusive law and jurisdiction of the English or Scottish Courts depending on the location of the Property.

13. Authority to Sign

The person who signs the Booking Form certifies that:

1. he or she is authorised to agree the Booking Conditions on behalf of all persons included in the Booking Form, including those substituted or added at a later date;
2. the signatory is over eighteen years of age;
3. they agree to take responsibility for the party occupying the Property, and to notify Canopy & Stars if they are not a member of the holiday party.

14. Discrepancies

In case of a discrepancy between these Booking Conditions and any other Canopy & Stars literature, these Booking Conditions shall prevail.

15. Validity clause

In the event that a court finds that a condition in these Booking Conditions is illegal or void, the illegal or void provision will be severed from the remainder of the Booking Conditions, which will continue to be valid and have full force and effect.