Scorlinch Shepherd's Hut - Shepherd's hut in Devon, United Kingdom

Activities

At Scorlinch:

Enjoy nature and walk around the farm -you are welcome to collect eggs and feed sheep!

The local footpaths lead through the farm so there are a number of good walks that can be done straight from the farm. Additionally it is only 20 minutes walk to Ashclyst Forrest which has some fantastic routes known for butterflies 

Places to visit:

• Exeter, Ottery St Mary and Honiton are all great historical, cultural and interesting places to visit
• Scorlinch is 5 miles from the wonderful Escot a fantastic historic garden, with a number of specialist breeding programmes (including Red Squirrels) and birds of prey
• There are some wonderful beaches within 10 - 15 miles :Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Dawlish, Teignmouth and Exmouth
• It is an easy 40 minute drive to get to Dartmoor to enjoy the wildness there!
• Killerton House (National Trust) is only 4 miles away and good for good and bad weather
• Cadhay House is a real gem 5 miles away but only open some days and well worth a visit
• Coldharbour Mill Museum, is working wool museum and a great day out mainly in the dry
• Slightly further afield is Powderham Castle, the castle is fantastic however the shops with cafe in old home farm are worth a visit
   

Outdoor & active:

• South West Coastal Path for walking 
• There are lots of cycling routes round this area (you'll find maps provided in the Hut)
• For the more adventurous it is possible to rent canoes and kayaks from the Quayside in Exeter and paddle out to the Double Locks (http://www.doublelocks.com) and Turf Locks (http://www.turfpub.net) 

Food & Drink

At Scorlinch:

You'll find tea, coffee, hot chocolate and milk provided. There is also a water dispenser for easy access in the hut to water for drinking/boiling for drinks 

Breakfast baskets are available to order, packed with local goodies: homemade bread, butter and jam, Scorlinch eggs, local bacon, fruit juice and yoghurt. Card payments are possible at Scorlinch Farm.

You can order a BBQ box to be delivered to the hut at a discounted rate from the local Pipers Farm or buy their products from the owner who keep a stock of their excellent BBQ meat. 

Local shop:

There is no shop in the village. The nearest shops are in Talaton 3 miles away and Whimple also 3 miles away 
There are two particularly renowned farm shops with cafes within a 20 minute drive from Scorlinch. Darts Farm, which won best UK Farm Shop 2015 and Greendale: both are open quite late with excellent stock and wide range of local produce including local fish

Pubs & Restaurants:

The Five Bells Inn - award winning and not to be missed. A beautiful 30 minute walk from the hut
The Bakehouse, Cullompton - lovely bistro, cafe and wine bar serving local produce
The Blacksmiths Arms Plymtree - traditional pub good for lunchtime particularly as a stop on a circular walk from the Shepherds Hut

Meet your hosts

Meet Hannah & David

Hannah & David bought Scorlinch in 2011 knowing they were taking on a significant project and also a career change: David becoming a full time farmer and Hannah handling much of the planning and administration. When they arrived the farmhouse had no central heating, rooms that had never had electricity and there was no running water upstairs! That part complete in 2013 they turned their hands to the land which was also in a poor state. They are gradually transforming the outbuildings into liveable spaces and they hope that by the end of 2017 one of the milking parlours will be redeveloped.

Wildlife & the Environment

The house runs off biomass for heating, solar for much of its electricity and its water systems is off the water grid. There is very little light pollution at Scorlinch so the stars are fantastic on a clear night and the wildlife is amazing: at night you see bats and if you are lucky then you might see the owls.There is also very little noise beyond that of nature. There is an abundance of flora and fauna, and also some less common sightings: Peregrine falcons, deer, foxes, badgers and stoats to name a few. The willow they have planted and the tidying up of hedgerows means they are attracting a good amount of insects and you can spot some beautiful butterflies.

Getting there

Scorlinch Farm, Clyst St Lawrence, Cullompton, Devon EX15 2NJ

By public transport:

Whimple on the West of England Line is 3 miles away. Tiverton Parkway on the Penzance main line about 14 miles away. There isn't a bus stop nearby

Pick ups:

The owners can collect you from Whimple for free - please give lots of notice to them and arrange directly on booking. If you are travelling to Tiverton, a taxi costs around £35

By car:

Most Sat Navs will get you close but you need the instructions for the last part of the journey in the village otherwise you might not find us!

From M5 Southbound

Sat Nav will probably give you the right route to the village from Junction 28 on the M5 which is about 6 miles away:

• Take J28 and turn right off the junction and follow signs to Cullompton
• You will go towards the town centre, past Tescos on your left,
• You reach a T junction with traffic lights, turn left marked for town centre
• Follow this road through all the shops, past Aldi, and keep going until you get to a roundabout
• At the roundabout take the first exit on the left (probably marked Broadclyst)
• Follow this road for about a mile - you will past over the M5
• After about a mile there is a pub call the Merry Harriers on your left - with a bull statue outside (!) turn left here, marked Clyst Hydon
• The roads start to get narrower. You follow this road for about 2.5 miles - you just keep on it towards Clyst Hydon.
• After about 2.5 miles you will get to a large bend to the left with a turning to the right. The right turning indicates Clyst St Lawrence and the Five Bells Pub - turn right here
• Follow signs to the pub which you will drive past on your right
• Follow that very windy road (with passing places for when you meet vehicles) for about 1.3 miles. Just keep following it for Clyst St Lawrence
• When you reach the T junction at the end of the road turn left down the hill.
• You are now entering Clyst St Lawrence. You go past the church on your right, over the river on the bridge and keep going for about 200 yards
• Just when you think you are nearly out the village you will see a turning on your left, it says Mount Pleasant Farm, No parking and a rather invisible sign saying Scorlinch Farm.
• Turn down there and keep going down the track until you can go no further - we are the green farm house and you drive straight through the gate and park up!

From A303 Westbound 

Sat Nav does not always get the route right
(Note the A303 becomes the A30 near Honiton)

• You are aiming to come off the A303/A30 after Honiton
• Take the exit marked Ottery St Mary and with the tourist sign for Escot
• Follow the directions to Ottery St Mary. You have to pass Escot to get to us - so it is a good barometer and follow those signs
• At Fairmile you will turn right to Escot and there will also be signs to Talaton
• Pass Escot on your right and keep going towards to Talaton
• Go through Talaton over railway and keep following the road
• You stay on that road for about another half mile
• When you see a large White House set amongst parkland, the road will bend round to the right
• Soon after there is a turning to the left marked Clyst St Lawrence and Westwood. Take this turning
• Go about 1 mile down this road which is quite windy
• You will see the Clyst St Lawrence sign. We are the first turning on the right as you enter the village. The turning says Mount Pleasant Farm, No parking and a rather invisible sign saying Scorlinch Farm
• Turn down there and keep going down the track until you can go no further - we are the green farm house and you drive straight through the gate and park up!

Parking:

Is a 5 minute walk away. When you arrive the owners will take you and your luggage in an ATV to and from the Shepherds Hut 

Booking Terms

Canopy & Stars low price promise
 
Book with us in confidence knowing you won’t find that place cheaper elsewhere. All of the prices we display are set and matched by our Owners. (In this world of foreign currency, we do have to say 'subject to exchange rates' for some of our European places.)

What does ‘from price’ mean?
 
Our ‘from price’ is based on a four night stay in low season and designed to help you to compare different prices across our collection. Some of our Owners vary their nightly rates and check in days throughout the year, so it may differ from the rate quoted below the calendar. It is quite common (although by no means universal) for places to charge a little more in peak season or for shorter stays, to cover changeover costs. Consider booking longer stays during the cooler months if you’re looking for the lowest nightly rates.

Agency Terms & Conditions

Except where otherwise specified, we Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd Company No 09088366 of Merchants House, Wapping Road, Bristol, BS1 4RW act only as an Agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. Sawday’s Canopy & Stars is part of the Alastair Sawday’s Group of Companies. We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any services or arrangements you purchase (“Booking(s)”) or for the acts or omissions of any supplier(s) or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any Booking. For all Bookings, your contract will be with the supplier of the Booking in question, and in most cases this will be the owner of the property you’ll be staying at (“Owner(s)”). When making your Booking we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the Owner of the Booking. Your Booking with us is subject to these Agency Terms & Conditions and any specific booking conditions of the relevant Owner(s) you contract with. The Owner’s booking conditions may limit and/or exclude the Owner’s liability to you.

You may decide to make more than one Booking with us at the same time. The price charged in total for more than one Booking will always equal the prices charged separately for each individual Booking. All Bookings are available to be purchased separately at the same price as they are when more than one Booking is made. This means that any multiple Bookings do not constitute a package as defined in the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992.

By making a booking, you agree that:-

1. you have read these Agency Terms & Conditions and agree to be bound by them;
2. you consent to our use of your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;

and

1. you are over 18 years of age and where there may be age restrictions in place, you declare that you and all members of your party are of the appropriate age.

The Canopy & Stars online booking system enables Guests to make Bookings 24 hours a day. A Booking is confirmed on receipt of a 25% non-refundable deposit for all Bookings with check in dates of more than 10 weeks away. For all Bookings that have a check in date of less than 10 weeks before check in, payment for the Booking will be required in full and the entire Booking will be non-refundable. The Canopy & Stars telephone booking line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. When using the online enquiry form, for those Properties without online booking, 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 (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm). Online or email 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. Therefore, if possible, we do recommend that you book on the Canopy & Stars website using the online booking system.

1. Booking and payments

1.1 In order to confirm your chosen Booking, you must pay a non-refundable deposit as required by the Owner of the Booking in question (or full payment if booking within 10 weeks of the date of your check-in).

1.2 Your Booking is confirmed and a contract between you and the Owner will exist when we receive payment of the deposit and send you a booking confirmation on the Owner’s behalf. This booking confirmation will normally be sent out within 24 hours in the case of email and seven working days in the case of post, and will contain the details of your Booking 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 by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk). Please check your confirmation carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. As we act only as booking Agent, we have no responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where an error is made by us.

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. We automatically take the balance payment using the same card as used to make the deposit payment. It is your reponsibility to advise us if we should use a different card and to contact us by telephone (0117 204 7830) to arrange for alternative payment method. If the balance payment does not successfully go through as there is a problem with your card, such as it expiring, then we will contact you to try and take alternative payment. If we have been unable to take payment after two weeks of the balance due date, then with regret, we will notify the Owner who may cancel your Booking.

1.4 Except where otherwise advised or stated in the booking conditions of the Owner concerned, all monies you pay to us for a Booking will be held on behalf of the Owner(s) concerned.

1.5 Credit Card payments are processed via Alastair Sawday’s Publishing Co. Ltd who provide merchants services facilities to Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd.

2. Cancellation and Amendment by You

2.1 Any cancellation or amendment request must be sent to us by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk) and will be considered and responded to within one working day of receipt. You are also advised to confirm all changes to our Customer Services Department by calling 0117 204 7830. Please ensure that you have received written confirmation of any changes to your Booking prior to travel. Whilst we will always try to help, we cannot guarantee that such requests will be met.

2.2 Amendments and cancellations can only be accepted in accordance with the booking conditions of the Owner of your Arrangements. The Owner may charge the cancellation or amendment charges shown in their booking conditions (which may be as much as 100% of the cost of the Arrangements and will normally increase closer to the date of departure). The Owner may charge cancellation or amendment charges in accordance with its own booking conditions, however for the sake of convenience only, we have outlined the Owner’s charges at clause 2.3 and 2.4 below. Please note that these are the Owner’s own cancellation and amendments charges, not Canopy & Stars’, and therefore the Owner may vary their charges as they wish, without notice to us. The correct charges will be notified to you at the time of your cancellation or amendments.  

2.3 Owner’s General Cancellation Charges:

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

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

2.3.3 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. 

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

2.4 Owner’s General Amendment Charges:

2.4.1 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 are subject to availability and may incur a £30 adminstration fee.

2.4.2 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.

Special note: Generally Owners will charge the above cancellation and amendment charges, however we must stress that these are a guide only and charges may differ from those shown here depending on the Owner. The exact charges will be notified to you by the Owner at the time of cancellation and/or can be found in the Owner’s own booking conditions which are available from the Owner on request.

3. Changes and Cancellations by the Owner

We will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if the Owner needs to make a significant change to your confirmed Arrangements or to cancel them. We will also liaise between you and the Owner in relation to any alternative Booking offered by the Owner but we will have no further liability to you.

4. Complaints

Because the contract for your Booking is between you and the Owner, any queries or concerns should be addressed to them. In the event that you have any complaint about your stay, please notify the Owner as soon as possible. If you don’t follow this procedure there will be less opportunity for the Owner to investigate and resolve your complaint and so make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Delays may also mean that amount of compensation you may be entitled to may be reduced. Whether or not your complaint is dealt with satisfactorily, please also contact us as we appreciate all feedback. It’s important to us and the Owner to know that you’ve enjoyed your stay or if anything could have been improved.

5. Pricing

Canopy & Stars reserve the right to amend advertised prices at any time on behalf of the Owner. We also reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices.Special note: changes and errors sometimes occur.

6. Information & Accuracy

The information and prices shown on this website are varied from time to time and may change between the time you first view a property and make a Booking. You should check that all the details are as you expect prior to making a Booking. It is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the properties (including the features and extras available) may be incorrectly described and/or priced. If we discover this is the case after you have made a Booking, we reserve the right to contact you with details of the correct information and/or pricing and will give you the option to:

(1) proceed with the Booking based on the correct information and/or pricing, which may require the payment of an additional amount by you;

OR

(2) subject to availability, change your booking dates to dates when the pricing can be honoured ad so no additional charge to you. In the event that a lower price can be offered for alternative dates then the difference would be refunded;

OR

(3) cancel the Booking. If we do not receive your instructions within 5 days of contacting you, we reserve the right to cancel your Booking without liability to you.

7. Our Responsibility for your Booking

Your contract is with the Owner and its booking conditions apply. As Agent, we accept no responsibility for the actual provision of the Booking. Our responsibilities are limited to making the Booking in accordance with your instructions and acting properly in accordance with our legal duties as an Agent. We accept no responsibility for any information about the Booking that we pass on to you in good faith. However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your Booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the Booking is affected). We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury that arises as a result of our negligence or that of any of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.

8. Pets

Not all properties accept pets. If you wish to take your pet on holiday, please advise us before booking and we can check whether pets are accepted at the property. You must obtain the prior consent of the Owner before taking any pets to the property. A nightly charge may be made by the Owner for each pet and additional terms may apply.

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 advertised holiday rental price.

10. Visa, passport and health requirements.

Unless you tell us otherwise, we assume that all members of your party are British citizens who hold or will hold full British passports valid for the entire duration of the Arrangements you chose to purchase. Information on visa, passport and health requirements, where given and applicable, is so given on this basis. Requirements may change and you are therefore strongly recommended to check the up to date position with the Owner of the Booking, Passport Office, appropriate embassy or consulate or your doctor as applicable in good time before the commencement of your holiday.

11. Insurance

You are strongly recommended to take out personal travel insurance for all members of your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details and take them with you on holiday.

12. Special requests

If you have any special requests (for example dietary requirements, cots or room location), please let us know at the time of booking. We will pass on all such requests to the Owner, but unfortunately, we can't guarantee that they will be met and we will have no liability to you if they are not.

13. Group Bookings

Not all Owners accept Bookings for a single sex group (for example, a stag or hen party). Guests wanting to make such a Booking should check with us beforehand to enable us to check whether the Owner is prepared to accept the Booking. We will then advise you accordingly. In event that an Owner does not accept this type of Booking then it is with regret, that the Booking may be cancelled and cancellation fees may apply. It is the Guest’s responsibility to enquire with Canopy & Stars and/or check on our website beforehand to make sure that this type of booking is permitted.

14. Maximum Numbers

Please note that except by prior arrangement confirmed in writing, only the number of persons specified on a booking confirmation may occupy  a property. Most owners reserve the right to refuse admittance or revoke a booking if this condition is not observed and you are unlikely to receive any refund.

15. Your Responsibilities

Please note that you have a contract with the Owner of the property. As such you are under a responsibility to behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner whilst staying at the property with due respect to the Owner, the Property and other guests and their property. You are responsible for informing the Owner of any losses or damage to the property as soon as possible. Please note that you will be liable to pay the Owner for any losses or damage to the property caused by you or a member of your party (except reasonable wear and tear). Some Owners will also require damage deposits. You must also leave the property by the check-out time specified on your booking. 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 and/or refuse any future bookings from you.  Any refund for so doing will be at the entire discretion of the Owner. 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. As agent, we will have no liability to you in these circumstances. 

16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These terms and conditions have been drafted in accordance with and are governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any and all disputes arising out of these Agency Terms & Conditions.

17. Discrepancies

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

18. Validity clause

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