Guests and Calves

January 18th, 2024

A young guest falling in love with one of our dairy calves.A young guest falling in love with one of our dairy calves

From July onwards our calving season starts and for some guests it’s a one in a million opportunity to bottle feed young calves. Nicole couldn’t resist helping out and was a regular helper during her weeks holiday in Duncliffe chalet. She not only could look out of the chalet and watch calves being born but enjoyed feeding the older calves in the barn. This calf was named Faye by Nicole and would regularly receive cuddles and lots of attention.

Stonehenge Wedding

March 20th, 2016

I was delighted to be asked to accommodate a young lady and her fiance who were planning to tie the knot amongst the famous Wiltshire stones of Stonehenge.

The difference was that this couple were not local people but travelling from America. The wedding was planned over the phone and via the internet.

Two chalets, Melbury and Duncliffe, at Stour Cross Farm were required for the couple and their guests in July last year.

A photographer was booked pre-ceremony and my thanks to Joe Weil for providing me with some beautiful photo’s.

 

Pre wedding glamourHair do’s and make up’s. The groom and best man are relaxing playing table tennisThe groom and best man are relaxing playing table tennis Groom and friends relaxing in the games roomGroom and friends relaxing in the games room Bride and friends chilling outBride and friends chilling out The beautiful bride to be Amanda with an onlookerThe beautiful bride to be Amanda with an onlooker

Wedding 6

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou RomeoO Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo

Wedding 8

The happy couple, best man and bridemaidsThe happy couple, best man and bridemaids

Wedding 10 Wedding 11 Wedding 12

The final photo before they tie the knot at StonehengeThe final photo before they tie the knot at Stonehenge Some final adjustmentsSome final adjustments

 

New Gazebo for Duncliffe

October 27th, 2015

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Duncliffe now has it’s own Hot Tub and Cazebo. The six seater hot tub includes a Captain’s chair, bench seating and Reclining position with 36 jets for back, hands and feet. Soft lighting combined with various swirling jets relax those aching limbs and whilst surrounded by the large eco friendly gazebo the glass sides allow light in but keeps the wind and rain out.

A Summer in our Chalets!

December 1st, 2014

We have had so many wonderful guests this year and they wanted to share their amazing experiences and moments that they had on their holidays here in Dorset! It’s been an absolute pleasure to see so many families unwind on the farm and enjoy the beautiful countryside, we hope that more decide to spend their family holiday here next year in one of our charming, self-catering Scandinavian chalets.

Gary and his sons came to stay with us in the summer and his three sons desperately wanted to ride on a tractor. Gary managed to take some wonderful pictures of his boys in the tractor that my son Matt helped them drive. Gary’s eldest, Alex, did drive it with the help of Matt. His 2 other boys are Jack, 7yrs and Harry 4 yrs. We were able to make 3 boys very happy that day!

Take a quick look at some pictures below!

Boys in tractor 1Boys in tractor 2Boys in tractor 3

 

Boys in tractor 4Boys in tractor 5Boys in tractor 6
 

 

Julie came with her mother and her daughter during the summer and none of them could keep away from the farm! They came down every afternoon to help us with the calves and even nursed a very sick calf to full health! They absolutely loved the atmosphere here and when their holiday came to an end and they came to say goodbye, they all said it was their best holiday! Luckily Julie also managed to capture some beautiful photos during her stay here.

Have a look at some of them below!

Julies pics 1Julies pics 2Julies pics 3

 

Julies pics 4Julies pics 5Julies pics 6

 

The Stour Cross Farm Experience

November 12th, 2013

Guests of all ages relish the opportunity to get more from their Dorset chalet holiday than they first suspect.

We are often told by guests who choose to stay with us at Stour Cross Farm for their holiday, that the experience of meeting the farm animals is one of the highlights of their entire visit to Dorset.

Visitors of all ages can and often do take advantage of the opportunity to get very hands-on with the daily routines of the dairy farm that Dorset Chalet Holidays call home. Plenty of people have swapped their summer sandals for wellies and their lie-in for a dawn wake-up call – to experience for themselves what is involved in looking after a heard of dairy cows on a daily basis.  Not only have they taken the opportunity to watch the herd being milked but have helped out with hand-rearing the calves. This is quite a noisy, hectic routine where the newly-born calves blare impatiently for their afternoon feed.  The calves are fed by bottle from a day old and after a few days begin drinking milk from a bucket – like all hungry babies they can’t get enough of mother’s milk!

No one has yet managed to resist this charming experience of giving a helping hand to a new born calf. And we will never resist from actively encouraging it!

 

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Feathered Life

June 26th, 2012

I couldn’t resist photographing various birds around the farm

Nest full of young Swallows patiently waiting for feeding time So many mouths to feed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeding TimeA rare glimpse of mother feeding her young Swallows Baby Wagtail waiting for his feedBaby Wagtail waiting for his feed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A young Wagtail, one of two left from five eggs. Sadly not all survive. I stumbled upon this hen Pheasant sitting on her eggs.

Hen Pheasant sitting on eggs

Holiday Weather in May 2012

May 23rd, 2012

A beautiful clear dayWhilst out walking the dog I couldn’t resist running back to the house and grabbing the camera. Not a cloud in sight but the distant plane and it’s tail jets trailing behind. I wondered where it was heading. This time I wasn’t envious. Who needs to travel abroad when England has holiday weather like this.