Fowlescombe Farm, Devon
Selected as one of the top 20 Farm Stays in Britain
By the Observer Sunday 5th Oct 2008

England (Welsh, Scottish and Ireland ones not shown)

Fowlescombe Farm, Devon

	Just south of Dartmoor, this farm lies in a pretty valley in South Hams, and has won awards for its organic beef and lamb. More than 400 rare-breed sheep and 200 cattle roam the 500 acres. Guests are welcome to get involved with seasonal work. Farm manager Richard Barker relishes the task of putting children back in touch with the countryside and encourages kids to feed the chickens and goats or watch the sheep dogs at work.
Richard Barker and a Fowlescombe resident
There are also guided wildlife walks and activity packs for children (from I-spy games to pond dipping). Accommodation is in two chic cottages, sleeping four or six. You can pre-order farm meat - from legs of lamb to delicious homemade pies - or you can help yourself to the fully stocked freezer and pay at the end of your stay. Eggs and vegetables from the garden may be available, too.

Beechenhill Farm, Peak District
An organic dairy and sheep farm with wonderful views over Manifold Valley in the Peak District National Park, Beechenhill is a delightful place. A farm trail winds through meadows and woodland, and there are three beehives, where you can join local beekeeper Mark Dennison to learn more. Stay in the ivy-clad, 16th-century limestone farmhouse, in a converted milking barn that sleeps six, or a former stallion pen for two. Delicious breakfasts use the farm's own creamy organic yoghurt, milk, seasonal fruit and honey, and self-caterers can shun the kitchen and indulge in tasty, locally prepared ready meals. The outdoor Swedish hot-tub is great for star-gazing after dark.

• From £34 per person B&B. 01335 310274; beechenhill.co.uk

The Brown Horse Inn, Lake District
A newly refurbished coaching inn on a farming estate overlooking Winster Valley, the Brown Horse is in the heart of the Lake District. Guests can get out and about with owner Steven Edmonson to learn about organic farming, feed the animals (from ducks to pigs), help with picking the veg or even have a go at pheasant plucking - and there's a horse-drawn carriage to take you around. Everything from the carrots to the quail eggs come from the land, with hearty breakfasts of homemade sausages, eggs and bacon, and delicious evening meals. Accommodation is in nine en-suite bedrooms in the main house (combining luxury with rustic style), while two family-friendly cottages, which sleep six, open in December.

• From £40pp, including breakfast. 015394 43443; thebrownhorseinn.co.uk

Brenley Farm, Broughton, Faversham, Kent
Maggie and Nigel Berry will welcome you to their Georgian farmhouse on a traditional working farm, where you can stay in the house (there are three rooms) or in the 24-room bunkhouse barn (and there's B&B accommodation for horses, too). Take a stroll through the orchards, visit the vegetable or hop gardens, collect chicken eggs and, if you're there in the season, help out with the hop-picking or fruit-picking. Try the farm's own eggs and homemade jams and other produce from local organic farms at breakfast.

• Doubles from £70, including breakfast. 01227 751203; brenley-farm.co.uk

Manor Farm, Worcestershire
Combine a stay on a working farm with a cookery course at Manor Farm on the River Avon. Accommodation is in Lower End House, a historic farmhouse that's been converted into a luxury five-room B&B, surrounded by 260 acres of water meadow pasture. The farm's state-of-the-art Eckington Manor cookery school, a short stroll away, offers courses including 'On the farm', which is centred around the farm's own meats, such as the award-winning Aberdeen Angus beef, and Aga cooking. Those not wanting to cook can just check in to the B&B and explore the farm and countryside.

• Doubles from £125, including breakfast; cookery courses from £175. 01386 751600; eckingtonmanorcookeryschool.co.uk

Sherbourne Farm, Suffolk
Most of farmer Tony Suckling's 400 acres in Boxford are devoted to wheat and barley, but there's plenty of livestock, too, with 40 sheep, ponies, a lone cow, rabbits and poultry. Children can help with feeding, grooming and mucking out and there are nature trails around the lovely River Box - look out for kingfishers and dragonflies - and activities from treasure hunts to pond dipping. Hole up in the purpose-built badger hide and wait for the wildlife show. The two-bedroom Victorian barn conversions, sleeping four to eight, are comfy and full of character.

• From £300 per week for a cottage sleeping four. 01787 210885; sherbournelodgecottages.co.uk

Huntstile Organic Farm, Somerset
Lizzie Myers and John Ridout's farm in the foothills of the Quantocks produces organic crops, including wheat, barley, vegetables and flowers - they grow organic oats for Jordan's breakfast cereals and milkthistle for Neal's Yard. Pick up a map and go on a self-guided walk past ponds and through woodlands or bag a tractor or trailer ride. Families are welcome to join in digging veg, collecting eggs, and feeding the pet pigs and goats. There are three bedrooms in the 15th-century farmhouse, the self-catering Apple Loft sleeps up to five, and there's camping, too. Breakfast and evening meals use organic produce from the farm or others in the area.

• Doubles from £60, including breakfast. 01278 662 358; huntstileorganicfarm.co.uk

Church Farm, Peak District
Steve and Sue Fowler run the 80-acre organic Church Farm in the heart of the Peak District in Derbyshire, offering accommodation in two beautiful Grade II-listed cottages sleeping four or six (Church Farm cottage dates back to the 16th century). Steve will give you a farm tour and introduce you to the animals - cows, free-range chickens, and ducks - and guests can ask for meat, eggs and honey from the farm's three hives. There are great walks to be had right from the door of the cottages.

• From £296 for three nights at Church Farm cottage, which sleeps four. 01335 310243; dovedalecottages.co.uk