Well, September is nearly over, so I thought I really ought to write my news before October arrives! I didn't manage to write anything in August, so this is a bit of a catch-up on the last couple of months. August was, of course, all about the weather. We had some fantastic sunshine and it was certainly a very dry summer. In fact, we didn't have to cut the grass at all during August – there simply wasn't enough growing!
We were actually quite lucky here in Cornwall compared with some parts further up the country. Although everything was certainly dry, we still had quite a bit of green around the farm and didn't turn completely yellow and parched. No communal campfires at all but we did continue to allow guests to use the individual fire pits and barbecues, we provided a bucket of water with them and asked everyone to be especially careful. I have to say all our guests were absolutely fantastic. Everyone was very sensible and vigilant, which was a huge help.

It was also lovely to see some familiar faces returning to the farm, as well as meeting lots of lovely new guests. We really have had a very good summer and it's always one of the nicest parts, meeting people who come to stay with us.

September has been a bit more of a mixed bag weather-wise. We've still had some lovely warm days, but the evenings are definitely cooler now and the nights are drawing in. It's getting dark at about quarter to eight at the moment, which always seems very early after those lovely long summer evenings. At least the grass is growing with the mixture of rain (not too much) and the warmth.

We went to a wedding in Devon and stayed for three nights. It doesn't sound like a very long holiday, but it really did us the world of good, catching up with friends and getting away from the farm. We realised that we hadn't actually had a proper holiday for years – in fact, it was before Covid that we'd last managed a proper holiday.

Goldfinch, one of our first breeding Exmoor mares, became poorly last week, she wasn't eating (she loves her food) and had to come in from the Carn It turned out that she had an infection and needed some treatment, but thankfully she responded really well. She didn't enjoy being away from the herd and once she started to feel better, she climbed a hedge and tried to get back with them, unfortunately because she needed antibiotic injections, I had to keep her in a little longer. I'm very pleased to say that she is now back out with them her usual routine. 

Twenty years of glamping - Next month marks the beginning of something rather special for us. Although we didn't actually open for glamping until 2007, our glamping journey started in October 2006. That's when we first started looking into the idea of safari tents and wondering whether this strange new idea of camping without having to bring all your own camping equipment might actually work here on the farm.
Twenty years seems quite incredible when I think about it.
I'm going to put together a separate page on the website telling the story of how our  journey began and how we got from those first ideas in 2006 to where we are today.
So, from next month, we'll be starting to celebrate our 20 years of glamping. There have been quite a few changes along the way – and a lot of hard work – but it's lovely to look back and realise just how long we've been doing this.

Finally, there has been some very sad news recently for us personally and for the glamping world. Feather Down, the company we started our journey with, has gone into administration/insolvency. We were there right at the beginning, and we have many friends within the organisation, so it has been particularly sad to see what has happened. When we started with Feather Down, none of us really knew exactly what we were doing. The farmers, the people within Feather Down and everyone involved were learning together. We supported each other, shared ideas and worked together to develop what was then a very new type of holiday. It wasn't just Feather Down that made it what it became, and it wasn't just the farmers either. It was very much a joint effort, particularly in those early days, and we all learnt a huge amount from one another. So it really is a very sad end to that chapter. We have lots of friends within the organisation and I sincerely hope that things can be sorted out for them. I also really hope that guests who have bookings or deposits affected by what has happened, are able to recover their money.

It therefore seems fitting that I attach a photo of Luite Moraal (who sadly passed away in 2011), the man who had a vision, created Feather Down and to who, we all owe our businesses  and also the word glamping!

Maddy x

What a difference a few months make, in March I was complaining about endless rain and now here we are in July with back to back sunshine. Whilst I’m certainly not complaining about the sun, it is causing a few problems here on the farm, obviously we are not the only farmers affected and we are fairing better than most. It is worrying when high prices for straw are already being quoted and feed that would be reserved for the winter is already being fed to hungry animals.

The glorious weather means harvest is getting underway early this year, which is a real bonus.However, the new plants and seeds simply won’t germinate without a bit of the wet stuff. Fields are beginning to look brown and the grass is shrinking and not regrowing. The only plant that is thriving at the moment is ragwort, it is a bumper year for the stuff in the fields and on the roadside. When it is green, it tastes bitter, so the ponies naturally leave it alone. The real danger comes when ragwort turns brown and dry and it actually becomes far more deadly to livestock. Because of the ragwort getting out of control, we have moved a small herd of ponies off their moorland grazing into a regular field —something we would normally never do! However, because the sun has dried up the ground  there is very little goodness left in the grass.. The silver lining is that laminitis won’t be a problem for them this time around.

The heat is tough on everyone, and all the animals are feeling a bit of heat stress at the moment, especially with the flies being such a nuisance. It has been three years now since we said goodbye to the dairy cows, and while I still miss them terribly, I am secretly relieved they don't have to suffer through this intense heat.

Our chickens have also been making the most of the shade, spending a lot of time inside the big coops. We have decided against using the smaller, private coops for now, as they simply get too hot and its too confined for them.

The dry weather also brings an increased fire risk. A combine harvester locally recently caught fire, and we've had a couple of wildfires in the area too. Thankfully, our local fire crews have responded incredibly quickly and have managed to bring them under control before they spread further. Thankfully, they're nothing like the devastating fires we've seen in France, Spain and even parts of the UK.

Best of all, our guests have been making the most of the glorious sunshine and thoroughly enjoying their summer holidays the only disappointment has been, not being able to have campfires. It's such a shame because, perhaps more than I realised before, they create a lovely social atmosphere in the evenings. However, with everything so dry, it's simply too risky and it would be irresponsible of us to have them.
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A huge advantage this year has been the roll-up windows on our tents. Being able to let some air circulate through the tents has been a lifesaver in this heat and has made it more comfortable for guests. The gas hobs have also been a real bonus, making that all-important morning cup of tea or coffee much easier, without having to light the stove and add even more heat to the tent.

Let's hope we get a little rain soon – enough to help the farm, but not enough to spoil everyone's summer holidays. Perhaps just at night!

Maddy x

Can you believe we're nearly halfway through the year already? Time really does fly by. In fact, tomorrow our granddaughter turns one, and it only seems like yesterday that she was born.
May has certainly lived up to its reputation of bringing all four seasons. Not just throughout the month, but sometimes all in the same week! One day I was wearing a jumper and hat and thinking about putting the heating back on (and I know some people actually did), and the next week it was vest tops and shorts.
Bookings continue to come in, which is wonderful to see, with a lovely mix of returning guests and people discovering Boswarthen Farm for the first time. We always look forward to welcoming both familiar and new faces.
Sadly, yesterday wasn't such a good day on the farm. A fox got into the chickens and killed three of them. We were absolutely devastated. Our friendly hens certainly didn't deserve that. Unfortunately, for their own safety, the remaining chickens will have to stay enclosed for a few days while we make sure everything is secure.
The sunshine has been amazing, although perhaps a little too hot for working at times! We have completed first-cut silage on both farms. The crop was so good that it wouldn't all fit into the silage pit, so the remaining grass has been made into big bale silage instead. We needed to do some bale silage anyway, so that's turned out to be a real bonus.
Like many farmers, we're feeling the impact of rising costs. Several of our contractors are now charging fuel surcharges, which feels like a double whammy at this time of year when our own tractors are busiest with ploughing, trailer pulling and other work.
Pixie has also had a busy month. She had her microchip fitted along with her flu and tetanus vaccinations. She wasn't impressed and took off rather dramatically, knocking me over in the process! Thankfully neither Pixie nor Godric stood on me, so no harm was done apart from my pride.
The weather has been so beautiful recently. Long may it continue, with perhaps just enough rain during the night to keep everything growing.
We hope to see many of you soon, until then enjoy the weather.
Maddy & Adrian x

February was a frustrating month for us both. We were still dealing with the aftermath of Storm Goretti, and the endless rain and mud made every day feel the same. On top of that, we somehow managed to get locked out of both our accounts with the Rural Payments Agency. That meant a lot of phone calls, never speaking to the same person twice, and no dedicated number for problems like ours. By the end of it we were both feeling pretty snappy and fed up. We only managed to resolve it by reaching out to a farm advisor at Farm Cornwall who knew someone within the RPA, after less than ten minutes we were all sorted.
Thankfully, March has been much better. The weather improved and the fields finally started to dry out, which meant everyone could plan some field work. Many growers, especially the potato farmers, were months behind and have been working around the clock to catch up. Here on the farm Adrian and Daniel have been busy spraying, spreading dung and fertiliser, rolling and getting the animals ready to go back out to grass. Like everyone else, we’re also feeling the pinch with fuel prices. The tractors hold a huge amount in their tanks, so filling them up is not a small job these days.
Like everyone else, we are all wondering where it is going to end, it's not all doom and gloom though, the daffodils are out, bookings are coming in and we are preparing the site for our first guests of the year. I love this time where we look forward and after having the winter off are ready to greet guests.
This is what we do and we love it!

Maddy and Adrian X


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​Well, what can I say about January? A month that I would rather have not had.
It didn't start at all well. Adrian felt unwell at the end of December and we cancelled New Year's plans. For the first three days of January, I was in bed with a massive headache that I couldn't seem to shift, I wonder if I had Covid?!. Adrian continued to work. (He doesn't or has never suffered from man flu) albeit on reduced hours.

Storm Goretti. Wow, that caused so much damage to my tents, the farm and in the area. Farm damage was roof  sheets (about 40 ) and the end of a shed got blown in, the animals escaped, although they didn't go too far, fortunately, they just went into the field .
As far as the campsite is concerned, suffice to say, we will be operating with two less tents this year, I was so upset at the damage, because of the love and care that we had put into those tents, not just Adrian and myself, but my friends who have helped and continue to help. Friends who have been on this crazy ride with us. I would like to thank my guests who had already booked those tents for their understanding and who have their continued bookings.
We will do something, but we're looking at our options at the moment. Fortunately, it was just two tents and not all six.

Of course, we weren't the only ones. Plenty of people had roof sheets, ends of sheds, trees down, and much more. It was a miracle that more people were not injured or killed. Maybe those government warnings which were between 6 pm and midnight ( I had four in total throughout the evening) made people sit up and take notice. Many shops closed at four. After 6, it was like someone had flipped the switch, the winds suddenly took off and at one point were recorded at over 100mph. The Isles of Scilly took a battering as well as the mainland. For others, many homes here were without water or electricity for days. Travel was made very difficult by trees blocking roads, sometimes a half-hour journey took three to four hours just because there were so many roads closed with fallen trees. Tremenheere  and Trengwainton Gardens lost lots of trees, some at Tremenheere are many years old, St. Michael's Mount also lost about 80% of their trees.

It's not all doom and gloom, some good news, we had our TB test here at Boswarthen in January, and we passed, no restrictions for us, and we test again in six months. 

Despite my feelings in January, I'm so lucky to have so many friends and family who continue to help and support me and us and who listen and understand. And those that live closer are helping me to get off the farm, and I am now trying to be positive and look forward instead of back. We need a holiday, and January has proved to us both that one is being overdue, as our last proper holiday was pre-COVID.
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Thank you to everyone who’s supported us, stayed with us , and shown such kindness. It’s reminded us why we do what we do — and why this little corner of Cornwall means so much.

Maddy & Adrian X

Well, here we are on the very last day of 2025 — where on earth has this year gone?
Looking back, it’s been a year of big moments and mixed emotions. Adrian’s mum passed away, we welcomed the birth of our granddaughter, and Adrian and I both turned 60. Life has a funny way of packing everything in at once.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Ours was a quiet one. The boys were either working or spending the day with their partner’s families, so it was just Adrian and me on Christmas Day, with a few neighbours popping in during the day. Boxing Day was busier, with Adrian’s family coming over — which certainly helped with the turkey situation!
The farm is very quiet at the moment. Adrian and Daniel are working in the mornings, just doing the essentials — feeding and bedding the animals. I’ll be honest, this isn’t my favourite time of year. Everything feels a bit bleak, unloved and untidy. Straw from the blower ends up scattered around the yard near the sheds, and no matter what you do, it just looks messy. 
One thing I really do enjoy, though, is receiving Christmas cards — mainly from past guests. It’s lovely to hear how children who once stayed here are now young adults, choosing universities and studying for their exams. It’s a reminder of how quickly time passes and how many stories pass through this place. At least, with the New Year, we can look forward to planning and reopening the site.
Whatever 2026 brings, I hope it’s a good year for everyone.

Maddy, Adrian & All at Boswarthen x

​The year seems to be flying by, and now that Adrian and I have had our sixtieth birthdays, I don’t suppose it’s going to slow down anytime soon. Here in West Cornwall, we’ve been packing the safari tents away for winter, bringing in the outside furniture, and trimming and tidying the fields around the glamping site.
On the farm itself, the animals have grown their winter coats, and the youngsters — whether calves or the foal — look like little teddy bears. The weather can’t make its mind up either. One day it’s cold and wet, and the next it’s mild and sunny… perfect conditions for pneumonia, which is every farmer’s nightmare. The work is definitely harder with the driving rain and shorter days, it can also be a bit monotonous with the same daily routines.
The beef calves have been weaned from their mothers. Because we do it all at once in one big group, the noise levels were absolutely stratospheric. They’ve now headed out into the fields in their own group, where they’re fed food that’s more suitable for their age and will help them grow on properly.

Winter farm work in Cornwall definitely keeps us on our toes.
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As for last week’s Budget… I’ve yet to look into the details, if I’m honest. It scares me. I don’t believe this Government fully understands or supports farmers. I read that during the Second World War the UK had six weeks’ worth of food supply, and the Government of the time was worried — yet now we apparently have just six days. No doubt that figure is there partly to frighten people, but even so… importing isn’t the answer. Welfare standards are lower, and the labelling can be so misleading.
As we creep towards the end of November, I still haven’t opened bookings for next year at the glamping site. I can’t seem to get myself into the office to sort it all out.
(When I finally do, bookings will be available here.)
And of course, I also need to start writing and sending Christmas cards very soon. Any minute now, the Christmas songs will go into overdrive and the adverts will be doing their best to persuade us all to spend what little money we’ve got left.
If you enjoy these small updates from life here on our farm and glamping site near Penzance, keep an eye out — winter always manages to throw something unexpected our way.

Maddy x

​Much is talked about digital detox, getting away from it all and back to nature, but I have seen the benefits of that with my own eyes. Frazzled guests who arrive having worked extra hours to come on holiday , even still talking on the phone to work as they pull into the car park, taking a couple of days to relax and unwind, literally becoming different people to the ones I saw on arrival day.

You really have to get it. Being in a field with no electricity, no Wi-Fi, and a phone signal that depends on where you’re standing, doesn’t float everyone’s boat. But fortunately for me, there are plenty of guests who either know that’s exactly what they want — or are at least prepared to give it a go.

Our boys were lucky to have a fairly good balance growing up — plenty of outdoor play when they were little, and later on, a gradual introduction to technology. I remember when Alex went to secondary school and was given an iPad. I saw how it changed him, how addictive it became, and we quite literally had to prise it away from him. Outdoor play taught them so much: how to assess risks for themselves, become independent, tune in to their surroundings, learn socially, and even test boundaries.

Guests who embrace a digital detox often tell me how much better everyone sleeps — probably thanks to the fresh air (and maybe the comfy beds!), but I’m sure less screen time plays a big part too. With no TV, there’s one less thing to argue over. I know from experience that we often end up watching mindless TV to unwind, but I always feel better when I pick up a book instead. Parents often tell me how nice it is to have proper family conversations, to play board games or cards, to have a game of cricket, sit around the firepit, or go for a walk together. Lighting the fire — whether it’s for cooking on the stove or heating the hot tub — is a great life skill to have.

After eighteen years, I know I won’t have converted everyone. There are guests who use technology to soothe their children, it’s a lifeline for them (we aren’t here to judge, it’s a holiday for everyone) and there will always be guests who are better suited to hotels — though we don’t see many of them now. There’s so much information about “glamping” these days, but when we first started back in 2007, before glamorous camping even had a name, people really didn’t know what to expect. When Feather Down started producing brochures and people chatted about it in offices, it was the “in” thing to do, that’s how guests found us but it wasn’t suited to everyone!. Eventually there was a website, but online information was scarce. I’ll never forget the look on people’s faces when I explained that our tents had wood-burning stoves, real beds, and their own toilets — it blew their minds.

Even here on the farm, we use technology — sometimes just to check the weather forecast — but I still love that we can offer a place where people can step back, slow down, and reconnect with what really matters and simply be together.

Well… after fourteen long days, the internet finally came back! I’m still playing catch-up with all the things that had to wait (and some that shouldn’t have!), but thankfully life didn't stand still while we were offline — and we’ve had some truly lovely news.
💗 Adrian and I are now grandparents!
Alex and Abbie have welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world — Ella Wren Nicholls, born on the 1st of June. She is beautiful (of course!).
Meanwhile, the farm hasn't stopped. We’ve been busy with planting, sowing, spraying, spreading and making silage to prepare for the winter months ahead. That said, we did manage to escape now and then — for the Royal Cornwall Show, a beer festival, a food festival, the Eden Project… and food poisoning. 
This week marks the start of the Golowan Festival — a colourful, buzzing celebration of Cornish culture, full of parades, live music, street acts and the spectacular Mazey Day. We’re looking forward to meeting friends, enjoying some beer, and soaking up the atmosphere. If you’ve never been, you can find out more about Golowan here.
We've already had some wonderful guests staying with us this season — including families new to glamping and returning visitors who feel like old friends now. It’s shaping up to be a brilliant summer here at the farm, and we can’t wait to welcome more of you to our little corner of West Cornwall.

Lots of Love
​Maddy & Adrian x

I can’t quite believe we’re nearly at the end of May already, we have been without our internet for ten days and whilst I loved not having it for a few days (it felt a bit like I was on holiday!) it has got to the point where I actually need it. I have had to drive to Adele’s house - some of you will have met Adele, she is helps me clean etc – to pay bills, write this blog, contact Openreach, and sort through some emails. I can’t do this in the middle of a field on my smart phone. We’ve been told it’s a broken cable, but the fix feels no closer now than it did ten days ago. And in this day and age, when absolutely everything is online — even the government paperwork we have to do — being without the internet just isn’t viable.
But… on the bright side, we’ve had some much-needed joy here on the farm.
Misty and Godric have become parents again — to the most beautiful little filly. I think I’m going to call her Pixie. She’s absolutely adorable ( I’ve added a photo so you can see for yourselves), she loves picking up these little sticks and standing in the feed bucket.
Farming, too, has felt just a little easier thanks to the gorgeous sunshine we’ve had, first cut silage was a success with a good crop, planting and spraying have also taken place and some beef cows have given birth. That said, we did welcome a bit of rain recently — and it was needed. The ground was getting so hard it caused a couple of our ponies to go lame, and we were starting to worry about the seeds not germinating and the corn and grass not growing. So a bit of a drink from the sky was a relief all round.
Hopefully, by the time I write the next blog, we’ll be reconnected to the world, and I’ll be typing from my desk rather than someone else’s kitchen table. Fingers firmly crossed!
Until then — thank you for bearing with us, and give Pixie a little virtual wave 💛

​Maddy x