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

It’s nearly that time of year again — the daffs are out, the days are getting longer, and we’re busy getting everything ready here at Boswarthen Farm Glamping for our Easter reopening!

After a quiet winter, hasn't it been dry!, we’re really looking forward to welcoming guests back to the farm. There’s nothing quite like seeing the tents cleaned (with a lot of help from Adele), hearing laughter on the field again, and watching people properly unwind and enjoy the space.
Spring is such a lovely time here — the hedgerows begin to bloom, cuckoo's start to sing and the views across Mount’s Bay are just beautiful. There’s a real feeling of everything waking up again, and it’s the perfect time for a break.

Our safari tents will be fully made up with fresh bedding, the hot tubs will be ready to fire up, and we’ll have the honesty shop up and running before you know it. Whether you're coming back or visiting for the first time, we hope you’ll feel right at home.

We’re just a few minutes from Penzance and not far from St Ives, Land’s End, and some of Cornwall’s most gorgeous beaches – so whether you’re into walking, exploring, swimming or just taking it slow, there’s loads to enjoy.

If you're thinking about a little Easter escape, we’d love to have you. Just bring your wellies, a good book, and maybe some marshmallows for the firepit – we’ll take care of the rest.

Looking forward to seeing some of you again soon,
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From all of us at Boswarthen 🐑 x

Well, I haven’t managed a blog in February or March and here I am getting in by the skin of my teeth for April. I have found a solution to my other resolution though, audio books, I can work/walk and listen to books!
In February half term Adrian and I managed a couple of nights in Padstow, although it was literally only one and a half days, it was nice to get away and have a change of scenery. Although we have had the odd night or two away, we haven’t had a holiday for over four years now. Adrian is back milking the cows full time again as Antony who joined us in July 2022, is off to pastures new, trying something totally different.
Padstow is famous for Rick Stein and there are many establishments owned by him, there are also many others to enjoy in Padstow and for us it was nice to have a place in the town and go out for breakfast and meals without having to drive. We took the dog and enjoyed a long walk on the Camel Trail, we haven’t been on that for years.
Not just because we have come back from Padstow but we have been watching the television programme, Rick Steins Cornwall, particularly as he has been to many places here in the West of the County and it is great fun looking for faces that we recognize, especially when he filmed in Truro Cattle Market and interviewed local comedian Johhny Cowling about Jethro. I don’t normally watch programmes about Cornwall, but I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this series.
We are struggling at the moment to feed the cows, with all the rain and cold weather lately it has not been pleasant. April is often the month when we let the dairy cows out during the day, they love going out into the fields after being stuck inside, day and night, during the winter. Unfortunately this year we had to let them out, it was time but we ran out of food, they have eaten so much over the winter. They are looking lovely but are not enjoying the rain and cold, and they often need extra cleaning for milking. The other problem is that the grass is not growing let’s hope it warms up soon and it starts growing. We are in the meantime buying extra silage from local farmers, although quite a few have run out, there are some farmers who have recently sold their dairy cows and have stock left over. Adrian and Daniel are behind in the field work too, it has been so wet that spraying, ploughing and planting have just not taken place and soon it will be too late to plant some crops, scary as that will be our winter feed for next year. Some good news on the farm is that we have had two filly foals born, Saltair Elizabeth Adelaide (pet name Bette) and Boswarthen Loveday (pet name Bunny as she was born on Easter Sunday), both are from Mum’s who have a rare bloodline in the Exmoor breed, they are growing like weeds and are absolutely beautiful.
This year’s bookings are continuing to come in and we are looking forward to welcoming back our Dutch families, we seem to have had a influx of bookings from the Netherlands recently. Some old faces too, returning guests are always welcome as of course are new families. I have yet to have parents bringing their children who came to us as a child, that could happen as we are now in our sixteenth year, where has that time gone?!
I am going to leave it there as I am going to help Adrian in the milking parlour this afternoon and I have a few jobs to do first.
Love Adrian, Maddy and All at Boswarthen X
 

We are back, in a bid to keep just one of my New Year resolutions , I have restarted my farm blog/news. To be fair , life has been incredibly busy and then I just seemed to have gotten out of the habit.
I only made two resolutions this year:

1. To write a blog each month, no matter how boring for you to read
2. To read a book or magazine for half an hour each day, something that I want to read, rather than something I have or need to read.

Up until this moment I was failing on both and hopefully I will be able to keep the blog going. Maybe I can restart my second resolution each month!
 
I have attached a photo of Surprise our Shetland pony, he never fails to make me smile (or shout) everyday, he is currently playing a game of surprise as I never actually know which field he is going to pop up in. Surprise is the only Shetland pony that we have now, we had four unfortunately, I had Briar Rose (an absolute darling) and Foxtrot (very handsome stallion) put to sleep in 2021, they were 33 and 31 respectively. Last year was little November Rose aged 28. Whilst it was very sad, they had  had a good and long life, in fact Surprise is 27 which makes him about 78 in human years. I just hope that when I am 78, I can climb hedges and run like he does, he has the agility of a mountain goat. Although he has a couple of Exmoor ponies for company, He is missing November Rose and I wonder whether he is looking for her, or it could be that he gets fed up with Bramble and Bluebell (Mum and daughter) and needs to get away from them, when he wants some company again, he throws himself over the hedge back into their field.

The month of January is a planning month for us, all those jobs on the campsite that we leave until the New Year but there still plenty of time, February is an action month where we really need to start those jobs and make a dent in the list and March is blind panic month where we think that we will never be ready to open the doors in time for Easter.

It will be lovely to see guests again, I do miss everyone in the winter months although life on the farm is very busy with the daily routines of looking after the animals.
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If you are someone who hasn’t been to us before and are thinking of coming to stay, give me a ring, I am very happy to answer any questions about the tents, farm and/or area.
 
Maddy, Adrian and The amazing Team at Boswarthen x

We are preparing and looking forward to accepting guests on the 12th April, it is exciting in that it will be just a small affair to start off with because of the rules. It seems however that not everyone is abiding by the rules as there are a lot of visitors already here in the area and it makes you wonder where they are staying! Never the less, I have been shopping this week and although at the moment we are going for our tried and tested products for the shop I am hoping that we will be able to attend some food fairs and try some new products to introduce in to the shop.
 
One of our really great products are Moomaid Ice Cream which is very local to us and it is great to support the Monies family. This great company has not been idle during lockdown and in the last year have opened up two new parlours, one in the little village of Zennor, near St Ives which is just down the road from their farm and where their cows graze – not so much food miles as food yards. The other is in St Just which is a great little town to visit and this is where V.Olds our butcher is locate. We haven’t been to this ice cream parlour yet despite Bridget, our niece working there last summer but we have been to Zennor. Some guests may remember them in St Ives but for the time being they have moved out of there, however they still have their little pop up shop on the way to St Ives and their parlour in Porthtowan.
Boddingtons jam is back in stock as well as their marmalade, we love this jam and think that all cream teas should have it, with its high fruit content you really can taste the difference. We had some on our fresh croissants this morning, well you have to make sure that products are still good and that their standards haven’t slipped!
Kernow chocolate is amazing and it is always difficult choosing what to stock from their enormous range, I generally only stock a couple of flavours and this year I have settled for milk and dark mint.
Buttermilk fudge, this is a difficult one too, all those lovely flavours, I dare not order too much as I will be down in the shop picking up the odd bag here and there. This year we have small bags of the assorted and we are trying some fudge bars.
We also have Furniss biscuits and lovely new honey from Bee Special, we will have meat from the local butchers  some local beverages as well as the staples (Heinz baked beans, sugar, tea, coffee, cereals, etc)  that you may have forgotten to bring or for those who just can’t face a supermarket.

It is a shame, that again we have missed doing an Easter Hunt for the children, we have had great fun in the past sending children off to find different objects placed around the campsite fields, it worked particularly well when children have been put into teams, it helps them make friends faster. With a reward of an egg and an activity pack each, the children are happy and the parents love watching them all run around and enjoy a moment of peace. Today would have been a great day as the sun is shining, alas it’s not to be – maybe next year!!

It will be so good to see guests again, fingers crossed that the map that Boris has set out goes to plan. Wherever you have a holiday this year, we hope that you have a good one and if you  are coming to us then whether you are a loyal guest that comes back regularly or a new guest exploring the area and trying us for the first time, we will do everything we can to make it a great experience . Our focus will be on cleaning, sanitising and good ventilation as well as keeping as many activities as we can. We have the benefit from having guests here last year, who were all great and respected social distancing, etc but still managed to enjoy pizza nights and calf feeding. 

Have a great time and stay safe!
 
Maddy, Adrian and All at Boswarthen X