Feather Down

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East Shilvinghampton Farm

Dorset, Weymouth

★

Rated with 9.7

(331 Reviews)

Escape to a simpler life with Joby and Martin

What could be more idyllic than staying on a working farm on the Weymouth & Dorchester coast for your next family holiday? East Shilvinghampton has been a part of the Bartlett family for over 80 years and meeting Martin and Joby’s cows, goats and hens will be one of the highlights of your holiday in Weymouth, without a doubt. Their son Henry looks after the alpacas and you can take them on a walk for a small fee. Your canvas hideaways are situated close to the farmyard and offer panoramic views across the valley. It's the ideal spot for a family holiday in Weymouth and so close to Dorchester.

Life on the Dorset coast

The abundance of nearby beaches will leave you spoilt for choice. These include West Bay, the famous home of the Broadchurch TV series, and Chesil Beach, part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site. Throw in Charmouth, Lyme Regis, Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, Hive Beach and Ringstead as well and you can enjoy a different beach each day. If you tire of the beach then pop into regal Weymouth, the favourite of King George the Third or ten minutes down the road is Abbotsbury with its mediaeval monastery and swannery. In the summer, Camp Bestival is nearby so the farm provides a great base.

What to do at East Shilvinghampton

There’s always something going on at East Shilvinghampton Farm. Where else can you wake up in the morning and walk a drovers trail, build a den or explore the farm while walking an alpaca? Farmer Martin is happy to stop by and chat and answer any questions you have about farming life when he is making his regular rounds. Children can play and roam freely on site within earshot while you relax by your canvas hideaway trying to spot deer, hares and owls. If you feel like cooking up a hearty stew, the farm’s honesty shop is well stocked with lots of local produce, beef and pork – or you can pre-order a wide range of enticing home cooked goodies from Joby.

Note that you can charge your electric car with your lead into a regular three pin socket (there's a small charge). If you are coming by train, Weymouth, Upwey and Dorchester stations are a taxi ride away.

What can you expect?

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    Dog-friendly

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    Order home-made Meals

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    Honesty shop

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    Pizza oven

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    Communal area

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    Close to the coast

What animals will you find on this farm?

Chickens

Goats

Ponies

Alpacas

Cows

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You too?

What our guests like

  • ✓ 9 canvas hideaways
  • ✓ No electricity
  • ✓ Train station nearby
  • ✓ EV charging
  • ✓ Walk the alpacas
  • ✓ Breathtaking view

Explore our canvas hideaway

Lines Options & prices
Safari tent interior glamping England
Boerenbed UK 1279 copy
Glamping cooking
Glamping tent inside
Glamping cupboard bed
Check A unique off-grid experience
Check The perfect adventure for children
Check Quality family time
Check Small scale farms
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    Including wood for the wood-burning stove (1 pack per day)

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    Including welcome package with bed-linen, towels, candles, matches, washing-up liquid and other basic items

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    Private showers

What do our guests think?

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Average rating
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9.7

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15/07/2024

Excellent. Martin and Joby were great hosts. Amazing honesty shop and the best tents we’ve stayed in (done 6 trips to different locations) very clean and well maintained. The alpaca walk is a must and Henry did a great tour of the farm on the walk. The alpacas, cows, horses, cats and goats were a massive plus! All so tame and friendly with no interruption to sleep. Views and camp area were amazing

10

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08/07/2024

Brilliant week in a beautiful location. Great facilities, very peaceful. The kids loved feeding the goats and seeing alpacas.

10

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05/07/2024

It was our third visit and it didn't disappoint, great facilities and fabulous location.

10

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21/06/2024

Great fun, relaxing, back to the simple things in life break.

10

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21/06/2024

Excellent weekend away, super peaceful and everything available to camp which was luxurious!

10

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14/06/2024

Really great stay away. Despite the weather on arrival being heavy rain and high winds. The canvas tents are cosy and warm with the stove, oil lanterns and candle lit dinners. Our 2 year old daughter loved playing with the goats and meeting Alpacas, cows and chickens. The pizza night on Saturday was perfect.

10

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27/05/2024

Great stay, great location, amazing attention to details

10

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17/05/2024

blissful location, comfortable rooms

8.8

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10/05/2024

Amazing, it was great to have a break and get the kids off the gadgets and just let them run wild. Nobody wanted to leave and we have to come back with friends.

10

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05/04/2024

Wonderful time. Welcoming, fun and very organised. We loved the alpaca walk, pizza night and star gazing. A lovely break.

10

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05/04/2024

We had a fantastic experience! This was our first time and we will definitely be doing another soon! The accommodation was perfect! Had everything we needed and was beautiful in candle light. The facilities on the farm were brilliant and the activities offered at the farm were great! Alpaca walking and pizzas are a must! The farmers are very welcoming, friendly and hospitable. Nothing was too much trouble and were very quick to respond with answers via email and text. We loved the whole experience and with Weymouth only being 20 mins drive away we had the beauty of the countryside but also close to the sea so we could visit the beach! Thank you Martin and Joby for a wonderful time! We will be back!

10

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01/04/2024

Great family fun and wonderful hosts

10

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29/03/2024

All the best bits of camping

10

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20/10/2023

Fun , free and just what we wanted

10

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Mrs Hewitt

06/10/2023

Beautiful setting. Loved waking up seeing the Alpacas and Goats.

10

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Mr Chapman

15/09/2023

Soul cleansing!

10

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Owen Sargent

29/08/2023

Great few days away. The whole experience was amazing and the kids loved it. Thank you for having us.

10

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Mr Weddell

28/08/2023

The perfect place to relax and spend quality time together.

10

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Oppenhuis de Jong

11/08/2023

Heerlijke plek om volledig tot rust te komen. Waanzinnig uitzicht met op de achtergrond geluiden van het boerenleven. We waren niet bekend met het Featherdown Farms-concept, maar heel erg aangenaam verrast. Koken op de houtkachel is eigenlijk gewoon niet te doen en het duurt ook echt zeker een uur tot het water warm genoeg is om koffie te maken. De eerste dagen charmant, daarna irritant. Bovendien wordt het in de zomer dan ook erg heet in de tent. Tegelijkertijd kun je een gasfornuisje huren en is er een buitenbbq waarop je oa sneller water kunt koken. En - een grote aanrader - gastvrouw Joby kookt heerlijke maaltijden die je kunt bestellen en afgeleverd worden bij de tent. Wij aten de lasagna, beef casserole en de pizza’s en waren allemaal erg lekker en de porties genereus. De douche in de tent was boven verwachting goed en heerlijk warm! Deze Farm is verder qua locatie een perfecte uitvalsbasis om het schitterende Dorset te ontdekken.

8.8

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mevrouw Schreurs

11/08/2023

We hebben een heerlijke week gehad op de boerderij in Dorset. De omgeving was prachtig en de tent was fijn!

10

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Mrs Ellis-Duveen

07/08/2023

Refreshing escape from the norm! It was so lovely to take the children back to basics and enjoy marshmallows by the campfire, playing in the open areas and avoiding any phones and iPads! We also thorough enjoyed walking the Alpacas. A great experience with all of it and the children are desperate to come back again

10

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Mrs Harrison

24/07/2023

Perfect getaway with kids

10

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Mrs Pattman

21/07/2023

Peaceful time of reflection

10

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Mrs Prior

17/07/2023

Relaxing and a refreshing break from modern life

10

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Mrs Rastall

23/06/2023

A wonderful escape from the busy world with everything you need!

10

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Mrs Howard

16/06/2023

A wonderful experience, Martin was a great host. The farm stunning and the accommodation clean and well looked after. We will be back for sure.

10

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Mrs Ware

16/06/2023

We loved our long weekend at East Shilvinghampton farm. The shop was well stocked (great bacon and venison burgers). The farmer was very friendly. And the weather was perfect! It was lovely to wake up and see the alpaca's and goats. Dinner at the Elm Tree, Langton Herring, was superb.

10

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Mr Bench

16/06/2023

pretty much perfect

10

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Mrs. Gates

09/06/2023

Very relaxing, back to nature experience on a beautiful farm.

10

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Mr Jones

02/06/2023

Amazing, so many thoughtful touches at the farm to make the stay so much better. So many animals for the kids to enjoy.

10

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Mr McGinley

30/05/2023

A fantastic environment for children and adults

10

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Mr Tapp

29/05/2023

The location is idyllic and everything about the site is set up superbly. A wonderful blend of simplicity and luxury!

10

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Mr Hillman

26/05/2023

Fantastic stay at East Shilvinghampton. Martin & Joby looked after us brilliantly. The set up is ideal for families with great tents, plenty of space to play, the camp fire, animals, honesty shop, drovers track and all with stunning views. Definitely recommend!

10

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Dr Merritt

05/05/2023

A relaxing stay fir the whole family.

8.8

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Mrs Langridge

28/04/2023

Fabulous break from the real world and chance to connect and breathe

10

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Mrs Morris

17/04/2023

Wonderful location and fabulous hosts. A tonic for the soul!

10

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Mrs Lacey

07/04/2023

Perfection and peaceful

10

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Mrs Pursey

07/04/2023

A great place to stay, fantastic accommodation and the farm is lovely. We were made to feel very welcome and would definitely return. The pizza night is great fun and the honesty shop has everything you need should you run out of supplies. Highly recommend a visit.

10

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Mrs Finnegan

03/04/2023

A glorious week disconnecting from the modern world.

10

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Miss Pugh

03/04/2023

Stunning location, fabulous family time.

10

Meet your hosts

Joby and Martin

We are the Bartlett family; Martin, Joby and children Henry, Annabel and Georgina.

We pride ourselves in how we produce our food to the highest standards, taking care of the environment around us, and creating an idyllic environment for people to come and enjoy our beautiful piece of Dorset.

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Welcome to our beautiful farm in Dorset where you can learn more about our farm. Do the Alpaca experience while you're at it!
Martin and Joby East Shilvinghampton Farm
FD East Shilv small 063

Highlight

Pizza night

The farmer will usually fire up the pizza oven during your stay. Everyone gathers round to tell their stories of the day’s adventures and invent pizza toppings you’ll never find on the high street

Farm shop

Highlight

The farm shop

It’s great for the basics and usually even better for local produce and low food miles. And every Feather Down farm shop operates on an honesty basis.

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If John Lewis sold holidays, they'd look like this

Options during your stay

Farmers Stew
Farmers Stew
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You will receive the recipe, ingredients and cooking utensils to prepare a delicious Farmers Stew at your tent, enough for 4-6 people.

English Breakfast Hamper
English Breakfast Hamper
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Recommended!

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Comes with free-range eggs, bacon, sausages/chipolatas, bread, butter, jam /honey/marmalade, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, fruit juice. Exact content may differ slightly per farm.

 
Pets
Pets
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Bring your dog along. A maximum of 2 well-behaved dogs per canvas hideaway. The price is per dog, per stay.

Please note: You are required to keep your dog on a leash while on the campsite.

Nearby the farm

Chesil Beach

Lulworth Cove

Abbotsbury

Weymouth

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