Feather Down Farm Days (New Barn Farm)

The gentle undulations of the Ouse Valley provide a scenic backdrop to off-road cycling and walking for the whole family and you can start both right outside your tent in Blackwell Hole. There are also dedicated areas of open-access forestry and lakeside country parks nearby. New Barn Farm has a surprisingly remote feel considering how close it is to London. Its setting is up a bridleway from Carlton, a village which sits in the pastoral rolling landscape of the Ouse Valley. Once the southernmost boundary of the Viking empire, the Ouse now meanders its way through sleepy limestone villages and broad flood meadows that sit between an open arable landscape and numerous patches of ancient deciduous woodland. To the North lie the vales of Northamptonshire and the distinctive Yardley – Whittlewood Ridge, an ancient plateau of large blocks of 13th Century woodland broken up by the “lawns” which once provided the hay for commoners cattle. To the south lies the Greensand Ridge, a distinctive escarpment of heathland. Setting out from the farm there are extensive opportunities for walking and cycling with a good network of footpaths and bridleways plus dedicated areas of open access forestry and lakeside country parks. For those that wish to return to civilisation, the small market town of Olney is nearby, a bustling hubbub of small independent shops, boutiques and antiques shops famous for its annual pancake race. For those who wish to return to civilisation, the small market town of Olney is within easy reach and is a bustling hubbub of small independent shops, boutiques and antiques shops. It’s also famous for its annual pancake race. Other day trips from the farm include the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge, or the racetracks at Silverstone and Towcester.