Travel: Lyme Regis and River Cottage Feast

I turned 50 in December, and as a special celebration my husband treated me to a feast at River Cottage. River Cottage is featured on TV and is essentially where Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall started out trying to live and eat more sustainably. He grew and farmed the food he was going to eat, and it became his way of life.

Garden and accommodation at River Cottage

River Cottage as it is today is (I believe) in a slightly different location to that featured on the first TV show. It now houses a cookery school, a little accommodation, the farm and feasting hall. There is a also a café at the entrance which is open to anyone.

Marmaduke, one of the resident cats

When we arrived at River Cottage, which is nestled on the side of a valley near Axminster on the Devon/Dorset border, we were met with an incredible sunset. It was right in the middle of a very cold snap mid-December, the ground was frozen in places. Even the water trough was frozen through.

As we were also staying in the cottage, we were invited to spend some time wandering around the farm and gardens. We acquainted ourselves with the pigs - they are such lovely creatures.

The accommodation consisted of three bedrooms, a large kitchen with a half loaf of sourdough for each room, and a large living room with a beautiful fire and Christmas tree. It felt really magical.

I mean, how festive does it get? Here I am sporting my Fibre Mood Josephine Dress:

The evening began with mulled cider and canapes in the cookery school, along with a book signing by Hugh (pictured on the left). We bought the Christmas at River Cottage book. Then we went through to the feasting hall where we sat on communal tables. It was a very convivial atmosphere and Hugh presented the dishes before we began to eat. The food was incredible. I had such a brilliant time.

River Cottage is only a few miles away from the quaint little seaside resort of Lyme Regis, which is famous for being the home of palaeontologist, Mary Anning; and also for being featured in French Lieutenant's Woman and Jane Austen's Persuasion.

The view back to Lyme Regis from the Cobb

This was Mary Anning's fossil shop that was featured in the film Ammonite with Kate Winslet.

It was a beautiful afternoon, but bitingly cold. Had we not been about to have the River Cottage feast, I would have definitely taken up the offer of a mulled wine chalked on boards along the sea front.

It was a wonderful start to my birthday celebrations and it did feel very special. It is not the kind of place that we could afford to go to very often, but I would love to go again. Maybe in a few years and in a different season. 

Love Mrs Jones x