Robert and I have been married for too many years to mention and have three wonderful grown up children and three beautiful grandchildren.
We built our current family home on the farm over 25 years ago, and feel very privileged to have lived and worked in such a beautiful area of this fantastic county of Devon. By building Harefield Barn, we are not only able to share this lovely location with you, but during the challenging times ahead for agriculture we hope to be able to provide a secure future here for ourselves and our extended family.
A little more about us...
Robert
My father, Arthur moved with his parents and sisters from their farm near Rackenford in 1941, and that farming heritage continues to this day. Arthur married a local girl who had recently completed her training as a radiographer and they set up home at Shute Farm.
I am the eldest of their six children, and in partnership with Deborah, we are proud to continue that family farming tradition. The farm has various enterprises, including 26 acres of cider apple orchards, and a variety of cereal crops.
Modern farming brings many challenges, and with an ever changing future in prospect, we hope Harefield Barn will be a great way to share this beautiful corner of Devon and help support the agricultural side of the busines
Deborah
My background is in administration, working initially as the Partner's Personal Assistant in a local firm of architects, followed by a period working as a Registered Childminder whilst our own children were small. Once the three of them were established into school life, I went back to work during term time in local schools, firstly as a Classroom Assistant and then as a School Administrator
I have recently left work as a Registrar for Devon County Council to concentrate on our new business. Based in Tiverton, I was privileged to carry out birth and death registrations and take marriage notices for hundreds of local families, and in doing so, be part of their lives at such important moments.
My role also led me to conduct weddings both in the Register Office and at some of Devon's most beautiful venues. This experience has given me a great insight into both what is needed of the physical space and the care and attention required to make each event special and personal to the people involved. I can bring all this experience to bear when helping you plan your event, guiding you through the whole process, and even conducting a personal Comittment Ceremony for you if that is your wish.
And of course, we shouldn't forget HOLLY - our fearsome rat catcher and rabbit scarer?? Well that's what she's supposed to be good for!
The Team
Our Team here at Harefield Barn will be made up of local people where possible, from front of house and bar staff, to those working behind the scenes keeping the place spick and span. Staffing levels can be as flexible as you need, customised according to your personal requirements. You can either choose to have your event fully staffed, or we will leave you to enjoy your time at Harefield Barn uninterrupted unless you need us, in which case we are only minutes away.
I think after a week back to normality with work and school runs we have finally floated back down to earth from our wonderful wedding. From the set up on the Friday to landing back from our honeymoon, we never stopped smiling. So many people who came to our day expressed how much fun they had and what a fab venue Harefield is; the word is being spread far and wide! We never doubted your vision and reaped all the rewards of the finished product. I took a moment to just pause and take in the sight of our friends and family with smiley faces, happily tucking in to food, drink in hand and flowing in out and around the barn just as we wanted. You and Robert both worked so hard across the whole weekend to keep things running smoothly and we are so grateful as our memories of our day is just one of pure happiness, love and joy.