In the picturesque north Devon village of Woolsery, halfway between Bude and Barnstaple, The Collective is the brainchild of Michael and Xochi Birch. Tech entrepreneurs with deep family connections to the village. It brings together a 150-acre working farm, an award-winning pub, a gourmet fish and chip shop, a charming village store, and a collection of beautifully designed rooms, suites, and cottages. Offering a truly unique combination of rural charm, luxury accommodation, and exceptional local food experiences.

Tell us about The Collective and how it came about?

When Michael found out that the pub in his family’s tiny Devonshire village was struggling, he knew he wanted to help. I was working with him in the US at the time, and he sent me over to the UK to assess the situation – it quickly became clear that the once beautiful Grade-II Listed building had fallen into serious disrepair. After plenty of research we decided to bring in Barnstaple-based Jonathan Rhind Architects. They specialise in the conservation and reuse of historic buildings across the southwest and they have done a fantastic job. Together we carefully restored the pub’s historic features, removed the unsympathetic additions that had accumulated over the years and added our own modern touch with a light-filled dining room extension. Three years later, the ancient coaching inn and blacksmiths had been brought back to life and The Farmers Arms is once again central to village life just as it once was.

From there, the momentum continued. We were approached by the fish and chip shop which we purchased and reopened.

Followed soon after by the village shop – originally owned by Michael’s great, great grandparents. Alongside these we have created a series of beautiful cottages, suites and rooms throughout the village, as well as the farm, which truly sits at the heart of everything we do. Now we’re working on repositioning the old abandoned Georgian manor house as a boutique hotel.

Tell us more about the village store and post office – it’s not your usual village shop is it?

No, it’s not, though if you went back to the 30s or 40s it might feel familiar! Originally built by Michael’s great, great grandparents, the shop holds a special place in his heart. In fact, his grandmother was born in this very building. On the ground floor you’ll find a nostalgic store and post office. It’s really charming, with 1930s/40s aesthetics – black and white tiled floors and lofty wooden shelves. We’ve restored it to what a village shop once was. A place to pick up local meats, fresh vegetables and produce from the surrounding area. There’s a beautiful selection of craft beers, jams, artisan gifts – all things made by small, independent makers. It feels like a true homage to Michael’s family.

On the floors above, we’ve created exquisite hotel rooms and suites. Styled with period details – art deco touches, retro prints and rich fabrics – they offer stunning views and serene, adult-only spaces.

Tell us about the cottages?

We’re thrilled that our range of rooms, suites and cottages hold a prestigious One-Key MICHELIN rating. The cottages are truly beautiful. They’re been carefully restored to retain their quintessentially Devon charm while offering all the modern amenities you’d expect from a luxury stay. Take The Smithy for example, it features a walk-in shower, wood burner, freestanding tub and state-of-the-art kitchen. They cottages are perfect for families, couples and friends looking for comfort, character and a touch of indulgence.

Have you had support from the local community?

In the beginning there were certainly some concerns. But what we’ve achieved in the village is a phased restoration of amenities that serve the community just as much as they serve the visitors.  We’ve not just swooped in and pulled back the curtain overnight – instead we’ve restored things gradually and thoughtfully.

One of the challenges really is our location. In many ways it’s ideal – we’re perfectly placed between Bude and Barnstaple and the area offers so much to enjoy. But we’re also a small, remote village, and many people simply don’t know we’re here. This year we won the VisitEngland pub of the year, we’re ranked twenty-seven on the Good Food Guide of pubs and our accommodation is One-Key MICHELIN rated. We’re proud of these accolades and the recognition means so much to us – we want people to discover us!

How do you ensure guests have a memorable experience?

We offer a high-level of attentive, personalised service to our overnight guests. Whether it’s creating a full itinerary or arranging ad-hoc reservations for meals and day trips, we’re always on hand to help – we want everyone to get the most out of their stay. What makes the experience really special is that guests get an agricultural, rural village setting paired with the luxe of MICHELIN-level accommodation and exceptional food.

Do you have a favourite spot in or around the village that you personally love?

That’s a tricky one – the cottages are amazing. The restored village shop and rooms are gorgeous. And the pub is perfect for a cosy dinner. But if there’s one thing that I recommend to everyone, it’s our farm tour. Birch Farm is a 150-acre working farm where we’re blending ancient and modern techniques. Our Head Gardener, Josh Sparkes has been with us four years now. He’s doing some truly special work – from Japanese fermentation composting and biodynamic techniques to traditional methods of growing heritage varieties – it’s utterly fascinating.  And what is wonderful is that everything begins and ends at the farm. We’ve put soil health at the centre of our approach, and in turn we’re rearing meat that offers a superior eating experience, enjoyed in the pub.

Is there a particular time of year when this area feels the most magical?

I love this time of year – for me it’s just ‘uber-cosy’ season. I love to lean into how beautiful and romantic everything feels. The pub has multiple fires glowing, the cottages have wood fired stoves. It feels like the perfect time to travel with a stack of books, a good bottle of wine and just enjoy the slower pace. Devon is so often visited in the summer. Long beach days and sightseeing. But here, in autumn and winter, the pace changes. There’s less pressure to rush around, and simply spending a day relaxing, reading, or sitting in the pub playing cards can be just as wonderful, if not more so!

Discover what’s happening across the village. From seasonal dining events to farm tours and special experiences. Be sure to explore the events page and find out what’s coming up next.

The post Partner Focus: The Collective At Woolsery appeared first on South West 660.

Route 1 – Sandbanks to Weymouth

Swanage Railway – Just a few miles into South West 660 you’ll find the brilliant Swanage Railway. Travelling in a heritage steam train through beautiful Purbeck Island, the train gets you to famous Corfe Castle, and back. The line is connected to the mainline network at Wareham station, allowing ‘car free’ SW660 explorers easy access to the beginning of our route.

Route 3 – Lyme Regis to Exeter

Seaton Tramway – South West 660 partner Seaton Tramway is a heritage railway with a difference. The trams are narrow gauge and follow the old British Railway route between Seaton and Colyton, which used to be part of the branch line between Seaton and ‘Seaton Junction’ at the London – Exeter mainline. Most trams are double decker with the open top deck offering beautiful views across the Seaton Wetlands.

Route 4 – Exeter to Dartmouth

South Devon Railway – running between Buckfastleigh and Totnes, this railway follows the river Dart, allowing for some great photographic opportunities. This is also why the South Devon Railway is such a firm favourite with TV and film production companies.

Dartmouth Steam Railway – connecting Paignton on the mainline railway with Dartmouth, this heritage line follows a stunning route, which includes a halt at Greenway, the former home of Agatha Christie.

Route 7 – St Austell to Penzance

Helston Railway – the most southerly railway in the UK! Also possibly the shortest! Starting at Prospidnick, the aim is to over time reopen the full 5 miles of the old Helston branch line.

Route 10 – Padstow to Clovelly

Bodmin Railway – starting from Bodmin Parkway on the mainline, this heritage line follows the old Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway to Bodmin Central and Boscarne Junction. The line is 13 miles long and is one of the region’s longest running heritage lines.

Launceston Steam Railway – a 2 ½ mile narrow gauge railway in the Kensey Valley in Cornwall. The line uses the old North Cornwall Railway track bed.

Route 11 – Clovelly to Lynton

Lynmouth and Barnstaple Railway – although just one mile long at present (but with plans for extending), this narrow gauge line which follows part of the old Barnstaple to Lynmouth line closed for general use as long ago as 1935. One unique aspect of this heritage line is that it owns a pub, the Old Station Inn.

Route 12 – Lynton to Watchet

Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway – this is not a railway as you know it, but a water powered funicular railway, taking passengers from sea level at Lynmouth, up to Lynton some 500ft above sea level. Possibly the most environmentally sound way of travelling.

West Somerset Railway – last but by no means least, the West Somerset Railway connects Minehead with the final stop on South West 660: Watchet. The line in fact runs a little further, to Bishops Lydeard. In fact, it is connected to the mainline at Taunton, but heritage trains do not alight there. Designed by Brunel, there has been a railway here for almost 175 years.

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The first surprise

Can you imagine driving the country lanes in the middle of North Devon and discovering authentic Thai cuisine in the quaint pale green Cottage Inn. Yep you heard right, that’s what Nartnapa Thai at The Cottage Inn, Lynton offers. Thailand-born Nartnapa, who gained her professional chef training after university and even cooked on tv, returned to the UK with her husband and now dishes up a taste of Thailand for those visiting Lynton.  With cosy pub vibes and a few riverside garden seats, this quaint property has a unique offering.

Eat in or picnic

Have an urge for sumptuous scones, with an interesting twist? The Lynmouth Bay Café should be on your i-tea-nerary. Serving homemade quiches, soups, ploughman’s, their cream tea offering includes sweet and savoury options, with chilli or whortleberry jam to name a few and their changeable limited editions cream teas such as warmed ginger scone, clotted cream and homemade lemon curd. Heading out on a the glorious Watersmeet walk? They can supply you with a takeaway picnic or packed lunch made with their home-made cakes scones and sandwiches.

A Vegan treat

For the healthy-minded and those with vegetarian and vegan lunch desires, head to Toucan Wholefoods shop and café in Minehead. A wholefoods store downstairs, and dog friendly café upstairs, you can fill your tummy and your car boot with delicious and nutritious goodies.

Fancy subtle Mediterranean and middle eastern vibes overlooking Watchet harbour, then East Quay Kitchen is the place to be. Based in a quirky mix of architecturally interesting buildings and containers as part of a social enterprise site, they serve breakfast, lunch and evening platters with sustainability and low waste in mind and cater for plant-based diners too. Delicious dishes that change with the seasons include Turkish eggs, a feta and watermelon panna cotta with Greek salad or warm smoked mackerel with Sardinian fregola.

Dinner at “home”

A fan of MasterChef? Want to meet one of the critics? Well known food writer, restaurant critic, broadcaster and MasterChef guest critic William Sitwell hosts Supper Clubs at his family home on the edge of Exmoor. A small detour off the route, The Sitwell Supper Club at Rooks Nest, Somerset sees some of the finest chefs visiting and curating epic dining events for their those who manage to grab a ticket. Hosted by William himself, along with drinks selected by him (he is founder of the world’s smallest wine store), events have included some of London’s finest with Italian feasts, Mexican fiestas and even an Indian banquet with chef Atul Kochhar.

Countryside charm

For a rural getaway on this wonderful bit of coastline, here are a trio of options from B&B and self-catering, delightful dining for residents only or a variety of non-resident nibbling options.

Say ciao to Italian influenced ingestion on the edge of Exmoor where residents of boutique Locanda on the Weir can enjoy Naples-born chef proprietor’s passion for fresh, locally sourced cuisine and Italian wines. Overlooking the 15th Century harbour at Porlock Weir, the four rooms enjoy delightful sea views across Porlock Bay. Dining consists of a four-course seasonal menu of dishes such as cherry wood smoked lamb cutlets with fennel pollen and pomme puree or burrata, aged tomato and sherry emulsion.

For countryside charm, Bossington Hall, Porlock is a luxury mansion B&B with six rooms who encourage dining out at local venues. Built in 1911, this beautiful stone building with 1920’s interior styling has all the right mod cons including Wi-Fi and an EV charge point. You can borrow the binoculars, don your wellies, burn some energy on the oldest squash court in England, and even bring your pooch. Prefer a larger private space? Then book their self-catering ground floor apartment, which has also been tastefully and thoughtfully designed for guests needing accessible accommodation.

And finally…

Dunster Village is one of the best kept and most intact medieval villages in England, and whether you visit for a drink, dish or overnight dreaming, make your destination the Luttrell Arms. A dog friendly hotel with beautiful beer garden for alfresco weather and castle views, cosy corners and fireside feasting for chillier times. With dining for non-residents available, it also has plenty of lovely walks on its doorstep for those with or without a furry friend.

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