School and other group visits          

We now welcome up to seventy five school and adult groups to the mill and smallholding each year. These visits are free and are planned to suit the individual needs of the group. The Educational Access requirements are that the group size is at least six and that the visit is for at least two hours.

For teachers bringing a school group we have prepared a Teachers' Farm Information Pack which is available free to all schools making a visit. This pack contains important information for teachers planning a visit: site details, an ideas bank with related worksheets, and health and safety considerations. See some of the activities here

A brief outline of what we offer

The Bridge Mill is a smallholding of 16 acres set in the valley of the upper Tamar in North Devon.  It is farmed along traditional lines without use of chemicals. 

Among the points of interest are:

A water mill - built in the nineteenth century, still containing some of the original machinery.  There has been a mill on this site since the Domesday survey of 1086 and some of this previous history has been recorded. The mill is being restored to partial working order with a waterwheel now turning. For more information about the mill visit the History of the Mill section of this website.

For schools, a visit to the mill links well with a wide range of subjects such as history (from Saxon, through the Tudor and Victorian periods to the present day), and also local history studies; technology - simple technological principles - levers and pulleys; design technology (making and testing waterwheels); art (sketching and digital photography); and literacy - Colloquial expressions and stories: The Little Red Hen

Range of traditional farm buildings - mostly Victorian like the mill and built in stone with slate roofs. There is a stable with a cobbled floor and hay loft above, a shippen for milking two cows and there are two old pig-sties. The Dutch haybarn with adjustable-height roof has been restored to working order. An old cob barn was restored in 2010.  The farm buildings with the mill make an ideal focus for a study of the history of farming for schools or adult groups.

Tame livestock – very friendly sheep and lambs, pigs, hens, ducks and  ducklings. Meeting the animals is popular with school and adult groups and they play an important role in the of the story of "The Little Red Hen" which is a favourite for our younger visiters.

Lake, ponds and riverside conservation area - There are 600 yards of frontage to the river Tamar, three very different ponds and an area of Culm grassland, which combine to attract breeding birds, amphibians and dragonflies, plus regular visits from kingfisher, heron and otter. Some schools like to make a study of the different water habitats and life cycles so come prepared with wellies! We have a new pond dipping area with all the equipment provided. The Bridge Mill is now designated as a County Wildlife Site and a Key Devon Dragonfly site.

Circular walk - around the smallholding, taking in the lovely views plus points of interest such as hedge-laying, positive management for wildlife, grassland management, organic/sustainable farming etc. With school groups, younger children may go on a "Bear Hunt" or perhaps collect items on a scavenger list. In the meadow, the focus might be on habitats and life cycles or a study of plant families.

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The organic gardens – where fruit and vegetables are grown (we are self-sufficient in vegetables throughout the year) as well as many herbs and cottage plants. Dye plants are grown and used to colour the white fleeces from our sheep (see below).  Adult groups may like to visit Rosie's plant stands to browse the plants for sale and there are free plants for visiting schools to take back for the school’s environmental area. Children studying a particular period in history might like to look at the medicinal and food plants of that period. Some school groups, especially after school gardening clubs, like to take a look at  environmental issues surronding organic gardening and study the soil fertility cycle.

Natural dyeing, spinning and felt making - can all be seen in Rosie’s workroom, a useful space if you are unlucky with the weather! School groups studying textiles might like to visit the workroom to find out about wool and listen to the "Story of a woolly jumper", or if they have been studying the Saxons, the "Story of a woolly tunic". Rosie is happy to talk to the children about different animal and vegtable fibres and the textiles and dyes that relate to a particular period in history.

The Bridge Mill is open all year.

For a guide as to what to see and when throughout the year, click this link When to Visit

If you would like to see some of the ideas for activities that schools and other groups have tried click this link Examples of activities

Facilities - There are grassed areas for picnics on fine days, or a dry stable with hay-bale seating for wet weather lunches (available all year except during lambing). If it is very hot we can always find a shady picnic place. and the recently restored cob barn makes a cosy sitting area for smaller groups. There is parking space on site for cars or minibus, or nearby off the public road for coaches.  New toilet and hand-washing facilities were completed in September 2009 and cater for wheelchair users. Nappy changing facilities are also available.

The owners, Alan and Rosie Beat, moved here from Bedfordshire in 1987 with their two young children as a deliberate change of lifestyle.  Previously Alan was a Chartered Engineer while Rosie taught at a small village primary school.  They now try to live in a sustainable and self-reliant way, producing much of their own food without chemical inputs, writing regularly for “Country Smallholding” magazine and presenting talks and courses on a range of craft and smallholding subjects. Alan published his first book “A start in smallholding” in 2004. They have been hosting school visits to the Bridge Mill since 1988.

Visits to the Bridge Mill are offered free of charge under the Countryside Stewardship Educational Access scheme. Please contact Rosie Beat for further details or to make a booking on 01288 381341 or