If you haven’t realised yet, yes, we are Blacksmiths, well my lovely wife is at least. I am a blacksmith by marriage… and for my sins of working with her for the past 11 years. Bex Simon has been creating incredible artwork since 1999 and together we have made some pretty large public art sculptures, as well as regularly featuring as makers on BBC One’s ‘Money For Nothing’.
In 2019, we made the big move from the busy old South East corner to the not so busy at all South West, and we LOVE it here. Our intention was always to set up a luxurious glamping site that offered blacksmithing courses as part of the holiday, and when we found Old Pound, we knew we had the perfect spot.
The previous owners had lovingly developed the property from open pasture fields into the wonderful natural environment it is now, over the 30 years they were there. They have now passed the ‘Old Pound baton’ on to us to maintain and build on the ecology they have established whilst opening it up to visitors who cherish the same delights.
One of the first steps we have taken is to become accredited as a North Devon Biosphere Business Partner.
The North Devon UNESCO Biosphere is part of a global network of UNESCO biospheres that connects communities around the world to pioneer a positive future for all. Together the network covers 5% of the earth surface and is home to 250 million people.
The North Devon UNESCO Biosphere is an important meeting place of rich natural and cultural heritage in a stunning, diverse landscape. From the red deer of Dartmoor, along our meandering rivers, past historic coastal communities, to the diversity of our marine environment stretching beyond Lundy Island.
The North Devon UNESCO Biosphere provides an open forum for bringing people together to inspire a positive future and aims to connect people to their natural surroundings; to empower them to unlock their potential and using their local and scientific knowledge, to model solutions for sustainable living. Through positive action, it creates practical solutions to realise a low carbon society and address the climate/nature emergency.
The Hardy Hole
Tucked far out of the way, down The Meander, is our 28ft Tipi, for yoga and mediation, as well as social acoustic sessions or open mics.
As a blacksmithing wife and husband team, we have created a truly exceptional get-away that mixes unique luxury living spaces and glamping, with immersive creative blacksmithing experiences. The site covers 14 acres, with areas of grassland typical of the unique Culm Measures found only in this area and the fauna and flora associated with it, as well as some young woodland areas.
Our accommodation varies from luxury A-frame cabins, to our funky bell tents in Drifter’s Village, and of course we offer Blacksmithing courses in a stripped back ancient craft environment using just bellows, fires, anvils and hammers, to create your own artworks. Opposite The Smithy sits Whittlers Yurt, a Bohemian Boudoir paradise. It has its own bathroom and kitchen, hot tub and fire pit area. It also has direct access over the little bridge, down to the lake field and the treetop sauna. In the lake field we have the luxury lodges with huge glazed fronts looking on to the lake, all with private hot tubs and access to the tree top sauna.
On the top side of the site is Liberty Field, where you will find Drifter’s Village, a complex of four beautiful bell tents arranged on their own raised plinths. The bell tents all have sunset views and shared facilities, including a huge fire pit area, shared kitchen, showers and toilets. They also have their own private use BBQ’s for when more personal intimate times are wanted.
Nestled in its own little garden, just after Drifter’s Village, is our most quirky living space – The Journeyman. This is an original 1960’s caravan and the Rolls Royce of its day.
About Old Pound Smithy
There is also a small cottage nearby which can be rented from separate owners. This is a unique little house made from straw bales. It is incredibly cosy and also features its own private hot tub area.
In addition to this accommodation, down in The Meander, through the summer months, we also have ‘The Hardy Hole’, a huge 28ft Tipi, available to practice Yoga and as an events space for evening acoustic sessions.
Coming Soon… we will be building three luxury cabins and a treetop sauna!
Each of the cabins will be skilfully hand crafted to make them unique while sharing exceptionally high standards of comfort and creativity. They will all have log burners to keep you toasty on those cold winter nights as well as underfloor heating, hot tubs for easing those muscles after a hard day’s forging, and a fire pit to keep you warm on a summer’s evening.
The cabins will be just above the lake which teems with wildlife through the seasons. Snipe dart from the bull rushes; giant Emperor dragonflies weave through the reads; swallows turn and twist and dip, while Kingfishers flash their orangey blues. Above, the buzzards soar with an eerie cry and the kestrels hover for prey. At dusk the bats take their turn, flitting about whilst the silent barn owls swoop fast and effort free. There is a small pontoon into the lake from where the fish can be watched or the hours whiled away watching the ripples from the breeze.