Smeaton Farm

We stayed in the spacious Wisteria room as a family of two adults and one teenager. It was comfortable and had lots of room for the three of us. Richard and Sarah were warm and helpful, from suggesting places to visit to finding us board games on a day when the weather was awful. The farmhouse breakfasts were amazing, with excellent quality and plenty of choice to set us up for the day. Our daughter loved feeding the lambs, donkeys and alpacas, which made the stay memorable for her. It's a rural spot, but easy to reach the coast, the moors, National Trust properties and the lovely riverside walks at Calstock.

We wanted a couple of nights in the countryside away from the city, and had a wonderful stay at Smeaton Farm. The views and surrounding landscape were so relaxing. Richard made a brilliant English breakfast, and we've already booked another visit.

We travelled around the UK for a few weeks, and this was easily our favourite B&B. Richard and Sarah made everything easy for us, and the food was incredible. Sarah even fixed us a G&T to enjoy in the garden, which felt like a lovely extra. We hope to come back one day!

Smeaton Farm did not provide what it promised, and it was the worst place we've stayed. The setting is stunning. Our room looked worn and needed updating, but it was very clean, with fresh towels and tea and coffee supplies replenished each day. Breakfast was fantastic. The main reason we booked was the advertised AA DinnerAward, extensive menu and packed picnic. A week before arriving, we had reserved dinner for three nights so my diabetic wife could have wholesome farm food. We were charged £30 per person for pork on the first night, with no choice. It seemed like the cheapest meat they could get away with for more profit, but we agreed to avoid a fuss. They'd told us the second night they were going to a farm show, so there'd be no dinner, and sent us to a local pub. This apparently happens regularly, according to reviews. On the third night, we were again told there'd be no dinner. We then had to scramble to find somewhere to eat in the afternoon, because we didn't think we could drive out at night. My wife was left at risk of eating the snacks we'd brought. We weren't told there'd be no dinner until after we'd paid. If we'd known, we wouldn't have booked. The farm's narrow approach roads, overgrown with brambles and foliage, were another problem. They didn't warn us about them. Our new, high-value Audi Q7 is particularly wide and nearly as wide as the roads. Passing oncoming cars was difficult, and we wouldn't want to drive those roads at night or try to find the place in the dark. While there, I emailed the owner to say the pubs nearby weren't suitable for my wife and that we were struggling to find healthy food. I gave him a chance to put things right, but he showed no concern and pointed us to a Michelin restaurant. That felt condescending, since we only wanted healthy food of the sort they advertised. Nobody offered a sandwich, which we would've paid for, or access to a kitchen or fridge for food bought elsewhere. The lack of care and empathy was shocking. Other negative reviews going back years describe similar treatment. They should stop attracting guests with claims about the AA Dinner Award and packed picnic, which they couldn't be bothered to provide, and proudly advertise these at the front door. The menu seemed to be there just to get our interest. Other reviews describe an unfriendly reception, being sent to the pub despite food being advertised, rude family members who didn't smile and served guests grumpily, and a generally poor welcome. The repeated accounts made it seem normal. Once they had our money, we felt so uncomfortable that we wanted to leave as soon as possible. We were out the door first thing in the morning. After I posted this on Trip Advisor, owner Richard emailed privately calling us liars and threatening litigation over an honest, constructive review, knowing we couldn't reply there. He accepted the positive part of our review but couldn't handle the rest. He didn't address our concerns and only said it would affect his business. If ours were the only bad review, we might have put it down to him having a bad day, but this seems to be the norm at Smeaton Farm. Don't expect a warm welcome once your card details have been taken.