Spring at Butterwell Farm: Lambing Season, Renovations & Winter Reflections
Spring has arrived at Butterwell Farm, bringing with it longer days, new life, and one of the busiest times of year on the farm.
With lambing season just around the corner and exciting renovation progress underway, it’s a full and rewarding start to the year.
Lambing Season Begins
Our lambs are due any day now—perhaps they’ve already made their appearance by the time you’re reading this!
Lambing is always one of the most special times of year here at Butterwell Farm. It brings a renewed sense of energy to the land, but also plenty of hard work behind the scenes, and invariably some snippets of heartbreak along the way. With everything else happening on the farm, we are preparing for a particularly busy few weeks ahead.
Apple Tree House Renovation Update
Alongside lambing, we’re racing towards completing the first phase of the Apple Tree House renovation in time for our first angling guests arriving on 1st May.
So far, this phase has included:
– A full renovation of the kitchen and lounge
– Installation of a new front door
– A fully upgraded interconnected fire alarm system
– Heated towel rails in all bathrooms
We’ve focused on creating a warm, welcoming space full of character, while also introducing the comfort and practicality of a modern kitchen.
Hopefully later this year will find time to move our attention to phase two of the renovation:
– New bathrooms
– Updated flooring throughout
– Further interior and exterior cosmetic and practical improvements
We’re really excited to see the full transformation come together and we hope you are too.
Cosy Winter Stays on the Farm
Winter at Butterwell Farm has its own unique charm, and this winter just gone we were delighted to welcome a steady flow of guests across all of our properties.
With log burners lit and cosy interiors, many guests enjoyed peaceful, restorative stays surrounded by nature. It’s a quieter time of year, but no less special.
Looking back, we were amazed to discover that in 2025 we welcomed 640 guests to Butterwell Farm! It’s a milestone that truly highlights how many people we’ve been lucky enough to share this magical place with. We hope to welcome just as many in 2026!
Buzzard Barn Gets a Refresh
Before beginning work on Apple Tree House last autumn, we turned our attention to Buzzard Barn, giving it a well-deserved refresh.
We introduced new interior touches and cosy additions, always aiming to maintain high standards and continually improve the guest experience.
If you’ve stayed recently, we hope you’ve noticed (and enjoyed) the updates.
Over 600 Five-Star Reviews
We’re incredibly grateful to share that we’ve now received over 600 five-star reviews across all our properties!
Each review plays an important role in helping us continue what we do—offering memorable stays while caring for and protecting this special part of Cornwall.
Here is our favourite picked out from the last few months from Vicki who stayed in Kingfisher Cabin:
“Our stay at Kingfisher Cabin was honestly one of the most peaceful, beautiful stays we’ve ever had. Nestled beside the river surrounded by birdsong, and owls hooting at night, the setting felt truly magical and so tranquil. The cabin itself is incredibly cosy and thoughtfully done. The kitchen had everything we needed, and the bath and shower were absolutely amazing. We especially loved the swing seat and sitting by the fire in the evenings ~ it all felt so relaxing and special. Everything was spotless, easy to find, and the location is perfect. The Butterwell Farm grounds are simply wonderful. My partner, our one-year- old daughter and I made memories here that we’ll always cherish. We can’t thank Rachel and Sam enough for sharing their paradise with the world, such a wonderful stay and experience. We would absolutely love to visit again and would 100% recommend.”
Moments like these are exactly why we do what we do.
Exploring Cornwall: Winter Highlights
During the quieter months in Cornwall, we took the opportunity to enjoy a few memorable days out across Cornwall.
Exploring the beautiful Lost Gardens of Heligan. One of Cornwall’s most celebrated attractions, just over thirty minutes drive from Butterwell Farm, making it an ideal day trip for guests. Once hidden and overgrown for decades, these beautifully restored gardens now offer a captivating mix of Victorian kitchen gardens, winding woodland walks, and atmospheric sculptures nestled within lush greenery. Heligan is a place that feels both enchanting and steeped in history. It’s a great family day out with a huge play area, activities and a fun shop at the end!
Walking from Rock to Daymer Bay along the sand dunes, followed by dinner at The Mariners pub with stunning views of the Camel Estuary and a sunset to match.
A sunny winter walk along the South West Coast Path with friends never gets old. Time to breath and talk and soak up the sea air. There are some great walking guides and apps to use to get out and explore – please just ask and we will always help you find the right route to suit.
Visiting the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth. A little further afield (fifty minutes), but well worth the journey to this vibrant harbour town. Falmouth Harbour is the third largest natural deep-water harbour in the world, after Sydney and Rio de Janeiro! We can highly recommend a visit to the adjacent fishmongers too PYSK Fishmongers – a wonderful selection of local fish and seafood, fantastic service and traceability.
Autumn Reflections & Woodland Photography
As the seasons pass so quickly, it’s important to pause and reflect. It is nice to take the time to write a newsletter like this to reflect on the month, or even year gone by to appreciate all that has been achieved and enjoyed.
Last autumn, we invited dear friend and photographer Doon Williams to capture the woodland here at Butterwell Farm. Seeing the landscape through her lens gave us a completely fresh perspective—it reminded us of the quiet beauty that can be easy to overlook when you see it every day. Walking with someone unfamiliar with the place, or experiencing it for the first time, can make you re-see the wonder.
We will be sharing more of her beautiful woodland images soon.
Book Your 2026 Stay
We still have limited availability remaining for 2026 bookings.
If you’re planning a countryside escape in Cornwall, we’d love to welcome you. Visit our website booking page to explore availability across our properties.
Wishing You a Happy Easter
As spring unfolds, we’d like to wish you all a peaceful and joyful Easter.
Thank you for continuing to follow our journey and for being part of the Butterwell Farm story.
To get this newsletter straight to your inbox don’t forget to subscribe at the bottom of our website.
Don’t forget to check out our latest updates and wildlife videos on Instagram and Facebook.
Warm wishes,
Rachel & Sam x
Butterwell Farm, Cornwall
River Report Update
Although the river has been closed since mid December we still take the time to send our monthly reports into Trout & Salmon magazine to touch base on river conditions, weather and any new data on fish stocks. Anglers will be keen to read this next section containing our river reports from December to our current March edition.
The river opens again on 1st May and we look forward to welcoming all those anglers who have already reserved rods for 2026. We have a maximum of four rods on the river at any one time so it’s important to reserve your dates as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
For more information about fishing at Butterwell Farm please look at the fishing pages on our website. For more day-to-day updates on fishing and the estate management at Butterwell Farm, follow Sam on Instagram @butterwell_sam
9th March 2026:
With fishing still closed until 1 May, attention at Butterwell remains on the river and the steady change of season along its banks. After the exceptionally wet start to the year, the past month has been slightly drier than the previous, allowing the Camel to begin settling after the heavy winter flows.
Earlier in the winter the river reached some of the highest levels seen in many years, even threatening the footbridge here at Butterwell. Since then conditions have moderated, and over the past week the river has been holding a very pleasing level. At the time of writing the water is running clear at roughly two feet above our usual summertime low.
Spring now feels as though it has properly arrived. Grass is beginning to grow again along the meadows and the first buds are appearing on the trees that line the river. After a long spell of grey weather we were also treated to a rare day of blue skies and sunshine last week — a welcome reminder that the new season is not too far away.
We have still not seen any final reports for the results of the 2025 Camel electro fishing juvenile surveys from West Country Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency. We have seen the results of their testing of each site in 2025. Trout numbers appear to be in good health, which is consistent with the good sea-trout runs we have been experiencing in recent seasons. On the salmon front, the survey sites were not focused on the areas which have historically been the main nursery areas for salmon. Testing in both 2024 and 2023 was more heavily focused on the main nursery areas and demonstrated reasonable densities of salmon in most of the 15-20 sites which have historically been good nursery areas. So the Camel salmon seem so be hanging in there in many parts of the catchment!
We have seen the results of the water quality surveys undertaken by the Environment Agency on the Camel over 2025. In general phosphate levels have been within target ranges set by Natural England with a few notable exceptions. It is noteworthy that there appears to have been no testing by the Environment Agency of the outflow from local water treatment works in 2025.
Hopefully the winter water has done the river good, flushing the gravels and refreshing the system after a long season. With a little more settled weather through the spring, we look forward to the river continuing to fine down ahead of the opening.
3rd February 2026:
With fishing closed until 1 May, attention at Butterwell has been on the river itself. The winter of 2026 has brought exceptionally heavy rainfall, producing some of the highest water levels on the Camel in the last 20 years. The river has been running very high and fast, causing damage in places — including a near-loss of the footbridge at Butterwell. These conditions remind us of the river’s power and the care needed around the banks.
While the high water is currently putting pressure on the banks and access points, it may still play a crucial role in supporting salmon spawning, flushing the river and creating good conditions for eggs and juvenile fish. We are hopeful that, despite the intensity of the flows, the salmon will find suitable areas to spawn successfully this season and the redds will not be washed out.
Preliminary results from the 2025 juvenile electrofishing surveys continue to show healthy trout densities, though salmon juveniles remain an area of concern. The river’s recovery over the next few months will be vital for the 2026 runs.
12th January 2026:
With fishing at Butterwell and the Camel generally closed now till 1 May, it’s time to take stock of 2025. As I write Storm Goretti is ripping through Cornwall adding to the high water experienced at the end of the 2025 season. Having experienced very low water and high temperatures consistently during the season until October, we eventually got solid rains and some very cold weather at the turn of the year. In fact the water level reached a record 2.75 meters at the Dunmere counter on 15 December, covering the fields and flood plain at Butterwell. Let’s hope we have a successful spawning season.
The 2025 sea-trout season kicked off very early with a 7lb beauty caught by Sam Hamilton. Water levels then fell quickly in record hot weather, which persisted throughout the summer and into the autumn. The sea trout nevertheless ran consistently from late June and we finished the season with 66 sea trout in the book. Fairly consistent with 2024, and a testament to the resilience of night fly fishing at Butterwell in drought conditions. There were a lot of fish in the 2-3lb range and a few to 5lb. We had quite a few first time night fishers, most catching their first Butterwell sea-trout on night fly. Unfortunately a sizeable number of very large fish, seen on daily beat walks, passed by unhindered and will hopefully be heading back to the salt by now.
Salmon fishing was very light from September onwards, partly because of the drought, which went into late September. Those that fished generally had some action and five Salmon were caught from late September to the end of October. The tail end of the season was washed out by the storms. A lot of salmon were seen by those on the river and I have no doubt more salmon would have been caught with more fishing effort.
We have just received the preliminary results of the 2025 Juvenile electro fishing surveys. At cursory glance, the trout densities continue to be good but the salmon continue to be a worry. We hope to have more detail next month.
We are still awaiting the results of the EA’s water quality surveys.
Anglers also enjoyed seeing the diverse nature of Butterwell, including our resident otters as well as visiting ospreys. There has also been evidence of beaver activity on the Camel below Butterwell.