This Is Us
This Is Us
Trevor
and
Jane Gavin
We both grew up in London in the 1970s as council estate kids, but we actually met at work in 1990 when we were both BT engineers.
We found we had similar upbringings and had been to a lot of the same places on family holidays, and that the West Country held our favourite memories.
Living the Dream
When we married, we continued to holiday in Devon and Cornwall. Taking our various dogs with us over the years, we often spoke about how nice it would be to live there.
We got the push we needed when a blip in Trevor's health meant he needed a change of pace, and after 20 years in the police, Jane had the perfectly timed opportunity to take redundancy. After a long search for a property with the potential to make our dream a reality, we finally made it to Devon and couldn’t be happier.
The Property
We both fell in love the minute we saw Trehill Farm. The house is old and quirky but beautiful, and ready for us to put our own stamp on it! More importantly, it included just over 20 acres of paddocks and woodland, all bordered by a stream with a barn that is remote to the house and has its own access way from the lane.
We both love history, and Trehill Farm has been on this site in one guise or another since 1500, added to over the years to become what it is today. The farmhouse was seized during the prayer book rebellion in the mid-1500s and given to Cambridge University by Henry VIII.
We have even managed to get hold of some original handwritten deeds with wax seals from 1749 when it was sold back to become a farm again!
Dog-friendly Devon
We have always had dogs and they are a big part of our lives. We have spent a lot of time walking and socialising with other like-minded people.
This changed when we got our current two dogs. They both have reactivity issues, very selective recall, and a high prey drive. This meant we found ourselves avoiding other walkers and trying to find secluded secure places to take them.
This was pretty stressful, and when we were lucky enough to find somewhere safe it was so great to see them running around being dogs and enjoying themselves. It felt quite lonely being in this situation, but we soon found we are not the only ones with ‘special’ dogs.
This is the reason we decided to go down the route we have with The Belfry, so we can give other people and their dogs, whether they have special needs or not, the chance to come to a safe, secure, non-judgemental environment to de-stress.
The Belfry
The barn became The Belfry, named by Jane because she loves bats. It was a fairly modern barn of block and steel construction and it has been converted with the blood, sweat, tears, swearing, and a lot of love and care by various family members and friends throughout 2020! We opened to guests in 2021.
The beauty of Bark at the Barn is its location, which gives you privacy and the sole use of the land The Belfry stands in, which is approx. 15 acres – but we are just a field away if you need us.
Relax in Dog-friendly Devon
We hope we can welcome you and your dogs to our home and that you will love it as much as we do!