In the last trip to North Devon in England, I enjoyed the interior photography of great Airbnb holiday homes, flats and caravans. But nothing prepared me for Emma and Tim’s new crowdfunded project. When I arrive at Treyhill Farm, Emma is coming out to show me around the beautiful field with a huge 2 beds tent, a 1959 holiday twin bed caravan and a 1930 traditional gipsy caravan used as accommodation by Tim’s dad when building the house on his newly acquired adjacent farm. Tim worked all his life on the boats and his passion and former trade is the inspiration for the new Airbnb listing project.
Emma and I crossed the small farming road to the next field where there is an open small field with the best view of the valley leading to Appledore, the beautiful river Taw and Saunton Sands.
On the field there is a camp open fire, two telephone box sized cabins, I soon discover to be the toilette and shower rooms, and a 2 berth boat standing upright on one side. I start photographing the green low-tech compost toilette consisting of a basin with separate channels for liquid and solid waste; the liquid being discarded aside from the solid being used as a farming compost. 
The outdoor shower is powered by a low consumption gas heater similar to the kitchen sink one. On entering the boat conservatory-like kitchen extension, a 12 volt car plug and voltmeter is reading the solar-powered battery pack that supplies electricity to the whole boat. In the kitchen, a chart table flips open uncovering the storage underneath beside which there is the door leading to the cabins. The two berth cabin consists of a double bedroom and a twin room with access to the upper deck that, joined with the kitchen roof, make the rooftop terrace with ocean view.
The Boat on the Hill at Treyhill Farm is not only a wonderful holiday retreat for the purist raw traveller or for who wants to experiment with outdoor living, millennial explorer, writer, sailor dreamer, romantic couple, surfer, biker and generally open-minded people who love nature or want to try the thrill of the great outdoors with the comforts of a cosy home. Tim and Emma have also a good range of rooms within the main building of the farm where breakfast is served after a hot comfy indoor shower. Do you want to have your parents staying next door on a cottage style room, your kids on the 1950′ caravan in the field and gather all together around the fire and the bell tent in the evening to tell stories joining ?
Well just visit Treyhill farm’s many Airbnb listings and you will be well on your way to your dream vacation. Instow is conveniently located close to the beautiful river Taw, the Bijou village of Appledore, where you can buy that great Italian wine and those lovely organic veggies. Saunton Sands, Westward Ho and Woolacombe are all around at short distance to experiment with kite surfing, windsurfing and many other watersports.
Treyhill Farm is located in Instow, Devon, United Kingdom and Emma Johnson can be contacted by email at emmajohnsondevon@gmail.com or by phone on +44 7583 380775
