WELCOME TO
Luxury holiday cottages
Halfpenny Farm
Meet The Family
Elliot Millard
Pip went to agriculture college after school, then farmed in New Zealand for three years. On her return she moved into veterinary nursing, working in local practices for thirty years, teaching veterinary nursing at local colleges and contributing chapters to veterinary nursing textbooks. In her spare time she enjoys travelling, gardening, lake swimming and walking the dogs.
Pip Millard
Dan has farmed here, at Halfpenny Farm, since leaving school. He has raised many thousands of chickens over the years, and more recently, Old Spot pigs. His real love though, (apart from Pip and the boys of course) is working with wood. Creating first, his own home, then The Retreat, were labours of love. Going to farm auctions and picking up bits and pieces that others discard is a favourite hobby!
Dan Millard
Elliot has a degree in Creative Advertising and a post-grad diploma in Interior Design. He is putting this to good use working in kitchen and bathroom design, creating The Potting Shed and project managing our barn conversion. He has been inter-railing around Europe and visited many other countries. He enjoys fine dining and relaxing with friends.
Jack Millard
Jack works on the farm with Dan, and like Dan, loves working with Wood. He completed a carpentry and joinery apprenticeship after leaving school and carried out shop fitting, bungalow conversions and created lakeside lodges. His love of animals then took him to New Zealand where he farmed for a year in the Waikato. Since his return he has helped Dan convert sheds into storage units and embark on converting a barn into another holiday cottage: The Escape.
Our Story
Halfpenny Farm, so named because it cost Dan's father everything down to his last H'penny, has been part of the Millard family for over 50 years. Bought as two green fields, it has seen cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, Highland Cows and even Water Buffalo grazing!
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As with many farming families, we needed to diversify to continue to make a living and the conversion of the garage into The Retreat started September 2017. We were able to open for business at the end of April 2018.
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It has been a real labour of love, particularly for Dan who sourced all the original artefacts, including the wooden beams and the work surfaces, creating a unique setting for guests.
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Encouraged by our success with The Retreat, Elliot decided to invest his savings in a Shepards hut and thus, The Potting Shed was born! Dan and Jack landscaped the area, creating a cosy, enclosed hideaway in which guests can totally relax.