Places We Love: Abbey Home Farm

 A little detour that turned into something much more...

A few weeks ago, my sister and I went to Playing on the Farm, a small and very happy festival held on the campsite at Abbey Home Farm, just outside Cirencester.

Think tie dye, Grateful Dead fans, music, children running around and that lovely easy feeling you only really get at a small festival.

From the campsite, a woodland path led towards the farm shop, with little hand-painted signs pointing the way. We followed them through the trees, not really knowing what to expect.

I thought we might find a small farm shop and perhaps stop for a coffee.

I was very wrong! 

The festival was wonderful, but the place that really stayed with me was Abbey Home Farm.

A Farm Shop Full of Soul

As we came out of the woodland, we walked through the gardens and instantly spotted a beautifully painted Indian chai cart sitting outside the café.

It was the first little clue that this was going to be somewhere rather special.

Inside, the shop was an absolute delight. Pink walls, baskets of fresh vegetables, fruit, organic produce, skincare, homeware, books and all sorts of beautifully chosen things.

They seemed to have every product you could possibly imagine, but nothing felt cluttered or overwhelming. Everything had been selected with such care and displayed so beautifully.

There was colour everywhere, but it still felt calm, warm and completely lived in.

My sister and I stopped for lunch and had the most incredible spread of seasonal salads, quiche and mezze.

It was wholesome in the best possible way. Fresh, colourful and completely delicious.

We sat looking out into the garden in the sunshine and honestly felt as though we had stepped into another world. It did help that it was a gorgeous day, but I have a feeling the place would feel just as magical in the rain.

We kept looking at each other as if to say, how did we not know this was here?

After lunch, we wandered through into the India shop.

This was the point at which I completely fell in love.

There were block-printed textiles, painted signs, silk scarves, cushions, old furniture and colourful treasures everywhere. It instantly took me back to Jaipur.

That was where we got chatting to Hilary, and we immediately connected over our shared love of textiles, block printing and India. It was one of those easy conversations where you feel as though you could carry on talking for hours.

You can feel her eye in every corner of the place. Every colour, every object and every tiny detail has been chosen with so much character and care.

Naturally, I did not leave empty-handed.

I found an enamel painted sign that reads, “Best Tea served here”- which felt far too perfect to leave behind.

I also came home with some block-printed cushions for our camper van and a silk headscarf because, really, one can never have too many silk headscarves.

These are exactly the kind of things I love. Useful, beautiful and full of story.

The People Behind It

One of the loveliest parts of the visit was meeting Hilary and Maya, the mother and daughter behind so much of the farm shop.

They were both incredibly warm and welcoming, and it immediately made sense why the whole place feels so special.

Rooted in Organic Farming

Afterwards, I read more about the farm and discovered that the Chester-Master family have cared for the land for centuries.

In 1990, Will and Hilary converted the farm to organic farming, building a place centred around healthy soil, seasonal food, biodiversity and community.

Today, Abbey Home Farm is far more than a farm shop. It is a place to eat, learn, gather, walk, stay and reconnect with the land.

Why It Stayed With Me

Abbey Home Farm is far more than a farm shop.

It is a place where food, craft, colour, farming and community all seem to sit naturally alongside one another.

Nothing felt forced or overly polished. It simply felt like a place created by people who genuinely care about how things are grown, made, chosen and shared.

At Naked Generation, we often talk about slow fashion, but really those values stretch into every part of life. The food we eat, the people we support, the objects we bring into our homes and the places we choose to spend our time.

Abbey Home Farm felt like a beautiful example of all of that.

We arrived expecting a little walk and perhaps a coffee.

We left after the most wonderful lunch, a very lovely conversation and several new treasures tucked under our arms.

Some places are simply shops.

Others feel like stepping into somebody else’s world for an afternoon.

Abbey Home Farm was very much the latter

A Place Worth Visiting

So, If you ever find yourself near Cirencester, make time for it. Wander slowly, explore every room and leave yourself longer than you think you will need.

Some places leave you with a shopping bag.

Others leave you inspired.

Abbey Home Farm did both.

https://www.theorganicfarmshop.co.uk