Ian and Astra Towning have been running Elmfield House for the past three years and have invested a lot of time, thought and emotion in it to create a delightful retreat from modern life.

Astra is responsible for the day-to-day running of Elmfield and will be your main point of contact throughout your stay, ensuring you enjoy the highest standards of service.

In additional to ourselves you will also meet our two daughters who assist with serving breakfast and greeting guests, Ian's mother who helps out behind the scenes and Sona (pronounced a bit like Sonia) who is our new housekeeper.

Other characters you are likely to come across during your stay are Molly - a very friendly tabby cat; Ozzie, a young and playful German Shepherd and our pony Bracken. For those who were here last year and met, and fell in love with, Flash, the Arab horse, he has gone back to his owner at the end or our loan arrangement. We miss him, but now have another very handsome and playful Arab called Pashka on loan. We also have 7 Welsh Badger Faced ewes and one ram called Rambo who loves a scratch behind the ears over the fence.

And we must not forget Hetty and the Girls, our growing brood of Rhode Island Red hens, who wander free around the grounds, busy producing eggs for your breakfast.