Foxingham Farm Bed & Breakfast: A Home Away From Home in Mulmur, Ontario
The Foxingham Farm B&B isn’t just a place to stay, it’s an experience which will leave you with fond memories that won’t soon fade.
In the past year and a half or so, I spent a lot of time reflecting on what it was that I wanted to experience on the other side of all this. For me, it kept coming back to real connection with others. And, not to get philosophical in the first paragraph, but one could argue that that may be the meaning of life itself.
I realized that I wasn’t excited to go and stay in an anonymous hotel for the sake of it, I was actually more excited by the notion of sharing space and time with others.
In this way, a stay at Foxingham Farm Bed and Breakfast in the township of Mulmur, Ontario was just what the doctor ordered.
Before Bri and I departed on this little Ontario couple’s adventure, I spoke with Martin Ingham, who runs this B&B alongside his wife Shalani, at length on the phone. I quickly realized this was something we were both rather adept at and, if left only to our own devices, we might talk for hours on end. There was one thing that he said that has stuck with me, and I think sums up our experience staying there, and the region at large, perfectly.
“In the middle of nowhere, we’ve got everything.”
How Foxingham B&B Came to Be
Martin and Shalani standing out front of Foxingham.
Over generous and jovial glasses of homemade wine with Shalani and Martin, Bri and I came to learn how this dream became a reality. Mansfield, their small yet watchful dog (named after the nearby village, I might add) watched from the window, largely to ensure that we were as friendly as we seemed to be, and weren’t there to cause trouble.
He also simply wanted to watch the hens running around the yard. Did I mention they have hens with a henhouse that lay farm fresh eggs for breakfast?
Their story together is one that seems worthy of a biography or memoir. They were both born outside of Canada, but the winds of fate had them moving to Canada, and meeting in a park in Toronto a few decades ago. Within a month they were living together, and not long after that, they were married in a rainforest in Costa Rica.
Since they joined forces, they’ve had four different farms (including a horse farm for 10 years), and, ultimately, four different lifestyles. Eventually, their eyes settled on Mulmur, largely due to a friend of Shalani’s, who was in love with the region.
When they bought the property, a historical building built in 1870 on the Pine River, their son came to visit and promptly called it “uninhabitable.” Many years, and much sweat equity later, I’m happy to say that Foxingham is indeed very, very habitable, and, dare I say, homey.
What I loved about staying here was that I never got the sense that I was a “customer”, as much as a friend in waiting. They listened to our stories, and we listened to theirs, and by the end of our stay, I think both Bri and I felt a genuine closeness that was quite uplifting, especially after the isolating nature of the recent times. It’s the sort of closeness where, not unlike our stay at Clyde Hall in Lanark County, if we were driving past on a whim, we’d be sure to stop in and say hello.
As Martin said, while we sat out front, “we’ve had people coming from all over the world. For us, it’s not about making money.”
Our Stay at Foxingham
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Set on 24 acres of land, Foxingham is downright idyllic. The English country garden out front certainly doesn’t hurt either.
Foxingham is, for me, the antithesis of the glassy buildings of Toronto's downtown core. That is to say, it’s a place that is filled to the brim with character. There are antiques, and odds and ends, and pictures of a past time everywhere you look. It’s far from a bed and breakfast where you’d want to arrive and stay in your room indefinitely. No, it’s very much a place to and wander a little, whether in the house or around the property.
Bri and I, of course, are rather adept wanderers, and we explored some of the nearby area as well. Most notably, we made reservations at Mrs. Mitchell’s restaurant nearby (no relation to us, but, of course, we love the name), and I simply could not recommend that more. If you do visit, please say hello to Heidi for us! (Similarly, if you do end up at Foxingham, please do say hello to Martin and Shalani for us, and tell them we said you could try the homemade wine, too!).
Each room has a shared bathroom with some toiletries and shower products included. Each room also has a balcony, and as Shalani and Martin like to say, “views of the ski hills or walnut orchards are provided.”
They’ve got a couple of bikes if you arrive as a couple, or with a friend, and decide that you’d like to explore anything you spotted from your balcony in more depth.
Bri and I loved the shared lounge that was equipped with a fireplace and library. It was all just so quaint and inviting. We ended up watching some TV there until late at night and, quite frankly, it was just a joy to be watching television in any place that wasn’t our own living room. And yet, in that moment, it also felt like our living room - our home away from home.
There are three rooms that are available for booking. You can find out the full details around booking here, if you’re so inclined.
Queen Room with Shared Bathroom: This is where we stayed, and this room has 1 large double bed, as well as a futon bed. You’ll find views of the Mansfield Ski Club from the balcony. This is the largest room.
Superior Room with Shared Bathroom: Here you’ve got a cozy double bed, and a room that overlooks the orchards. It’s a smaller room, generally speaking, but adorable.
Double Room with Shared Bathroom: This room is a little larger than the Superior Room and a little smaller than the Queen Room (very appropriate for Goldilocks). You’ll have views of the gardens and the Mansfield Ski Club.
Ultimately, at least in my opinion, staying here isn’t about staying in the rooms, it’s about staying under the roof of two memorable people who will ensure your stay is wonderful.
When we woke up in the morning, we headed down for breakfast. Jams, bread, bagels and fresh fruit lay on the table. Martin then came in, and with a cheerful good morning, he cooked us some eggs (fresh from the hens) and bacon. Shalani then joined us, and the four of us began chatting.
Not surprisingly, an hour or two went by before we knew it, and then it was time to depart.
Farewell for Now, Foxingham Farm
The view from the balcony of our Queen Room.
Foxingham isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for something ultra-modern where you can work uninterrupted, and can view the skyline below, whilst ordering room service on a whim.
Rather, it’s a historic property run by two people who ooze warmth and have made it their mission to welcome people with the openest of arms. It’s a place to go and meet the owners, and to create the space to, in a way, meet yourself again. I’m comfortable saying that there’s space at Foxingham to give yourself whatever kind of break you need - and that could be through conversation, or it could be on a long walk on the property.
At Foxingham, you can choose your own adventure and make the experience whatever you want. But I’d strongly urge you to arrive, and let Martin and Shalani guide you on this adventure because, despite all the lives they’ve lived in all those different places, I can swear they were always meant to end up here, doing exactly this.
I want to humbly thank Central Counties Tourism and Foxingham Farm Bed & Breakfast for hosting me as media. All opinions are completely my own.
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