A FAMILY have returned from holiday to witness the devastation a blaze caused to their home.

Vivien and Tony Smith are heartbroken their farmhouse and holiday cottage business, Bowlees Farm, was gutted by a fire on New Year’s Day.

Hampered by snow, firefighters struggled to reach the farmhouse, near Wolsingham, County Durham, as the flames caused £500,000 of damage.

Developer Mr Smith, 47, and his wife were relaxing in a hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, when a neighbour called to break the news.

They returned on the first flight available, on Wednesday morning.

Mr Smith said: “It has been a disaster – the holiday from hell. The guy from the farm next door called and said your house is on fire.

“I said ‘no’ and he just said ‘your whole house is ablaze’.

“We went into shock. It was awful being thousands of miles away.”

An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the fire at the farmhouse, which dates from 1590.

Mr and Mrs Smith said most of what had been lost in the fire was priceless, including the family’s photograph albums, music collection and other treasured possessions.

Mrs Smith, 50, said: “You can’t replace memories.

“You can replace a utility room or a bathroom and everything like that, but our memories are in our head now.”

The family were granted one saving grace – their pet rabbits Hayley and Fudge were rescued unhurt.

The blaze followed a fire at the farmhouse sauna a week before, which was quickly extinguished.

Mr Smith said: “We feel really stupid to have two fires in a week.

“We feel like we were given this house to look after in our lifetime and pass on to someone else after having lovingly restored it.

“We are absolutely devastated.

Even the old 1590 beams are gone.”

Bowlees was formerly a pig farm and was the first regis- By Rachel Wearmouth rachel.wearmouth@nne.co.uk tered organic farm in County Durham.

But the herd of 200 rare Gloucester old spot pigs was culled during the 2001 footand- mouth outbreak after the disease reached a neighbouring farm.

The couple have since spent thousands of pounds converting two existing holiday cottages into one luxury holiday cottage, pool and spa.

It adjoins their private home, which the couple share with sons Jonathan, nine, and Ben, 23.

Mrs Smith, who broke into tears on seeing the damage, said: “It has felt like a nightmare or a bad dream. We did not expect it to be like it was.”

The family will stay in a property near Crook while they rebuild their home, and thanked friends and family for help and support.