A B&B is celebrating being the first in the Swindon area to win the coveted five-diamond AA rating.

Graham and Christine Saunders married in 1969 and spent the first year of their life together living and working at Bagbury Farm in Purton, which belonged to Graham's family.

Christine, 56, said: "Life when we married was hard. I was earning £7.50 as a trained graphic designer, but he was earning just £3 a week on the farm.

"To make ends meet I had to grade eggs when I arrived home from work, then pack them and load them into our old Morris car.

"We were very tired and very poor, and there was no respite on a Saturday or Sunday on a dairy farm the cows need milking twice a day, every day."

Eventually Graham's brother Michael took it over, but Graham, 58, and Christine moved out because the farm couldn't support two families.

For 30 years they lived within a stone's throw of Bagbury Farm. But four years ago, after Michael retired, Graham and Christine bought the farm back. It needed a lot of work so far more than £500,000 has been invested in it because damp and structural problems had begun to take hold.

Christine said: "We had to sell a few peripheral fields to help pay for the extensive renovations

required.

"We also decided it would be a great opportunity to renovate the cow stalls into luxury bed and breakfast accommodation."

While Graham and their son Joe spent time on the building work, Christine concentrated on the furnishings, which include antique iron radiators, and French clothing

as interior decorations. There are four cowstalls in total the Manger, the Crib, the Byre and the Parlour and 35 acres of land for walks and picnics.

Christine said: "I wanted the interiors to be unique. I used many of the objects left discarded around the farm.

"Hayracks became magazine racks, cow-cups made fantastic uplighters, one of the taps sprouts from the centre of an old millstone and old galvanised containers made lovely planters."

The farm was originally bought by Graham's parents Alice and Howard in 1948.

An incognito AA inspector visited last month.

After a breakfast of Wiltshire ham, Havarti breakfast cheese, and homemade marmalades, jellies and croissants, he awarded the Cowstalls five diamonds, making it the only establishment in Swindon's catchment area with the accolade.

Rooms cost from £65 a night. For more information call 01793 770130.