A FIRE which ripped through two barns on an Exmoor farm has left a trail of damage running into thousands of pounds.

Firefighters were at Wilmersham Farm, Luccombe, for almost 24 hours tackling the massive blaze which destroyed 700 tons of hay and straw, two tractors, an all-terrain vehicle and 35 tons of corn on Monday morning.

The largest of the barns - a concrete structure measuring around 110 feet by 75ft - was gutted, with one side of the smaller building also lost.

Crews from Porlock, Minehead and Williton, together with a command unit from Wiveliscombe, a water carrier from Bridgwater and a team of specialist officers were sent to the scene after reports of "a glow in the sky" just after 3am.

Malcolm Westcott, whose family has farmed the National Trust-owned farm since the 1930s, said the first he knew about the incident was when fire crews arrived on the scene.

Mr Westcott runs a mixed beef and sheep unit at Wilmersham with his wife Sheridan and son Dominic and one of the barns was housing 20 pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows and calves, along with a bull.

"Luckily my son was able to get them out to safety and none of them were hurt," said Mr Westcott.

The blazing barns were around 300 metres away from the 19th century farmhouse but close to a farm cottage, whose tenant was on holiday.

However, crews used compressed air foam to keep the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings.

Firefighters initially had to use breathing apparatus as they tried to bring the incident under control.

By 10.30am they were keeping "a watching brief" on the burning hay and by 3pm one crew from Minehead was still on site.

Firefighters from Nether Stowey had taken over the watch by 8pm and it was not until 3am the following day that the final crews left the scene.

Investigations into the cause had begun by mid-morning on the day the fire broke out but a spokesman for the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said it was believed to be accidental.

Mr Westcott, who converted his 2,200 holding - which includes some Crown Estate-owned land - to organic status four years ago, said the loss of the feed would have a significant impact.

"It was certainly a shock to see such devastation but at least no-one was hurt," he said.

Photos: Steve Guscott