THE smiles on the faces of children said it all as the Princess Royal arrived in Iddesleigh this week to celebrate the achievement of a charity which has been enriching the lives of young people for almost 30 years.

Farms for City Children welcomed its patron Princess Anne on Tuesday for the grand opening of the new classrooms at Nethercott House and to mark the retirement of founders Michael and Claire Morpurgo from their executive roles.

The princess praised the concept of the charity which had given disadvantaged children from across the UK, many from inner city areas, the chance to participate in the working life of a farm.

As she unveiled the plaque to mark the opening of the newly converted attic rooms for creative activities, Princess Anne said Nethercott Farm and its two sister farms in Wales and Gloucestershire were ?absolutely magical places? which had been shared with almost 50,000 children since the charity was founded in 1976.

Through their experience at the farm, the children gained in confidence and self-esteem, learned about teamwork, farming, food production and country life.

?Farms for City Children is recognised throughout the UK for the opportunity it gives to children who have not had a chance to experience life in the countryside,? said Princess Anne.

?I would like to express a huge thank you to everybody who has made it such a success, and particularly Michael and Claire Morpurgo for what they have achieved.?

The newly converted attic rooms have been named after the late Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, who was the founding president of Farms for City Children and a great supporter of its work.

Princess Anne said she believed Mr Hughes would approve of the rooms and what they were being used for and the continued inspiration Nethercott Farm gave to so many children.

The Royal visitor was given a tour of the 500 acre farm and met some of the 40 children from Charles Darwin School in Biggin Hill, London, who were getting stuck into grooming the donkeys and bedding down asparagus for the winter.

Eleven-year-old Laurence Wells told Princess Anne that his days on the farm, which began at 7am, mucking out the horses and the chickens, had been ?wicked?.

?I told her that I thought we would have candlelight and no electricity,? he said. ?It is not quite like that but we had no TV.?

Laurence said the highlight of his week had been the cows and the chickens and being chased by the geese.

Ricky Harding said the Princess was ?very genuine and special? and it was a great experience to meet her: ?I said to her I had never been on a farm before and that it is really good fun looking after the animals,? he said.

One of the youngsters said meeting author Michael Morpurgo had been her highlight because she studied his books at school. A storytime session on Monday night with the writer went down a treat.

The Morpurgos will still be directors of the charity but will not be involved in the day to day running of the operation.

Mr Morpurgo, who is about to start writing his 100th children?s book and was appointed as Children Laureate in May, said the charity would continue with new blood.

?It is important to let the younger ones take over,? he said. ?Their leadership will be compatible with the integrity of the place but will bring new energy to it.?

Around 90% of schools return to the farm year after year and children do everything from lambing to collecting logs, making roads and milking.

?It?s a life-changing experience and for many children who come here it is like paradise,? he said. ?They think they are in a different country.?

?Here they understand what it is like to run a farm, work 14 hours a day and make the food this country lives on ? it just happens to be in a beautiful place where they see buzzards on the thermals and herons on the river.?

Charles Darwin schoolteacher Donna Colclough said the experience had been incredible for the pupils ? who had regained their

innocence by coming to Devon.

?They are acting like children again ? instead of being glued to their computer games they are outside, having fun,? she said.

?They have seen sunsets and the stars which they do not see in London because of the pollution and it?s been wonderful.?