We bought a field
The story of an 11.4 acre field in South West Shropshire
Background
On a sunny autumn evening on 30th September 2018, we bought a South Shropshire field at auction at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells.
It was one of the most nerve wracking things we have ever done in our lives.
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Described as a 'blank canvas' by the auctioneer, the field is 11.4 acres of permanent pasture next to our house and garden in the beautiful Redlake Valley.
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In the 20 years we have lived here the field has been quite tightly grazed by sheep (and cattle on one or two occasions) for most of the year, and rested over the winter months.
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The landowner had always very kindly let us walk the field with our dogs when the sheep were out, so we got to know it pretty well over the years. We even had a ready-made gate into the field from our own garden!
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We wanted to buy the field to manage it for nature and wildlife and biodiversity at a time in the 21st century when dire warnings of ecological decline and disaster rain down on us daily.
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We have never been land owners or managers before, and our learning curve will be steep. So this blog is a record of our adventures and what we learn along the way - and perhaps what we discover will be of help or interest to others doing similar things.
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