Working Farm
As if we're not busy enough!
Ashness farm is 750 acres and extends from meadows on the edge of Derwentwater up to fell at High Seat. We farm Herdwick sheep, a hardy breed well suited to the high Lakeland fells. Belted Galloway cattle known affectionately as "belties", they are small black cattle with an unmistakeable white belt, they can survive outdoors all year round. They are better suited to the type of land we farm than larger continental type cattle and the National Trust use them for conservation work in the woodlands, we are using them to try and reduce the amount of bracken we have on our allotment land. We also have rare breed pigs and poultry which we use to produce the Cumberland sausage and free range eggs we serve for breakfast.
Environmentally Friendly Farming
We farm in an environmentally sensitive way and have in recent years planted nearly 1000 meters of hedges to encourage and help wildlife in the area. In 2002 we opened a permissive conservation footpath through the farm, from it you can observe what is happening on the farm through the seasons. The National Trust are committed in supporting hill farming and are financing a new midden for the farm in 2010 with help from the Catchment sensitive farming scheme.