Maureen Hodges meets a couple who are working hard to secure the long-term future of their traditional hill farm...
Seatoller Farm is set against the stunning backdrop of Cumbria in the idyllic Borrowdale Valley.
Unique upland Atlantic oak woodland, heather clad fells and crystal-clear rambling rivers create the most beautiful scenes throughout the year and are all to enjoy right on the doorstep.
The farm always had a holiday cottage and campsite, but the enterprising young couple have added freshly-made stone-baked pizzas which include toppings such as locally-sourced Cumbrian chorizo and air-dried ham and chicken to visitors to their campsite, alongside classics such as Herdwick lamb sausages made from their own flock.
The tasty treats are part of the couple’s extensive diversification strategy, which is helping to ensure their traditional Herdwick and Swale-dale flocks will continue to graze the fells for generations to come.
As well as providing locally-sourced produce, the couple also run a rustic campsite, holiday cottage, gift and coffee shop and pizza barn where they make their pizzas.
She said: “All our diversifications – the pizzas and the shop and campsite – are helping to sustain the farm.
“We plan our diversifications so they directly link to, or help, the farm, such as using our own meat for the pizza toppings.
“The shop is there to sell the craft products my mum and I make from wool, and products like our Herdwick lamb and mint burgers that everyone says are delicious. Plus, campers can grab a coffee and a croissant in the morning, which saves them having to make their own breakfast or go off site.”
In 2017 Dan and Ruby took the tenancy on the farm – a National Trust property located in the heart of the Lake District National Park – after it had been held by Dan’s parents for 15 years before that.
When the couple took over the farm, they inherited the campsite and holiday cottage and have worked hard to build on these with the gift shop and pizza barn.
Dan also gives farm talks on Tuesday evenings during the holiday season to help inform and educate any guests wanting to learn about traditional hill farming.
He said: “The campsite has been around for many years. “In fact, we had the old tenants’ grandson come in for pizza the other week. He is now in his sixties and remembers going round the campsite selling milk from the farm with his grandad when he was a young lad.”
Dan said he and Ruby have improved the site by turning the old dairy parlour into a shower block – with the showers located in the cubicles the cows used to stand in to be milked – and have put a freezer for guests’ use in the old bottling room.
“The campsite is a great addition to the farm,” he said. “We would definitely recommend providing outdoor accommodation to other farmers looking to diversify because it co-exists so well with the farm. The two complement each other, rather than get in the way.”
Dan invites visitors to learn about the unique way of farming that shapes the Lake District fells, and covers all sorts of topics, followed by any questions. The topics covered include: The Farming Year; The breeds of sheep they have; Environmental Factors; Climate Change; The Future of Farming. The couple also offer private group farm talks and can include anything from dry stone walling to sheep dog demonstrations.
Seatoller Farm provides a fantastic base for hill walkers wanting to explore the area. It is a back-to-basics site, no Wi-~Fi or phone signal (except Vodafone in Seatoller itself), so visitors are encouraged to switch off and embrace the wild feel.
The couple market the campsite via popular online booking platform Pitchup.com, which helps to ensure it’s busy throughout their season, which runs from March to October.
Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com, described Seatoller Farm as a first-class example of how tourism and agriculture can co-exist to cement the longer-term future of a farm – particularly smaller hill farms.
“At the same time, they’re providing amazing holiday opportunities for people to get a real taste of Cumbria – both past and present – through the fantastic local produce they supply, and the farm talks where people can learn all about traditional hill farming. Together these combine to create a great business model that celebrates so much that is wonderful about Cumbria, from the hardy native sheep breeds to the rugged beauty of the landscape.”
Dan added: Dan and Ruby’s story shows it’s not just farming that is passed down generations, but hospitality, too.
“From the thousands of working farms we have listed on Pitchup.com, we know that many farmers are among the most friendly and welcoming people on earth,” said. “It’s therefore no surprise to learn about farms like Seatoller which have been offering camping for decades. This kind of diversification is not new and it is fantastic to see young, ambitious, enterprising people like Ruby and Dan building on this tradition and taking it forward for the future.”
For advice on how to set up a farm-based campsite, visit Pitchup’s ‘How to Start a Campsite’ page at www.pitchup.com/how-start-campsite-caravan-park
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