BROCKSTONES FARM

KENTMERE

THE FARM

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

VISITORS

BROCKSTONES FARM is run by Ivan, Margaret, Stephen, Hannah Dickinson (and Stephen, Hannah’s partner works part-time on particular jobs; walling, clipping, silage).

Ivan (Hannah's father) is on the Rough Fell Working Council and Secretary of the Kentmere Sheepdog Trials Committee. Hannah is a member of the Herdwick Sheep Breeding Executive Committee (from March 1999) and is Secretary and Treasurer of the Kentmere Commoners Association. Both Ivan and Hannah are involved in judging at local shows.

HISTORY

The house is of late 17th century origin. The farm is made up of 3 farms Pouthowe, Overend and Brockstones. Ben Dickinson came to the farm in 1939, and the Dickinson family have owned it and run it since then.

LOCATION

TERRAIN

Brockstones is distinctive for its high pasture, (above 300 metres); it has access to Kentmere Dalehead Common. There are now 6 farms in Kentmere: Hartrigg, Bridgestone, Millriggs, Kentmere Hall, Browtop (a dairy farm until 2006), High Fold was sold and split up, still farmed, with Brockstones owning some of the land.

SIZE OF THE FARM

The total area of the farm is 450 hectares: made up of 150 hectares of meadow and improved pasture land and the rest is made up of 'grassings' (intakes) and woodland.

LIVESTOCK & NUMBERS

The first Herdwicks and draft ewes were bought from Tyson Hartley of Turner Hall (Duddon Valley) in 1986. Herdwick ewes were bought from Teddy Tyson’s sale (High Broadrayne, Grasmere) in 1988. Brockstones has been building its Herdwick flock since then, alongside its Swaledale and Rough Fell flocks. Brockstones is unusal for farming 3 native breeds commercially.

Foot and Mouth Disease led to reductions; Brockstones lost 25% of replacement gimmer hogs and Rough Fell shearlings which were away wintering.

Now there are:
140 ewes; 100 going pure-bred to Herdwick Tup
400 Swaledales
300 pure-bred Rough Fell
The Dickinsons have halved the number of gimmer hogs and retained some of the draft ewes for crossing with the texel tup.

They are keeping less sheep now.

45 suckler cows (small % are galloways); limousin crossed with galloways.

15 Fells & Dales Ponies (small number on the common).

GRAZING & CONSERVATION

The Common has recently gone into an ESA agreement (2003). The commoner’s federation was formed then. There are five graziers; mainly Swaledales and Rough Fell. Brockstones is limited to 500 through through the summer and then reduced by 25% on 1st October. There is no livestock on the common during the winter.

Fertilizer is not used on the grassings.

Boggy meadows are left and are rich in plant species.