BUCKLES FARM
BARRAS, KIRKBY STEPHEN
BUCKLES FARM is a Pennine hill sheep farm located in the village of Barras in the Upper Eden Valley. The farm has grazing rights on East Stainmore Common which is an area of fell to the South of the A66.
Kevin Buckle works full time on the farm assisted part time by his wife Rachel who also acts as Secretary of the Beltex Sheep Society. Kevin’s father is retired but also helps out on the farm.
HISTORY
Buckles Farm was named after Sir Cuthbert Buckle and Buckles Bridge.
TERRAIN
The farm is all severely disadvantaged land with a high rainfall. The inbye land is relatively level but very wet and the allotment land is rough grazing becoming rushy pasture higher up the hill. The common is mostly grass fell with some heather regeneration.
SIZE OF THE FARM
The farm is around 145 ha of owned land and 12.82 ha of land held on a tenancy. The Buckles have a right to graze on East Stainmore common amounting to an area of effectively 156 ha.
LOCATION
© Copyright
LIVESTOCK & NUMBERS
The farm has 700 Swaledale sheep of which half are bred pure as replacements for the fell sheep flock. In addition, the farm has 60 pure bred pedigree Texels, 40 pedigree Beltex and 150 commercial Beltex and Texel sheep.
Lambs are sold both liveweight at Penrith, Kirkby Stephen and Carlisle auctions from October to march and a small proportion is sold deadweight.
Kevin Buckle is a member of Swalex Ltd – a group of local farmers specializing in the export of breeding sheep. The group has been working together over a period of years pioneering the latest sheep breeding technology with breeds that include Swaledale, North of England Mule, Texel, Beltex and Blue Faced Leicester. Information about their Company, Swalex Ltd, can be seen on their website at www.swalex.com.
The Buckles are also members of a local Swaledale lamb group which currently markets Swaledale lamb to a Cumbrian catering supplier. The group has developed a market for a lightweight Summer Swaledale lamb in July and August and there is also a Winter Swaledale season from January through to March.
Buckles Farm won the prize for the champion Beltex at the Royal Show in 2007 and Reserve female champion at the Yorkshire Show in 2007. They have produced the Texel ram sale champion at Penrith for 3 years including in 2007.
GRAZING & CONSERVATION
Buckles Farm is in the Environmental Stewardship Scheme and also has a Countryside Stewardship Agreement both on its own land and a separate agreement for East Stainmore common.
Mousegill Beck SSSI is located on the farm and is an area of steeply sided river bed which has been designated for the vegetation on its rock formations.
Sheep are taken off the fell land in winter to minimize trampling.
The Cumbria Fells and Dales Leader + programme is based at Voluntary Action Cumbria and is part-financed by the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund of the European Union and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. This project is part of a trans-national project with Gévaudan Leader + Programme, Lozère, France.
© Copyright 2008 Cumbria Hill Farms