COBBLE HEY FARM AND GARDENS

CLAUGHTON -ON-BROCK, GARSTANG

COBBLE HEY is a beef and sheep farm at Claughton-on-Brock, near Garstang, on land which rises from 600 to 800 feet in the Forest of Bowland.

Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens is a visitor attraction with open gardens of 3-4 acres which contain some renowned plant collections.

Cobble Hey offers a range of educational activities: there are a number of designed discovery walks; special events and farm days which celebrate the ethos of traditional farming methods.

There is an educational programme delivering to Key Stage 2 at local primary schools in Garstang and Longbridge; Key Stage 4 B. tech (a 1st diploma horticulture equivalent to 4 GCSEs) is also offered, and in 2009 Cobble Hey has piloted a new environment and land-based diploma (equivalent to 7 GCSEs).

David Miller came to live here in the mid 1960's with his dad who was a farmer from Ecclestone

David runs the farm with his wife Edwina, with help from his son (who is self-employed) for two days of the week.

Edwina and David manage and develop the gardens and bake for the cafe in the evenings. The visitor attraction's cafe is run by Annette with help at weekends from part-time staff.

HISTORY

Tithe maps dating from the 1300's reveal that the original farm on the site was called Peacock Hill. Cobble Hey Farm, the second farm on this site, was built as a single story dwelling in 1681. It was then owned by John Moreton. It was then bought by the Claughton Hall Estate and was tenanted by Tom Bamber. In the mid 19th century the farm had to be rebuilt following a fire.

In the 1950's there was a stone quarry at Cobble Hey.

TERRAIN

Cobble Hey has good quality hill pasture land on the side of Calder Fell, farmed sympathetically with the environment in a sustainable manner.

SIZE OF THE FARM

250 acres are farmed; there are 50 acres of lowland pasture away from the farm.

LIVESTOCK & NUMBERS

The beef breed is Charolais Bull on a mixed beef herd of 35 and followers, including South Devons, Aberdeen Angus and Herefords. There are small herds of Highland and Longhorn cattle that are key to grazing rush pasture for breeding wading birds.

The sheep are dalesbred crossed with Teeswaters to get a Masham, and there are mixed breeds such as Texels and Suffolks; 22 different breeds altogether.

Cobble Hey works with a traditional store market; lambs are sold when they are 3-4 months old for fattening.

Cobble Hey has a tradition of securing prizes at local shows.

As a visitor attraction, it has received many awards: Rural Tourism Business 2006/07; Green Tourism Environmental Award Gold 2007; Pride of Place 2007 Wyre District Council; Taste of Lancashire 2008; Excellence in Tourism 2008. In 2010 Cobble Hey has been shortlisted for 'Taste of Lancashire', Access and Small Visitor Attraction of the Year.

GRAZING & CONSERVATION

Cobble Hey has been in Entry Level Stewardship and has recently taken on Higher Level Stewardship. The farm has collaborated with RSPB and the Forest of Bowland AONB to promote management for breeding wading birds; there is a bird hide on site with binoculars for hire, that overlooks some of the fields being managed for breeding waders.

More fields are now being managed specifically for wading birds under the new HLS scheme. Lapwings are abundant and Curlew, Snipe, Redshank and Oystercatcher all breed annually. The Highland and Longhorn cattle graze rushes that help maintain open rushy pasture for these birds. More small wet features known as wader scrapes will be created under the HLS to provide more feeding areas for these birds' chicks.

The wildlife garden is designed by a local primary school and was opened by Christine Walkden in 2008.