CROASDALE HOUSE FARM

SLAIDBURN, CLITHEROE

THE FARM

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

VISITORS

CROASDALE HOUSE FARM is a 940 hectare beef and sheep hill farm on the United Utilities Estate in the Forest of Bowland. Malcolm and Marty run Croasdale House Farm with one part-time employee and part-time help from their sons and daughter.

HISTORY

The farmhouse is belived to originate back to the 1640s but many structural changes have taken place since then.

The farm has belonged to and been farmed in hand by the area's local water authorities since the Fylde Water Board compulsory purchased the land following "The Fylde Water Board Act of 1912". They were taken over by the North West Water Agency in 1973 which became North West Water PLC after privatisation in 1989. In 1990, the farm was then rented out to the then Shepherds at Croasdale, Malcolm and Marty Handley, for the North West Water PLC. In 1995 NWW joined with Norweb to become United Utilities.

The farm itself is one of two belonging to the Bowland Estate that are NOT used for water catchment

TERRAIN

Croasdale House Farm is situated at an altitude of 200-450 metres. The majority of the land is heather moorland along with enclosed rough grazing, pastures and meadows.

SIZE OF THE FARM

980 hectares.

LIVESTOCK & NUMBERS

30 Belted Galloway pedigree cows plus followers.

Marketing of Belted Galloway beef is by 'word of mouth'; the animals go to a small family run slaughterhouse at Ilkley, and then to the farm's butcher in Silsden, where it is hung for a couple of weeks, cut up and packaged there, and then sold directly from the farm.

LIVESTOCK & NUMBERS

There is a flock of 900 sheep which includes:

350 pure Swaledales and Swaledale X Ileyns
200 pure Ileyns
100 draft ewes off the fell
250 pure Swales

There are pigs, pygmy goats, hens and other animals which are enjoyed during the educational visits that take place on the farm in May, June and July.

Regional runner up of Natural England Future of Farming Awards in 2007.

GRAZING & CONSERVATION

Croasdale House Farm has been a part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme before working with the Entry Level Scheme and, now, Higher Level Stewardship since 2007. Uplands Entry Level Stewardship is in prospect in 2010.

The whole of the fell is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The Belted Galloways were bought for conservation grazing first and foremost, with their wonderful beef production as an added bonus. They graze the fell grasses, like molinia which are drowning out the flowering plants like heather and dwarf shrubs. While doing this they also break up the ground to allow new growth for the dwarf shrubs to germinate.

Malcolm and Marty also undertake rush management to benefit breeding Waders and maintain some species rich grasslands.