HIGH BORRANS FARM
NEAR INGS
HIGH BORRANS FARM is run by Jonathan and Cathy Hodgson, with sub-contractors are brought in at busy times. The farm is part of a larger partnership – The Hodgsons (4 farms in central lakes area; two at Rydal, one at Hartsop, and this farm at High Borrans.
The partnership dates from the 1980’s; the business was started 55 yrs ago. The 4 farms help each other out for gathering and they have bought machinery for silage making which can be shared between the farms.
HISTORY
The old farmhouse has a date inscribed – 1688. The buildings at High Borrans were part of a shooting estate owned by Holt Shipping. The High Borrans farmhouse was built in 1898 and has been a working hill farm since then.
Holt Shipping sold the estate to Lord and Lady Somervell. George Richardson was a tenant farmer and then bought the farm in the 1960’s (when the estate was broken up).
High Borrans was purchased from George Richardson by the Hodgsons partnership in 2007.LOCATION
© Copyright 2008
TERRAIN
High Borrans is situated in the south east of the Lake District, and shares a boundary with Applethwaite Common. 50% of the farm is above moorland line and the land surrounds Borrans Reservoir.
SIZE OF THE FARM
The unit has 412.78 hectares.
LIVESTOCK & NUMBERS
The Livestock is made up of 1000 swaledale ewes; these are put to the blue faced Leicester ram to produce north of England mules.
50 Texel and Cheviot X ewes put to Beltex ram.
There are 18 blue faced Leicester rams.
The lambs are hill bred lambs; they are not fed cake. This stock is much sought after; it is all home-bred and has been built up from within the farm flock over many years. The High Borrans flock is based on draft yews from Rydal and Hartsop farms and has a high health status. John Hodgson aims to increase the flock up to 12-1400 ewes.
17 suckler cows plus 9 yearling heifers; limousine pure or limousine X. Suckler calves are sold in Carlisle in November. This is pure stock which is well well sought after.
Sarkley limousin bulls are used; Vittorio (limousin) is the main bull.
There is one Shetland Pony.
GRAZING & CONSERVATION
High Borrans inherited an ESA agreement which will run out in 2012. The ESA agreement does not allow grazing of the heather fell in the winter, and limits numbers in the summer.
There is an SSSI around part of the tributary to the River Gowan. Micklemoss is a listed peat-bog; there is limited grazing on this.
High Borrans is completely enclosed and can, therefore, be more easily controlled.
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