Hello All,
I hope this blog finds you well. I’m hoping if you are reading this its via our shiny new website which was kindly granted for by the Northumberland Farmer Network – a great organisation which we have found very supportive and useful since making the big move up North.
I thought I’d start writing a frequent blog on here to act as a little aid memoir for myself and an added bonus if anyone cares to read along !
I’m writing this in mid-Feb, so a whole 3 and a half months since we first arrived from near Stamford, Lincolnshire, in two cars and a cattle wagon full of all of our belongings to take on Halton Red House Farm under a Contract Farming Agreement with Matfen Estates.
Since our arrival we have welcomed the flock which include ewes bought from markets such as Hexham and Penrith as well as ewes from the Matfen estate. Pictured is us next to some of the mules bought out of Hexham. For the boys, we acquired some gorgeous Texel Tups from the Borders as well as a pair of Beltex tups, from Paul Slater in Cheshire.
Farming is definitely made easier with good weather & luckily for us we were blessed with a dry and bright autumn. After a few weeks of sorting out we put the tups out in mid-November. They got straight to work with our ladies, meaning there were coloured bums a plenty ! (For those that aren’t as versed in sheep this is because we put harnesses on the tups which have a coloured crayon on their chest so that we can see when they have been mated and work out when the ewes will have their lambs).
It has been fantastic fun exploring the local area and generally getting to know the farm inside and out. Our location means that the front of the farmhouse looks to the South, over the Tyne valley and across to the stunning North Pennines. The sunrise and sunsets are seriously impressive – one of my favourite things about winter!
Inside we have been busy, with the help from the Estate and many contractors, making a start on the Bed and Breakfast – set to open on the 1st April 2025. With our location, just 130 yards from the Hadrian’s Wall footpath and close to the pretty village of Corbridge and Great Whittington, we are hopeful that it will be a fantastic stopping point for those wanting a relaxing country break or in need of a place to rest their weary heads while walking the wall.
After a busy autumn we decided to host our First Christmas up here, which was truly a special one! Lovely sunshine and warm weather meant there was lots of walks and sitting out at the front of the farm, on a little hillock called the downhills, watching the hunts boxing day meet which had set off from Corbridge in the valley below.
There is so SO much to keep you all updated on, so once I have played abit of catch up I am going to try and make this a monthly activity !
Much love,
Katie, Will, Bex & Floss x
