The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2015 - Issue 41 | Page 34

Red House Farm

Red house farm has
the winning formula
»»Almost next to Easby
Hall in the picturesque North
Yorkshire village of Easby near
Richmond lies the entrance
to Red House Farm, owned
and run by George and Tim
Fothergill.
The farm is this year’s overall
and much deserving winner
of the Yorkshire Agricultural
Societies Tye Trophy, awarded
to farms that have successfully
integrated conservation,
enhanced the country side - all
within a commercial farming
operation.
Tim and the family moved
to the 227 acre farm in 1994,
after their previous farmland

was encroached upon by the
expanding A1 (M). Tim looked
at more than 100 farms before
Robin Jessop finally found
Red House for him. The farm
was destined to become
yet another golf course and
holiday village, but as Tim
came over the hill and saw the
view, he simply fell in love with
the area.
The first of many major jobs
Tim undertook was restoring
the ancient 12 acre woodland.
It was no easy task as large
amounts of the surrounding
walls were broken, wild boar
had been kept in it and
people had walked their

dogs in it. During a three year
period, however, he rebuilt
a staggering 300 metres of
walling and planted some 100
oak trees. This has transformed
the woodland and attracted
a myriad of wildlife and
wildflowers into it.
In total, Tim has planted
500 trees, restored and built
numerous walls, planted 3km
of hedging - and even turned
an old railway into a link to
the woods. Tim drew a map of
everything for the judges of the
Tye trophy and when he saw
it, surprised himself just how
much he had achieved since
arriving here.

From an original all grass
farm in need of serious TLC,
and a derelict old farmstead,
Tim and his father, George,
have transformed Red House
into a highly diverse and
successful business that
promotes wildlife and visibly
enhances the countryside.
The farm is a mixed arable
and sheep enterprise with 95
acres of winter wheat, 35 winter
barley, eight potatoes and six
fodder beet. There are also
40 acres of permanent grass
and 44 acres of woodland. Tim
initially planted mustard as a
break crop but now grows it
on rotation, the pheasants and

D H WILLIS & SONS LTD
Agricultural Engineers, Farmers & Contractors

BARNARD CASTLE AUCTION MART, CO DURHAM
Would like to congratulate Timothy Fothergill and
wish him every success for the future

www.barnardcastleauctionmart.co.uk • Vere Road, Barnard Castle

01833 638152

34 Aug/Sep 2015 www.farmers-mart.co.uk

Shed Erecting
Concreting/Concrete Panels
Round & Square Baling
JCB, Excavator & Mini Digger Hire
We wish Tim Fothergill continued success in the future

Tel. [phone]

Carrbeck House, Gilling West, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 5LN