The Farmers Mart Dec/Jan 2014 - Issue 31 | Page 40

TOAD HOLE FARM

Making it work in the Moors
Chris Berry talks with Rob Myers of Toad Hole Farm, Bransdale.
Bransdale in the North
York Moors is one of
Yorkshire’s more remote
communities.
The road from Fadmoor is
a seven-mile stretch of what
at times is wilderness. It is a
long and winding route that
makes you believe you should
reach this dale of just eight
working farms and a few lone
houses much more quickly

than you do. When you finally
do make it to the brow where
the road drops down into the
dale there is no denying its
beauty.
Rob and Julie Myers came
here in 1995. Rob is one of
dairy farmer Alan Myers’ sons
from Thorgill in Rosedale
and Julie’s dad was a farm
worker with a smallholding
with sheep and cattle at

Newtondale. Their first farm
was a 100-acre holding at
Low South House but 10
years ago they made the
move that brought them to
Toad Hole Farm. It runs to
165 acres and is tenanted
from the National Trust as is
every farm in the dale. They
rent a further 120 acres on
short-term lets in Ryedale.
Rob admits he was very
happy to get the tenancy at
Toad Hole.

‘In farming,
you have to be
passionate about
what you do’
“This is a really good farm
and we were delighted to get
it when it came up,” he said.
“My dad’s farm wasn’t big
enough for everyone to make
a living. I helped out and did
relief milking in the wintertime

Agricultural Contractors
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• Muckspreading 24m and variable rates gps mapping
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Pleased to be associated with Rob Myers
& wish him continued success for the future

Mobile: [phone] | Office: 01439770579
www.bhecontracting.co.uk

40

Dec/Jan 2014 FarmersMart

but I’m a sheep man and
always have been, as well
as having a keen interest in
beef cattle. Over the years
various dairy farms came up
to let but it’s not my passion
and in farming you have to be
passionate about what you
do,” he added.
Before landing the farm
at Low South House Rob
had set up as an agricultural
contractor and had his own
machinery.
He explained: “When
Julie and I got together and
subsequently married, all
we wanted to do was farm.
We always wanted livestock
because that’s what’s in
our blood. We’ve had a few
scary moments along the way
though. Within six months of
moving to Low South House
BSE broke out. We’d bought
mainly suckler cows and that
nearly crippled us! When we
started with sheep we just
got going nicely and Foot

Richardson