The Farmers Mart Jun/Jul 2015 - Issue 40 | Page 32

Franklands Farm

Keeping it all in the family
Chris Berry talks with brothers Richard & Chris Frankland in Rathmell.
»»Family comes first for
Richard and Chris Frankland,
who have expanded their
farming operation from their
home farm base at New Hall
Farm in Rathmell near Settle.
They now have three farms
and an acreage running to 877
acres with the others being at
Bent House, Tosside and Long
Bank, Halton West.

“We’re the fourth generation
to farm here and we’re on with
the fifth generation too! Our
great grandfather came here
in the 1880s. He was followed
by our grandfather Harold and
then our dad James,” Richard
explained.
“I remember taking milk up
to the lane end for collection
when I was a young lad. We

32 Jun/Jul 2015 www.farmers-mart.co.uk

had around 25 milking cows
in those days and kept 100
Masham ewes on what was
then 120 acres. We had poultry
too, but those were the times
when every farm had a bit of
everything. We’ve gradually
grown the farming business
throughout my lifetime,
purchasing Bent House in 1985
and picking up on farm business

tenancies as we have expanded,
including Swainsteads where
I live. New Hall now runs to
about 400 acres of which we
own 220 including 24 acres of
woodland; at Bent House we
own 60 acres and have another
50 acres tenanted for grazing;
and Long Bank has 270 acres
which is also on a farm business
tenancy.”