Farming rarely goes quite to plan. This journal is a collection of notes from the seasons at Leys Farm — reflections on wildlife, conservation, the changing countryside and the everyday realities of caring for a small farm in the Cotswolds.
We planted the woodland at Leys Farm in the 1980s, and over 40 years it has become a familiar, much-loved sight locally, with ash as one of its defining species. Like woodland owners across the country, we are now losing ash to dieback, and affected trees need to come down for safety and the health of the remaining woodland. That
This summer arrived like a hammer. Not gradually, not gently — but with a dry, relentless heat that settled over the valley and refused to move. Day after day the fields crisped, the soil tightened, and the familiar greens of Leys Farm faded into a brittle palette of dust‑soft browns. It was the kind of weather people dream of for
There’s a lovely energy on the farm at the moment as couples begin visiting to plan their weddings for next year. What’s been striking is how quickly they realise that a Leys Farm wedding isn’t just about the marquee — it’s about the landscape around it, the feeling of space, and the way the day naturally spreads out across the
Since it opened, it has been wonderful to see people enjoying the wood-fired sauna experience at Leys Farm. The early bookings have gone really well, and the response from visitors has been incredibly enthusiastic and complimentary. One of our first groups even booked from Belgium before travelling over, having decided that a visit to the sauna should be part of
One of the most rewarding parts of creating our off-grid cabin stay in the Cotswolds has been welcoming people from all over the UK. Guests arrive from very different places and walks of life. Some are celebrating something special, some need a break after a busy few months, and others simply want a quiet few days away together. But there
There’s a quiet truth anyone who has ever tried to establish a wildflower meadow eventually learns: most years, nothing happens. You prepare the ground. You sow the seed. You wait through rain, drought, frost, and the long silence of soil doing whatever it pleases. And more often than not, wildflowers respond with absolute indifference. But then — every once in
Working With Ash Dieback at Leys Farm: Safety, Stewardship and a Long View Ash dieback has begun to show itself at Leys Farm, though most of our ash trees are still in the early stages. A thinning crown here, a patch of dieback there — subtle signs that something isn’t quite right. They are not collapsing, but they are changing,
I want to tell you about the trees we have on the farm; trees we planted, protected, replaced, thinned and pruned. Trees that have grown alongside our children and now stand as living evidence of the positive impact we have had on this small corner of Oxfordshire. I will write this piece more factually than emotionally, but I should admit
By far the hardest part of the farm to manage is the lake – a one-acre body of water sitting quietly at the base of the valley. It forms the centrepiece of much of what we do here and, as an amenity, draws both people and wildlife in equal measure. Even this morning I saw a cabin guest in gloriously