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5. Thong Dairy
Set in the village of Barrington and farmed by Roger Mapstone since 1997, Barrington Court Farm, north west of Illminster in Somerset, used to be the centre of a much larger farming and shooting estate dating back to 1560.
Acquired by The National Trust at the start of the 20th century, the original Court House, with a garden planned by noted designer, Gertrude Jekyll, is now open to the public. The 400 acre farm is not only home to an organic herd of Friesian/Holstein cross dairy cattle, but also a haven for wildlife, including hares, which is many areas of Britain are now considered an endangered species.
According to the Brown Hare Preservation Society, the rate of the hare’s decline over the last century is second only to the water vole. Not on Barrington Court Farm though. Most probably due to the lack of use of agrochemicals and Roger’s careful approach to the environment and conservation, the number of hares on the farm appears to have been increasing.
Roger has lived in the area since he was a schoolboy in the 1960’s and seen numerous changes take place. Farming organically since 1999 may be one of the most recent, but its effect was noticed quickly. “The more natural approach suits us, our dairy herd and it would appear the wildlife as well,” he explains.
“As well as a strong population of hares, walking the fields I see numerous buzzards living around here as well. We live and work in a traditional village setting, so it’s very satisfying to have moved on successfully from a more intensive style of farming to one that’s more traditional, and environmentally more sustainable.”
