Farms

History of Marsh Court

The origins of Marsh Court can be traced back to 1360 when it was owned by the De Marisco family. The greater part of the current building dates back to the 15th century. It is a long, oblong timber framed building containing 8 bays. Originally there probably would have been a cross wing and outhouses. The panelling on this part of the building was substantially remodelled in the 17th century in accordance with the then current fashion, but most of the original timber frame remains unchanged. In 1820 a Georgian wing was added, but unusually the older part of the building was not refurbished in the Georgian style.

The farm itself nestles in a glacial valley to one side of the Malvern Hills. As the glaciers gauged out the current landscape, they left behind hard outcrops of rock which are known as tumps. The valley bottom became an alluvial marsh which was drained in the 18th century. Layers of organic matter can be found in the blue clays of the marsh, indicating periods of forestation in the distant past.

Currently, the farm covers some 500 acres, the larger part of which has been part of the farm for 100's of years. Some of the trees in the old orchard are more than 150 years old and there is evidence that cider making has taken place here for many centuries.

At present 220 acres of the farm are arable, 250 acres are grassland and 20 acres are orchard. We have a pedigree herd of Hereford Cattle, comprising 110 suckler cows and these calve in the Autumn and Spring.

Wildlife
 
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Lowesmoor Farm
An historic farmhouse dating from the 12th Century, Lowesmoor farm is situated in the rolling hills of the South Cotswolds. Cotswolds is a word that conjures up a vision of honey coloured stone, pretty villages and a cultivated upland landscape. Indeed, "Cotswolds" is derived from the word for the stone sheep shelters or "cots", plus the word "wold" for the rolling hills. Geologically they were created from a large block of oolitic limestone tilting up at its western end to form today's escarpment, with a gentle slope tilting to the east. Historically the land has been farmed for thousands of years. Flint arrowheads from the hunter gatherers of 6000 years ago have been found. Stone and bronze age forts pepper the area, the work of Neolithic man around 3500 BC.
The Romans left their mark on the area, two of their roads, the Fosse Way and the Ermine Way, are still major routes today. Then the Saxons moved in during the 7th century, and today most of the place names are Saxon in origin.. By Doomsday in 1086, most of the land was under cultivation. Any remaining woodland disappeared, with the open field system of farming reaching its height in the 14th century. In the 16th century there was an upsurge in the use of local stone for building by yeoman farmers and country gentry. The present landscape was set by the Enclosure Acts from 1700 to 1840 when at least 120,000 acres of open land were enclosed by act of parliament, with the familiar drystone walls dividing off newly enclosed land for sheep. Since then the landscape has remained much the same until today.

Lowesmoor Farm covers some 850 acres of which 220 acres are grassland and the remainder arable. Founded in 1958 by the late Wally Clark, the prize-winning Lowesmoor herd is now managed by his son, Mike, and consists of some 220 suckler cows and progeny. It has collected prizes at many of the major shows, including winning the Hereford Class at the Smithfield and the Welsh Winter Fair.
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Cleeve House
Nestling in the same glacial valley as Marsh Court and Glevum Farm Trust, Cleeve House can be found at the top end of Longdon Brook. Originally a Roman settlement, the current building dates back to medieval times and takes it's name from Baron de Cleeve who was bestowed the property by William the Conqueror in 1127. It was originally part of a moated farmhouse and parts of the moat can still be seen today.

David and Gael Edwards settled at Cleve House in 1997 and began the mammoth task of fencing the land. The farm is dedicated to pasture and deer, the first of which arrived in 1998. The herd now consists of 200 red and fallow deer who enjoy a free-range, non-additive existence, roaming and grazing as they would in the wild.

With their dedication to sympathetic farming, David and Gael invest much energy in conservation, preserving and maintaining ancient hedgerows and encouraging the wealth of wildlife that inhabits their farmland, including varied plants, nesting barn owls and otters

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Glevum Farm Trust
Based in Eldersfield village, The Glevum Farm Trust was founded in 1988 to provide a supportive home environment and varied work opportunities for a group of adults with learning disabilities. Six people live at the Trust and a dozen more arrive each day to help with the work. Greenhouses and polytunnels produce vegetables and herbs and the fields support fruit, cattle and sheep.

Agricultural Activities are the main focus for the farm, integrating residents and day-workers into the community. The production of top-quality organic herbs and vegetables provides the whole team with a great sense of achievement. A small flock of ewes that graze on land in Eldersfield and Bishops Frome, produce lambs for sale and provide outside work all year round that is suitable for mobile patrons who benefit from both group and individual activities.
The Beef cattle also provides heavy all year round work and offers particularly purposeful activities for the least able members of the group who are physically fit.

The Glevum Farm Trust has also established a horticultural contracting service. A range of activities is established, and the scheme, which is based upon the mobile crew concept, makes a useful contribution to a wider strategy. There is no shortage of horticultural work in the area for a team of gardeners with the right kind of support and instruction.
The Glevum Farm Trust offers new opportunities to a group for whom opportunities are rare. It has provided a chance to succeed and work on the farm and in the gardens produces real results. Common interests help to build bridges in the community, which leads to real social contact. Improved practical skills help to develop true independence. For a mixed group of people with learning disabilities, the farm has meant an improved quality of life not just a place to live and work.
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