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Fury with the National Trust as it plans to break
up historic farm in the Lake District
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Perthshire
Filed 29 Jan 05
©www.land-care.org.uk
Nigel Bunyan of the Daily Telegraph on Monday 24th January raised
the public's awareness as to what the National Trust was planning
to do with a farm in the Lake District and how they were setting
about it (1). The warmwell website took
up the issue having received emails from their concerned readers
(2).
The farm, High Yewdale Farm at Coniston, is of
particular interest as it was part of the Beatrix Potter legacy
to the National Trust. She believed that the Trust would preserve
the style of hill farming which she so loved.
The present tenant is Johnny Birkett, who at the
age of 71 is planning to retire. Unfortunately his son is not able
to take over on account of health reasons. The majority of shepherding
on the 2,000ft fells has to be done on foot.
When he was a small boy, Johnny Birkett was accustomed
to visits from Beatrice Potter. The author had picked his father,
Robert, to be the tenant of one of her Lakeland farms and once a
month she would come along, in clogs and shawl, to chat.
When she died in 1943, Beatrix Potter left the
17th century farm to the National Trust assuming it to be in safe
hands. Jimmy Birkett, who took over the tenancy from his father
35 years ago accuses the National Trust of now breaking that trust.
Quite apart from its historic connections High
Yewdale Farm is reputed to be a quality farm by any standards. The
level of stockmanship including animal health and welfare has been
acclaimed to be of high standard. The farm is economically viable.
The care of the environmental aspects are excellent, and there have
been no problems with public access. Indeed in 1985 the Trust chose
to show it off to the Queen as a jewel in the crown of Comiston.
Now they, the National Trust, want to break it
up so that the ground and the sheep are split between four neighbouring
farms with little apparent attention to the practical matter that
flocks become hefted to their own territories. There has been no
shortage of capable stockmen willing to take on the tenancy.
The National Trust replied through a letter sent
by John Darlington, Area Manager for the Lake District to all National
Trust farm tenants in the Comiston and Little Langdale area (3).
Under the guise of changes in the Common Agricultural Policy he
explains that the National Trust wishes to convert the historic
farmhouse for
"residential purposes and, potentially, for appropriate
rural business use. The Trust will ensure the historic character
and landscape setting of the farm are protected and retained".
The hidden agenda would appear to be that the
National Trust wants to make money out of it.
In pursuit of their own financial gains the Trust
are seemingly prepared to make disingenuous assertions that they
are looking after the environment, the landscape and the economics
of local farming, and access. But there have been no such problems
in relation to this quality farm.
As an emailer to the warmwell website put it:
"The handling (by the National Trust) has been crass and
it is obvious that no one with fell farming experience has been
involved" (2).
The problem with the National Trust (and other
such bodies) regarding how they treat tenant farmers and local communities
in relation to land that they own (or have powerful jurisdiction
over) is well known in Scotland. Indeed it lead to the foundation
of the People TOO organisation by Kirsty Macleod (4).
In October 2004 People TOO ran an important conference in Perth
called "Who rules rural Scotland?"
The fell farmers of the Lake District may find
the reviews of papers given at that conference interesting reading
and sympathetic to their concern (5,
6).
Also it may be recalled that not so very long
ago national TV carried a series of episodes with peak time viewing
which included documenting the problems local people in other parts
of the country had with the actions of the National Trust. It would
appear from what has been going on at High Yewdale Farm, Coniston
that the Trust may not have taken many lessons on aboard.
Hopefully, bringing the behaviour of the Trust
to wider public knowledge may yet persuade this thoughtless landlord
to treat local people and the countryside with more consideration,
and not just to focus on their own financial benefit.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Bunyan, Nigel (2005). "Farmer's
fury of 'betrayal' of Beatrix Potter legacy" Monday 24th January
2005
http://news.telegraph.co.uk
2. www.warmwell.com (2004). "...decided
that the farm isn't viable because we haven't changed our Land Rover
and we do not buy big "tractors". Entry 25 - 31 January
2005
3. Darlington, John (2005). National
Trust Area manager for the Lake District. Letter sent to all National
Trust farm tenants in the Coniston and Little Langdale area. Date
6th January 2005.
see www.warmwell.com (as in reference 2)
4. Irvine, James (2004). Review.
Part 1: Introduction. "Who governs rural Scotland?", People
Too conference, Perth, 29th October 2004
See SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENT/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 08 Nov 04,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
5. Robertson, Liz (2004). SNH
and the isle of Arran. Case study presented at the People TOO conference,
"Who governs rural Scotland?", Perth, 29th October 2004
See SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENT/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 19 Nov 04,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
6) Irvine, James (2004). Concerns
about the validity of statements on the condition of SSSIs in Scotland
made by members of Environment LINK. Review and comment on a case
study presented by Kirsty Macleod at the People TOO conference,
"Who governs rural Scotland?", Perth, 29th October 2004.
See SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENT/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 17 Nov 04,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
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