Why are we diversifying?

Since we started sharing our plans to build ‘The House in the Hill’, we’ve been asked, ‘Why are you building a holiday house on the farm?’ so many times, and we’ve often asked ourselves the same question (particularly after long, tough days making it happen). But in essence, it comes down to three main reasons.

Firstly, ‘The House in the Hill’ is a farm diversification project that allows me to work on something I’m passionate about here, on the farm. Before the start of this journey, I had my own event catering business. It was many things, successful, hectic, fun, stressful, but it wasn’t at home. I wanted to be able to do something that was fulfilling for me, but be as present as possible for our boys, and Peter and the farm business too.

We went ahead with a holiday house (as opposed to any other diversification project), as it felt so obvious to us when we stood at the top of The Hill, that we should be sharing these views with others. When we say “the view is breathtaking”, we mean it. Family, friends, and contractors have been speechless when we’ve shown them the site, and truthfully it still takes our breath away, after 12 years, when we’re out checking the sheep.

Lastly, and without getting too political on you, farming is becoming harder, and diversifying helps us protect our way of life and the future of Swinside Townfoot. The debate around the Inheritance Tax in the UK has maybe thrust that under the spotlight in recent months, but for some, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Operating costs, Brexit and the knock-on effects of leaving the EU, climate change, and cheap imported produce are some of the other challenges facing farmers today, but as an industry we do so much more than raise livestock and plant crops. Farmers love and care for the countryside, and at Swinside Townfoot, we take great pride in being the guardians of the land and the nature around us… the land that we can’t wait to share come August, when we can welcome guests to the farm.

To be one of the first to stay at The House in the Hill, book now at: https://www.thehouseinthehill.co.uk/book