Bronwen & Martin Gundry

Twenty-five years ago, Martin and I took over the 38 acres family farm nestled in the AONB of the Blackdown Hills.  More recently we have taken a more active approach including starting a five-year mid-term Lowland Wildlife Offer in 2023.

Our land is a mosaic of various habitats; old pasture fields, grazed by sheep (never ploughed or fertilised); an old forty-year meadow hayfield; three small woods; and some wilding areas including a flood plane by the river Yarty.

Although we have plenty of trees, a lot of them are large, old and/or affected by Ash dieback disease, so we decided to plant more native trees. Some in a five-acre hilly pasture field mainly in small groups to create a wood pasture and others by the field hedges.

I am also turning one of the old grazing pasture fields into a second meadow hay field, using seeds from the neighbouring hay field to help get it started.

Our latest excitements in 2023 is the arrival of a pair of barn owls, which are raising four chicks, and the spotting of two water voles on the river bank.

As we are still feeling our way of how best to manage things, we are always interested to hear how other people manage their land.