Arthur's Forge - April 2011

Finally, just before Christmas we picked up a second-hand forge a metre square in excellent condition. Arthur started to learn how to forge in March 2009 with a great guy called Tristan. We had a go at making a forge ourselves but always with limited success. Then Artur broke both his wrists and he was stalled again! Now he's flying, having excellent lessons on his forge with Tristan whilst fixing up two wrought iron farm gates. He has also made me numerous handles for doors and drawers, and two beautiful curtain rails for our little holiday cottage, Nancy's House.

The Tamworths

These are great pigs, and we have four boars which we have called the four muskateers. They are the first pigs we've had that really root out docks and eat them. So they have been put to good work cleaning our Acre field which for two years we've had oats and barley in which have reduced the dock load but not enough. We have a lovely long-term herb rich pasture going in and we want it free of docks.

With the blossom and tadpoles we know spring is here - early April 2011

Never mind the dew pools, just any old puddle on the moor seems to be teeming with tadpoles. It amazes me that every year frogs return to these puddles to spawn, when for much of the year they don't exist.

Blossom - April 2011

Everything is blossoming, these are the pears in the walled garden. I missed taking photos of the incredible apricot, peach and nectarine blossom in the poly but the fruits will follow. The bumble bees are all busy and I am so delighted to see so many.

A visit from our local children's nursery - March 2011

We really love these days when the little people come and visit, to share their wonder of the animals and the farm reminds us how lucky we are. We try to incorporate some 'work' as well as pony and tractor rides.

Snow at Keigwin - December 2010

Looking back towards our farm. All the children are making the most of the snow.


Ans so is Slipper.


But not so sure about the ponies - luckily they are hardy breeds and can weather it, and we drop them down hay to keep them going.

The Ponies and their boys - November 2010

The boys sent out to check the silage for the cows on Izzy and Pepper, and a good excuse to have a bomb around the moor!

Autumn on the farm - October 2010

I couldn't resist posting these. Autumn is my favourite time of year for colours and the sky and moor often look intense and brooding. These clumps of mosses on the moor are spectacular.


Mine stacks are so part of our landscape they blend in and yet at the same time add structure and distinction. This is our village of Pendeen, and you can see Pendeen Church on the left looking out to the Atlantic.

New calves - October 2010

Here are two new arrivals, both males. The mums, Gretel and Kitty had no problem calving and as usual the calves had arrived and suckled by the time we came to check on them in the morning - South Devons really are the best mums!

Our oats and barley - August 2010

I just loved this picture (by the way all the photographs are taken by our daughter Ursula)


This year the oats and barley have been bound by a Fordson Power Major, the horses were busy at a ralley. Friends and family helped place the sheaves in stooks.

Cotton Lavender - June 2010

I have two bushes of these planted on the top of the hedge either side of the poly tunnel door. It has an amazingly strong smell with flowers that last all through the summer. I find it a most effective screen for all the vulnerable plants in the poly tunnel that greenfly and whitefly love. With this wafting its smell around there is little chance of these pests discovering them. They have guarded the poly for many years now with barely a greenfly to be seen. On the rare occassion these green/whitefly have been noticed our second line of attack are with lady birds. The children go collecting them and pop them in the poly to finish off the small invasion!

Puffle and Wink newly appointed rat catchers - June 2010

These are the son and daughter of our late Orlando, the most beautiful cat ever. So beautiful that he was much in demand and fathered a couple of litters before disappearing ( I was too late in getting him neutered) My only consolation has been these two who are adorable and just like him.

Our Farm

This is our farm, with the North Atlantic in the distance. this is a North West aspect, and our prevailing wind is South West. there are very few trees on this coastline which makes planting any thing other than grass exciting and challenging! A well thought through wind break is key to success.

Restoring Gendal's Spring and the 3 pools - May 2010

Here is Gendal's Spring, so named because there are the ruins of a little cottage on Tor Noon moor where this spring resides, that once belonged to the Gendal family. This spring was their only source of water. About 20 years ago a cow managed to fall in and a neighbour decided to push the rock over it with his front loader. It has been a wish of mine to make it accessible again and re establish the 3 pools that it used to flow in to.


Here we have re-established the 3 pools that the spring feeds into. Years ago this had been the only watering hole for cattle to drink from and the farmers with grazing rights to this moorland would bring their cows here to drink. This kept the pools clear from overgrowth and the 'puddling' with their hooves maintained the pools. The pools grew in when the rock was pushed across the spring and disrupted the flow of water and baths were established in most of the fields. Now we are grazing this area of moorland the pools are needed again and will hopefully be maintained by the cows and ponies.


Here it is. We decided to keep it simple and just pull back the rock enough so that we can access the spring but still avoid the risk of animals falling in!

Our Colourful poly - May 2010

Finally I have got round to updating our blog! The poly is such a vibrant space it always inspires me and seeing this picture got me past my 'but it takes so long, I've now forgotten how to, and simply, can't do computer' mentality.

The salad is a mix of wild rocket and little gem, three corner leek, chervel, nasturtium and primrose. We really enjoy the look and flavour of salads with flowers in.

Some of this years produce!

We have goose eggs, duck eggs, double yolkers and good old chicken eggs. I love this time of year - it is such a luxury to be able to crack 2 -3 eggs for an omelette for supper - and there are 5 of us. I adore quiches, cakes and creme caramels and we can indulge in them all - move over meat for a while!
Sweet and Sour - very nice pigs in deed. A welsh mum and not sure about the dad, but they are great and what is going to be difficult with this pair is not getting attached. They have been busy clearing the area for potatoes so far, and have done a pretty good job.

wood coppicing and path making

This is Leo bringing up a load of logs from the trees that were coppiced this February 2010. We have been working hard on establishing this hardcore path which is making life a lot easier. This is an amazing machine that he is driving - it is a F720 (I think!, Little Red to us). We built the trailer and hitch but also rotovates,ploughs etc.. I love it as does Leo - he's yet too young and too small to drive the 'Deer John' that Arthur is a master of, but he is the man for the Little Red!

The Vegetable patch

These are broad bean blossoms that I got going in the poly for an early crop of beans.
The new area is finally shaping up. I am using the bracken we cut and clamped last year as a mulch and so far I am really pleased with how its working. I have been able to plant in a lot more perrennials like solomons seal, day lilies and ostrich fern, to add to all the fruit bushes and trees.

Drilling dredge

We decided to try dredge this year. Dredge is a mix of oats and barley which we feel will be a more useful mix for the pigs and chickens and cows.

The barley we drilled over Easter is already up, the oats are slower to germinate but will be following shortly.

Keigwin in the snow

It was a hard winter this year for our cows and we were pleased to have our oats to feed them a bit extra - they loved them.


Henny Penny in the snow



This is our Evance 5kw turbine which produces all our electricity and we also sell ~ one fifth. With the new feed-in tariff installing a wind turbine is a fantastic option if you have an appropriate site; one like ours will pay back in~5 years. Its a real incentive to understand how much power we use without thinking and how we can be more sustainable in our use. I love the vision of Cornwall becoming independent and resilient with small/medium-scale renewables feeding into the grid, increasing its efficiency and reducing our need and reliance for centralised power. If this was coupled with a renewed respect of power and accountability for its production rather than its wanton use perhaps we wouldn't need them at all!