The Farm

OUR STORY

Although the cluster of shepherd’s huts at Summerdown are recent additions, the history of the estate goes all the way back to the Doomsday book (1086). The estate has been home to a local community for generations and we hope you feel welcomed and relaxed – even for just a short stay.

The Colman family moved to Summerdown nearly 100 years ago and to this day it is still run as a family farm and estate.

The meadow you’re staying in has long played host to a range of activities, from it’s early days hosting Saturday and Sunday league football games for the local village to the more recent summer cricket matches. It has now been transformed into a sanctuary where you can slow down and reconnect with what is important.

Don’t be surprised to see the plume of a tail or hear a squawk during the day or early hours of the morning! Peacocks, chickens and guinea fowl roam the surrounding fields and are very confident in calling it home.

The adjacent field was once home to our prized English Black Mitcham peppermint but is now planted with a mix of wildflowers designed to provide shelter for a range of birds, improve the health of the soil and provide a habitat for the thousands of pollinators who are vital to the healthy eco-system on the estate.

Lime trees shelter the meadow on two sides, where you can spot huge balls of mistletoe nestled in their higher branches.

Wildflower planting has transformed the meadow into a wildlife playground for bees, butterflies and insects. It will sing at night and be full of activity during the day. By creating spaces like this we hope to continue the hard work of establishing a sustainable and rich environment.

There is an abundance of birdlife at Summerdown. With a wealth of hedgerows and year round field cover, we are never short of birds.  These include fieldfares, sparrows, various finches, green and spotted woodpeckers, stone-curlew and lapwing, blackbirds and thrushes. And where there are hedgerow birds, there are always kites and buzzards circling.  Ground nesting birds such as lapwings and skylarks can be spotted nesting in the wildflowers and lavender.  Hares pairing and boxing in the fields are also a regular sight.

​We are proud of our many miles of flourishing hedgerows. Their trim is purposefully delayed until mid November – this allows the birds to feast on the berries first. Our farm team provides supplementary feed for the wild birds  from December through to March, which is known as the ‘hungry gap’. It’s an incredible sight to see them flock when they hear the team coming with the feed.

Another key focus here at Summerdown is the woodland. 186 hectares of woodland has been managed carefully for many years, creating some wonderful habitats.

KEEPING IT LOCAL