The Farming Year Spring
Cotswold Life|March 2020
SPRING It’s the most exciting and busy time of the year on Whittington Lodge farm, and daughter Steph’s thoughts are already turning to the future
Katie Jarvis
The Farming Year Spring

Spring is one of the most exciting and busy times of year for livestock farmers – and at Whittington Lodge, calving is about to begin. It’s not the only sign of life’s great cycle, though. For as Ian and Cathy Boyd are looking ahead to eventual retirement, daughter Steph Ackrill is preparing for a future when she’ll be running the farm herself.

Cotswold Life continues its seasonal journey following this third-generation farming family on their organic farm 900 feet up in the countryside outside Cheltenham. Ian and Dale – the farm manager – are responsible for general farm work, as well as tending the herd of pedigree Hereford cattle. Cathy manages meat retail sales in partnership with Steph. Steph also runs her own business, Bhoid: contemporary British fashion accessories.

I know spring is here when I can walk round the farm without having to wear several coats and still be shivering! Getting up in daylight is another bonus. But spring is my favourite time of year because of calving. There’s joy in the air when calving begins.

As a child, I was always out on the farm – watching TV never occurred to me. My brothers wanted to drive tractors: I’d be up at 6am, bottle-feeding the orphan lambs. When I turned up at school, covered in milk powder, the teachers would say, ‘Morning, Steph. How are the sheep?’, as if this was completely normal.

Dad used to say of the animals, ‘The females are for breeding and males get eaten’, which I understood from a very early age... Though I did end up falling for two particular lambs – Sheepie and Cedric. Dad remembers me declaring, ‘I am NOT eating Cedric’. They both died of old age and obesity because I rather spoiled them!

Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Cotswold Life.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Cotswold Life.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA COTSWOLD LIFESe alt
Gloucestershire After The War
Cotswold Life

Gloucestershire After The War

Discovering the county’s Arts and Crafts memorials of the First World War

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
THE WILD SIDE OF Moreton-in-Marsh
Cotswold Life

THE WILD SIDE OF Moreton-in-Marsh

The days are getting shorter but there’s plenty of reasons to be cheerful, says Sue Bradley, who discovers how a Cotswolds town is becoming more wildlife-friendly and pots up some bulbs for an insect-friendly spring display

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2020
Mr Ashbee would approve
Cotswold Life

Mr Ashbee would approve

In the true spirit of the Arts & Crafts Movement, creativity has kept the Chipping Campden community ticking over during lockdown

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2020
The Cotswolds at war
Cotswold Life

The Cotswolds at war

These might be peaceful hills and vales, but our contribution to the war effort was considerable

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2020
Trust in good, local food
Cotswold Life

Trust in good, local food

‘I’ve been following The Country Food Trust’s activities with admiration since it was founded’

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
Why Cath is an open book
Cotswold Life

Why Cath is an open book

Cath Kidston has opened up almost every nook and cranny of her Cotswold idyll in a new book, A Place Called Home. Katie Jarvis spoke to Cath ahead of her appearance at this year’s Stroud Book Festival STROUD BOOK FESTIVAL – THIS YEAR FREE AND ONLINE: NOVEMBER 4-8

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2020
From the Cotswolds to the world
Cotswold Life

From the Cotswolds to the world

Most people know that the Cotswolds have featured in a fair few Hollywood movies and TV series.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
The Wild Hunt
Cotswold Life

The Wild Hunt

In search of the legendary King Herla in the Malvern Hills

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
Fighting spirit amid the flowers
Cotswold Life

Fighting spirit amid the flowers

Tracy Spiers visits Warwick, a beautiful town that is open for business and ready to welcome visitors

time-read
9 mins  |
November 2020
Final journey
Cotswold Life

Final journey

Cheltenham author and volunteer on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR), Nicolas Wheatley, recounts the fascinating story of funeral trains

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020