Guests get close-up view of life on a working farm
Many of us lead busy lives but imagine living on a working farm, bringing 1,200 lambs into the world, plus 100 calves, while running a thriving holiday cottage business in Wales.
That’s what cottage holiday pioneers Jennifer Tilsley and her husband Meirion have been doing for the past 30 years at Llandinier Farmhouse and Waggoner’s Cottage near Welshpool in Powys.
Their third-generation farm, which is 500ft above sea level, rears a flock of around 800 Welsh Mule ewes and a herd of 90 Limousin cows.
As well as livestock, wild turkeys can be seen weighing down tree branches, while guineafowl and pheasants roam the grounds.
The property comes under the umbrella of Newtown-based Wales Cottage Holidays, which has 580 cottages for hire across Wales.
Mrs Tilsley said: “We have been working with Wales Cottage Holidays for 30 years, firstly as a B&B and now as self-catering, as well as bringing up our three children.
“Lambing has been good this spring and the weather has been very kind. We have been shepherding and feeding 1,200 lambs while keeping the tourism business going. The weather tends to rule how hard the farm work is; if we have to keep the lambs in, it is a lot of extra work.”
Set on the owners’ working farm, Llandinier Farmhouse is brimming with character, from the beams to the large stone inglenook and woodburner. The attractive nearby Waggoner’s Cottage was converted from former stables.
“You can join nature walks from the door, including Offa’s Dyke footpath,” said Mrs Tilsley. “The Severn Way, the Montgomery Canal and Powis Castle and Gardens are nearby and we are close to Offa’s Dyke.
“Saturday is our main changeover day and it is the busiest,” added Mrs Tilsley, who has help from her daughters Joanne and Angela and daughter-in-law Louise.
“We welcome the guests and make sure they have everything they need, then attend to matters on the farm and the guests always know where we are.
“The system works well and we often have guests watching us lambing in the barn in spring or calving in October, January and March – we produce 30 calves a year.”
While the guests may be keen to get a taste of life on a farm, it’s important for them to remember they are on a working farm and must observe certain requirements.
At the same time, Mrs Tilsley feels that staying on a farm is a valuable education for many visitors who may not previously been exposed to the realities of rural life.
“Our guests, who tend to come from Belgium, Bulgaria and the Netherlands as well as the UK, are very understanding and adhere to important biosecurity needs.
“They appreciate that we are a working farm and they can see everything that we do – the births and sometimes the deaths – which is all part of country life which people in the cities seldom see,” she said.
And for all the hard work of running the business in parallel with the farm, Mrs Tilsley says there are many advantages to the arrangement.
“The partnership has given me my own income and although farming can be a lonely occupation, with a constant stream of guests you can never feel alone – you meet new people all the time.
“It has also given us the incentive to modernise and improve our buildings to a higher standard. Our hot tub is new this year – and a 20% discount is available for a couple, although families enjoy getting in it too!”