Staying power
There are multiple jobs to do on this working farm close to the Dales and B&B with bells on is one of the most enjoyable. Sharon Dale reports on one of the best Farm Stay locations in Yorkshire.
FARMING is in Marcus Preston’s blood and it is said that his family can be traced back to the Domesday book where their occupation was listed as “farmers”. He graduated from working on his father’s farm on Silsden Moor to starting his own from scratch. After buying three fields from his dad, Meadmore, and investing in some sheep, he grafted hard in a variety of other jobs, including digger driving and shearing, to build up his land and his flock.
It was so far, so good until it came to applying for permission to build a farmhouse.
Living on the farm was absolutely vital but the planning authority refused the application on the grounds that he should have at least 50 to 60 acres and so it was that a caravan had to do for 14 years until hard work and dogged determination to get more land paid off and Marcus and his wife, Lisa, were able to construct their beautiful, five-bedroom home.
Pickersgill Manor Farm was self-built in the true sense of the word by Marcus, now 62, helped by Lisa’s father, a builder.
Done to a strict budget, they had gathered an impressive amount of reclaimed stone so the front of the house is built from stone from a mill that was demolished in Silsden, while much of the rest was bought from fellow farmers.
The build began in August 2001 and the house was ready to move into in June 2002.
“I lived in the caravan with Marcus for six years, though he told me it would only be two till we got a house,” laughs Lisa. “Our daughter Holly was four and our son William was a tiny baby when we finally moved to the farmhouse.”
The property, in an idyllic spot close to the Dales, was worth the wait. It fits perfectly into the rural landscape and looks like it has been there forever.
The decor is stylish thanks to Lisa’s eye for design. The large country kitchen with its huge dining table and pink, reconditioned Aga is a favourite place to gather.
The furniture is a mix of new and antique/ vintage finds with a good proportion of the latter coming from one of Lisa’s favourite hunting grounds, Hartleys Auction Rooms in Ilkley.
“The oak kitchen table and the desk in my office were only £100 each, mainly because they are so big and wouldn’t fit in normal houses,” she says.
The farmhouse has served the couple and their now grown-up children well and it has also helped bring in extra income via Farmstay.co.uk, where people can book short breaks and holidays on working farms.
This “not-for-profit” farmer-owned consortium markets working farm holidays and countryside accommodation provided by its members.
Pickersgill Manor Farm is a firm favourite with many regulars returning again and again, lured by the location on the doorstep of the Dales and in easy reach of Skipton, Ilkley, Bolton Abbey and Grassington.
It offers tranquillity, long-range rural views, walks from the door, a warm welcome and beautiful and brilliantly thought out accommodation.
“Agriculture has changed massively in the last 30 years. It is not as simple as passing on the farm to the next generation,” says Lisa.
“Marcus works on our farm but also on other farms shearing, walling, foot trimming cattle and he has a mobile scanners to check whether livestock are pregnant.
“I have a part time job, run the guest accommodation and help with the farm, Holly is working for Arla, milk processors and William is a butcher.
“Farming is done early morning, evenings and weekends.”
Lisa started B&B via Farmstay 20 years ago prompted by the World International Sheep Dog trials at nearby Bolton Abbey.
There was a shortage of suitable accommodation for those taking part as they needed somewhere to stay where the dogs could be kept safe and she and Marcus agreed to help.
It was Christine Clarkson, a friend and Farm Stay stalwart, who suggested that Lisa should consider doing B&B as a job.
She has never looked back and has a huge amount of repeat business thanks to her warm and friendly personality and her attention to detail.
“I love doing the B&B and I’ve met some lovely people and some real characters and we have a lot of loyal customers,” says Lisa.
The farmhouse now has a large ensuite bedroom for guests in the main house