LOCKBANK FARM

SEDBERGH

• THE FARM
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• ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
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• VISITORS

LOCKBANK FARM is located in the Upper Lune Valley on the slopes of the Howgill fells close to the market town of Sedbergh. Unusually for a Cumbrian hill farm, this has a dairy enterprise as well as beef and sheep and the Sedgwicks have their own bottled milk delivery round. Roger Sedgwick, his wife Suzan, his father and his mother all work full time on the farm.

HISTORY

Matthew and Elizabeth Sedgwick started renting at Lockbank in 1894 and began their milk round in 1897. At that time the farm had only 7 dairy cows and 28 sheep on the equivalent of 18.5ha but Matthew Sedgwick also ran a joinery and building business. They first started supplying nearby Sedbergh public school with milk in 1927 and have gradually bought up other local milk rounds.

The area is renowned for the native Kendal Rough Fell sheep and the forebears of these sheep have been farmed on the Howgills by the Sedgwicks for 300 years.

LOCATION

© Copyright 2007

TERRAIN

The farmyard is at just over 600 feet with inbye land rising steeply to 780 feet - there are no flat fields on the farm. In addition, there are common grazing rights on Winder fell which rises to 1555 feet and overlooks Sedbergh. The fell is steep sloping but rounded with grass, bracken and gorse.

SIZE OF THE FARM

The farm is just under 57 ha but with common grazing rights on Brant Fell (Winder) which amounts to around 90ha of grazing and Frostrow on the opposite side of the valley which is the equivalent of around 10 ha of grazing.

LIVESTOCK & NUMBERS

The farm runs a dairy herd of 38 Friesian cows which supply the milk for the Sedgwick's bottled milk round business. There are a further 35 other cattle on the holding including beef stores and dairy heifers.

The farm also has 290 hill ewes including 20 Swaledales and 270 Rough Fell sheep. The Sedgwicks have been very successful in the show ring with their Rough fell sheep and won supreme hill breed champion at the Westmorland Show in 2006 and have been awarded Rough Fell breed champion 15 times since 1993.

The farm crosses their older hill ewes with a Texel ram to produce fat lambs which they sell through Kendal Auction from June through to August.

GRAZING & CONSERVATION

The farm is considering applying for the Environmental Stewardship Scheme and has previously had a Countryside Stewardship Agreement for maintaining and improving field boundaries. Roger Sedgwick is particularly keen on hedgelaying and is hosting a hedgelaying competition in February 2008.