LOW BECKSIDE FARM
NEWTON RIGG ENTERPRISE
ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
Within the National Park: a full range of features.
FAUNA
Badgers, Buzzards, Foxes, a rumour of Otters, Roe Deer, Rabbits, Red Squirrel, Peregrines.
HEDGEROWS
Remains of old hedgerows; there has been a programme of re-planting of up to 400 metres of hedgerows.
FLORA
There is a mix of native and conifer woodlands at Redmire.
‘The common fell grazings of Low Beckside Farm have habitats and a composition of vegetation types and aspects that make them unique…’ Vegetation on the Hill Farm (A. Humphries, M. Rawes, 1973-4, for the University of Central Lancashire).
ARCHAEOLOGY
There is a Roman road (parallel to A66).DRY STONE WALLS
500 metres of wall restoration within the ESA scheme during last 14 years.
© Copyright 2007
GEOLOGY
The farm is situated on one of the truncated spurs of Blencathra ‘formed during the last glaciation and many previous episodes as ice moved towards the north east along the vale of Threlkeld. The ice then turned northwards through Mungrisedale…' Climate Soils and Land Use at Low Beckside Farm, Mungrisedale, Cumbria, (C. Bendelow, I. Rousell, A. Humphries, for University of Central Lancashire, undated).
SOIL TYPE(S)
The farm is made up of hay andd silage fields which are both mineral and organic; the improved pastures are mainly mineral based and have been formed as follows:
‘The lower in-bye land is covered in a thick deposit of material left behind by the glaciers which once flowed over the area. The material, known as boulder clay as it is a clayed matrix in which are embedded a wide variety of stones and boulders…’ Climate Soils and Land Use at Low Beckside Farm, Mungrisedale, Cumbria, (C. Bendelow, I. Rousell, A. Humphries, for University of Central Lancashire, undated).
VERNACULAR BUILDINGS & FEATURES
Remains of a long house structure within the traditional farm building dating from1589.
Low Beckside was a site for the first of Andy Goldsworthy’s Sheepfolds and he has constructed another fold on the farm.
INCOME AND PAYMENTS
For land management; Single Farm Payment.
The Cumbria Fells and Dales Leader + programme is based at Voluntary Action Cumbria and is part-financed by the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund of the European Union and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. This project is part of a trans-national project with Gévaudan Leader + Programme, Lozère, France.
© Copyright 2008 Cumbria Hill Farms