RAKEHEAD FARM

NATEBY, KIRKBY STEPHEN

THE FARM

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

VISITORS

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

Rakehead Farm is in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty and the Orton Fells character area.

The farm has some of the typical characteristics of upland farms in the area including moorland with extensive areas of limestone pavement and a strong field pattern bounded by high limestone walls.

GEOLOGY & SOIL TYPE(S)

The soil type is a medium loam on the lower land rising to thin limestone soils and peat deposits on Mallerstang and Nateby fells.

FLORA

The farm has over 40 ha in the High Outwood SSSI which has been designated for its upland calcareous grassland.

FAUNA

Red Squirrel The farm is managing three specific areas of land to help provide habitat for Black Grouse.

Red Squirrels have also been seen on the farm.

ARCHAEOLOGY

The term Nateby derives its origin from two Old Norse words; the first “nata” meaning nettle and the second “by” meaning farmstead or settlement. The village is first recorded in the medieval period in 1242 AD.

There are five known sites of historic environment significance on the farm. These include two quarries, two visible lime kilns and an area of earthworks which was possibly an earlier boundary bank.

There are several lynchets on the farm - linear banks formed by soil, which when loosened by the plough, gradually move down slope through gravity and erosion.

The farm also contains a section of the moat surrounding Pendragon Castle which dates from 1180. The Castle was built to protect Mallerstang Valley and has twice been burnt by the Scots and rebuilt. It is a scheduled monument.

DRY STONE WALLS

Around 80% of the field boundaries are dry stone walls and Paul estimates these amount to around 6000 metres in total length – ie 6Km! He estimates that mending gaps in the walls takes around 300 hours per year.

VERNACULAR BUILDINGS & FEATURES

Rakehead farmhouse and adjoining cottage are Grade 11 listed and date from 1685. The buildings were originally a house and granary but are now one dwelling with an adjoining cottage.

There are also 7 traditional stone barns on the holding.