TAW HOUSE FARM

BOOT, ESKDALE

THE FARM

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

VISITORS

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

Taw House Farm, retains some extensive areas of unimproved and semi-improved acidic grassland and rich sedge mire. Species rich grassland with traditional hay meadow plants can also be found.

There are two SSSIs on the farm – Scafell Pike and the Screes. These have both been designated for their upland montane habitat.

Woodland is an important feature with scattered scrub, regeneration, riverside trees, strips and gill woodland.

SOIL TYPE(S)

Soil types range from a stony, well drained loam on land adjacent to the river, becoming stonier on the sloping land, up to very acid, peaty topped upland soils on the upper intakes and fells.

GEOLOGY

Lower Borrowdale Volcanic series.

FLORA

The floodplain fields and parts of the lower fell side include common grassland herbs such as sorrel and ribwort plantain. Some of the traditionally managed hay meadows have species including yellow rattle, eyebright, red clover and pignut.

At the head of the valley are acidic grasslands, mire and bracken including a large area of sedges and sphagnum moss and other species including round leaved sundew, bog asphodel, marsh violet and lousewort.

The fields around Taw House contain a good number of adult and veteran trees mostly oak and ash. The intakes on the valley sides to the SW of the farm contain areas of mixed oak broadleaf woodland.

Eskdale Common includes the Scafell Pike SSSI designated for its upland montane habitat.

FAUNA

The farm has two areas with colonies of the scarce small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly. Tree pipit and cuckoo breed along the fellsides and whitethroat and dunnock nest within gorse scrubland.

Raptors include peregrine falcons, buzzards and sparrow hawks

Both red but also grey squirrels have been seen and there is concern over the future of the red squirrels.

ARCHAEOLOGY

There are neolithic axe factory sites on Eskdale common within the farm heaf on Scafell and Scafell Pike.

There is an early iron working site (a bloomery) alongside Scale Gill and a medieval shieling to the North East of Scale Gill.

HEDGEROWS

There are around 1000 metres of hedgerow on the farm with 200 metres planted since Mark Fox came to Taw House under an ESA Conservation Plan

DRY STONE WALLS

There are around 4 miles of walls with maintenance carried out by Mark Fox. An archaeological survey by the National Trust noted a good deal of interesting “wall furniture” such as gate stoops and posts, water smoots, hogg holes and stiles.

VERNACULAR BUILDINGS & FEATURES

Farmhouse

Taw House is a grand house built by John and Betty Towers in or about 1806. The layout is what is known as a double-pile plan considered the climax of farmhouse design of the time. Most of the fittings have survived unaltered making it one of the best late Georgian/Regency interiors owned by the Trust in the region.

The farmstead has a number of other buildings of historic importance including an imposing bank barn dating from 1819 and a rare example of a former salving (dipping) house.

The press cupboard in the kitchen is a fairly late example being dated 1723 and bears the initials IVS, probably representing John and Sarah Vicars. The Vicars family is also mentioned in the “Percy” survey of 1578.