Project Partner Spotlight: Rob Newall
- Flax Marketing
- Dec 17, 2024
- 3 min read
We went over to Mapperton Farm to meet with Rob Newall.
I farm at Mapperton Farm. It’s a small family farm of 200 acres. We have about 30 acres of woodland, 20 acres of scrubland. We have a lot of steep permanent pasture and we have very little flat land. We run an Aberdeen Angus single suckle herd and we have a few sheep. We’ve been here about 37 years. The older I get the more I lose track! I was brought up at South Eggardon farm which is 9 miles east of here, so I’ve worked and farmed in Dorset pretty much all my life.
"I’ve worked and farmed in Dorset pretty much all my life."
A special part of the world
When we were looking at a new farm to buy back in 1987, the criteria was that it had to be beautiful, it had to be in West Dorset, and it had to have its own water. Now Mapperton Farm filled that criteria absolutely. The only problem was that at the time, my father had a farm advisor who basically said we’d be bankrupt and out of here in 18 months. Well he wasn’t quite correct! We’ve struggled like mad to stay here, but I’m pleased to say we’re still here. It’s the most extraordinary part of West Dorset.
"It’s the most extraordinary part of West Dorset."
Go up onto one of the hills here and you can look down to West Bay, you can see the sea shining. We have the most amazing amount of flora and fauna. The count that we have for buzzards and birds of that type is extraordinary.
"We have the most amazing amount of flora and fauna."
Corridors for wildlife
We became interested in being part of this project because we’re a small farm in between large estates. We understood that some of the large estates in our area are going towards rewilding projects and we felt is is important to join that group so that we have continuation on the land, so that the birds and the bees and the butterflies can move freely from one area to another without being stopped by agrochemicals and things like that.
"We felt is is important to join that group so that we have continuation on the land, so that the birds and the bees and the butterflies can move freely from one area to another."
Connections with other farmers and landowners.
Another reason we joined the project was because it’s important for estates, farms and farmers to work together to make these amazing projects happen.
Of course all farmers would like our farms to be passed over to the younger generation. We are not absolutely sure whether we can do that at the moment, but we’re working towards trying to look at that as a project. The Brit Valley Project will help us to do that in some respects and one of the reasons we joined was because of this aspect of our current situation.
"It’s important for estates, farms and farmers to work together to make these amazing projects happen."
What the Brit Valley Project offers
In terms of what we want from the project, there’s an income point that will be very helpful. This is a very difficult farm to make any money out of so that will be very helpful. And there will be the help from the team to point us in the right direction to increase our biodiversity.
"In terms of what we want from the project, there’s an income point that will be very helpful. [...] And there will be the help from the team to point us in the right direction to increase our biodiversity."
