dove farm diaries

Have you ever held a chick, just hatched?

Dove Farm is a versatile business, with a lot going on in a little place!

This is a family owned and run, working farm.

We manage the land in a traditional way, taking account of its environmental features and building in conservation measures where we can.

The farm is not overly big, with the home farm being 92 acres , and a couple hundred acres rented cereal ground in addition – but we don’t believe in an easy life!

We have an impressive variety  of labour intensive livestock about the place: That means endless feeding and cleaning out! Not only cattle and pedigree ryeland sheep, but a few donkeys and  ponies, alpacas and pigs,  chickens and ducks to add to the mix.

Put simply, it’s plenty for us two to manage, with seasonal help pulled in, for agri-contracting and arable work, as and when required. www.stretton-agri.co.uk is the machinery trading enterprise that we also run as part of the farm business.

We love lambing time

There are 3 self-catering cottages on our working farm, we specialise in short breaks for larger groups, of around 16-18 guests, including hen groups. More details on www.dovefarm.co.uk

Guests love the fact that our accommodation offers all the benefits to be found in large cottages or party houses, with the added advantage of enjoying the privacy of their own holiday cottage. We have user-friendly facilities for disabled guests too.

There is also an adjoining studio room; It seats 16-18 around one table, when used as a dining room by family groups and guests celebrating special occasions.  It is the perfect setting for dinner parties.  As a business room, Dove studio provides comfortable space for around 25 delegates, ideal for meetings, workshops and training events.

The farm takes its name from the river Dove, which marks the boundary between Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Dove Farm looks out to the river, and our farm trail, is a popular walk for us, as well as our guests, with views across the weir and unspoilt banks of the river Dove.

Dove Farm is easy to find, in the village of Ellastone, 5 miles south of Ashbourne, Derbyshire –  and  7 miles from the A50 at Uttoxeter. Many guests enjoy their stay on a farm with us, because of our central UK location, at the edge of the Peak District. It makes our holiday cottages perfect  for reunions, meetings  and get-togethers of all kinds.

It’s worth remembering that we are right on the Staffordshire border, only 4 miles away from Alton Towers, Britain’s premier theme park.