That’s Moor Like It

An enterprising family is breathing new life into a picture-perfect hill farm he majority of visitors who drive up and down Swaledale in summer are blithely unaware that they are missing one of the area’s most scenic spots – a spectacular tributary valley that was once carved out by mighty glaciers and is now occupied by the gently meandering Marske Beck.

A couple of miles upstream of the village of Marske, looking out across a gorgeously rugged upland landscape, is Telfit Farm. Since 2016 Telfit has been in the hands of the Leatham family, and father Oliver and son Ben have been busy developing it into a hub of activities that complement and enhance the hill farm and its rich natural environment.

And it’s the environment that is of paramount importance to the Leathams. Telfit’s flower-rich moorland, woodlands, meadows and scrub sustain a wealth of wildlife, including many rare and threatened species of birds such as curlew, golden plover, lapwing, oystercatchers and black grouse. It’s a rich and biodiverse landscape that needs to be treated with respect.

In Touch With The Grass Roots

The Leathams intend not just to preserve the status quo but to make things better still. “We have recently decided to go down the regenerative farming route,” explains Oliver. “Regenerative farming is about going back to basics, restoring and improving the environment by farming in the way it used to be done years ago.

“For example we will be practising ‘mob grazing’, which involves having a lot of stock in a small area for a short space of time, then moving them on and leaving the grass plenty of time to grow longer. This in turn allows the roots to grow deeper, which creates more microbial activity in the soil, helps prevent run-off and makes the pasture more drought-resistant. Letting the grass grow longer also encourages it to produce more nutrients, meaning that we don’t need to buy in feed.”

It’s hardly surprising that the animals grazing these herb-rich pastures produce exquisite meat, and the Leathams have selected their stock carefully. Visitors are always awed by Telfit’s handsome White Park cattle; these are one of the rarest breeds in Britain, descendants of Northumberland’s famous Chillingham wild cattle. Telfit’s sheep are a hardy Swaledale-Texel cross, and their pigs are Middle Whites – another extremely rare breed whose meat is highly prized for its refined and distinctive flavour.

There are smaller foragers at work at Telfit too. In late summer and early autumn 100 hives-worth of honey bees busily scour the surrounding moorland, bringing back nectar to produce Telfit’s ‘Skelton Moor’ heather honey. Heather honey is renowned for its unique flavour and consistency, and Telfit’s rich, dark, mellow honey is a classic example.

These gourmet delights are the core inspiration for a new, wider-ranging retail business, EatTELFIT. It’s a food brand, explains Ben, that will bring together a carefully curated range of top quality, sustainably produced foods – including, of course, Telfit’s very special meats and honey. EatTELFIT is launching this August with an exciting prize giveaway – visit the website and follow the brand on social media for more details.

Dramatic Events

But there’s a lot more going on at Telfit than just the farming. The carefully renovated, luxuriously appointed Georgian farmhouse and its adjacent cart house, with their wealth of period features and modern amenities, can sleep up to 22 guests as a holiday let. Facilities include a hot tub, sauna, games room, barbecue and fire pit, with wild swimming available in the river below.

And with a former milking parlour that has been transformed into an on-site event room, Telfit makes a wonderful wedding venue. An exclusive one too – Telfit only hosts twelve weddings a year, meaning that your special day won’t be just one more event on a non-stop matrimonial production line.

Thanks to the same combination of excellent facilities and magnificent surroundings, Telfit is also the perfect place to hold business conferences, courses and other events. The peace, quiet and natural beauty make it a natural fit for yoga retreats and similar health-focused activities. “It’s a very good place to get your head clear,” says Oliver.

So what else does the future hold for Telfit? The Leathams have no intention of resting on their laurels any time soon. A newly planted orchard will add another string to their bow, and Telfit apple juice and cider are likely to be added to EatTELFIT’s product range in due course, along with a range of top-quality charcuterie and ready meals.

In another development, Telfit has already featured as a photo-shoot location for a leading fashion brand. With more film and photography crews likely to follow in their footsteps, the spectacular scenery of this often overlooked beauty spot may soon be getting the share of the limelight that it deserves. For information about Telfit Farmhouse, The Cart House and weddings, conferences, retreats, photoshoots and other activities at Telfit visit telfit.co.uk

For information about EatTELFIT visit eattelfit.co.uk