LAND & FARMS
Farmland at Eling Estate extends to approximately 3,500 acres which is farmed by five principal farming tenants. Three predominantly arable holdings extend to 2,300 acres in addition to mixed arable and livestock farm of approximately 800 acres.
Arable farming across the Estate is predominantly cereals and combinable crops on a mixture of soil types and elevations. The farms have a variety of management approaches from conventional and low tillage, to more no-tillage and regenerative systems.
Livestock include sheep and beef cattle which are largely at home on grassland at the southern end of the Estate. Sheep are grazed across much of the arable land on the Estate as part of the crop rotation.
Woodlands
Estate woodland extends to approximately 1,200 acres and is an important timber resource, environmental and amenity feature. The individual parcels of woodland vary from enlarged hedgerows and copses, to commercial blocks of conifers and extensive traditional mixed broadleaved woods.
All of the Estate woodland is managed in-hand for commercial timber production.
Public access is permitted across the majority of the Estate’s woodland and the larger blocks have parking spaces and a network of permissible paths free for public use.
Residential Properties
The residential portfolio comprises 110 dwellings ranging from one-bedroom flats to large farmhouses and recently converted listed, thatched barns.
Estate properties are maintained to a high standard, although the majority of the housing stock is largely 100-200 years old which creates challenges for their management, particularly in relation to meeting energy performance standards.
The Estate is trialling a number of techniques and using advanced technology to create new energy efficient and sustainable homes.
Residential properties are let on the open market through local letting agents.
SPORTING
The Estate lets a small area of land to a local game shoot sysdicate. Much of the Estate has historically been let for shooting, but this has discontinued.
Deer stalking is carried out by a syndicate of experienced deer managers within a carefully managed deer control strategy. The primary focus on the control and management of the deer population. If not controlled, large numbers of deer would cause significant grazing damage to crops, wildlife habitat and standing timber as well as carrying disease such as Bovine Tuberculosis.
Environmental Management
Eling Estate aims to be at the forefront of good environmental land management and husbandry. In 2019, an environmental audit was carried out across the Estate to review habitats and management practices and is putting in place a management plan to ensure best practice.
The Estate is working with its tenants and other stakeholders to ensure that its agricultural and forestry businesses are sustainable and operate to the highest environmental standards, seeking to enhance the local landscape and improve its habitats.
Education
The Estate has recently started to work with Priors Court School to provide outside education and work placements for its students. Priors Court is a school for severely autistic children and young adults. The Trust has a long association with the school and has provided grant assistance for a number of projects in the past.
One of the Estate’s objectives is to provide basic facilities to promote outdoor education visits in order to further education and knowledge of the countryside which is of great importance.
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