Lower Halsdon Farm update

The National Trust’s current strategy sets out a clear ambition to play our part in restoring the natural environment, across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, for the benefit of people, wildlife and to help tackle climate change.

Due to the opportunities that the land presents for nature and public benefit, the National Trust has been in discussions with the current tenant over the future of the land and buildings which includes their existing 10-year tenancy which is due to come to an end in 2026. We first outlined our desire for the land to become an important site for nature friendly farming in 2021.

The property was let to the present tenants on a commercial lease in 2016 in order to deliver a visitor-facing business to the 100,000s of walkers and cyclists on the Exe Estuary Trail which runs alongside the land. The current tenant has established a café, a dog walking field, run occasional music and entertainment events and let the house annexe for holidays. As envisaged at the time of letting, the land has been sub-let to an external grazier.

The charity approaches the review of every tenancy along with its long-term strategic aims and its relationships with its tenants and the ability to work with them is of paramount importance.

However, we also recognise that tenants have their own business plans and there will be some cases where they may choose to follow a different path or where our aims are too far apart.

Our plans when the tenancy does come to an end in 2026 to improve the land for nature and people are in accordance with the wishes of the donor and include conservation grazing, some limited arable cropping to support farmland birds, tree and orchard planting.