BACK TO THE LAND IN BRITAIN
(Page 2 of 9)
In short, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are densely populated
in only a very few of their thousands of square miles. Even
in England, there are major stretches of low-population
country to the southwest of Bristol and north of
Manchester.
RELATED CONTENT
Hill farms, mainly suited to beef and sheep, situated in
Wales and the north of England may presently be purchased
outright for between $100 and $150 U.S. per acre. (To make
it easy for most readers of this publication, all prices
are quoted here in U.S. dollars.)
Mind now, this $100 to $150 price per acre buys substantial
buildings and land that is already in production. Farm
valuations in these areas rarely take any account of the
farmhouse or livestock accomodations. Sales are on purely a
"per acre" basis with fixtures "thrown in". Wooden
buildings are uncommon and house, haybarn, cowshed, etc.
are usually walled with local stone and roofed with blue
slate. I'll wager that even "free" homestead land in Canada
and the U.S. cannot be cultivated and built on for less.
The typical hill farm—perhaps built in the 1700's and
certainly not much beyond 1800—might appear more
historic and beautiful than useful and pleasant to live in.
Several farms and country houses are, in fact, designated
"historic monuments" while being operated by quite ordinary
people in quite ordinary ways. The houses, however, have
modernized—but still cozy—interiors and the
outbuildings are updated and businesslike behind their
castle-like doors. There are few derelict farms in Britain.
Those for sale are either kept in use until sold or have
been only recently vacated.
Hill farm pastures—fenced by ancient, dry stone
walls—-are sometimes quite steep but each property
usually has a few acres of good bottom land that is worked
as a hay meadow. In addition, many hill farms are situated
on the edge of vast, publicly-owned moorlands and are sold
with the rights to free range cattle or sheep on the moor.
Livestock markets, feed suppliers, country schools and
friendly shops and pubs are never too far down the road
from British farms. The country homes are castle-like in
more ways than one, however, and isolation is available in
any degree desired. You may pick your estate so that the
nearest town or village is completely out of sight . . . or
part of a panoramic, almost bird's eye view from the farm
house.
The relative unpopularity (and resulting low cost) of the
hill farm is based on: (a) the higher productivity of the
best land in the valleys and its ready adaptability to
modern, intensive farming methods, (b) the so-called
"shorter summer, longer winter" climate of the
winter-shadowed hill farm and (c) a general dislike of
living and working up and down a windy hillside. On the
other hand, of course, many people are able to see
advantages in the hill farm's characteristics.
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