Chilton Grounds Farm
The Chilton Grounds Story
Once part of Chilton Park medieval manor, our 150 acre farm has been grazing livestock for centuries, and has been in the Parker family since 1926. Now in its fourth generation, the farm is now run by Duncan and Diana with their son.
The farm has well preserved ridge and furrow and traditional hay meadows which are sympathetically farmed alongside abundant wildlife species. We do not use artificial fertilisers or spray fields with chemicals, nor do we treat our wool with any insecticidal products.
We currently have a herd of suckler cows running alongside our flock of Pedigree Zwartbles and Pedigree Wensleydales.
Diana picked up the taste for crafts from her Grandmother and has since been spinning and knitting in her spare time, whilst setting up a successful curtain making and interior design business, Seamsfine.
Sustainability
We are passionate about our farm's flora and fauna and are part of the Nature Friendly Farming movement, practicing Agroecology. Our hedgerows, flood meadows and field margins are beautiful ecosystems which are bursting with rare plant and animal life.
To look after our soil health and lock-up carbon, we have not ploughed any of the farm since the compulsory ploughing during the Second World War. This care is reflected in the ridge and furrows that are evident throughout most of the fields and have been there since the medieval period (over 1000 years!). We have been sowing multi-species grasses and legumes to increase the variety of nutrition available to our livestock, improve the nutrients in the soil, and improving drought tolerance of our pasture, something that has become required in recent years.
We only use worming treatment when necessary following testing and avoid Macrocytic Lactones (Ivermectins) when possible. We have not dipped sheep for over 25 years or applied artificial fertiliser to fields for over 20 years.
As well as the joy it brings to see the thriving wildlife, we want to have a successful farm ecosystem for the future. While we know our efforts are just a small difference to the global ecosystem, we give our all to improve what we have here at Chilton Grounds.
This a short video made by the No Expressway group to try and oppose the plans to build a motorway through our village. It shows some of the nest boxes that are situated in trees around our farm.
Contact Us
Chilton Grounds Farm, Chapel Lane, Chilton, Aylesbury HP18 9LP, UK
Call Duncan on 07712410198 or Diana on 07496224775
