Our story text part 1

Our Story

Where it all began

In 1965, Harry Ridley was the farm manager at Chilbolton Down Farm. His remit from the owner, Sir Richard Boughey, was a simple one; he was to find ways to increase the fertility of the land without heavy investment.

Harry’s answer for this was a focus on grassland management, which began with his implementation of a seven-year rotation.

‘The golden hooves’ of the sheep were integral to this rotation system. Being on free‐draining soil, the sheep could be kept outside all year round, maximising the benefits to the soil and minimising extra feed costs.

The 3000‐ewe flock was managed by breaking it down into smaller, manageable mob sizes that worked their way around the rotation.