All about Bagthorpe Farm

About Emily & Nick

Bagthorpe Farm has been in Emily's family for 50yrs. It's in a hamlet consisting of one road, 10 houses, a church, a rarely used red telephone box and a post box. The property is a collection of traditional Norfolk farm buildings built after the Napaleonic Wars.

The farm is situated in the beautiful unspoilt countryside of rural North Norfolk, close to Sandringham and Houghton Hall estates. Bagthorpe is a family-run 300 hectare mixed farm, growing vegetables, cereals and beef cattle organically whilst a small acreage is still farmed conventionally for onions, sugar beet and barley. The soils are light free draining sandy loams which are ideal for growing onions and root crops. No one farming year is the same, especially with organic growing, so you really do learn from your mistakes! Bagthorpe is blessed with a wonderful natural environment, which they (and Emily's dad Tid before them) have strived to enhance with their farming methods and schemes over the last 30 years.

Emily grew up at Bagthorpe then left Norfolk to work in the music business. After meeting her husband Nick (a trained accountant, who speaks 3 languages!) in London and living there for 10 years, they both felt they needed a change and agreed to take Tid up on the offer to come and help run the family farm in January 2008. Emily loves the countryside and cooking (she is a Prue Leith trained cook) whilst Nick has thrown himself into farming and 3 years on is slightly more in control after a very sharp learning curve.

They now live in the farmhouse, which dates back to Tudor times, where Emily grew up. They have a young family and an excitable black Labrador (who is harder work). They are looking forward to sharing the wonderful place where they live in the hope that they can put people back in touch with nature and the simple pleasures in life.

Wildlife & Environment

A major advantage of the type of farm system operated at Bagthorpe is that the rotation creates a mosaic of crops that support a rich diversity of plants, invertebrates, bird and mammals. The presence of grass leys with is key to the success of many farmland bird species, particularly grey partridge and finch species such as linnets; also brown hares, bats and a broad range of soil invertebrate species are hosted on our farm. Grey partridge coveys, for example, utilise grass leys in winter months, whilst bats are drawn to high numbers of insects using grassland within their life cycles. The presence of clover is also crucial to many pollinating insects, particularly bees in their complex life cycles.

In addition the organic management of leys ensures an increased number of soil invertebrates including earthworms, thus providing a sustained food resource for species higher up the food chain such as song birds, small mammals, bats and birds of prey. These all prey on invertebrates that would otherwise be pests within the organic cycle thus keeping a natural balance of these populations.

Other species of birds commonly found at Bagthorpe include oyster catchers (hence the name!) and lapwings. Indeed we often have to leave bits of land unplanted with crops to avoid disturbing these birds nesting!

There are several fields in ‘arable reversion to grassland’ schemes (Countryside Stewardship Scheme) meaning that they are not cropped, rather they are allowed to undergo a natural regeneration to grassland.

As well as maintaining extensive field margins Nick & Emily have also established beetle banks in the centre of a couple of the large fields. This allows predatory insects to spread from the over-wintering sites on the field margins into the centre to prevent the build up of pests. They are also utilised by grey partridge, skylarks and corn bunting both for nesting and feeding.

They are also blessed at Bagthorpe with 150 acres of woodland, made up of over twenty different sites. The woodland is a mixture of deciduous trees and some areas of conifer. There are many ancient Oaks, Beech and Ash trees, as well as Chestnuts and Sycamores.

The woodland, as well as providing natural habitat for many species, acts as a carbon sink, ensuring that Bagthorpe has a positive carbon footprint. A recently undertaken Carbon Footprint audit discovered that the total emissions of CO2 (including the methane and nitrous oxide equivalent tonnage) was 307 tonnes annually, whereas thanks to farming practices (reduction of artificial fertilisers on the organically farmed area) and the woodland the farm actually sequesters 669 tonnes of CO2 annually, meaning they are in credit!

Getting there

Bagthorpe Farm, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE31 6QY

By public transport

King’s Lynn station (25 minutes by car) is the nearest for both buses and trains.

By car

From King's Lynn

Take the A148 towards Cromer/Fakenham. In East Rudham pass The Crown pub on your right and immediately afterwards take the left onto Bagthorpe Road. Folllow for approx 4 miles, into Bagthorpe, past cottages/church and phone box..The Farm House is just on the left before the farm yard.

From Swaffham

Take the A1065 towards Fakenham. At Fakenham roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A148 towards King's Lynn. Turn right onto B1454 towards Docking/Hunstanton. Through woods, turn left towards Bircham. Turn left into Bagthorpe, past farm yard and Farm House is on the right.

Please park oustide the Farm House (which is 30yds from the Church and next to the farm buildings).

Things to do

At The Oyster Catcher

There are great country walks stretching out from your door at The Oyster Catcher as well as organic farm tours, bikes for hire nearby and some good berry foraging!

If you're thinking of getting out and about, ask Emily & Nick about the following:

Places to visit

Houghton Hall (3 miles)

The village of Burnham Market (boutiques & The Hoste Arms 8 miles)

Sandringham Estate (9 miles)

North Norfolk Coast 9 miles (Brancaster, Wells, Hunstanton)

Norfolk Lavender (Heacham, 9 miles)

Holkham Hall (12 miles)

Pensthorpe Wildlife Reserve (12 miles)

Castle Acre Priory (15 miles)

Holt (Georgian Market town 20 miles)

Outdoor & Active (walks, watersports)

Sailing (Brancaster)

Horse riding

Clay Shooting (Mid Norfolk Shooting School)

Seals (Blakeney & Morston)

Cycling (everywhere, Norfolk is fairly flat!)

Fishing (North Norfolk Coast)

Kite Surfing (Brancaster)

Walking (Peddars Way, National Trail which runs from Suffolk to Cromer via Hunstanton), Coastal trails

Bird-watching (RSPB Titchwell Marsh)

Eating & drinking

At The Oyster Catcher

On arrival there will be a welcome hamper to get you going consisting of a bottle of homemade elderflower cordial and a cake (if possible this will be made using organic produce from the farm....carrot cake/chocolate beetroot cake). There will be organic eggs from Emily's brother-in-law who runs a local organic chicken farm nearby and homemade jam, bread & milk. In the kitchen dome, you'll find all the basics, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper and lots of fresh herbs in pots.

Getting supplies in

There are lots of fantastic farm shops nearby, a butcher/local shop 4 miles away to stock up your cool box (ice packs provided on arrival and can be swapped daily if necessary)

Seasonal BBQ boxes for evening meals can be pre-ordered in advance and will be left in a cool box for collection. (example of bbq box would be 2 meat options (to be cooked on bbq provided), 2 ready to eat salads and a bag of new potoatoes to be boiled up on the gas stove).

Pubs & restaurants

The King’s Head, Bircham (2 miles)

The Duck Inn, Stanhoe (3.5 miles)

The Crown, Rudham (4 miles)

The Hoste Arms, Burnham Market (8 miles)

The Dabbling Duck, Massingham (8 miles)

The Ship, Brancaster (9 miles)

The Jolly Sailor, Brancaster (9 miles)

The White Horse, Bancaster (9 miles)

The Orange Tree, Thornham (10 miles)

The Yurt Restaurant (& Farm Shop), Thornham (10 miles)

The Victoria Holkham (12 miles)

Morston Hall, Morston (18 miles)

Burnham Deepdale Cafe (and shops) (9 mile)

Wiveton Cafe (and farm shop/coastal walks) (21 miles)

All about Bagthorpe Farm

About Emily & Nick

Bagthorpe Farm has been in Emily's family for 50yrs. It's in a hamlet consisting of one road, 10 houses, a church, a rarely used red telephone box and a post box. The property is a collection of traditional Norfolk farm buildings built after the Napaleonic Wars.

The farm is situated in the beautiful unspoilt countryside of rural North Norfolk, close to Sandringham and Houghton Hall estates. Bagthorpe is a family-run 300 hectare mixed farm, growing vegetables, cereals and beef cattle organically whilst a small acreage is still farmed conventionally for onions, sugar beet and barley. The soils are light free draining sandy loams which are ideal for growing onions and root crops. No one farming year is the same, especially with organic growing, so you really do learn from your mistakes! Bagthorpe is blessed with a wonderful natural environment, which they (and Emily's dad Tid before them) have strived to enhance with their farming methods and schemes over the last 30 years.

Emily grew up at Bagthorpe then left Norfolk to work in the music business. After meeting her husband Nick (a trained accountant, who speaks 3 languages!) in London and living there for 10 years, they both felt they needed a change and agreed to take Tid up on the offer to come and help run the family farm in January 2008. Emily loves the countryside and cooking (she is a Prue Leith trained cook) whilst Nick has thrown himself into farming and 3 years on is slightly more in control after a very sharp learning curve.

They now live in the farmhouse, which dates back to Tudor times, where Emily grew up. They have a young family and an excitable black Labrador (who is harder work). They are looking forward to sharing the wonderful place where they live in the hope that they can put people back in touch with nature and the simple pleasures in life.

Wildlife & Environment

A major advantage of the type of farm system operated at Bagthorpe is that the rotation creates a mosaic of crops that support a rich diversity of plants, invertebrates, bird and mammals. The presence of grass leys with is key to the success of many farmland bird species, particularly grey partridge and finch species such as linnets; also brown hares, bats and a broad range of soil invertebrate species are hosted on our farm. Grey partridge coveys, for example, utilise grass leys in winter months, whilst bats are drawn to high numbers of insects using grassland within their life cycles. The presence of clover is also crucial to many pollinating insects, particularly bees in their complex life cycles.

In addition the organic management of leys ensures an increased number of soil invertebrates including earthworms, thus providing a sustained food resource for species higher up the food chain such as song birds, small mammals, bats and birds of prey. These all prey on invertebrates that would otherwise be pests within the organic cycle thus keeping a natural balance of these populations.

Other species of birds commonly found at Bagthorpe include oyster catchers (hence the name!) and lapwings. Indeed we often have to leave bits of land unplanted with crops to avoid disturbing these birds nesting!

There are several fields in ‘arable reversion to grassland’ schemes (Countryside Stewardship Scheme) meaning that they are not cropped, rather they are allowed to undergo a natural regeneration to grassland.

As well as maintaining extensive field margins Nick & Emily have also established beetle banks in the centre of a couple of the large fields. This allows predatory insects to spread from the over-wintering sites on the field margins into the centre to prevent the build up of pests. They are also utilised by grey partridge, skylarks and corn bunting both for nesting and feeding.

They are also blessed at Bagthorpe with 150 acres of woodland, made up of over twenty different sites. The woodland is a mixture of deciduous trees and some areas of conifer. There are many ancient Oaks, Beech and Ash trees, as well as Chestnuts and Sycamores.

The woodland, as well as providing natural habitat for many species, acts as a carbon sink, ensuring that Bagthorpe has a positive carbon footprint. A recently undertaken Carbon Footprint audit discovered that the total emissions of CO2 (including the methane and nitrous oxide equivalent tonnage) was 307 tonnes annually, whereas thanks to farming practices (reduction of artificial fertilisers on the organically farmed area) and the woodland the farm actually sequesters 669 tonnes of CO2 annually, meaning they are in credit!