Radford Mill is a 115 acre farm managed to certified organic standards since 1976. The Cam Brook runs down the middle of the Farm, and so does the disused Somerset Coal Canal. About 90% of the Farm is grassland, and half of that is used by a neighbour farmer for grazing, silage and hay.
The Beginning
1976
Two couples decided to find a suitable location for establishing a home and two rural businesses - - bespoke hand weaving and vegetable growing. We were lucky to find a completely derelict property next to a run-down farm, and being young, inexperienced and ambitious we scraped all our money together, took out a big mortgage, and bought the two properties which became known as Radford Mill Farm. All of the buildings were in a severe state of disrepair and tumbling down; the Ordnance Survey map described them as "Derelict". An early crop was wheat on long straw that could be used for thatching: this was in short supply.
1986 to 2003
Sue became the Farm manager. Activities at the Farm grew year by year and we found ourselves in the forefront of the organic produce industry. It was easy to sell everything we could produce, and our production increased every year. We started a home delivery service and developed a box scheme several years before that phrase was invented. We were producing Jersey yoghurt in six flavours well before Yeo Valley scooped the market. We raised organic Norfolk black and bronze turkeys for Christmas and we always sold out - - no-one else was selling these back in the day. Our sales of everything in Bristol continued to grow; we delivered lamb, beef, pork and ham at Christmas time and throughout the year. The farmshop in Bristol was flourishing.
After six and a half years of excellent growing Phil took two years off to work in Laos advising the government on fruit growing. Phil would return to the Farm a couple of weeks before Christmas each year to help pluck the turkeys. We opened "Jenny's Path" in 2001, at the time it was the first rural footpath in the district accessible by wheelchairs. We planted several hundred broadleaf trees, hosted people with varying mental and physical challenges, and Mark organised an activities business with dozens of weekend workshops, and an annual "Extravaganza" festival in the summer. Iain Cotton rented some barn space and he's still here many years later,, carving beautiful letters in stone. The farm was leased for a short period but came back into Richard’s management and started to develop again. Solar panels were installed on various roofs across the farm.
2011
Liz joined him and there was a renewed focus on events and in particular weddings and festivals so we expanded the kitchen facilities to allow for more catering. We also began the process of renovating some of the outlying buildings for use as workshops and established a small flock of pedigree, rare breed, Wiltshire Horn sheep. Our first breeding ram "Forest" sired 14 lambs and the children enjoyed giving them all tree-related names: Oak, Ash, Mulberry, Maple and Snowbell.
2019 to 2021
Tibor brought 10 beehives to the Farm and by the end of 2019 we had several hundred jars of Radford Mill honey. During the winter 2019-20 we started more than 300 oak trees from our own acorns for planting out in several years, along with some ash, elm, beech, birch, Scots pine and others. We create some tree plantations every year, using corners of fields and some of the north-facing slopes that are not the best for grass and hay. The first floor of the Mill was developed into workshops and has since accommodated, at various points, a glass artist, silversmiths, wood workers, a jewellery maker, textile workers, multimedia artists and others. The upper floor of the Mill received its under-floor water heating pipes, to be powered by either a wood-fired boiler or by a ground source heat pump that magically will use the ice-cold river as the primary source for the heat. Workshops at the other end of the farm accommodated a chain-saw artist and a carpenter.
Because Covid-19 caused most of our events to be postponed or cancelled we used the time to rebuild the footbridge that spans the river, reinforced the railway embankment in the way of a miniature car racetrack and expanded our vegetable cultivation. Trevor re-pointed the Piggery back wall, and Duncan and James upgraded all of our electrics and gas installations. Steven built better fencing all over the Farm and Jan installed many new gates and compost heaps. Adam and Josh cleared hundreds of metres of overgrown hedges and filled our woodsheds with firewood. We also built nearly 40 compost toilets to ensure everyone had their own loo when camping was once again permitted.
During Covid we started a vegetable delivery service again, primarily focusing on the nearby villages within about three miles of the Farm. Our Farm Shop in Bristol also started a box delivery scheme in that city. The mild but wet winter and very hot Spring of 2020 gave many of the growing things an early boost, and we expanded our crops of spinach, kale, salads, potatoes, onions, squash and apple. Hannah produced little Maya in the week before lockdown started and a few months later baby Bhodi was born in the big yellow school bus.
2022 onwards
Lucas was appointed as the Vegetable Manager and is driving up standards of cultivation and production in the polytunnels, orchard and fields. His arrival means we have doubled the American contingent managing the farm!
Russ joined us to develop a saw mill and his business has taken off, bringing many customers to the farm. One sad note is that the alders that have lined the riverbanks for the last 100 years or so are succumbing to a national fungal disease and we have Dutch Elm disease, so our landscape is changing as we bring down at least 20 tall dead trees each year. However, this is more than matched by our replanting programme. The original woodland planted when the farm started is being extended down to the road in 2024, a project overseen by our landscape gardener, Frank.
We are building a solar wood kiln to ensure our wood is sufficiently dry to minimise air pollution when burnt on the campfires and wood-fired showers overseen by Pete.
Frank also runs a flower growing business and is a talented florist providing flowers for weddings and bouquets for the farm shop. He now has a dedicated flower polytunnel.
Under the watchful eye of our shepherd, Josh, the Wiltshire Horn flock of sheep has grown and produced 30 lambs in 2023, including both twins and triplets.
Tanya is now overseeing the chicken and turkey operations supported by the significant poultry expertise of her young daughter Angelica.
The farm shop, managed by Jon with a loyal and dedicated team, is being revamped with a re-emphasis on organic, sustainable, local, farm produce.
Our events business has grown and with the amazing Jack Bird we are now hosting an annual Folk/World Music Festival (Tangled Roots) , a Blues Festival (Tangled up in Blues) and a Jazz Festival (Somerset Jazz). With some Polish clients we hosted a wellbeing festival for the Polish diaspora in 2023 and they are returning this summer.
The catering for this and the many weddings and other parties we host is supported by a wonderful team of residents and local people whose events preparation, clearup and culinary skills are phenomenal.
A further 50 kw of solar panels are planned for our least productive south-facing slope, called Mill Tyning; this was the field where we first sowed wheat on long straw all those years ago. We'll graze sheep under the solar panels, and possibly our horses will prance around the perimeter.
We have converted barn space for more accommodation for which the maintenance relies on the invaluable skills of Jan and Trevor amongst others. We have other building projects in the pipeline including the insulation of the Mill roof to enable more indoor events, and the renovation of Red House on the south side of the farm.
Richard and Liz are extremely grateful to the army of residents, staff, volunteers, tenants, visitors, customers and others who help to keep the farm alive, afloat and developing.
Canal and Railway
The Somerset Coal Canal runs through the farm and used to take coal from the surrounding hills to fuel Bath. We've excavated about 1/3 mile of the Canal and we would like to see the whole of it restored to navigation - - all 9.6 miles of it. We think this might take many years, but it is a wonderful heritage project.
The path of the railway that superseded the canal also runs through the farm and also now disused except as a farm track. Recently, we bought another section of both the railway and canal and alongside them we have developed a riding arena and two wildflower meadows.
