Britain’s most southerly farm is up for rent to a tenant who can look after a rare pair of breeding birds – and accommodate thousands of ‘twitchers’.
The idyllic Tregullas Farm sits on the tip of the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
It has a five bedroom farmhouse, private garden, and a host of farm outbuildings including a former tea room.
But the farm is also home to the only pair of breeding choughs in Cornwall.
The National Trust now wants a new tenant for the 238-acre site – but stresses the incumbents must be willing to accommodate birdwatchers.
Every year thousands of of ‘twitchers’ come to see the distinctive red-legged black crows.
Birdwatchers have access to the land via footpaths and the trust says the farm tenant must make the choughs’ well-being a ‘priority’
Spokesman Julia Proctor said: “We know what type of management the chough’s want.
“They’ll want to have areas that are grazed most of the year round because they like quite short turf.
“We want to make sure that they stay because so many people come to visit them.”
She said the trust would look at would-be tenants’ applications before deciding how much it would let the farm for.
Mrs Proctor said: “We are saying people can keep livestock on the land but are flexible about what that might be.”
Tenants will also have to look after rare plants in the fields, including wild asparagus, autumn squill, and the peculiarly-named prostrate broom.
Their tenure would begin in September next year and last between 10 and 20 years.
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
