The Estate farms some 1,100 acres (445 hectares) of land.

Suckler Beef Herd

We have a suckler beef herd consisting of 4 bulls (pure-bred Aberdeen Angus and/or Simmental) and around 140 cows, many of which were born on the Estate.

Our cattle and calves graze in the fields for as long as possible and are only brought in when leaving them out would damage the ground and soil structure. In the winter, the cattle are fed home-produced silage; their bedding is straw from our arable crops. The used bedding and muck are re-used as organic fertilizer on our arable fields. 

Arable Crops

Our arable production includes wheat, barley, oats, beans and oilseed rape. The

Estate's crops frequently win the prize for best crop awarded by the Surrey County Agricultural Society.
Crops are rotated annually to protect the soil and reduce reliance on chemicals. The planting of cover crops during the winter months not only reduces soil erosion but also provides a food source for birds, sheep and other animals. 

The Betchworth Estate works closely with its independent agronomist and takes soil samples to ensure that its use of agricultural chemicals and fertilizers is kept to a minimum. Our use of fertilizers is reducing year on year. 


Protecting the Environment

The Betchworth Estate takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously.  Our farmland is - and has for the past 10 years been - run under the Higher Level Stewardship  scheme (and before that under the Entry Level Stewardship scheme), which means that the land is managed to meet stringent environmental targets, such as wildlife conservation; protecting natural resources; maintaining and enhancing the quality and character of the landscape; as well as promoting sustainable public access and understanding of the countryside.  

  • Biodiversity - The Estate's arable fields are surrounded by a total of just under 15 km (9.25 miles) of hedgerows, a 5 metre-wide strip of uncultivated land and uncultivated field corners, to encourage ground nesting birds, insects and wildflowers. The field corners and wildlife strips take up around 7% of the Estate's arable land.
  • Grassland - The grassland on the Chimney Pots and around Betchworth House is carefully managed to reduce the soil's fertility and to encourage traditional grassland varieties and wildflowers to grow. This process takes time; there is a lot of latent fertility in the ground which needs to be managed to dissipate. 
    The parkland at Betchworth is maintained to reflect the original designs by Humphry Repton, the 18th century English landscape designer, often regarded as the successor to
    Lancelot "Capability" Brown.
  • Arable land - The Betchworth Estate works hard to protect its soil structure by using minimum tillage cultivation methods and reducing the number of "operations" needed on the fields by using newer, more fuel-efficient, larger machinery with a wider reach.
  • Woodlands - The 150 acres of woodland on the Estate encompass more than 100,000 trees varying from over 200-year-old oaks to newer plantations, such as cricket bat willows by Betchworth Bridge. The woodlands are managed for amenity, shooting and commercial forestry under the guiding principle of sustainability. 

 

Renewable Energy

The Betchworth Estate is committed to establish an extensive renewable energy programme with a planned ground source heating system for a new development of eight houses on the Estate; installing solar panels on farm buildings and reviving its hydro-electric plant at the restored 18th century weir in the River Mole. 

Fishing 

Coarse fishing permits for the River Mole are available through membership of the Carshalton & District Angling Society.  To contact the CADAS, please click here. There is no public access.