About Us
Backswood Farm became the home of Andrew and Mandy Hughes in 2014. Before that we were farming a mixed arable and livestock farm at Andover in Hampshire. We fell in love with Backswood and could visualise its potential to give us a quieter and more relaxed lifestyle. We also wanted to produce a more resilient existence and to fully engage with our local community.
The farm was purchased two years before we moved in 2012 and during the interim years, the cottages were converted to holiday lets and the farming business in Hampshire was closed down. The original Farmhouse was replaced in 2015 and a new farmhouse was completed in 2017 on the original site. Backswood farm at this point was about 135 acres, and in 2015 we were able to purchase 150 acres of Backs Wood. This completed the block of land that runs from the top road to the River Exe.
Farmhouse Build
Finished Farmhouse
Since completing the house, we have been managing the newly acquired woodland and developing the Nature Garden. Along with these projects we have been making changes to the land use and creating a farming system that benefits both the environment and wildlife whilst retaining a lower input livestock farming system.
This farm can only be a marginal producer of food and we are well placed to benefit from the government's aims to help the environment, leaving more efficient farms to supply our much needed UK produced food.
Renovation of each of the properties has enabled us to incorporate many energy and water saving systems into the refurbished buildings. These systems include rainwater harvesting for all toilets and irrigation, and a wood boiler for all the heating and hot water on site.
Solar PV and Solar thermal panels are used for Electric and hot water generation, and we installed a bore hole for drinking water supply.
Moving forward, we want to be living as independently as possible and keeping our carbon footprint to a minimum. For a more detailed analysis of our environmental actions, please click on the link below
Solar Panels and Wood Boiler Shed