old lands

Old Lands is an estate ten minutes from the Wye Valley, and 20 minutes to the Black Mountains in the north-west. It is a magical place, with a beautiful walled garden – run on no dig, organic principles with 80 acres of rolling countryside, a resident naturalist and a Forest School. Bucolic in every sense. Clare Richardson, a wonderful photographer, lives there with her family, the Bosanquets.

We were lucky enough to run a compost course at Old Lands in 2017.

We used straw from the farm, fresh hay, lots of chicken poo, bolted spinach and greens, cow manure, and biodynamic preparations. The whole day had an amazing feel to it – everyone helping to turn the compost and its temperature rose very quickly.

To quote Colum “I am feeling very inspired about all things compost…I have never known a heap warm up so quickly”.