Hello All! Well, it certainly feels like autumn is here. The rain has finally come, and the summer heat has left us. Whilst this is a blessing I can’t help but miss the ease of the summer when I didn’t have to remember jumpers, coats, scarf and hat in the changeable Elan Valley climate.

This month we hosted MS James Evans who is not only a local constituency MS but is currently Chair of the Climate Change, Environment, Sustainability and Rural Affairs Committee. It was a useful opportunity to show him the peat restoration work and research we have been doing with UKCEH. We could all recognise that after the unprecedented year of wildfires in Wales, that landscape action and planning is vital and in order to achieve our Welsh goals, we need to think landscape and have an arsenal of tools to deploy depending on the challenges of a specific area.

Peat restoration for the season has begun and the process of getting the specialist machinery to site commenced at the start of September. These activities will continue until February 2027, with many more updates to follow. 

September sees the start of our autumn sheep work, coupled with the handover of tenancies. With our tenancies we try and provide a hefted ‘landlords’ flock so there is continuity on the land and sheep accustomed to the environment are there at the beginning and the end of a tenancy. This undoubtedly has helped youngsters and new starters onto our farms as the capital cost for purchasing the livestock would have been an uphill battle. We have completed our last gather at Tynllidiart and can now handover to incoming tenants. Thank you, Tudor, for your years of shepherding and good luck to Cynan and Mared Evans. As the September draws to a close, we will also be saying goodbye to Abergwngu Farm, Hengae Sheepwalk and Tymawr Sheepalk. I wish all incoming tenants the best of luck.

Charlotte Harley
Estate Manager & Land Agent