Comfort Wood Cottage
Newton Farm
PL17 8DQ
In the Tamar Valley AONB
adjacent to the
National Trust
Cotehele Estate.
Conservation at Newton Farm
Our Story
17 years ago Kate and I took on Newton Farm, a 20 acre small holding in the Tamar Area of Outstanding Beauty adjacent to 12000 acres of the National Trust Estate of Cotehele.
With an interest in conservation, we converted our 20 acres small holding into an organic holding, reinstated three orchards with local varieties of apples, pears and cherries, formalised a permissive foot path, reinstated 200 yards of hedgerow and conserved species rich meadows.
The barn attached to the Newton Farm was dilapidated and we set about restoring it while preserving and enhancing bat and bird populations. The barn is now Comfort Wood Cottage.
On the farm, collaborations with Natural England, the Soil Association, Plant Life, Moor Meadows, The Woodland Trust, and Farming in Protected Landscapes are continually improving our local nature. Eleven acres of wild flower meadows and hay meadows have been encouraged and three acres of woodland pasture have been extended to four and a half acres.
Me and my Meadow, a Moor meadows/Plant Life project at the farm.
https://moormeadows.org.uk/me-and-my-meadow/andrew-and-kate-brown/
For the last 10 years Andrew has been working with the B4 Project to conserve our native honey bee population and discourage beekeepers from using commercially imported honey bees from abroad. Andrew is one of the founder members of the B4 Project. The B4 website and the B4 facebook page.
An audience with the then Prince Charles resulted in the Duchy Supporting a Project to Save Cornish Black Honey Bees http://duchyofcornwall.org/news/duchy-helps-cornish-black-bees/
The farm is a host to a myriad of species which a few years ago were common. Sparrows, five species of tits, goldfinches, sky larks, ravens and four species of bats are still every day sightings. More uncommon individuals are around, including willow tit, yellow hammer, adder and polecat.
A mile or so away is the new Calstock wetlands project where estuarial wildlife can be seen. Calstock Wetlands Bird Watchers Group can be accessed on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/380574013332334
We hope that your stay at Comfort Wood Cottage will include some quiet moments to enjoy nature going about its daily routine.