Our Story

1920 Boycott Farm was bought from Stowe Estate by William Hilsdon and farmed by Francis Thomas (Richard’s grandfather)

William and Emily Hilsdon (Richard’s great grandfather/grandmother)

Frances, Thomas and Daisy (Richard's grandfather and grandmother)

Dairy short horn cows were hand milked and butter was made by hand. Varying crops were harvested by 4 men with the hay barn used as a milling plant and for drying corn.

Francis Fredrick (Frank) and Margaret (Richard’s parents)

Francis Fredrick, (Richard’s father) the only son from three children including Kath and Peggy, took over the farm. Farming was now becoming more mechanical and less labour intensive and Milking of shorthorns ceased and Boycott was a mixed farm with sheep, cattle, pigs, poultry and arable.

Richard went to Agricultural college and returned home in 1975 and set up a dairy herd of pedigree Holsteins, which became the new focus for Boycott Farm. Richard and Rosemary got married in 1980 and had three children, Elizabeth, Amanda and Philip.

Richard was one of seven children and a partner of Boycott Farm alongside four of his brothers. The partnership went through many changes over the years and the other partners moved away and developed their own farming interests with the backing of Boycott Farm.

Our first flock of 6000 hens joined Boycott Farm. The honesty shop started just selling free range eggs then slowly progressed to meringues, quiches and cakes to start and then to selling Aberdeen angus beef and pies.

Richard, Rosemary and the children moved into the Farmhouse at Boycott Farm.

The dairy farming ceased as changes in the dairy industry meant we had to diversify.

Livery was launched and we kept up to 24 horses. Started contract rearing heifers and rearing Beef cows. The livery was reduced in 2010 in order to expand cattle herd.

Suckler herd started with an Aberdeen Angus bull. Liz started cooking in the kitchen and produced ready meals and additional cakes.

In November after extensive renovations on the redundant barn, we opened our Farm Shop, Butchery and The Hayloft Restaurant and Tearoom, which specialises in home produced and home cooked foods using traditional recipes.

Gloucester old spot pigs were introduced to Boycott Farm in 2008. In 2010 Philip returned from two years of studying Agriculture at Moulton College and then came back and began training in the Butchery. Amanda works in Marketing and sponsorship and often assists with marketing projects at Boycott Farm. In 2015 400 solar were panels installed to make the running of the farm more energy efficient.