Forest Hall Farm
Forest Hall Farm extends to some 1,941 hectares or 4,800 acres. There are a number of broadleaved woodlands, and also a spruce plantation, and in particular a birch wood up beyond Borrowdale Head which is now fenced, as it is extremely important in the landscape. The farm itself rises to some 2,200’ at the extreme west end. The inbye land is mainly situated below the A6 road and also in the Borrowdale Valley. The fell is enclosed, there are areas of heather, largely in the part known as Willy Ghyll harbouring a few grouse, but in the main the extensive hill land is rough grass, with some areas of bracken on the slopes.
Areas such as Lamb Pasture give more lowland grazing, and are shortly to be home to a new venture, some Galloway cows. The species-rich meadows around Borrowdale Head are SSSI’s. The hill land is also used by the wandering red deer population, which on some days can be as high as 100. The next day they will have gone.
The whole farm is situated within the Lake District National Park and is in the Lake District Environmental Sensitive Area Scheme.
High Borrowdale.
Find out more about Forest Hall Farm on the Cumbria Hill Farms Charter website.
Forest Hall Farm, here in Selside, and its sister hill farm at Gaythorne Hall Farm, Great Asby near Appleby, have been part of Levens Hall Estate for some considerable time.
Forest Hall Farm, Selside.
Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Byland Abbey, which is near Ampleforth in North Yorkshire, had grown into an extremely wealthy monastery, having large tracts of land all over the north of England. Both Forest Hall Farm and Gaythorne Hall originally belonged to Byland Abbey and following the Dissolution they were granted to Sir Alan Bellingham of Levens Hall by the King. Both farms have been part of the Estate ever since, with a succession of tenants occupying them.
Latterly, Forest Hall was occupied by the Dargue family from 1921 to 1977, when it was taken in hand, and thereafter run as an in-hand farm. Gaythorne Hall Farm was also taken in hand after the last tenants departed in 1987.