Farm tenancies on offer for 2014

Farm tenancies from Scotland through to Cornwall are up for tender both on county farms and on private estates.
Cambridgeshire’s County Farms Estate is offering five-year farm business tenancies (FBT) on five arable holdings for which tenders must be in on 28 February.
The farms are to be let to new entrants although tenders from existing tenants would be considered if they gave up their current holdings, said Christopher Burton, senior management surveyor for the farms department at Cambridgeshire County Council.
Beginning in October 2014, the tenancies include Morleys Farm in Warboys, a 133ha holding with two dwellings and a range of buildings, which the council will consider splitting to let as two separate holdings.
Red House Farm at March has 67ha with a bungalow and buildings while Crowhall Farm, Burwell is 55ha with a house and buildings.
At 56ha, New Farm, Rampton is a similar size and also has a house and buildings. Thirty-three hectares of bare landis available at Glebe Farm, Lode.
Cambridgeshire County Council has one of the largest county farm estates, with 216 tenants on 13,400ha and is running a free workshop on 15 February to help applicants hone their approach. It would be looking for realistic budgets, cash flows and well-conceived business plans, alongside access to finance, said Mr Burton
Neighbouring Norfolk County Council has more than 145 farm tenants across 6,550ha and is letting three holdings early in 2014. Just one of these has a house and buildings with almost 35ha at Upwell. The two bare land holdings are 41ha at Marshland St James and a smallholding of almost 3ha at Southery.
Several dairy farms are also on offer from private landowners, including a 304ha holding in the Isle of Gigha, off the western coast of Kintyre, Argyll & Bute.
The current tenant was retiring from Ardlamy Farm, said letting agent Bidwells, which has just over 74ha of permanent pasture and 230ha of rough and hill grazing. This is offered on a 20-year limited duration tenancy and has 108 cubicles, a 120,000 gallon slurry store and good dairy/parlour buildings.
It is one of four farms owned by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust and previously carried 85 Holstein cows and a flock of Blackface sheep on the hill and rough grazing.
The Holker Estates in Cumbria is letting Raven Winder Farm at Flookburgh, a 63ha dairy unit, through Smiths Gore, while a private estate at Whetstone in Leicestershire has a well equipped 200-cow dairy farm of 66ha to let for 10 years through Strutt & Parker.
In Cornwall, the county council is looking for a new tenant at Burlone Tregoose Farm, Washaway. This is being let on an FBT of up to 20 years and has 66ha of land and housing for 160 cows.