Dairy farm’s legacy captured through student lens

In Stockbridge, Hampshire, student photographer Zoe Rodwell has documented a 118-year-old family-run dairy farm to highlight the human cost of inheritance tax on UK agriculture.

Zoe began her photography journey in 2018 while studying for her A-Levels.

Her first experience photographing rural life came when documenting her twin sister’s agricultural studies at Brinsbury College.

That early exposure sparked a passion for agricultural and documentary photography which has since shaped her work.

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“There are so many stories and so much knowledge that I have learned while speaking to those in the agricultural sector that would otherwise be unknown to me,” Zoe says.

For her final university project, Zoe chose to explore the impact of inheritance tax on farming families, understandably an emotive subject among her contacts in the sector.

Burnfield & Sons family farm

© Zoe Rodwell

Through her sister, she was introduced to Burnfield & Sons, a family-run dairy farm near Winchester with a lineage spanning more than a century.

The farm spans 465ha across three sites. It has about 450 milkers producing 8,200 litres a cow a year.

It has been owned and operated by the Burnfield family since 1907, when Alexander Burnfield and Isabella Young moved from Perth, Scotland to raise their children.

David Burnfield, the current owner, is the third generation to manage the land.

David Burnfield © Zoe Rodwell

His children, including Rowena and Giles, now represent the farm’s fourth generation, taking a more active role in its operations.

“My grandfather came down to farm in 1907 from Scotland, to make a living from cows and the land,” David says.

“We now have a campsite and have the next generation coming onto the farm with my son and daughter, taking more of an interest.

“I hope to still see the farm going in my lifetime regardless of the contempt shown by the Labour government.”

Burnfield & Sons employs several people, including long-term herdsman Les and employee Ian, to help with daily operations.

Herdsman Les Standing in the parlour © Zoe Rodwell

Zoe chose to photograph key members of the team.

David Burnfield for his role as the current owner and link to the farm’s founders.

Les, as the principal herdsman, to capture the daily routine of milking more than 450 cows.

And David’s wife, Miranda, a linchpin in the family operation.

Miranda Burnfield with new puppy Dobby © Zoe Rodwell

Rowena, one of David’s six children, shares her thoughts on being part of the project.

“Having Zoe come round the farm and take her lovely photos was an amazing experience.

Having someone point a lens at those people who work so hard to make the farm what it is just makes you appreciate what we have and what we could easily lose,” she says.

The Burnfield family also provided access to their historical archives, helping Zoe to trace the farm’s lineage and the evolving role of family-run agriculture in the UK.

“When meeting a family who has farmed for 118 years, it really puts into perspective how much these farms mean to families, as it is not just their job, it’s their life,” Zoe says.

© Zoe Rodwell

Her photographic series addresses how policy shifts, particularly around inheritance tax, could jeopardise the survival of long-established farms like Burnfield & Sons.

Zoe shares their concern that the proposed inheritance tax changes could be the last straw for farmers already facing financial instability from other pressures.

“This project has shown me how difficult it can be for farms to survive, and how new policies can sometimes do more damage than good,” she says. 

“Farmers should not be the ones taking the brunt of the funding difficulties across the UK.”

David adds his support for the work Zoe has done, acknowledging both its emotional and historical importance.

“Having young Zoe come and see what we do, and to take the kind of pictures that capture both the old and the new, was very kind of her.

“How she managed to get any of us to stay still and have our picture taken, I don’t know. Her book is now on the family bookshelf in pride of place.”

Zoe now hopes to turn her university project into the foundation for a professional career in agricultural photography, with the aim of preserving the rich histories of farming families for future generations.

“It’s important for both generational and new farming families to have something to look back on for many years to come,” she says.