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We have just taken charge of 6 acres of land (family smallholding) building on it isn't an option so what do we grow?
We can only make it over there once a week so I guess any livestock would be out of the question. What can we do to get some income from it? Grow Xmas trees? Or hops? Rent it for grazing? Any ideas singletrackers? Just a massive field at the moment so pretty much a blank canvas in Leicestershire.
Cheers
Fracking?
Get another 34 and get a mule on there.
Put some stables up and charge wannabe yah-yah's a gazilion quid for livery.
Have you seen the athertons front yard. That but bigger
Start with a pump track, then onto Stu's idea
Soil type?
If near a town, then renting out for horse grazing has to be high on the list
You say Leicestershire - are you within the national forest boundaries? Still some good grant money to be had for planting if you are!
To make money, solar farm. To enjoy it pump track and some shore
Rent out "grow your own" plots for all the trendy wood burner types.
Grow Christmas trees.
I keep trying to convince my in-laws to do it - £50 a pop for a 6 footer, thousands could be grown on there, only have to work for about 4 months of the year.
Livery starts at around £125 per month for DIY with a stable per horse - bear in mind that you need roughly one acre per horse for grazing/exercise but than can be pushed slightly but not much.
Post and rail fencing is expensive, taping is better as you can rotate the paddocks/grazing BUT you will need to consider electric tape into that and that ISN'T cheap!
6 acres of reasonable quality grazing will allow 6-8 horses of 14 hands plus, stable block is going to set you back £2k+, fencing at least £1k, water will need to be available too.
I grow 3 varieties of Xmas trees, have done for 20 + years, needs to be well hiddden though else people nick them as you approach the festive season. You can get Forestry Commission or Natural England grants I think for planting native broadleaves and higher proportion for orchards etc (not for Xmas trees though, but 30cm saplings can be had for a £1, you'll have big enough ones to sell in about 4-6 years). Planting for Coppicing worth looking at for supplying poles (not the nation) and charcoal burners. All depends on the land and what might grow best there - look what does best surrounding it.
Renting it out to horsey types can be an earner but to pay a fair whack they'll want good access, water supply and decent stock fence / hedges. And then still probably moan about something.
Use for camping/events for up to 28 days a year, you don't need planning permission /licence.
Cameron's mate Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall used to do that land share thing where you let people grow stuff on it (take some produce in return).
I want to do this on our land: http://www.history.co.uk/shows/seeking-salvage but Mrs won't allow.
Otherwise don't do anything and just use as an escape to camp on yourself & enjoy
If you grow Christmas trees please prune them, they look much better 🙂
Natural burials.
Waters no problem there a natural well on there. The place is only about 4 miles outside of Leicester so the private allotment idea could run as well.
How much would you need for an allotment? I've never had one.
Coppicing willow sounds like a nice little earner too.
Is it on a flood plain? If so, Build 300 houses on it
Natural burials? Who for the local mob? 😆 😆
Avontyrryll the salvage yard looks great, I have actually thought about it too, would I need permission from the council for change of use etc?? Seems you can't do anything without them breathing down your neck.
Carp fishing pool.
Salvage yard - depends where you live (ours is in a national park and has a pretty strict local plan) I'm guessing you'd need some kind of change of use permission (from agricultural/pasture/forestry) if running a business like this from it. I wouldn't risk just doing it without checking first, neighbours /passers-by would probably report anyway if it was very obvious and people coming and going etc If you ask the question to local authority you can guess what they'd say but I suppose it varies from place to place. I'd love to do it though
Can you turn it into a camp ground? Sort of place where your kids can run riot, you can have an fire, rope swings from the big trees etc etc. You'd need a shower block/washing facilities but proper campgrounds are becoming very popular as more and more folk are trying to get away from caravaners and manicured lawns.
Get another 34 and get a mule on there.
You just don't get insight of this quality over on pinkbike!
burial ground - there's one near us that started a few years ago that seems to be doing very well, http://www.woodlandburialground.co.uk/Our-Burial-Grounds/Hinton-Park/ could be because the area has about the highest proportion of old people in the country though, particularly popular for non-religious folks too
Shame you are not near bristol as I would have rented it off you for sheep grazing.
One easy thing to do is grow hay. Up to 100 small bales per acre 2 times a year. £5 per bale to horse owners etc.
Get a contractor to do all the work and either pay them cash or split the hay with them for them to sell.
One problem is you need somewhere to keep it out of the rain.
Why not plant indigenous flora on it and invite your friends over in the summer.
Not rich but still popular.
Gypsy camps always go down well.
Private paintball woodland?
If you need any fencing doing we'll do it depending where you live.
Allotments. Five billion pounds.
Rent out "grow your own" plots for all the trendy wood burner types.
Rent out "grow your own" plots for all the trendy [s]wood[/s] weed burner types. FTFY
Nudist-windfarm-campsite
Nudist-windfarm-campsite
I'm in!
The xmas tree business can get very nasty (sabotage etc!). You could go for sweet chestnut or ash plantations for firewood/ natural crafts/ fencing. The payback is long and profits smallthough - 10 years before they reach a decent size.
Polytunnels and marijuana.
Get a load of illegal immigrants to work there and pay them virtually nothing.
[i]Gypsy camps always go down well.[/i]
Almost, but caravan storage would my 1st enquiry. Put a big fence around with trees on the outside, some cctv cameras...work out how many caravans you can get on 6 acres & multiply it by around £300 & that's your yearly income.
[i]Polytunnels and marijuana.
Get a load of illegal immigrants to work there and pay them virtually nothing.[/i]
Pointless, they'd smoke all the profits.
1MW solar farm about £1m investment. Have sheep or wildflower meadow underneath the racks.
Meth lab?
Helipad?
Where abouts in Leicestershire?
Some for a wildflower hay meadow, some for an orchard, some for leisure for yourself and the rest to rent out for allotments.