About West Ilkerton Farm
Nestled within the magnificent landscape of Exmoor National Park, West Ilkerton is run as a family partnership by Chris, Victoria (‘Tortie’) and daughter Sarah. We blend traditional farming methods with modern knowledge to ensure the long-term health of our land, animals, and local environment. The welfare of our animals is very important to us.
Responsible Farming
Although farming is hard work, it’s also a huge privilege to own land and animals, and we take that responsibility seriously. The welfare of our animals is a top priority, and we always try to farm with nature in mind. Our farmhouse is powered by a wind turbine and heated using a biomass boiler fuelled by wood from our own hedges and trees.
Our livestock are reared on grass in the summer and home-grown hay and haylage during the winter. We strive to keep stress to a minimum and keep them as naturally as possible in social groups. The farmland is in a Higher Level Stewardship scheme, which aims to improve soil health, carbon sequestration and wildlife habitats and biodiversity.
Down On The Farm
This short documentary film about West Ilkerton, made by talented young film-maker Florence Browne, follows our decision to produce and sell our own meat.
Florence lives in Cornwall, but she came to stay with us at West Ilkerton several times throughout the year. She quickly became like a member of the family, and was so easy to talk to, that we often forgot she was filming!
Farming within Exmoor National Park
Farming in Exmoor National Park presents unique challenges and opportunities. As stewards of this remarkable landscape, we work in harmony with the environment to protect its natural beauty and rich biodiversity.
The farm is home to ‘Red Ruby’ Devon cattle and Exmoor horn sheep, both native breeds that have thrived in this landscape for centuries. By conserving these traditional breeds, we maintain a vital link to Exmoor’s agricultural heritage by raising livestock that are well adapted to the local climate and terrain.
We also take pride in offering bespoke farm tours, giving visitors a rare opportunity to explore areas of Exmoor National Park not usually accessible to the public. These tours provide insight into the workings of a traditional Exmoor upland farm and the efforts we take to maintain its ecological and historical integrity.
Exmoor Farms:
A Year on the Moor
Written by Exmoor farmer and author Victoria Eveleigh, with stunning photography by Eleanor Davis, Exmoor Farms: A Year on the Moor is a heartfelt tribute to the hard-working farmers of Exmoor. This captivating book beautifully illustrates the rhythms of rural life through the seasons, documenting the daily challenges and triumphs faced by farming families in this unique landscape.
The book offers an intimate glimpse into traditional farming practices, the deep connection between farmers and their land, and the enduring spirit of Exmoor’s agricultural community.
Family Farming
West Ilkerton Farm is more than just a business—it’s our home.
As a family, we are deeply committed to preserving traditional farming knowledge while adapting to modern agricultural advancements. Our dedication to ethical farming practices means our livestock are raised in stable social groups, reducing stress and promoting natural behaviour.
We love sharing this special place through our farm tours, on-farm events and outreach activities (like open days and illustrated talks for schools and organisations), so please get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Experience West Ilkerton Farm
We invite you to experience life on a working Exmoor farm through our bespoke farm tours. Whether you’re interested in sustainable farming, local wildlife, or the history of Exmoor’s agricultural traditions, our tours provide a unique and enriching experience for visitors of all ages.
Come and see first-hand how we care for our land, animals, and heritage at West Ilkerton Farm.
Follow Us
Join our Instagram and Facebook pages for news and updates about life at West Ilkerton Farm. We’re always posting updates about life and work on our busy Exmoor farm.
Born & Raised on West Ilkerton
All our livestock is reared here on our Exmoor farm.
With the exception of rams and bulls (which are brought in to maintain genetic diversity), all the sheep and cattle are born and raised on the farm. This approach ensures high welfare standards and a deep connection between our animals and the land they graze.
Animal Welfare and Nutrition
The welfare of our animals is our top priority. Our cattle and sheep graze freely on nutrient-rich pastures, ensuring they remain healthy and content. The animals are kept in stable social groups, and have minimal stress throughout their lives.
During winter, they are fed home-grown hay and haylage (dry silage), supplemented with carefully selected cereal-based feed when necessary, such as for ewes before lambing, when grass alone can’t supply the energy they need to stay healthy.
By prioritising natural, high-quality nutrition and stress-free handling, we ensure that our livestock live healthy, fulfilling lives while maintaining the highest standards of ethical farming.
‘Red Ruby’ Devon Cattle
All our beef cattle are pedigree ‘Red Ruby’ Devon and are born and raised at West Ilkerton. They are grass fed, kept as naturally as possible to minimise stress and are treated with compassion at all times.
During the spring, summer and autumn, they graze in large fields that have a variety of grass and scrub in them plus running water, so they are free to choose open ground or shade and shelter.
We use steers (castrated male calves) for our beef. When they are the correct weight, at around 26 months old, we take them to the local abattoir in Combe Martin ourselves. Our meat is dry-aged in a cold store at Combe Martin Meats for at least three weeks before being cut and packed by their master butcher.
Devons produce wonderfully succulent, marbled beef with an excellent flavour.
If you are interested in finding out more about the ‘Red Ruby’ breed, visit www.redrubydevon.co.uk.
Exmoor Horn Sheep
We have a flock of pedigree Exmoor horn ewes, and breed both purebred Exmoor horns and ‘halfbreds’ (crossed with a Border Leicester). These half-bred ewes are then put to a Texel or Chartex ram to get a larger, leaner carcass than a typical Exmoor horn would produce.
Lambing takes place indoors during the last two weeks of March and first two weeks of April. As soon as the lambs are strong enough, and if the weather is okay, they are let out into fields of fresh spring grass with their mothers and they stay outside in the fields until weaning in September, when the ewes and lambs are separated. The lambs are then let out as a flock on the lush after-grass from our hay and silage fields on the home side of the farm.
Some ewe lambs are kept as flock replacements, some are sold for breeding to other farms and the best of our wether lambs (castrated males) are kept for our meat boxes while the rest are sold as store lambs at Blackmoor Gate Market. Our long-term plan is to sell most of our lamb directly to customers ourselves.
We take our meat lambs to the abattoir at Combe Martin ourselves. The meat is air dried in a cold store for up to a week before being cut and packaged according to our customer’s requirements by the master butcher at Combe Martin.
Please see www.exmoorhornbreeders.co.uk for more information about Exmoor horn sheep and www.borderleicesters.co.uk for the Border Leicester breed.
