[Jono.]

Good morning all you lovely people. I've been reading this forum for some time and decided to register last night as I'm struggling to find some land/ a smallholding to rent.
I'll start by introducing myself and telling you all abit about me. I'm a 30 year old father of two, I work as a service engineer and live just outside St Albans. My children are my life and I'm starting to worry about the fact we live like we do. I was raised on a farm in south Africa from the age on 1 when my parents left the UK,unfortunately we lost our farm 12 years ago (long story), I've been plodding along living in rented accommodation with a small garden but now that the children are getting older (daughter 6 and my boy is 4) I'm desperate to teach them the things I was taught, for them to have the outdoors to grow up rather than sitting on tablets or laptops like most do nowadays.
With work I'm able to relocate pretty much nationwide so area doesn't have to be Hertfordshire. I'm either looking to rent a smallholding holding with about 10-15 acres or even just some land with a couple outbuildings on. I know it's a complete lifestyle change and it will be hard but I have thought about this long and hard with my partner and this is what we want,more than anything. I'm not a daydreamer that thinks this is going to be roses and butterflies, this will be hard work and determination but I have that in bucket loads and so does my partner. Could anyone give me any tips or websites where I can find land? I've bookmarked a load of sites for smallholdings in Wales and the rest of the UK really. But any other tips or contacts people can offer that would be great.

Best regards
Jono

[Buttermilk]

Contact agricultural estate agents and get put on their mailing lists.  Not just the national ones but the smaller ones that usually are involved with the local livestock markets.

[Rosemary]

Can't help with the query specifically but just wanted to welcome you to the site and wish you luck with your search.

[Jono.]

Thank you both. I really hope I can find something, it seems very difficult to find anything for rent etc.

[pharnorth]

Hi Jono,  as it happens I was bought up in and around St Albans and it was prime real estate then and still is so I understand your problem, you won't find anything in that area.  East Anglia and The Wash is worth looking at for small holding/ land.

[Jono.]

Hi Jono,  as it happens I was bought up in and around St Albans and it was prime real estate then and still is so I understand your problem, you won't find anything in that area.  East Anglia and The Wash is worth looking at for small holding/ land.

Yeah it's impossible to find anything here. Found a smallholding near hemel Hempstead and they were asking insane money for just over 3 acres. I'll take your advice and have a look around in those areas,thank you for your reply.

[Ghdp]

I would also look at property in Wales. Money goes a little further in Denbighshire Conwy borders where we are but I would flag up in case you did not know that your children would be educated in Welsh so the younger they move I guess the better.  We had toyed moving some years ago but our children were much older and were thought it would be hard for them then.
As for the Welsh welcome - we have been overwhelmed by the warmth and he friendship extended to us by all our neighbours. Here 'neighbours' are the farmers anywhere within a mile or so of us and they have almost universally called to welcome us, encourage us and offer help,

[clydesdaleclopper]

I have a friend with a property of 23 acres that will be coming up for rent soon in Aberdeenshire but as the house is quite large I expect the rent will be quite high.

[Lesley Silvester]

  and welcome from Shropshire. Good luck with your search.

[in the hills]

Wales gets my vote.
We moved here nearly 8 years ago with our two children. We love it and they've grown up in a tiny rural community knowing everyone for miles around and have a real sense of 'belonging'.
Your money definitely goes further out here, too.

[Jono.]

Thank you all for your replies, we have now narrowed our search down to Wales and a planning a trip up this weekend.  Any nice place to stay where we can get a real feel for the area? Possibly a farm cottage or on someone's smallholding if they have a cottage to rent out? There are 4 of us, 2 adults and my two children.

Thank you all again

[in the hills]

Whereabouts in Wales do you have in mind?

You'll need to consider how you feel about your children possibly being taught in Welsh.

[Jono.]

My children both speak 3 languages at the moment and I feel are young enough to learn another language, I don't want to wait till they are older and have more of a struggle learning to adapt. I also think the lifestyle change and the sense of community will far out way any of the initial teething issues. As for areas we are an open book really, I'm going to be doing allot of driving this weekend and probably a good few weekends to come and probably a couple weeks when my holiday entitlement starts in April. I'm speaking with a colleague of mine in Wales and hopefully he will point me in the right direction as far as areas go. Any tips on places to look would still be very appreciated.

[in the hills]

Depends what you are looking for and your future plans are. There aren't that many jobs in many rural Welsh areas and not that many opportunities for young people to get well paid jobs. Many young people are forced to move away.

We're between Welshpool and Newtown and in a very rural scattered farming based hamlet. However it is just about possible to travel to Shrewsbury, Wrexham, Oswestry for employment. Just thought that this location would give our children the option of staying in their community if they wished.

Our son is now 18. He is working for a fairly local company as an apprentice Able to earn a small wage and his university fees (1 day a week) are paid for by his company. He can get the train to uni. He hopes, at the moment, to live and work locally and hopes he has chosen a profession that will enable him to do so.

Just something else for you to think about. I know yours are only little now but time flies!

I agree that learning Welsh while they are young is the best option. Welsh speaking here seems to be in 'pockets'. 3 miles in one direction Welsh speaking, 3 miles the other mainly English.

All children are taught Welsh in school anyway.

[Bionic]

Thank you all for your replies, we have now narrowed our search down to Wales and a planning a trip up this weekend.  Any nice place to stay where we can get a real feel for the area? Possibly a farm cottage or on someone's smallholding if they have a cottage to rent out? There are 4 of us, 2 adults and my two children.

Thank you all again

Depending on whereabouts you want to be, backinwellies has a holiday cottage. Talley, Carmarthenshire