The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Ghdp on March 08, 2015, 06:17:01 pm
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First of what may be a series of questions that I should know the answer to.
Mrs Ghdp and I are hoping to move to a property in Snowdonia shortly. Around 2 acres of the land we will acquire is rough mountainside grazing. There is an area of woodland (1 acre) and various garden, grassed, overgrown and cultivated areas(1 acre+)
As complete novices we need to concentrate on what we know best i.e. firstly the buildings (which include two holiday lets) and the cultivation of the gardens for holiday makers to use, veg production for us and also to have a few hens.
That leaves us wondering about the rough grazing. The current owners of the property we are buying live in the south of England but also own all the surrounding rough grazing land (40 acres) which is grazed by sheep belonging to a farmer friend of theirs. They have left their field gates open and allowed him to also graze his sheep in 'our' 2 acre area and we understand the farmer friend is happy to continue to do so. His flock wander around the whole 42 acres as they wish.
Can i simply agree to carry on doing this for now or do i need to register as a small holding because of these visiting grazers on 'our' land? I am not enirely sure what the 'agreement' is about the use the farmer makes of the other land but I suspect nothing is paid - and i do not expect payment. I would expect the lawyers to clarify the terms of his occupation and tbh am more concerned about making sure I am not in breach of relevant regulations applicable to any land owner with sheep on the land.
Any advice?
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I won't offer advice as Scottish law often differs from English.
But for sure, if you plan to let him continue to graze your land, you should have some sort of agreement lest he gain any rights in perpetuity - and no doubt your solicitor will check that this has not already occurred.
On a practical front, it sounds like a good plan to let him continue on ground you are not ready to tackle yourselves - his sheep will keep it from getting overgrown until you are ready to take it on yourselves.
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I won't offer advice as Scottish law often differs from English.
When did Snowdonia become part of Scotland :o
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Starting with the declaration that I know nothing about this, I do seem to remember something about not allowing even an informal tenant stay for over a year as they gain a lot of rights to stay.
As usual I think you should insist on vacant possession when you move in. Then when you move in you can negotiate your own terms. Last thing you want is to end up having to honour an arrangement that doesn't suit you.
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:)
We once asked about a mortgage for Snowdonia to be told by the L33ds building society that they only deal with the UK!!
Hey ho. We love that it is remote :excited
Still good advice from all tho. On to solicitor tomorrow . Beeducked and Sally - you are right and we will check.
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I won't offer advice as Scottish law often differs from English.
When did Snowdonia become part of Scotland :o
:roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
In my defence, I did a four-and-a-half hour session on my own, teaching spinning to 5 teenage Girl Guides yesterday. My brain is porridge!
I think I should refrain from offering any advice on anything until I've had another good night's sleep!
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Sally. Too many teenagers are told what they cannot do. We read your post and loved the yarns they made and what you did. Really beautiful work. You are forgiven - but for future ref Wales is that big beautiful bit to the west of England and soooo fab. ????????????
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For some reason smiley faces come up that way when I post!!!
See them as smiles
: )
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lol, the funny thing is that I spent a lot of time in and around Snowdonia in my yoof and absolutely adored it :)
It must've just been the porridge brain, honest!
Thanks for your nice comments and emotiwotsits ;D
(Some of Dan's shorthands aren't the ones we might use on other sites ;) Best just to click on the emotiwotsit you want ;))