[Hillview Farm]

I've got my small holding and I'm surrounded by a big estate. They have offered me an acre paddock to graze my sheep on. The paddock is fenced on the front and sides but may need patching along the back. There are also a lot of thistles and some nettles and docks,  so obviously would need to be sprayed off.

This is hopefully the start of a new relationship and there is a door opening to rent a much bigger farm so I want to seem keen but not mugging myself off.

What's reasonable?

[silkwoodzwartbles]

Will they fence and spray prior to you taking it on, or are they expecting you to do that? If they're willing to make it safe, I'd offer £50 a year (noting it's small, won't take many sheep and likely won't hold them all year without a good rest). If they expect you to do the work, I'd want it free in change for maintenance. Do you have to have this piece of land in order to access the bigger farm? If so you might have to be quite generous to smooth the path. Good luck with whatever happens

[Slimjim]

I agree with that. I pay £50 per year for about an acre. I don't use it all the time , but I have repaired some of the boundary. There were a lot of nettles that I have sprayed off. Also flags and rushes that the owner tops for me once a year.
If there was a water supply, I would be prepared to pay a bit more.

[Hevxxx99]

Around here it would be nearer £80/acre/yr. I was offered seasonal grazing @ £100 recently for a couple of acres, from May to October but it was in good order and all maintenance was done by the estate.

[Deere]

HI,

You say they have offered you it?

Sounds like they would prefer you to have it rather than maintain themselves and they've also seen how well you farm the existing.

Ask them how much they were thinking, sound half interested but not over keen, ask about the up keep (spraying etc) and also about the dodgy fence and you might be surprised at how little they would let it go to you for.

They are the Big estate and with a half reasonable land agent/manager who is dealing with land daily he will know how much more important getting the right tenant onto a piece of land is.

Fingers crossed for you, keep us posted 

[SallyintNorth]

As others have said, up to £100/acre for land in good order and well-fenced.  Half that if you have to do some maintenance.  If you need to do fencing, price the fencing first then make an offer that lets you recoup that expenditure

[Foobar]

Free for the first year, you do the fencing and deal with the weeds.  Then once you have it nice pay them some money .