[escapedtothecountry]

We have finally escaped to the country - well our little piece of Lincolnshire - 2 acres in total with outbuildings and a stable.

Having spent a few months at the end of last year strimming down chest high nettles and sorted out the paddock which was so overgrown we are now (I think) in a position to do something fun and rewarding with the land.

I am in the process of getting the outbuilding up to scratch (will post some pics to people who are interested) and have put in four raised beds ready to fill with topsoil from some of the building work that will be done starting hopefully in March.

I've planted some native English hedging and 300 willow plants plus some other varieties so that at some point we will have our own supply of wood. I've also purchased 10 IBCs (the food container things) meaning I can harvest up to 10,000 litres of rainwater - so well on the way.

We want some chickens (maybe 4 to start with) so any suggestions of decent places in Lincolnshire to get some would be great.

Any advice and or comments happily received. Work colleagues in London (yes we commute) can't get why we travel so far to work. But then they don't come back to greenery and country life!!

Jonathan
www.escapedtothecountry.com

[chrismahon]

Hi jonathan and welcome to the forum from Staffordshire. We travel into Lincolnshire quite often. Loads of chicken breeders there, just depends what breed you want, or why you want chickens and for how long -will they be pets of sorts, how much do you want to spend?. Stick a post in the Poultry section about it.

[escapedtothecountry]

WIll just be for eggs.. I better build the chicken house I bought first, mind you.

[Rosemary]

Hello and welcome from sunny (well it was in daylight) Carnoustie 

Enjoy your journey (not the commute) and share it with us 

[escapedtothecountry]

Thanks... We absolutely love it... I have never had a bigger to do list, be it renovating a brick wall on the outbuilding, to replacing fencing. I am sure we will end up doing many thinks wrong, but that's part of the fun!

[Mammyshaz]

Hello, life in your new home sounds busy busy busy but will be worth it.
 

From Sharon near Durham

[Lesley Silvester]

   Hi and welcome from windy Shropshire.  I'd say go for goats for dairy and meat (not that I'm biased - you can tell by my name).

[plumseverywhere]

Hello! welcome to TAS from Worcestershire 

[wife@escapedtothecountry]

and i'm not sure if its the country air but I have bought a sewing machine and have started knitting. And the jar and bottle stash is growing ready for chutneys and cordials!  From the wife, Julie

[escapedtothecountry]

Better known as the boss

[bloomer]

to be fair we all accept our wifes are the boss...

but Mrs Escapedtothecountry that's an excellent choice of screen name!!!

[Lesley Silvester]

to be fair we all accept our wifes are the boss...

Glad to hear it.   

[MAK]

Hi and welcome.
Now spring is here you will certainly be busy - even preparing for processing the summer fruit and chutney.

My OH decided we needed shelves for jams, chutney and pickles. No problem - shelves in the cellar. OH thought this too far from the kitchen.
- so 3 weeks latter we started on making a utility room (jam store) out of the lean-to at the side of the house. I  dismantled ( can't knock these thick walls down) a wall, removed about 3.5 tonnes of stone to the end of the barn, lay ed a new floor, put up a ceilings, plastered walls and built some shelves for the jam. Job done - phew

Just an illustration of how one job leads to another. Good luck !!

From a sunny Limousin. Martin

[Lesley Silvester]

Now all you've got to do, Martin, is make the jams and chutneys.

[MAK]

mois - make chutney

No - I just dump the stuff in wheelbarrows or buckets and leave the rest to Chris ! Oh I may get the jars out the barn - they are like gold dust as new empty jars cost 80p-£1 here.