We’re winners of the FWAG 2025 Somerset Otter Award!
Each year, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group run farming and wildlife conservation awards that recognise and celebrate commercial farms that have successfully combined food production with sustainability, environmental protection and wildlife gains
These are comments from judges about why Crowcombe Estate earned this recognition from FWAG.
Having gone through a period of significant change in recent years, I was hugely impressed by the new direction taken by the Crowcombe Estate team and their ambitious plans for the future, which they hope to be supported by an extensive Higher Tier agreement. They greatly value the Estate’s heritage and are focused on restoring and enhancing it for future generations.
Run-off and soil erosion issues have been significantly reduced by no longer allowing maize to be grown on contract farmed land, instead establishing herbal leys with 6m margins for improved soil health. Leaky dams have also been created; watercourses fenced off, extensive bracken and rhododendron management has taken place, and the banks and hedgerows that span the estate are undergoing significant restoration.
They are building up their own herd to effectively manage the extensive moorland and parkland habitats and have taken the village pub back in hand with plans to supply it with locally reared meat from the estate. They are keen to engage with the local community by establishing a community orchard and forest school in future and improving signage in areas such as Hurley Beacon, which is popular with walkers.
The material from clearing areas of woodland has been chipped for use on the estate and some sweet chestnut posts retained for future fencing. They value staff development highly, encouraging felling licences to be gained and hoping to take on apprentices in the future.
Scored highly in: Resource Management, Wildlife & Biodiversity, Staff Development and Future Plans
On 9th July 2026, we held a farm walk and talk, were presented with our award, and then enjoyed a delicious spread of our home-grown produce.
