Farming at Old Farm

Rightons at Dorn

The Righton family have been farming at Dorn for 3 generations. In 2002 we moved into the farmhouse with our children Sam and Meg, dogs BB and Bluey and horses taking over from Simon’s parents John and Sheila. The 300 acre tenant farm is just to the north of Moreton-in-Marsh and forms part of the Batsford Estate.

We breed sheep, cattle and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs as well as producing cereals, hay and silage to feed to the stock over the winter months. We now sell our home reared meats and free range eggs in the Farm Shop adjoining the house.

Part of the farm has been entered into the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) which benefits wildlife by creating and preserving habitats through over-wintered stubble, hedge planting/laying and field margins. We have an area of “arable reversion” as there are Roman remains under one of our fields. This has now been grassed over to protect what lies beneath and we only use minimum tillage on the surrounding area.

We have a small flock of free-range hens to provide fresh eggs for the shop and B&B.  Surplus eggs are sold through Blockley Village Shop.

We also run a B&B in the farmhouse which dates back to the 15th Century and a small campsite in one of the fields next to the farm.

The Moreton Showground (Moreton Show – 1st Saturday in September) makes up part of the farm’s permanent pasture.