Vicarsford Farm

Vicarsford is an excellent arable farm in a very convenient shape. The fields are large and suitable for modern machinery with 9 fields in total.

Comprising level ground between about 5 metres and 10 metres above sea level, the land is categorised by the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research as Class 2 and 31 ground. The average annual rainfall is in the region of 536 millimetres (25 inches).

The farm varies in soil type. On the west side, the fields adjacent to the minor county road comprise a loam which is relatively free draining. In the centre of the farm, a seam of heavier clay-based soil runs from north to south. This is less free draining, but well suited to growing good crops of cereals with winter wheat yields of over 3.5 tonnes per acre being consistently achieved.

Some of the best land on the farm is in the northern and eastern section. These soils are well-suited for growing legumes, carrots, parsnips and other vegetables.

The main access from the minor county road is via a stone-walled bellmouth on the west side of field 5 (on the sale plan). There are additional points of access at the northwest corner of field 7 and from the track which follows the northern boundary of the farm to the northwest corner of field 17.

There are irrigation extraction points and standpipes (shown on the sale plan) enabling crops to be irrigated during periods of low rainfall.

Vicarsford is farmed by the vendor as part of a large agricultural business, under the SGRPID holding code of 428/001.

In recent years, the vendor has grown mainly spring and winter barley on the farm. This was predominantly to provide feed for the vendor's nearby pig farming enterprise. A by-product of this, has been the regular systematic application of manure to improve the soil quality. Typical yields of barley in recent years have been around 2½ tonnes per acre. Winter wheat has been grown in the past at typical yields of 3¾ tonnes per acre. There is a field currently in parsnips which has been let on a seasonal basis at a rent of £325 per acre.