A high quality agricultural dispersal sale in April will end a 63-year tenancy of a North Shropshire farm by the Sheppard family.
Angus Sheppard followed in the footsteps of his father, Jim, when he took over the reins at Colemere House Farm, Colemere, near Ellesmere.
The family first took on the tenancy in 1961 and originally had a dairy herd before becoming a mixed farm with store cattle and sheep. For the past eight years, Angus has focused entirely on arable crops.
He has built up an impressive fleet of six New Holland and Ford tractors and a telehandler, together with a selection of machinery and implements which have all been maintained meticulously and kept under cover.
The tractors, machinery and implements will be sold at a farm dispersal sale on 6 April, conducted by auctioneers Halls and held live on the MartEye bidding platform.
Viewing will be the day before the sale or by arrangement with Halls or the Sheppard family.
The tractors on offer include a 2023 New Holland T7.270, a 2019 New Holland T7.190, and a 2020 New Holland TH7.42 Elite telehandler.
They include a Ford 8240 with Powerstar SLE Turbo, a Ford 6640 SL and Ford TW25 and Ford TW15, both restored by John Tomkinson. Also included is a Mecmar D20 mobile grain dryer.
“I plan to carry on doing some farm related contracting, but we also want to travel,” said Angus.
“To be honest, the fun has gone out of farming because of all the red tape and regulations and I am getting too old.
“Don’t get me wrong, Colemere House Farm has given us a good life and it has been a great place to bring up kids. If I had my time again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
“No doubt, it will be sad when we leave the farm after 63 years, but you have to move on.”
Speaking about his tractors and machinery, he added: “They are all relatively new and in good condition.”
Halls chairman Allen Gittins, who is handling the sale and has known the Sheppard family for years, said it would likely to be one of the best farm dispersal sales this year.
"Simply because of the quality and range of tractors, farm implements and machinery which have all been kept meticulously and stored under cover. Everything is top quality.
“I expect there to be between 250 and 300 lots on offer and the many of them have been on the farm since new so buyers can buy with confidence.”
