“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”

This is our vision of how we want it to be at Raleigh. We farm as naturally as possible working with nature to produce tasty nutritious products and hope that our activities wherever possible are of value and benefit to visitors and the local community.

Raleigh consists of a few acres of pasture and woodland on Exmoor where we farm cattle. We believe Rare Breed genetics have an important role to play in the future of farming and therefore support Rare Breeds wherever practical.

The nutrient and management programme of our pastures is determined by our vision. When it comes to our meat, we use a small local abattoir which keeps journey times to a minimum and reduces the stress to our animals.

Our Beef is eligible for Pasture for Life Certification

Our eggs are available in our little ‘shop’, which is open 365 days of the year, but we also have other products which are available to order.

Beef

We farm the oldest British Breed of Cattle , a rare breed called White Park. All our beef is bred and reared on our own grassland here at Raleigh. Maturing slowly, for at least three years, the cattle are fed on a grass and forage only diet. We hang the meat for five weeks before butchering which, alongside the extended life span of the animal, helps to enrich the flavour of the meat. Cuts which are available include:

• Topside
• Rolled Rib
• Roasting Joints
• Brisket
• Stewing teak
• Shin/Skirt

Pork

Lurking amongst our woodlands (fenced in I assure you!) are our Large (Devon) Blacks, which are the rarest breed of pig in the UK. As natural foragers they are well suited to how we farm here at Raleigh. Particularly long ears protects their eyes from brambles. They tend to be more docile as their ears cover their eyes making them feel safer!

Our piglets are left with the Sow until they are eight weeks old before coming to us. During their time here they will roam and romp through scrub and woodland foraging for food that we supplement with organic feed.  All in all very happy pigs!

Cuts available include:

• Shoulder joints
• Leg joints
• Chops
• Sausages (Plain or Pork & Apple)

Poultry

We have a range of breeds of both chickens and ducks providing a variety of coloured eggs, from deep brown to blue! You will find our eggs have wonderful firm yolks due to their freshness. Available in our shop at the farm entrance, they make a lovely breakfast.

Wool

Three breeds of sheep can be found at Raleigh; Leicester Longwool, Shetland and Devon Closewool sheep. All breeds are bred particularly for their wool but they also produce very tasty meat and beautiful sheep skins.

Knitting wool is available from our Leicester Longwools as 50g balls available in Aran brown, DK and 4 ply, Brown and White. The yarn has a beautiful sheen and knits up to standard Aran double knit and 4 ply patterns. We also have limited availability of raw fleece from all our breeds for those interested in hand spinning.

Lamb / Hogget

When it comes to meat, our sheep are usually finished at 18 months (referred to as Hogget) but sometimes we have lamb available which is finished between 6 and 12 months. Meat products which are available from our sheep include:

• Leg and Shoulder Joints
• Chops
• Mince
• Sausages (Lamb & Rosemary or Lamb & Garlic)

As well as meat and wool, we occasionally have sheep skins available from our Leicester Longwool and Shetland sheep. The Leicester Longwool skins are full of lustre with beautiful ringlets, whereas Shetland skins are more fluffy and come in a range of different colours.

For any enquiries please contact us at raleighexmoor@gmail.com

Contact Details

Address: Raleigh Manor, Wheddon Cross, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 7BB England

Telephone: 01643 842 907

Mobile: 07802 596 721

Email: dy.raleigh@gmail.com