Welcome To Roundoak - 2012

The Story Continues...

* Scottish Invade Ashdown Forest. (Highlands and Hebrideans)

*** Eileen McConkey's You Tube Video '*Holy Cow - One Day Like This'***

* Round Oak supply Hebridean Lamb to The Swan, Sutton Valence for the villages annual 'New Years Day Pram Race'

* Bush Craft weekends in discussion at Round Oak.

* Planning granted for New Specialist Lambing Shed

* Visiors at Round Oak

* Highland calves twins at West Malling Country Park.

* Round Oak have now been approved by the Caravan Club as a Certified Location (CL) Site.

* Eileen McConkey paints at Round Oak

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Round Oak is set in the heart of the Kentish countryside, south of the county town Maidstone, on the southerly slopes of the Greensand Ridge overlooking the beautiful weald of Kent. The grassland farm consists of approximately 120 acres including 5 acres of natural oak woodland. We also conservation graze approximately 350 acres throughout central kent.

The Round Oak flock is unusual in this part of the south east. It was the idea of Norman and Ruth Coles to purchase the flock which started with 16 ewes and Winkwell Falco the ram. Our first sheep were purchased on the Borders of Scotland and England from a hill farm near the Kielder Forest in Cumbria.Our first lambing season in spring 2005 produced 32 lambs from 16 ewes, two sets of triplets, mainly twins and a few singles. All mothers lambed themselves outdoors without outside intervention. We only lost two lambs that were stillborn.

In spring of 2012 our flock stands at over 550 Hebridean Ewes, Rams and lambs. The highland cattle fold has also grown since the farm acquired a stock from the well known Frith Manor Farm fold at Lingfield.

Round Oak’s Highland fold in 2012 has grown substantially. Kia and Sam are the two Bulls and there are another approximately 50 cows and calves. It has been successful calving throughout the year. The farms old original stock are due to start a new season of calving in May this year.

The farm has also expanded its conservation grazing to Teston Country Park and also West Malling Country Park, land at Shorne near Gravesend and also the Ashdown Forest in Sussex. The conservation grazing is shared between the Highland Cattle and also the Hebridean sheep both of which have very similar qualities.

The farm still has several Gloucester Old Spots and a Tamworth pig for breeding. The free-range chickens that can be found all around the farm have grown to about 60 including our own hatched birds and also some battery hens, which enjoy their new found freedom greatly.

Here we are in 2012 the farm has grown considerably and is producing regular and good quality lamb and beef and plenty of eggs from the hens for both the commercial and private sector. The new caravan pitches for our'Caravan Club CL approved site' have exceeded all expectations with bookings throughout 2012. All that have visited the farm seem to have enjoyed their stay.

"One of the largest flocks of Hebridean sheep in the UK"