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Soil:
 Soils on the farm are Cambic stagnogleys of the ‘Brickfield 2’ series. These are surface-water gley (grey) soils overlying drift from Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sandstone and shale. They are slowly permeable, seasonally waterlogged fine loamy (i.e. sandy/clayey) soils, prominently ‘mottled’ due to the reduction and partial re-oxidization of iron oxides above 40cm depth. Whilst ‘stagnogley (grey)’ denotes that they have a distinct topsoil, ‘cambic’ denotes no clay-enrichment in their subsoil.
Being seasonally waterlogged, Phillip has to be careful how he uses the land over the wetter, winter months to ensure that he doesn’t not ‘churn’ it up or cause compaction that could impede drainage further.
Landscape:
Pasture House Farm is typical of the area that was classified in A Landscape Strategy for Lancashire, 2000 as ‘Drumlin Field Character Area 13a (Gargrave Drumlin Field)’ – a field of rolling ‘drumlins’ consisting of large-scale, regular hillocks reaching 200m+ where;
■ pasture predominates
■ fields are bounded by clipped hedges or stone walls
 ■ ridge and furrow patterns on drumlin sides reflect historic land uses
■ narrow streams wind through them draining fields
■ small mixed woodlands and a large number of ‘designed’ landscapes contribute to the rural, wooded ‘feel’ of this area
Land at the East Marton ‘block’ is ‘ancient (pre-1600) enclosed land’ bounded by earthen balks (banks) that, once enclosed, were planted up with hedges.
Land at the Gisburn ‘block’ and around the farmstead is ‘post medieval’ – originating from the clearance (‘assarting’) of woodland or the reclamation of moorland during the piecemeal private enclosure of land in Lancashire 1600-1850 and bounded by hedges – either those ‘quickset’ i.e. of a single species e.g. Hawthorn (‘post-medieval’ enclosure type) or more mixed in nature (‘ancient’ enclosure type), water-filled ditches, stone walls and fences.
The remains of early ridge and furrow within two of the farmstead fields plus the network of earthen balks (banks) suggests that this ‘unit’ may, too, be ‘ancient (pre-1600) enclosed land’ re-modelled during ‘post-medieval’ times.
Involvement under Environmental Stewardship Scheme:
 In 2006 Phillip entered Pasture House Farm into a 10-year Environmental Stewardship Scheme with Natural England.
This Scheme provides funding to farmers and other land managers in England who deliver effective environmental management on their land. Its objectives are to:
■ Conserve wildlife (biodiversity)
■ Maintain and enhance landscape quality and character
■ Protect the historic environment and natural resources
■ Promote public access and understanding of the countryside
■ Protect Natural resources
with genetic conservation and flood management underpinning these.
When Phillip moved to the farm in 2002 he noticed how few hedgerows there were left on the farm and, as a result, how little wildlife there seemed to be around. Hedgerow restoration is therefore a key part in the programme and, each winter, he re-plants approx 500 metres which he protects from browsing animals by using spiral tubes and stock fencing. Although this will, in time, benefit insects, birds and small mammals, it contributes towards the landscape and character of the area too.
As one of the large fields is particularly wet, flat and tussocky, Phillip is now managing this as pasture and creating temporary pools to encourage a range of breeding wader birds – Lapwing, Curlew and Snipe, that nest on the ground and probe the soil to feed on invertebrates found within it. As a Native breed, the Red Poll cattle are particularly well-suited to grazing this area.
Alongside Tosber Syke (across the minor road from the farm entrance) Phillip is restoring woodland by stock fencing this area off from the adjoining silage field to protect the watercourse. Phillip has begun cutting down dense Snowberry shrub so that he can introduce a wider variety of species and encourage more open areas to benefit butterflies and birds.
At the East Marton ‘block’ Phillip has re-introduced hay-meadow management to several of the fields in order to allow wild flowers and grasses to grow and set seed. This will hopefully encourage its return to flower rich grassland that will benefit butterflies, mammals and birds.
Finally, Phillip is protecting the historic environment by preserving the remains of early ridge and furrow across the farm – managing these fields as grassland rather than ploughing them to grow Winter Wheat.
Phillip also plans to restore the traditional (extended) barn adjacent to the farm track so that it can be better used and its many original features better appreciated. Phillip will however have to consider the family of Owls which currently resides in the barn.
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