Puttenham Common Update No.7 – December 2024
Puttenham Common Update 7 – December 2024
Hello all, it’s been a while since we sent our last update on Puttenham Common, but what an awesome year it’s been! Here are some of the highlights we wanted to share with you –
The cows on the common
As you know, we reintroduced grazing to Puttenham Common in 2023. Grazing is a really important tool for helping regenerate heather and maintaining beautiful biodiverse heathland landscapes. We use the brilliant NoFence technology to manage our cows on Puttenham Common – they wear their NoFence collars which keep them within their grazing compartments on the Common with no need for actual fences. It also means everyone enjoying the Common can scan the NoFence QR code to see where the cows are grazing.
Last week we took the cows off Puttenham Common and moved them back onto Hampton’s meadows for the winter. The cows were doing their important conservation grazing on the Common for 7 months, from May – November which is great news for habitat restoration! They will return to the Common next spring.
Thank you to everyone for respecting the cows and keeping your dogs under control. We love seeing them exploring their natural landscape – they look so majestic and at home mooching around doing their ecological engineering – we hope you’re enjoying them too!
The brilliant bioblitz
On a warm August Sunday, we hosted our first ever BioBlitz at Puttenham Common in partnership with the brilliant Surrey Wildlife Trust. It was a mega day, supported by so many brilliant organisations – Surrey’s Bird Club, Bat Group, Moth Group, Botanical Society, the West Weald Fungus Group, Heathland Connections and of course the Surrey Biodiversity Information Centre. Together we collected over 276 different species on the day and the number continues to rise as more records come in.
We welcomed several hundred people into the BioBlitz basecamp at Top Car Park, where our local biodiversity experts led wildlife walks and showed people which species Puttenham Common is particularly special for. We received really lovely feedback from everyone who joined us and are definitely hoping to host more of the super popular wildlife walks in the future…
Breeding bird successes
We have been lucky enough to have two expert ecologists conducting in-depth bird surveys across Puttenham Common all bird breeding season. It is awesome to have such incredibly detailed data that gives us a great picture of which bird species are thriving and which need more support. The initial summary report is below –
Puttenham Common Breeding Bird report 2024
During the spring and summer of 2024 bird surveyors spent 80 hours recording the breeding bird species over selected areas of Puttenham Common. The aim of these surveys was to confirm the species and number of birds breeding on the commons and to set baseline figures that can be used to judge the success of habitat management work against. During the surveys 70 different species of breeding bird were recorded and hundreds of territories were monitored throughout the commons.
During the spring and summer of 2024 dog walkers using the commons were asked to keep their dogs on the lead or under close control in parts of the commons that had previously been highlighted as key areas for rare ground-nesting birds. We are delighted to be able to report that there was a minimum of eight Woodlark territories recorded as well as five Tree Pipit, three Nightjar, three Willow Warbler and two Woodcock territories. All of these birds are ground nesters that are prone to disturbance from dogs or people getting too close to their nests and it was great to see so many pairs deciding to stay and breed at Puttenham.
Puttenham Common also holds a good number of scarce species that nest in tree holes and the surveys found four pairs of Spotted Flycatcher (which all raised young successfully), two pairs of Common Redstart and one male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. The sadly fast declining Cuckoo was recorded with a minimum of three singing male Cuckoo present and very excitingly one recently fledged juvenile Cuckoo was recorded as well.
In England each bird species has a conservation status from Green (no immediate concern) to Red (the highest level of concern). At Puttenham there are nine breeding species with the very highest level of concern, Red, including Cuckoo, Woodcock, Tree Pipit and Spotted Flycatcher. A further 14 breeding species are of Amber concern including Stock Dove, Nightjar, Willow Warbler and Common Redstart. With further habitat management work carried out over the coming years it is hoped that the breeding success of many of these species will be enhanced and perhaps ‘missing’ heathland species such as Dartford Warbler will be able to return.
Butterflies
We are thrilled to have a Butterfly Conservation transect now running across Puttenham Common, walked weekly by volunteers who record butterfly species from April to October. A total of 22 different species were recorded, and 1193 records were logged! We are really excited to see how these numbers change as the habitats improve on the common.
Calling all volunteers! – sign up to more Hampton volunteer days here
We hosted a brilliant Puttenham Common Work party back in the spring, where a group of us gathered together to remove birch scrub from Hillbury hill fort. It was a brilliant day, despite the torrential rain at the end of the morning, and a lovely opportunity to all come together as a community to do some nature restoration on the ground. We have more exciting volunteer days planned at Hampton this winter, focused on hedge planting and scrub popping on our chalk downland. We welcome everyone to our volunteer days with open arms – whether you’re a nature enthusiast or simply want more time outside away from your screen. You can sign up to become part of our epic volunteer squad on upcoming days here.
University engagement
Engaging students with nature restoration at Puttenham Common is so important, so it’s been great to be able to show master’s students from the University of Reading around the Common over the past two years. There are so many interesting and important species for us all to learn more about, and working with local universities and schools and enthusing the next generation is a great way for us to do it.
Thank you
Finally, thank you to you all for your continued support. The winter means slightly less bird song, some timber removal and re-fencing the boundary of the common, but lots of fantastic fungi finds (please don’t forage too many fungi – it’s important to leave it for nature’s own ecosystem), and a chance to warm up with Rochelle’s delicious hot chocolate from The Little Coffee Pantry at Top Car Park.
We are really excited for 2025. Thank you for coming along with us on this mission to make Puttenham Common more biodiverse, climate resilient and beautiful. Don’t forget you can stay in touch by following us on Facebook and Instagram @hampton_estate.
Best wishes, The Hampton Team
Hampton Estate Naturally Reared News November 2024
FRIDAY December 6th will be a special day at Hampton. Fires will be lit, beef will be bagged, wild roe venison will be jointed and ready, warming winter drinks will be steaming and there will be a selection of tip top local producers joining us to sell their special wares. Our pre-Christmas collection day is shaping up well.
So it’s time to think ahead, to start to plan, not in massive detail but enough to know you need the best ingredients for Christmas, and do get your order in so that you don’t miss out on the very best local produce available.
We always find that carvery rib joints sell out immediately for Christmas and at the moment we have lots available. A double rib will feed at least 8 and is the iconic roasting joint with fabulous marbling, deep pink meat and the most delicious taste. The bigger the joint, the better it gets, although anything more than a four rib will cause oven capacity problems. Good creamy horseradish and English mustard are a given, and the thicker the gravy the better.
And the above also applies to all our roasting joints, be it top rump, topside or silverside. All can be roasted in the traditional way which is the beauty of Pasture for Life accredited beef, and there is no compromise on flavour. Alternatively cook a slow roasted brisket for 12 hours overnight and Boxing Day’s sandwiches are sorted. But let’s also talk steaks, as a sizzling sirloin or rump steak, a flatiron, ribeye, picanha or a minute steak all deserve a Christmas mention and should be part of our culinary celebrations. There is so much choice and don’t forget the liver, kidney and oxtail. Simply go to www.hamptonestate.co.uk/beef/, peruse the cuts, roasts, joints and much more and send over your order.
But not before you’ve checked out our wild roe venison page and thought about a wild roe venison lasagne (which is going down a treat at the reopened and brilliant Barley Mow in The Sands) or a fillet or perhaps a haunch. Stunning meat and 100% wild from the estate.
Finally, a shout out for Hampton Beef Bangers and Hampton wild roe venison sausages which give back-up for every eventuality over Christmas, be it a last minute seaside walk on New Year’s Day with picnic (stick the bangers in a wide topped thermos) or an influx of well-meaning mates looking hungry.
Just pop your order over to helenjackson@hamptonestate.co.uk and we will make sure your produce is ready for 6th December.
On the day we will be welcoming to the Hampton Courtyard our old friends from Greyfriars Vineyard, as local a product to Hampton as you can get at 1.5 miles away. Similarly Nibbs Gin will be with us where Hampton elderflower and Hampton hops are used in their delicious gins, and from about 5 mile away comes Charlie and The Cold Pressed Oil Company, a firm favourite for stocking up with cooking oils extraordinaire. Lewis from The South Downs Roastery will be bringing over a selection of coffees (his Brazilian coffee is the Hampton house blend) and Sally will be selling her hand decorated Lazy Susans which presumably you could put all the above on and gently circulate them on your kitchen table.
Fingers crossed for some sunshine by then and a dry day, when we will open at 10.30am until 3.30pm and welcome everyone with hot drinks and that waft of woodsmoke. We look forward to your order and to seeing you on 6th December.
News just in is that Father Christmas will again be visiting Myrtle’s Courtyard on the estate. This year he’s due to land on Sunday December 8th. His dedicated team will be ahead of him organising animals to meet, tractor and trailer rides to take, and a whole host of activities and refreshments. It is a ticketed event and places can be secured via Eventbrite using this link.
With best wishes
Bill and Bridget
Hampton Estate Naturally Reared News October 2024
Our next beef day will be on FRIDAY 1st NOVEMBER and not on 25th October as previously advertised. I’m sorry that you will have to wait one week longer for your very special meat supplies, but it will be worth it. It gives the meat a tad longer to hang, to relax and to increase in tenderness and taste. On the beef front we have every cut, joint, steak, offally bit, and beefburger available and on the wild roe venison front the same. It’s all up for grabs and please send us over your order so that we can start our cutting list. Please also cross out 25th October in your diary and replace with a big 1st NOVEMBER.
For all details of all the most succulent, mouth-wateringly delicious beef that we sell please go to our beef page where you will find our price list and you can build up your order. Given the state of our autumnal weather I think casseroles and stews should be big this month and I would be using a variety of stewing, braising, osso buco and shin for max taste and long slow cooking. There are still plenty of herbs about to give depth of flavour and adding this summer’s onions and shallots will give a great base to work from and add that zest this autumn needs. A bit of a kick.
I would also be thinking about a good roast joint, and a piece of topside or silverside (just a bit cheaper) will work really well and doesn’t need pot roasting. Pop it into a good hot oven for 20 mins and then turn the temperature down. This is where the meat thermometer is key (and again cheap) and once the joint hits 60 degrees in the middle take the joint out and leave it to rest, a critical part of the cooking process. The result will be medium rare, delicious beef. Obviously adjust timings for medium or well-done beef.
Our Hampton wild roe venison is also available and for my money every bit as good as our beef. Again, have a look at our venison page and take your pick. It’s extremely delicious meat, not gamey, and virtually fat free. A roe venison fillet seared for three minutes on each side, left to rest for 15 minutes and served with good local veg is a winner every time. Just add a glass of Italian red or Côtes du Rhône.
Please send your orders over to Helen (helenjackson@hamptonestate.co.uk) and we will have your order ready and waiting on November 1st.
Elsewhere on the farm our hop harvest finished despite the rain and our first consignment of Hampton Fuggle hops has left the farm for UK breweries, notably Timothy Taylors in Yorkshire. Our cows with No Fence collars on Puttenham Common are thriving on the varied terrain and vegetation. Pleasingly they are exploring the wetland mire which was opened up with our timber operations last winter and the increased sunlight has encouraged a diverse habitat for the cows to enjoy.
Also on Puttenham Common we are delighted that Rochelle who runs The Little Coffee Pantry is coming up to her first year anniversary of selling delicious coffee, cake, sausage rolls and much more from her site on the top car park, and will be continuing to do so for 2025. It’s coffee with the best view of Surrey and thoroughly recommended.
We look forward to seeing everyone on 1st November for tea, coffee and cake from 10.30am to 3.30pm. In the meantime any beef or wild roe venison queries please do get in touch and don’t forget that our beef day fits really nicely with bonfire night when you might just need good supplies of sausages and burgers.
With best wishes
Bill and Bridget
Hampton Estate Naturally Reared News August 2024
Our Hampton cattle are spread out all over the farm grazing in lush water meadows, herb rich pastures, parkland meadows and the mosaic of grasses and brush on Puttenham Common. Therefore, with a degree of trepidation and a whiff of optimism we have entered the Sussex Cattle Society Herd Competition for the first time to see how we stack up against other pedigree Sussex herds. Yesterday Will escorted the judge around all the cows and we promise to let you know the outcome as soon as we know. The Olympics of the cow world, and medals are up for grabs.
In the meantime, food is plentiful for all our cows and therefore beef production is in full swing!
Taking advantage of this naturally reared Pasture For Life beef, our next Hampton Produce Collection Day will be on Friday 13th September and we have all prime cuts, joints, steaks, offals, 100%beefburgers available for you to order now. Simply peruse our website and decide on what you would like, send us an email or give us a call and we will make sure your beef is reserved, packed and labelled for you on the 13th. Don’t forget that Hampton 10kg or 4 kg beef bags are a really great way to order a good mixture of steaks, joints, stewing or braising plus prime Hampton mince all in one go.
www.hamptonestate.co.uk/beef/ gives you details and please order with sophiesutton@hamptonestate.co.uk
We have our famous Hampton wild roe deer joints and cuts available too and ready for ordering in the same way. Hampton Estate | Wild Roe Venison and order with sophiesutton@hamptonestate.co.uk For anyone who hasn’t tried wild roe venison we thoroughly recommend booking up to our Hampton Supper Club on Thursday August 29th details of which we hope you have just received. This is an evening of learning about all things venison and enjoying a fabulous venison supper with wines and beer and the garden open for a potter. Tickets are limited so do book as soon as you can here.
Elsewhere on the farm haymaking is finished with a great supply or big round hay bales stacked in the barns for use in the winter, and our hops are loving this helpful mixture of sun and rain as we are gearing up for our hop harvest of Hampton Fuggles Hops at the beginning of September.
Is anyone looking for a state of the art fully furnished office space with excellent Wi-Fi, a dog friendly policy, loads of parking, renewable heating via the estate’s biomass and a dedicated footpath direct to Puttenham Common? We have one office unit at Shoelands Farm Offices available to let of 500 sq ft which has all of the above, plus more, and we have another of 900 sq ft which is unfurnished, also looking for a new occupier. Having moved our own estate office to Shoelands Farm we can fully endorse the location and facilities. Do let us know.
On Friday 13th we will be open from 10.30am and fresh coffee, tea and cake will be ready and waiting for everyone. We hope to see new faces who have been inspired by Open Farm Sunday back in June and will be making their first visit, and familiar faces who already know the Hampton secrets and we love to see.
Please put 13th September in your diary, please order your meat and do think about the Hampton Supper Club on 29th August.
With very best wishes
Bill and Bridget
Hampton Estate Naturally Reared Newsletter May 2024
The Hampton countryside is roaring into life with the grass growing, a wonderful cacophony of birdsong every morning, cows grazing all over the estate from fields on The Hogs Back to the brush and wilds of Puttenham Common, and the lakes in the park are really shimmering in the fresh sunlight.
So why not visit us on June 14th which is our next Beef Collection Day, take a walk around the garden and pick up your order of fresh Hampton produce. Our beef as you know is 100% pasture fed and the taste and texture are second to none. We have excellent supplies of all cuts, roasts, mince, beefburgers, plus liver, kidney, oxtail and heart. Our brilliant butcher has both old fashioned and increasingly popular cuts up his sleeve and consequently we have spider steaks, Thor’s hammers, Picanha and Tomahawk steaks to name a few. There will always be the tastiest brisket to cook really slowly, surrounded by aromatic herbs and possibly doused in a pint of Hogs Back TEA to keep it all bubbling very gently, before pulling apart and serving with fresh salad. Or it will be a quick fire up of the barbeque to sizzle mouthwatering sirloin steaks, rump steaks, even fillet steaks, and pop on some Hampton 100% beefburgers and our special beef sausages. Have a look at the beef list here and don’t forget to order your Special Steak Pies, which are back on the menu and we know will run out quick.
It’s also a chance to buy our wild roe venison, and to my mind venison steaks have the same levels of texture and taste as our beef. This is not surprising as the roe deer have the same diet of browsed leaves and pastures from all over the estate. No fences for them. Warm roe fillet salad is stunningly delicious and takes just minutes (three minutes a side on a hot BBQ max) and we also have good supplies of roe venison sausages plus mince, diced and of course whole haunches. You will find all the details here.
On farming matters, we are waiting for our final cohort of cows to calve and are watching this year’s newborns get to grips with running, jumping and understanding how to walk through gateways in an orderly fashion. The hop gardens are alive with activity, as the hops grow upwards having been trained up coir strings by our nimble-fingered gang of hop trainers, and now we are combatting mildews, red spider and aphids to ensure a healthy crop.
If you would like to learn more about all our farming activities, plus much much more do book your place at our annual open day Open Farm Sunday on Sunday 9th June. We are putting together an action-packed day where you can learn about all aspects of regenerative farming, see cows and calves up close, sit on a tractor, experience woodland management, dig for worms and learn about the intricacies of soil, jump on bales, and loads more, including tractor and trailer rides. Booking is essential, the day is FREE and we would all love to see you. Book your ticket here.
Away from farming, our Glyndebourne style jazz concert takes place on Sunday 2nd June, in the garden at Hampton when we are raising funds for the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. The gardens are open from 1.00pm and bring a picnic to enjoy in the garden before the concert starts at 3pm to 5.00pm with an interval. The Barnes Big Band is performing, a fabulous jazz orchestra from south London, which I must confess an interest in as a member of the saxophone section. Book your tickets here.
So, there are three dates for your diary. 2nd June concert, 9th June Open Farm Sunday and 14th June BEEF DAY. We would love to see you at all or any of them. Please send your order over to Sophie for beef, roe venison, pies and sausages, by the 12th, and we will have it bagged and ready for you on the 14th. If you would like a specific cut please do let us know before we send the cutting list to our butcher on the 5th June. sophiesutton@hamptonestate.co.uk
Finally, as summer holidays approach we would love any photos of Hampton Beef Bags in far flung parts of the world, exotic locations or being used more locally for interesting purposes. A quick pic and send it over to us would be great. There will be prizes for the best. More to follow.
Very best wishes
Bill & Bridget
Hampton Estate Naturally Reared News April 2024
I am reliably informed that spring and summer really will soon be here, but in the meantime, our next Hampton beef day will definitely be here on Friday 3rd May, and if we are super lucky the sun might shine.
We look forward to seeing you on Friday 3rd May when you come to pick up any of our wonderfully tasty Hampton Pasture For Life Pedigree beef, Hampton wild roe venison, Hampton sausages, our 100%beefburgers and even Hampton special steak pies. Surely it’s time to sizzle some steaks on the freshly dusted down barbeque, add 100%beefburgers and pop some beef or venison sausages on the side? A feast for everyone, and if you have sausages left over, wow they are good cold next day. Alternatively, a special occasion carvery rib roasted to perfection depending on size, will satiate all appetites, especially with some crispy roast potatoes, and there are still parsnips and leeks about to compliment.
Liver, oxtail, kidney, and skirt are all proving exceptionally popular at the moment, and it may well be time to try our offal if you haven’t already. Fried liver in bubbling butter (add pepper and salt) is a pure delight, takes approximately four minutes and is fantastically tasty.
We have good stocks of wild roe venison sausages (did anyone see the Daily Telegraph Online article about Hampton deer management a couple of weeks ago), and joints, diced and minced are all available.
Please go to www.hamptonestate.co.uk/beef for all beef details and similarly Hampton Estate | Wild Meat for all wild roe venison. Sophie is ready and waiting for your order and please email her at sophiesutton@hamptonestate.co.uk by the 1st May and we will make sure everything is ready on the day. Just a thought, how about a handy Hampton beef bag either in 10kgs or 4kgs with a mixture of steaks, joints, stewing steak, and mince. It takes all the pressure off decision making.
Elsewhere around the estate our Fuggles hops are growing well and we will soon start training them up the strings, our cows are calving with three in the last twenty four hours and with so much farming happening our planning team is focusing on Open Farm Sunday on June 9th. This is the National Open Day for farms, and we have been part of it for several years. Last year we welcomed over 2000 visitors to Hampton which also included a royal visit from the Duchess of Edinburgh as Patron of the movement. If anyone is free that day and would like to join our fun team of volunteers and staff welcoming visitors to Hampton there are lots of spaces to fill and we would love to hear from you. Best is to email our no1 organiser mollybiddell@hamptonestate.co.uk direct.
I hope you know that Waggoners Campsite, our off grid environmentally friendly award winning campsite just off the North Downs Way is open again for the 2024 camping season. We have new showers made of Hampton timber, new woodland pitches and a new manager Nikki who is doing a fab job. There are large grassy pitches, great views and it’s only a short walk to either the Manor Farm Tea Rooms in Seale or The Good Intent pub in Puttenham. Do have a look at waggonerscampsite.co.uk for all the details and amazing reviews.
We look forward to seeing you on Friday 3rd May when we open at 10.30am for fresh cake, coffee and tea, and come over and pick up your produce. There should be time for a catch up and a foodie themed chat.
With best wishes
Bill and Bridget
Hampton Estate Naturally Reared Produce News March 2024
I love it when Easter is early, this year it’s almost as early as it gets, and with the clocks going forward on the same day we will soon be summer bound, a wonderful prospect. Longer evenings, warmer temperatures and time to de hibernate and sniff the spring air. Easter weekend is designed to do all those things, and is also a great opportunity to get stuck into some serious cooking using the best quality local ingredients from the Hampton Estate.
Our next beef day is on FRIDAY 22nd MARCH and now is the time to order.
We have excellent beef supplies, wild roe venison supplies, sausage supplies and everything is up for grabs. Steaks to sizzle (early spring barbeque anyone?) beefburgers to flame, beef joints for a family lunch or dinner, stewing steak for an Easter themed casserole, prime mince to feed hungry mouths with spag boll, or even strips of liver, seasoned and fried in butter with fresh herbs (and just add a splash of sherry at the last moment). Please have a look at our beef details and prices www.hamptonestate.co.uk/beef, and zip your order over to sophiesutton@hamptonestate.co.uk . Having just looked at our website again, rib on the bone really takes my fancy as does a Thor Hammer!
Our stalkers have been busy, and we have lots of wild roe venison in the form of haunches, steaks, diced and minced. We also have packets of our very popular wild roe venison sausages for sale. These are deliciously meaty and made by local Simon the Butcher of Surrey Hills Butcher fame, made with our own venison. Please look here, and, again, order via email to Sophie.
Stop Press. Simon has just joined the ranks of The Institute of Meat’s accredited Master Butchers of which there are fewer than 100 in the country. He was given this highest butchery accolade at a recent London prize giving ceremony and we send him our heartiest congratulations. It’s good to know that Hampton beef and venison is in the safest of hands.
Fresh tea and cakes will be ready from 10.30am on the 22nd March and come and meet our new coffee supplier Chimney Fire Coffee a fabulous business based in the Surrey Hills and providing our special coffee.
We are all really looking forward to our Hampton Volunteers Workday on Puttenham Common on Friday 15th March. It’s a chance to do some extremely helpful tree clearance whilst meeting new people, all with a shared vision, and enjoy wonderful Surrey views. There is also a wild roe venison sausage themed lunch! No experience needed, just enthusiasm and waterproofs. Do come and join us and all details are here.
On the cattle front our first pedigree Sussex calf is expected mid-month and then we hope calving will get underway for all the cows. We are expecting 38 between now and mid-May. And we welcomed our new pedigree bull Crusader a couple of weeks ago who was bred in East Sussex and appears to be enjoying succulent Surrey grass and getting on well with his field companion and our stock bull the ‘old boy’ Major.
Looking ahead to balmy summer days Bridget and I are delighted to be hosting a jazz concert in aid of The Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice on Sunday 2nd June. It’s a Glyndebourne style afternoon at Hampton, with the garden open from 1.00pm, bring your picnic, and enjoy the Barnes Big Band 16 piece jazz orchestra performing from 3.00pm to 5.00pm. All information, and tickets for the event can be purchased via this link; www.pth.org.uk/event/jazz-in-the-garden.
We look forward to seeing you on Friday 22nd March to chat spring and Easter things and enjoy coffee and cake together.
Very best wishes
Bill and Bridget
Puttenham Common Update February 2024
The first 2024 update on Puttenham Common! As ever, thank you for all your support, I had the most beautiful walk around the heathland last weekend and was serenaded by woodlarks singing their hearts out. Seems spring is on its way!
We are now into the second year of our heathland restoration project, and things are getting really exciting. A few plans/activities to update you on:
Puttenham Common Working Party – March 15th 2024 10-2pm
We thought it would be fun to all get together for a Working Party on Puttenham Common. Essentially a day to be outside, doing some important nature restoration together. We are going to host our first Working Party on Friday 15th March, meeting in the Top Car Park at 10.00am, and finishing by 2.00pm. We will be clearing birch scrub off the Hillfort, which is important to do for the archaeology and also encourages heather growth. We will provide all the necessary hand saws, loppers and training. We will also cook some Hampton venison sausages for everyone to enjoy, but you are also welcome to bring your own picnic, the more the merrier. We’d love to see as many of you as possible, do bring friends and family too! If you would like to join us, please fill in this form so we have an idea of numbers.
The Little Coffee Pantry
Hopefully you have met Rochelle who is running The Little Coffee Pantry from her beautiful horse truck on Top Car Park. She is open Thursdays and Fridays 9am – 12pm and Saturdays and Sundays 9am – 3pm. She serves the most delicious coffee and epic selection of home made cakes and treats. Do pop up and say hello to her if you haven’t already!
Species monitoring and BioBlitz
A real focus for us this year is on species monitoring on Puttenham Common, we want to collect more information on the animals and plants that we find on the common. We are preparing a monitoring plan and are planning to host a BioBlitz on Puttenham Common in the summer, partnering with Surrey Wildlife Trust and Heathland Connections. This will be a really exciting event for everyone to enjoy and learn more about the common’s biodiversity, so watch this space as we release more details.
Cows, trees and birds
The cows will be returning to Puttenham Common in May and we will host more Meet The Cows events after their success last year. We have started the timber extraction from the boggy mire valleys, please excuse the track marks as the timber is collected, once it is finished we will tidy it back up. Finally, bird nesting season will begin soon (March – Sept) so we will be putting some signs up to remind people to keep their dogs under control to give our precious heathland birds the best chances of survival.
As ever, any questions or exciting sightings do let us know.
Best wishes, Molly
Hampton Estate Naturally Reared Produce News January 2024
A belated but heartfelt Happy New Year to all, and amazingly it’s time to think of restocking the larder or the freezer, and very fortunately we hope we can help with our first Hampton Beef Day on Friday 9th February.
We have great stocks of all beef be it joints to roast, steaks to sizzle, shin and braising for pies, mince for lasagnes, briskets for long slow baking, and all the other wonderful cuts, joints, and beef products you will find on the price list on our website. Don’t forget to look at the offal. Outrageously delicious. We also have stunning Hampton wild venison ready for your order. Fillet, haunch, diced and mince fly off the shelves and if you need one more New Year’s resolution I would heartily recommend ‘try venison’. We can always help with recipes for venison (or beef) and love the challenge. Top tip for venison, cook it hot and fast.
Probably the best news of 2024 to date is that Hampton Special Beef Pies are ready to order, both individual and family sizes, along with our Hampton Beef Bangers and Wild Venison Sausages.
Just go to www.hamptonestate.co.uk/beef/ and for our wild roe venison price list go to www.hamptonestate.co.uk/game, make up your order and send it over to Sophie, sophiesutton@hamptonestate.co.uk who will be ready and waiting.
Looking at cow plans for 2024 we will soon be gently weaning calves from cows in the most sensitive way possible, to give each cow a little down time before calving, which starts in early March. Each cow has been pregnancy tested by our vet, so we know she is in calf, and we also have a pretty accurate calving date from the vet’s scan. On the bull front, as we have taken the decision to increase the size of the herd, we need a second bull to take all the pressure off Petworth Major. Will and I are off on a bull hunt in the next fortnight, checking out other breeding bulls from Sussex cattle breeders and we have set our sights on two likely farms.
In the hop gardens we have almost finished burning up (literally) all the old bine from the 2023 harvest and following a general herbicide will soon be spreading muck on top of the hops to give them more natural vigour. The new shoots will start to emerge in April, by which time we will have restrung all the gardens. There is lots of work ahead.
Having moved the estate office to Shoelands Farm Offices we can really understand the massive benefits of a modern, warm, mega connected office space with loads of parking. If anyone else wants to join us there is one office space available to let in the complex, 770 sq. ft of extremely attractive office space, www.shoelandsfarmoffices.co.uk and check out The Dairy North.
Please put Friday 9th February in your diary, please put in your order to Sophie, and please come for a cup of New Year coffee or tea and lots of cake and pick up your delicious produce.
Very best wishes
Bill and Bridget