We are a small family-run farm located in the parish of Marden in the English County of Herefordshire, set deep in the countryside known as the Marches, on the border with Wales.
Ashgrove Farm, the home of Rod and Rosie Hawnt and their two daughters, sits astride the ‘God Almighty’ hill overlooking the beautiful valley of the river Lugg.
The 65 acre farm is mainly down to permanent pasture with two large traditional orchards, making it the ideal setting for the time-honoured Herefordshire practice of combining livestock farming with the growing of cider apples.
Archaeological evidence and local research on continuity of landscape in the county archives suggests that there has been a farm or homestead on this tract of land since before medieval times, and that the site has been the focus of human activity since the Iron Age. Yet despite continuous change in farming practices, the research indicates that there has been remarkably little change in the topography of the Ashgrove Farm for hundreds of years. We are striving to ensure that this continues during our stewardship of this land.
Today Ashgrove Farm has three main enterprises :
Hawnt Family News For news of the musical side of the Hawnt family, Katharine now has her own website for her mediaeval music group 'Le Basile' at www.lebasile.co.uk
Dieulacresse Ralph, one of the Hereford Bulls used for the foundation of our herd
Some of our Pedigree Hereford Cows that make up our suckler herd
Our Pedigree Ryeland Sheep
Our cider products are made from our own organic cider apple orchards