Matt and Lucy Tile have farmed The Bairnkine since 1997, the Tile family since 1987 — 1,100 organic acres below the Cheviot Hills, and a quiet mission to leave the land richer than they found it.
The Tile family has farmed at The Bairnkine since 1987. Before marrying Matt, Lucy came from a town background and faced a steep learning curve — embracing life as a farmer, learning sheep husbandry, how to drive a tractor, and a great deal more. Matt came from an arable background and had to adapt farming to cattle and sheep. Together they’ve spent decades committing the farm to organic methods enhancing the landscape and environment with their conservation work.
Over the years they’ve converted two farm cottages into Wild Rose and Owl holiday cottages, developed the CL caravan site, and most recently opened the gates to visitors with Bairnkine Farm Tours. As Lucy puts it, they love sharing their farming story — and she has a wealth of it to tell.
Organic since 2005, we farm in a way that works with the land rather than against it — and somewhere along the way we accidentally fell into conservation, and thoroughly enjoy it. Every tree, hedge and pond and farming is part of leaving this place a little better than we found it.
We farm 1700 breeding sheep, lambing outside from April and buy in cattle to fatten. We grow barley for the cattle, oats for the local mill, our cottages have solar panels and we draw water from our own spring. Organic since 2005, expect a few thistles and weeds about the place, we do!
We love opening the farm up to schools, groups and curious visitors. From meeting the farmer and watching a sheepdog work, to guided nature-and-conservation walks and hands-on tree planting, it’s a chance to see where food really comes from — and how a working farm can make room for wildlife. Sessions are shaped around the group and the season.
