Langaford Farm Trust

Established in 2021, Langaford Farm Trust conserves a 100 acre Dartmoor farm. Located near Lettaford on Dartmoor's North Eastern rim, it is a mix of pastures, woodland and wetland, divided by ancient field boundaries. Renowned for its conservation of the Marsh fritillary butterfly, Langaford also supports a wide range of plants, birds and insects. The Trust's work can be divided into three areas: Education, Science and Wellbeing.

Education

The Trust's educational work is centred around its guided walks for a variety of specialist groups, to study the plentiful wildlife and flora that covers the site. These specialist walks are shown on its events page. They are generally led by experts in their fields, who guide groups through the site revealing its many secrets.

Science

Langaford Farm is a world class conservation site; the Trust describes its conservation of the Marsh fritillary butterfly as award winning, and says it shares its best practice with other sites. The key to its conservation success is the understanding of the soils lying under the site: Dr Tim Harrod and his colleagues from the British Society of Soil Science have found that Langaford has considerable soil diversity within its 100 acres, despite predominantly sitting on granite. That diversity gives a wide range of habitats, from wild flower meadows to woodlands, allowing the wildlife on the site to thrive. The Trust is running a number of events to encourage better understanding of soils, especially for modern farmers.

Wellbeing

In the Trust's words, this aim is perhaps the hardest to quantify but in many ways overrules all the other objectives: the wilds of Langaford Farm are, for some, incredibly healing, and allow people to develop themselves away from the trappings of the modern world. The aim is to use nature and the coming together of people in groups of all sizes to heal, educate, develop and, most important of all, be happy.

The Trust

The Langaford Farm Charitable Trust was founded in accordance with the Will Trust Deed of the late Geoffrey Gilbert Bayes, and formally confirmed as a Charitable Trust in January 2002. In 2021 its trustees voted to establish a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), Langaford Farm Trust, and transfer all the assets of the charity to it, so that Langaford is a sustainable charity set up to continue the work. Its chairperson, David Bunting, writes: "We are growing more than just the plants and butterflies."

Visiting and events

Langaford Farm Trust runs a number of public events along with a substantial number of private events; its public events are listed on its events page, and if you have an idea for an event you can email the Trust. Access: the route is relatively flat, but the ground is uneven and may be boggy in places, so please wear wellies or sturdy walking boots. The Trust welcomes all visitors and aims to make its site accessible, improving its facilities as it can; because the farm is on Dartmoor with wet land habitats and sloping fields, this is a work in progress. If you have concerns about your visit, telephone 01647 432 889 to discuss your requirements. Because of the sensitive wildlife on the farm, no dogs please (with the exception of assistance dogs).

Contact

The office is staffed on a part time basis, so please leave a message or email. Tony Bayliss is the Trust Manager. Telephone 01647 432889. Email info@langafordtrust.org. Langaford Farm, North Bovey, Newton Abbot TQ13 8RH.

Partners

The Trust says it would be nothing without its partner organisations, among them the British Society of Soil Science, Butterfly Conservation, the Scouts and Black2Nature.