Wintershill Farm and Manor Farm
Wintershill Farm lies between Bishops Waltham and Durley. Between 904 and 1836 the Bishops of Winchester were Lords of the Manor of Bishop’s Waltham and the land at Wintershill provided agricultural support to the Bishops Palace in Bishops Waltham. It was also used for hunting, and was often visited by Kings and Statesmen. The main Roman road from Winchester to the Roman fort and port at Porchester, near Portsmouth, goes through the farm, and is part of the Bishop’s Waltham Heritage Walk footpath. This 3/4 mile stretch was virtually untouched for 1000 years but has recently being cleared and opened up for wider public access, with an information board and disabled path. It is now called the Pilgrims Trail.
The surrounding land of approximately 150 acres is now farmed as pasture, for conservation and summer grazing for cattle, and is managed under the Environmental Higher Level Scheme. Wintershill Farm yard is still used for cattle and hay storage, but as part of rural diversification it is now also home to a food smokery, a photographic studio, a double glazing window company, a carpentry shop, and a new meeting room which is available for business meetings, training and rural farm visits. For more details of the Meeting Room and to Book, please choose from the menu above.
The Estate also farms a further 750 acres south of Twyford, with arable and a single suckler beef herd. The land here includes over 60 acres of woodland, a 150 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest in the water meadows adjacent to the River Itchen which is home to the rare Southern Damsel Fly. As part of the Higher Level Environmental Scheme the arable ground is divided by a large number of wildlife friendly field margins, wild bird cover strips and areas of uncultivated grassland.