In 1948, Joseph and Edgar Dickinson began their farming journey at Upper Longley Farm, inherited from their Great Uncle. In 1953, they added Lower Longley Farm, doubling the holding to 60 acres. In addition to milking cows, they tried keeping pigs, poultry and sheep as well as growing potatoes and turnips. By the 1970s, a successful formula had emerged, based on feeding grass and silage to dairy cows, with pigs consuming by-products from the dairy.

Driven by the quest for better pastures, we established Tyers Hall Farm in Ardsley in 1974, bringing Joseph’s dream of lowland farming to life.  Joseph always said, “Follow the river”.

Jimmy Dickinson, son of Joseph, remembers both the good and the bad moments from the past 50 years. “The farm, buildings and the land have seen a vast improvement and I know that my father was both proud of what had been achieved and grateful to those that had made it happen”

Tyers Hall Farm became the labour of love for Joseph when he took on the manager role at the sprightly age of 75. Paul Robson, the Farm Manager at Tyers Hall stated “Joseph was renowned for conservation, I remember he was putting hedges in whilst other farmers were taking them out.”

Planting trees at Tyers Hall- photo taken by Chris Harrap 

Paul started with us in 1989 becoming Farm Manager in 2017. His enthusiasm and innovative approach to every aspect of farm life inspires and energises our entire team. He fondly remembers his first day, comparing it to “NY estates off Emmerdale, where everyone is happy.”

Today our farm is home to over 300 Pedigree Jersey cows meticulously cared for by a passionate team, driven by our commitment to conservation, education and self-sufficiency. The herd grazes 300 acres of Yorkshire's verdant grassland. Complementing this is 130 acres of herbal leys, 250 acres of winter wheat, 95 acres of winter barley, 75 acres of oilseed rape, maize for silage, and 20 acres of fodder beet. This diverse cultivation ensures a sustainable feed supply for our livestock.

Jersey Cows at Tyers Hall Farm

Paul explains “We make sure our feed is consistent and fresh”. Our cows love the sugary fodder beet but we provide a varied diet for their health and milk production.

The farm is run on circular principles and we still use an underground network of pipes, installed when the farm was built, to fertilise the land with slurry. Every aspect of our farm is designed to work together: plants are nourished with manure, our cows consume this enriched vegetation to produce high-quality milk, and this milk is used to create our products, completing a sustainable cycle.

Paul & Chris with our Jersey girls

Alongside our farming activities, we are on a journey to double the area of land managed for conservation, from 10% to 20% of the farm. The figure currently stands at 16%.  

Chris Harrap joined the business in 2014 and now leads our Nature & Environment strategy.  Chris explains “The aim is to make the farm a place where wildlife, cows and crops can all thrive together.  Some less profitable or awkward areas of fields are in environmental schemes, which pay us to provide space and resources for birds and pollinators.  Connected to our hedgerows and woodland, these form a network of wildlife corridors across the farm.  We’ve also planted more shelter belts, making the landscape more resilient for our cows in times of unpredictable weather.”

Apples growing at Tyers Hall Farm- photo taken by One Digital Eye Photography

Tyers Hall was recently named the South & West Yorkshire regional winner of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s “Tye Trophy” for conservation, having been a finalist in 2023, and we hope to win the overall prize in years to come.  This success is a recognition of the work the team do in running various environmental schemes alongside the commercial farming operation.

2024 finalist at the Great Yorkshire Show

Our knowledge of biodiversity continues to grow and we are now undertaking other projects such as wet woodland creation, a Lapwing scrape, meadow restoration and seeking to encourage Grey Partridge numbers.   Chris says “The work we’re doing makes a difference to people, too.  It’s a beautiful, abundant landscape to spend time in, not just for the team working here but also the many local walkers who visit.”

“Tyers Hall is now an emerald jewel set in a green environment” Jimmy states, a far cry from the post-industrial landscape Joseph inherited when he bought the farm.

While our sustainable practices and dedication to animal welfare are well-known, it is our historic and haunted farmhouse that often captures the imagination of visitors.

Our farmhouse is said to be haunted by Lady Blatherwick, a former resident who roams the halls. This historic figure recently gained new light when a young girl and her mother came to visit. The young girl asked at the bottom of the staircase “Who is that lady in the brown dress”. The girl's mother saw no one there, but the girl's insistence on what she saw left everyone with a chill.

Houses at Tyers Hall Farm- photo taken by One Digital Eye Photography

Lady Blatherwick is not the only historical aspect of our farm. The previous tenant Peter Somerset always talked about the mysterious hidden sandstone tunnels that he discovered whilst ploughing the fields. Peter thought the tunnel had been used as a Roman settlement site whilst other people suggested that this solved the century-old rumour of having an underground passage leading to Monk Bretton Priory. When Peter tried to find out where the tunnel led, he realised that the tunnel had been blocked off. Still to this day, we do not know if the historic tunnels lead to Monk Bretton Priory or not.  

Stories of Lady Blatherwick and the mystery tunnel have been a part of our farm for generations with the last tenant providing us with news articles of our ghost and the tunnels dating back to the early 1900’s. These encounters have become a cherished part of our farm’s character, adding to the historical richness of our land.

In addition to our historic tales, Tyers Hall Farm has had its share of unusual events. A notable incident involved one of our more adventurous cows ending up in the neighbour’s swimming pool. The cleanup required professional services but the story of our cow's leisurely swim reflects the unpredictable challenges of farm life.

Despite these quirky events, our focus remains on enhancing soil health, wildlife conservation, animal welfare, sustainable practices and providing our dairy with high-quality milk. Our cows graze happily in our fields, and our dedicated team continue to thrive, united by their shared care for the land and animals.

  

Biodiversity at Tyers Hall photos taken by Chris Harrap

Over the years, we have adapted to technological advancements to enhance our farming practices. One of the current systems we use is Datamars Livestock, which allows us to monitor our cows around the clock. These innovative collars track various aspects of the cow’s health, including rumination, feeding patterns, and heat cycles. Keeping up to red tractors standards we also have 24-hour veterinary support should we need it. We are currently at 180 cows in milk and are now looking at expanding to 210-220 cows in milk with the latest technology.

Paul Robson with our girls at Tyers Hall Farm- Photo taken by Jack Owen

Our partnership with Wigfield Farm and visits from local schools highlights our commitment to community engagement and education. We hope to reintroduce Open Farm Sunday on a pre-booked basis to strengthen our educational outreach. In addition, we collaborate with other family-run farms to promote sustainable farming methods.

Sign at Wigfield Farm (Read more here)

Every day brings a new story, whether it is an adventurous cow or the daily joys of farm life we cherish every moment, making it not just a place of work but a vibrant community where history and inspiration thrive.

We honour Joseph’s principles, consistently producing high-protein milk through improved breeding methods and in the same way increasing our milk yields. As we commemorate 50 years of Tyers Hall Farm, we pay tribute to the generations of Yorkshire farmers who have contributed to its success. Referring to the past and present team as “rainbow warriors”. Jimmy ended his speech at the 50^th celebration party with the toast “to infinity and beyond”.

Jimmy Dickinson making a speech at the 50th-anniversary party- photo taken by One Digital Eye Photography

Here's to another 50 years of honouring both tradition and innovation at Tyers Hall Farm. 

We want to extend a big thank you to all the local suppliers who helped us to celebrate our 50^th anniversary in style…