Well we don’t think anyone is going to be reluctant to see the back of 2020! But despite the tumultuous year we have managed to continue some of our Christmas traditions. Every year we raise a handful of turkeys for the festive season. These are given to the staff and enjoyed by the Beaters who have a Christmas lunch on the last shoot day before Christmas. We wanted to wish all of our guests and their families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Whilst we’re not strictly “Climate Change Deniers” we’ve remained pretty skeptical around the benefits of alternative sources of power, especially given some recent reports which suggest that electric cars need to be driven around 50,000 miles before environmental “break even” is achieved. Notwithstanding this however we installed three EV charging points at Mornacott this week. Added to our 50Kw solar array and biomass district heating system we can probably now claim more “green” credentials than just in being situated in England’s Green and Pleasant Land!”

Thank goodness for a break in the weather as it meant that the vet and our farm team didn’t get quite so wet when they scanned the calves on Thursday.  We scan our cows every year when they are brought in for the Winter.  This allows us to see which are ‘in calf’ and plan accordingly, tailoring our winter feeding plan to our cattle’s needs. 

We usually start calving at the end of March, this means that hopefully the weather is getting better and our new arrivals are able to enjoy sunshine, fresh air and plenty of grass.  Now that the nights are drawing in and the weather turning chillier we can all dream of some sunshine and new calves come the Spring.

 It’s been a busy week here at Mornacott with ‘all hands on deck’ to prepare for our annual Visit England Inspection.  Inspections have been delayed slightly this year due to the current Covid-19 situation.  However, we are delighted that we have retained our previous ‘Excellent’ gradings; with our largest property ‘Orchard Cottage’ retaining it’s ‘5 Star Gold’ rating. ‘The Old Stables’ 5 star and ‘Barn Cottage’ 4 Star Gold

 We were also subject to an on the spot ‘Good to Go’ assessment which looks at our planning, provision and extra measures put in place during Covid-19 which we also passed with flying colours, allowing our guests to stay with us confident that we’re taking the right precautions to ensure their safety.

We have recently acquired some new additions to the chicken coop here at Mornacott.  With the help of the British Hen Welfare Trust we have given some ex battery hens a new lease of life 

When the chickens first arrived they looked a little sorry for themselves with combs flopped over and bald patches but within a few weeks of fresh air, sunshine and good food they soon picked up and happily started laying again.  Our hens provide the eggs for our delicious cakes and breakfast packs as well as for the full English breakfasts enjoyed by the teams that visit us during the shooting season.

 We have been delighted to welcome guests back to Mornacott since the lifting of lockdown and have been blessed with some truly glorious weather (although today we have heavy rain!).

We have made the most of the sunshine to capture some drone footage of the estate and we’re excited to be able to share it with you (please click the link below) and welcome to Mornacott!

youtu.be/TIAG8s5rsKg