Heild End Farm

Welcome to Heild End Farm

Heild End Farm is located in the Peak District National Park, just outside the small village of Wildboarclough, in Cheshire. It is just off the Buxton Road (A54), just a few miles from Three Shires Head, where the county boundaries of Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire meet.

The farmhouse is around three hundred years old. Having been empty for a number of years, the farm was bought in June 2018 by Dr Chris O'Leary. The farmhouse and cottage have undergone a major programme of restoration and renovation.

The farm includes twenty acres and a self-contained two bedroom barn conversion.

Vision for the farm

Encouraging wildlife

The farm now includes twenty acres of grass and moorland. Having not been managed for a number of years, there are significant rush and thistle issues, and real problems with subsurface water. As part of the restoration project, I hope to introduce some hedgerows and plant trees, to work with local wildlife charities to encourage and provide a home for local, at risk species. Owls and bats are high on my list.

Off grid, zero carbon, organic

Being completely energy self sustainable is not feasible, but significantly reducing my carbon footprint is a key objective of my restoration of the farm. Solar panels, a Tesla Powerwall and biomass generation have now been installed. The farm is totally organic.

Restoration not renovation

The farmhouse is three hundred years old, and underwent major renovations in the 1950s and 1970s. It is full of oddities; out of shaped doorframes, uneven walls, nooks and crannies. As far as possible, the aim of the current programme of works is to restore the farmhouse, keeping its character and charm, while making sure its structure will last the next two hundred years.