The owner of a £1m farm have handed it over to a tenant who will pay just £1 a year rent in return for taking care of the property’s “fragile” landscape.
The National Trust stepped in to protect the land at Parc Farm in North Wales last year after it was put up for sale as a potential site for a golf course.
The site in Great Orme, near Llandudno, has rare habitats and species – some of which the charity says exist nowhere else on earth.
Tenant farmer Dan Jones will live at the property with wife Ceri and son Efan.
“I couldn’t quite believe it when I got the call to say my application to take over the property was successful. I was in shock,” said Mr Jones.
“Y Parc is a dream farm, it is such a beautiful location, the views are amazing and I’m really looking forward to farming in a different way to make a difference for nature.
“With the tenancy at just £1, it allows us to be able to farm far less intensively, focus on improving the habitats, share more of what we’ll be doing with visitors and still produce great food.”
National Trust general manager William Greenwood said: “All applicants had to show how they could make the farm work with a clear vision and business plan, and explain how they could use their knowledge and experience to implement a specific grazing regime as a written application.”
The National Trust will supply the sheep but any profit made by the Jones family is theirs to keep.
“I’ll have to get the sheep used to the environment, used to me and being walked with dogs before I can release them on to the Great Orme,” said Mr Jones.
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