An exciting insight into Spring 2026 at Yattendon Estate
Farming
The second half of February brought the annual ‘farmland bird count’, a two week period to monitor and record birds found on farms across the country. This year we approached this in a slightly different way with the introduction of a series of sound recorders across the estate, which automatically record bird call at certain times throughout the day. The sound recordings are analysed using AI and provides a list of species recorded at each location.
As we approach the ground-nesting season, we ask that while walking the paths around the estate, please keep dogs on a lead to protect vulnerable farmland birds that nest directly on the ground in open fields and grassland. Species such as the skylark, lapwing and grey partridge lay their eggs in shallow scrapes that are almost invisible, making them particularly prone to disturbance. Even friendly, well-trained dogs can unintentionally cause harm by running through crops, flushing adult birds from their nests, or chasing them, which can leave eggs or chicks exposed to cold temperatures and predators. Any form of disturbance during this critical breeding period can and will often result in complete nest failure.
Christmas Trees
As soon as the last Christmas Tree was sold in December, the estate team were already thinking about Christmas 2026. We carried out a stock take of the trees left in the fields to work out what we will have available this year and we have travelled all over the country sourcing decorations, crackers, lights and treats for the festive shop. January and February is when there are trade shows in Birmingham and Harrogate to attend and we also visited some suppliers directly in London and Wales. We are always trying to look for something different and unique to sell and this is why, for the first time our team ventured to Frankfurt to one of the biggest Christmas trade shows in Europe. We found some new suppliers and got a lot of inspiration for our festive shop.
Welcome to our newest commercial tenant
Welcome to Studio 91 our newest tenants to move into Childs Court Farm. Previously based in Newbury, Studio 91 will be turning Unit 4 Childs Court Farm into a professional rehearsal and recording studio, aswell as offering tuition, instrument care and equipment hire. Their previous clients have included international rock bands The Amazons and Bring Me the Horizon so we can’t wait to hear the music they produce from our small corner of West Berkshire.
