Our smallholding is a pocket sized world on the edge of Exmoor, home to a small number of happy, rare breed, traditional Berkshire pigs and pork that tastes the way it used to.

Our pigs live in a wooded valley where they are as free from pollution as possible, nuzzling the ground for fallen nuts, wild herbs, leaves and bugs. We allow them to grow at their own speed without any artificial enhancers, and when they are ready to go off, they only travel fifteen miles. The pork, when it comes back, is like no other, an old fashioned flavour our great, great grandfathers would recognise.

Cooling off

In addition to our pigs, we also have a small flock of Greyface Dartmoor X sheep, hens of various breeds, chickens for meat and at times, turkey.

We have no mains water and all our animals drink exclusively from the West Lyn river, or our own natural spring. We have no electricity, no gas and access is on the back of a horse, quad bike or 4x4.

We feed as naturally as possible, using GM free food from the local farmers' cooperative, and all our fodder is collected from a neighbour.

Things to do, people to see...

We like to think all our animals are as happy and contented as if they truly lived in the wild. They live the whole of their lives out in the open, just as nature intended. They have space, a warm dry bed, room and time to develop relationships, friendships and build a community.

Hidden Valley Farm is, we believe, home to the happiest pigs and animals in the country.

Some of the gang

Learn skills such as basic butchery, which will enable you to break down any carcass into the primal cuts, and from there into chops and joints, learning how to tunnel-bone, bone and roll and tie a butchers knot.

Discover the secrets behind pig processing nose to tail, using everything.  Cure bacon and hams, make your own sausages, black pudding, brawn and faggots.

Become a  hands on smallholder for a day, finding out how to feed and look after the stock including how to ear tag, inject medication, etc, and the principles of electric fencing and housing.

Talk to us about your interests and aspirations, and together we'll design a personal course, just for you, that will cover everything you want to learn and experience.

Basic butchery course, a very hands on experience!