Pleasance Farm, Kenilworth
Pleasance Farm covers 460 acres of the beautiful Warwickshire countryside.
The farm lies adjacent to Kenilworth Castle, in the picturesque Arden area of Warwickshire. It is steeped in history being part of the Kenilworth Castle estate until the early 20th Century and contains some important historical features. The farm name comes from the French word ‘Pleasaunce’ meaning pleasure garden. This feature can still be seen today in the field in front of the farm buildings.
The family moved to the farm in 1963 and is now run by Henry Lucas and his son Ian. Traditional Hereford cattle graze the grassland around the castle. These are sold, when mature, to Waitrose. There are also arable crops grown, including spring barley for malting, which is used in the brewing industry.
Wildlife and the environment
There has been active management of wildlife habitats on the farm since the family moved here. Due to the family’s interest in wildlife and the environment this has developed further since 1999 and the aim is to farm in a way that increases wildlife diversity yet also creates an income for the family.
Care of the environment is priority both on the farm and in the self catering accommodation. To try and reduce our impact on the environment, reliance on oil and cut bills we have decided to use renewable energy to heat the farmhouse, the Old Dairy, Bray Barn and the Granary. They are now all heated by a fully automated wood pellet boiler. We also have a recycling policy in the self catering units and on the farm.
Walking
The farm and the local countryside has numerous foot paths crossing it which you can access directly from your holiday cottage. You will find further details of walks across Warwickshire in your cottage on arrival.
If you have a group of 10 or more why not enjoy one of our guided farm walks lasting 1 – 2 hours covering a distance of about 2.5 miles along farm tracks and across fields. The farm walk will introduce you to how we farm here at Pleasance Farm, tell you about some of the interesting history of the farm and show you some of the wildlife you can expect to find.
At the end of the farm walk we can also supply tea, coffee, delicious cakes and if it is a hot day, some home made lemonade.