A popular Christmas carol describes the very worst December weather; frosty winds, earth as hard as iron and frozen water like a stone. Here in the Cotswolds, In The Bleak Midwinter has even greater significance because the tune was written by Gloucestershire-born composer Gustav Holst in the pretty village of Cranham.
The locals take great pride in the idea that Holst was inspired by the scenery on the upper slopes of the Painswick valley surrounded by ancient beech woods and limestone common land, which these days lie close to the route of the Cotswold Way. Farmers in and around Cranham, on the most westerly fold of the Cotswolds, will agree that despite the beauty, mid-winter can certainly be bleak on this steeply exposed high ground. Caring for livestock comes with huge responsibility, but it’s when the temperature plummets that animal welfare becomes a 24/7 obsession.
- Britain’s coldest winters – from 1946 to 2024
- Where are the snowiest places in the UK? A White Christmas is guaranteed in these stunning locations
- Britain's toughest animals – and how they survive the cold in winter
In wet weather and freezing conditions it’s a farmer’s first duty to make sure their stock have adequate shelter, sufficient food, clean water and dry bedding. Regular welfare checks are also essential to ensure there are no signs of injury or infection. All these things are just as vital on Christmas morning as they are on any other day of the year; I’ve been recalling more than 50 years of festive blizzards, biting winds and big freezes for my latest book, Christmas on the Farm.
So spare a thought for Britain’s dairy farmers who have morning and evening milking to do, whatever the weather. Most dairy farmers I know tell me there’s an unwritten rule in their households on 25 December: no-one gets to unwrap a present until all the cows have been milked and the parlour washed.
Then there are the sheep farms, where early lambing means a shed full of pregnant ewes in December and quite often a birth to attend to on Christmas Day. This may surprise anyone who automatically associates newborn lambs with springtime.
At traditional ‘tupping’ time in the autumn, when my flock of ewes are ready to mate, the Countryfile cameras captured the arrival on the farm of a Hampshire Down ram called Quinn. His owners, Sally and David Taylor from Berwickshire, told me that Quinn had serviced their ewes as long ago as July because they lamb in December. So this Christmas Day the Taylors may well have a delivery with a difference.
The festive season has always been more relaxed for arable farmers, but for thousands of growers in the UK it’s the end of the busiest time of the year. From fields of winter veg, such as carrots, parsnips and Brussels sprouts, to Christmas tree plantations (not to mention turkey farms), it’s been a hectic few months and a vital business period.
- How to choose the perfect Christmas tree and homemade decoration ideas
- Should we still be cutting down trees for Christmas in 2024?
Having said that, agriculture is an ever-changing industry and today’s farmers are the first in history to have the chance of 24 hours at home on Christmas Day thanks to remarkable advances in technology – which I've previously written about. These include autonomous tractors, robotic milking, computerised health monitoring, self-cleaning sheds and real-time links to farmers’ mobile phone apps. The futuristic notion of a hands-free farm is already a reality. Of course, that leap forward comes with the caveat that only those who can, and are able to afford it, have the luxury of reaping the benefits.
Whether you’re working or resting, have a very Happy Christmas.
More farming content:
- "Each 25-foot tall tree cost more than most hatchbacks." Clarkson joins tree-planting movement as new agroforestry guide is released
- Guide to the farming calendar: a year in the life of a British farmer
- How rural areas rose to the challenge of feeding the population amidst World War One - and changed farming for good
