Case Studies

Farm building conversion

Jane Schwier was embarking on a huge project of converting farm buildings into five holiday lets and a rental property. From the very beginning of the project, she had to ensure that she had a strong team on board to help her with the planning, development and crucially, the finance. Jane Schwier owns 200-acre Woodside Green Farm, near Bishops Stortford. After deciding to sell her herd of 160 Holstein cows, she looked for another project. Her husband, Andrew and his brother Robert were farming 1,170 acres of predominantly arable land as a separate business, Schwier Farms Ltd.

Livestock expansion and slurry store

Einion Jenkins had ambitions to expand his farm on the edge of the Welsh Mountains near Machynlleth and started with planning a new slurry store. With part of the project being funded by a grant he needed to find the rest of the funding urgently as the grant had to be used in a short timescale. Unfortunately, after deliberating for some time, Einion’s bank declined his proposal for funding. Einion found a loan offer through a broker at an interest rate of 11%, which wasn’t attractive.

Buying a sibling out of family farm

Anaerobic Digestion plant purchase

Family buy-out

Owing to the sensitive nature of the agreement involved in this case, our clients have asked we keep their details anonymous. However, they were delighted with the support and advice that R&BS gave them over an extended period and were happy we shared their story. Mr B and his family shared a farm that had been in the family for over 70 years. They also ran a successful specialist business in the agricultural sector. With multiple people and families involved, they collectively agreed to buy members out of the farm and business.

Arable farm purchase

Since David Chennells’ father bought the 60-acre Highlands farm in 1947, the farm has grown to 1,000 acres. David took on the farm in 1970 and is keen to leave a farming legacy for each of his four daughters.  When nearby Montpeliers Farm came on the market the family knew that it would help achieve that aim. The family’s land agent recommended R&BS David now farms with one of his daughters, Janice. To finance the new farm purchase, their land agent Tim Cooper of Whirledge & Nott advised they work with Rob Lister at R&BS.

Personal service ensures equestrian yard purchase

Dressage yard and livery aims for gold with the right support

Based in a small private yard with their daughter Jessica, an international dressage rider, Richard and Lynn Gale wanted to upscale and run a commercial equestrian enterprise. With 27 stables, an indoor school, an outdoor arena, barns, tack rooms, around 47 acres of paddocks, a five-bedroom house and a staff flat, Froxfield Stud near Petersfield in Hampshire fitted the bill. Richard Gale is a corporate Finance Director and his wife Lynn previously worked in residential mortgages.

Livery gallops ahead after hurdles breached

When Adelle Brabham moved to Stanhope Farm, Hucking near Maidstone with her mother they were granted a residential mortgage on their bungalow, 42 acres, 23 stables, storage and tack rooms. Adelle and her mother ran a thriving livery yard with a mixture of DIY, full-time and part-time liveries, and produced and sold hay and haylage to clients. Existing bank’s policy changed When her mother died ten years later, Adelle was left to run the business alone. Adelle approached her then bank a few years later with plans to add her long-time partner, Anthony, to her property deeds and mortgage.

Refusal at the bank, cleared at final attempt when presented by R&BS