Farming the Past: How Your Land’s History Can Work for You

Join us for a free one-day workshop exploring how the story beneath your fields can unlock funding, improve stewardship scores, and add long-term value to your land.

This practical session brings together farmers, land agents, advisers, archaeologists, policy representatives, and anyone interested in the concept. Together we’ll explore how historic features can fit smoothly into everyday farm management — not as a restriction, but as an opportunity.

Through discussion, hands-on examples, and farmer-led activities, the event will begin shaping a farmer-friendly heritage toolkit to support grant access, stewardship compliance, and good land management.

The workshop will take place at the Field Studies Council – Castle Head, a picturesque and grand Georgian house set within beautiful wooded grounds overlooking Morecambe Bay on the Cartmel Peninsula. Its historic setting provides the perfect backdrop for discussions on landscape, share experiences about farming, and land management, creating an environment for collaboration and exchange throughout the day.

Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA)
MOLA works with land managers, developers, and communities across the UK to uncover and protect the stories buried in our landscapes. They specialise in turning archaeological know-how into practical advice that supports good land management, environmental schemes, and local pride in place.

Lynster Farmers Group
Lynster Farmers Group is made up of 48 farmers working together in a single catchment area — the Lyth and Winster Valleys in Westmorland, Cumbria. The group brings farmers and partners together to support sustainable agriculture, protect biodiversity, strengthen local communities, and care for the natural beauty of the valleys.

What started locally is now gaining attention across the country. LFG’s collaborative approach is being recognised nationwide and their work is beginning to influence discussions at government level.

As a network, LFG provides a space for farmers to share ideas, experience, and practical solutions for running productive, sustainable farms. The group focuses on collaboration — from improving soils to making the most of new funding opportunities like the Environmental Land Management schemes.

Together, MOLA and the Lynster Farmers Group are bringing archaeology and farming into the same conversation — showing how understanding the land’s past can help shape its future for farmers, communities, and the countryside.