£1 million Great Orme farm welcomes new tenant - for just £1 a year

Dan Jones and his sheepdogs, Nel (front) and Tian. Credit: Paul Harris

More than 2,500 people from around the world applied for a chance to run the National Trust's £1 million Parc Farm on the Great Orme, for just £1 a year in rent.

The Trust eventually whittled these down to just 7 candidates. After presenting business plans and showcasing their shepherding skills, it was Dan Jones, from Anglesey, who won the right to look after the farm.

His wife Ceri, son Efan, four sheepdogs and a flock of 295 sheep join him on the farm. In addition to the 145 acres of farmland, Dan’s flock will also be free to roam more than 700 acres of coastal headland.

Ceri and Dan Jones and their four sheepdogs. Credit: Richard Williams

Farmer Dan will work with the National Trust to uphold the tradition of hill farming in the area, while helping to protect the Great Orme’s rare habitats and species.

Some of these species, like the Great Orme Berry, exist nowhere else on earth.

Dan and sheepdog Nel herding sheep on the Great Orme. Credit: Paul Harris

Dan will have to follow a specific grazing regime to make sure many of the landscape’s rare habitats and species are not lost forever.

The Great Orme has been identified as a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is known for its rare flowers which are at risk from suffocating under a blanket of thick grass and overgrowth.