Farmers turn land into ‘natural cemetery' to raise cash

Telegraph

5 days ago

A family farm has transformed a spring barley field into a natural burial ground in an unusual bid to raise cash.
Clair Goodson, 54, warned that farms such as hers were 'up against it' following Labour's inheritance tax raid in Rachel Reeves's October Budget.
As farmers are being encouraged to diversify their businesses to create sources of income, many have turned to letting out buildings, selling produce or providing holiday accommodation.
However Mrs Goodson, who runs Castle View Farm in Bottesford, Leicestershire, with her husband James, has instead turned a previously 'unproductive' plot of land into a potential gold mine.
The 10-acre field has capacity for 7,500 burial spots in a tranquil setting which overlooks the Vale of Belvoir, Belvoir Castle and Lincoln.
A delegated space will set families back either £500 for an ashes plot or £1,400 for a full burial – both of which Mrs Goodson pointed out were 'quite a bit cheaper' than traditional alternatives. The burial site does not feature traditional gravestones, but instead wooden plaques mark the area and are placed level with the ground.
The Goodsons hope the field will offer a financial boost at a time when farms across the country are struggling.
'Farms have all got to diversify because it's not what it used to be,' she told the Telegraph. 'Farming is really tough at the moment, we are up against it all the time. [What] with the Government, the weather and prices; diversification is more important than ever.'
Although their burial grounds have now been open for three years, Mrs Goodson said she was 'glad we did what we did' when they did it, ahead of the Chancellor's autumn Budget.
Filled with wildflowers and 'wonderful views of the countryside', the idea to diversify was drawn up by their daughter Emily. The field's heavy clay was not suited to growing crops and has so far proven more suitable to its new use after they gained planning permission.
'It is just an easier way of bringing income from a field,' she said. 'It wasn't a particularly productive field and we just thought we would do something completely different here. We knew the views were wonderful up here and we thought a burial ground would be lovely – wonderful views was the main thing.'
While it was hard raising awareness and advertising at first, Mrs Goodson said they are now up to plot 50.
'It's been a steady, slow burn. But now I've heard people in the local pub saying 'I'm going to be buried there'', she said.
The land is often teeming with wildlife including skylarks, hares and even English partridge and Mrs Goodson said: 'It's just a really peaceful place to come and reflect and visit their loved ones.'
They have also had others who have left it in their will to be buried in the grounds. Mrs Goodson said their current set up had made the area more biodiverse than if it were just being used for crops.
When the 93 trees they have planted are fully grown they also plan to install bat and owl boxes. They have already diversified the rest of their 330-acre arable farm with a livery yard of nine stables.
The burial ground was more unusual, as some locals were originally sceptical at first, she said.
'We've still got lots of space although I'm not sure we'll need it in my lifetime unless there's some sort of disaster,' she joked.