Anglers ‘High Farm’ Haven is a Dream Come True

Angling

The Park is the culmination of leisure industry millionaire Pat Northgraves’ life-long dream to create a second home hot-spot for anglers searching for a permanent slice of rural idyll. Pat explains:

‘It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Two years ago I was in a position where I could have retired, but I had always wanted to create something like this from a green field site. Somewhere special, that’s unlike anything else in the region.’

A £ 5 million transformation of the former farmhouse, dairy and surrounding land has included landscaping, the conversion of existing buildings into luxury holiday cottages and the siting of the first luxury timber lodges and holiday homes.

His first task, however, was to stock the established five acre lake with specimen carp, tench, roach and bream. Adjacent to this lake is a three-acre wetlands nature reserve where many species of wildfowl and wading birds come to nest every year. Special viewing areas have been created so that visitors can enjoy the spectacle without disturbing the environment which has been enhanced with the planting of a further 2,000 trees. A third two-acre pond has been excavated to complement the timber lodge development and will be used as a nursery for smaller fish.

Pat’s son, John takes up the story:

“We wanted to be able to offer something that would be viewed as blissful to many anglers up and down the country. We wanted to maintain all the things people hold dear about the sport whilst giving something back to the environment and surrounding community. What we have achieved is ideal fishing conditions, stunning views and beautifully designed Leisure Lodges in a stunning, tranquil and totally natural environment.”

He continued:

“High Farm Country Park will eventually be home to over 150 luxurious Leisure Lodges and 105 caravan Holiday Homes. We’re absolutely determined that the lakeside setting we’re creating will be of the highest quality.”

A nine hole pitch and putt golf course, all weather sports pitch, boules and bowling greens, a children’s adventure play park, walkabout farm and a series of one, two and three-bedroom holiday cottages overlooking a private central courtyard are all part of the father and son’s long term vision.

The park was recently awarded the David Bellamy Gold Award for Conservation.