Farming at Trehilyn

From about 1840 to 2003, when it ceased to be an active farm in its own right, Trehilyn operated as a classic Pembrokeshire small farm. It was designed to be self-sufficient.

The land log of 1843 shows that of the total 70 acres farmed, two thirds were given over to pasture and meadows, and the other third to arable. Sheep were the main type of animals kept, and there were also a small herd of dairy cows and heavy horses working the land until machines were introduced in the mid-twentieth century.

Oats and barley were grown and made into animal feed and ground at the mill. Some wheat was also grown and may have been made into flour on site. Manure from the cows was used to fertilise the land. Lambs were sold at local marts and fairs including Goodwick and Haverfordwest.

When Trehilyn was built this was a local economy and farmers did not need to travel far to sell their produce or buy new stock. Cash-cropping was introduced in the 1890s.

In 1906 the railway reached Fishguard and this meant that farmers could transport their produce and sell it further afield. Potatoes were the main cash crop in North Pembrokeshire. By the 1930s, early potatoes were transported to markets in Cardiff, London and Birmingham.

It would have been possible to make quite a good living from a small farm such as Trehilyn during the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. In the second half of the 20th century life became progressively more difficult for small farms in West Wales. A serious decline in both dairy and sheep farming began in the 1980s and continues today.

A crucial moment for dairy farmers in West Wales was the introduction of milk quotas, which limited the amount of milk farmers were allowed to produce, in 1984.

Potatoes are still grown in the Strumble Head area but control of the market, foreign competition and the tough demands of big supermarket buyers mean that it is more difficult to make good profits from them.

Declining markets, globalisation and tough competition means that many small farms are no longer viable. Increasingly they are being sold, or combined with other farms. The land at Trehilyn will be rented to a neighbouring farmer, so that it can continue in production.

Farmers now are encouraged to diversify and produce "niche market products" (organic meat and vegetables, cheese, honey, herbs and cosmetics are some local examples). There has been a massive rise in organic farming and less intensive land uses which have had a beneficial effect on biodiversity and sustainability. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority is encouraging more sustainable farming, labour-intensive small enterprises which create more jobs for local people. The language of farming now is all about added value and niche markets; very different from when Trehylin was first built.

Watermills

Watermills have been used to provide the power to mill grain and produce woollen goods in Pembrokeshire for centuries.

Y Felin is a working mill at St Dogmaels, Ceredigion, which produces flour using traditional methods. Visitors can see the mill in action and learn about traditional milling processes www.yfelin.co.uk

Melin Tregwynt is a watermill which produces world-famous Welsh woollen textiles. Visitors can see the mill working and learn about traditional Welsh textiles www.melintregwynt.co.uk.

For more information about the preservation and restoration of water and windmills in Wales, contact Cymdeithas Melinau Cymru/ The Welsh Mills Society.