About Us – Our Story

100 years of farming at Stourton… and we’re just getting started

In 1926, Antony’s grandfather Harry Strawson became tenant farmer on the historic Stourton Estate. When the last squire, Algernon Livesey, died in 1951 the estate was broken up and Harry was able to buy his farm at auction. That moment set the course for everything that followed.

We are the current Strawson family: Antony, Helen, Jamie and Lucy (& Poppy the naughty border terrorist!) having lived and worked here since 2008.

This year we are proud to be marking 100 years of our family farming at Stourton.

How the estate has grown

Antony’s father Roger brought modern precision arable farming to Stourton in the 1990s. We have since broadened considerably; managing herds of Red Deer and Aberdeen Angus cattle, and moving back towards the regenerative farming methods Harry himself used in the 1950s.  There is something strangely satisfying about that coming full circle.

Antony’s professional background is in forestry, and that shapes everything about how we manage the wider estate; the woodlands, parklands and lakes as well as the field margins and hedgerows.  Every project we undertake is designed to support and improve the environment around us. We actively encourage wildlife here and are incredibly proud of the wide range of species that live here.

Over the last 20 years we have also opened the estate to visitors, creating Stourton Woods as a venue for seasonal events and private woodland weddings. The grounds needed extensive and careful work before they were ready; creating safe paths, managing woodland and accessible spaces.  We did all of this while running a diverse farm business and raising a family – juggling is a skill we appear to have become quite good at!

What we produce

Nothing is wasted at Stourton.

We use timber from the estate and other local Lincolnshire woodlands to produce kiln-dried hardwood logs, woodchip suitable for play surfaces, and a range of landscaping products including garden bark, all dried and prepared here on the farm.

Our Red Deer are reared on the estate, professionally butchered locally, and delivered directly to your door. Venison is one of the most nutritious and sustainable meats you can eat: high in protein, rich in iron, and naturally low in fat.  We also produce estate honey and antler dog chews.

If you value food that you know where it comes from, looked after by people who care about how it is produced, you will feel right at home here.

Events at Stourton Woods

Do you love being outdoors? Want to find somewhere new to walk, explore, enjoy some retail therapy or simply slow down for a few hours?

Through the summer months we open the gates and welcome visitors to Stourton Woods, a venue with a large undercover building – our roundhouse set within beautiful historical parkland, alongside lakes, open countryside and woodland. It is the kind of place that is hard to describe and easy to see why people come back time and again.

We are proudly dog friendly and welcome well-behaved dogs on leads to all our events.

Throughout the season we host Artisan Markets, our popular Food and Drink Fayre, Farm Safaris on the tractor and trailer to see the Red Deer, guided walks and school visits. We have supported the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival and Outdoor Festival for over ten years. Whatever brings you here, there is always something worth discovering.

Weddings at Stourton Woods

Imagine your wedding in the woods, overlooking deer parks and lakes.

Our safari tent sits within the shelter of the arboretum within the grounds of the original Livesey family estate and offers a setting that is unlike anywhere else.

Rustic, relaxed, and entirely flexible, we can help you make it exactly the day you want. Whether that is an intimate ceremony or a full celebration with family and friends we will make sure it feels entirely yours.

Choose to stay overnight in a beautiful bell tent village in the middle of the arboretum giving you time to catch up with friends and family the next day too – making for a calm, relaxed wedding weekend.

Come and find us

We would love to show you Stourton. Whether you are curious about our products, planning an event, or beginning to think about your wedding, the best thing to do is get in touch.

contact@stourtonestates.co.uk       Phone: 01507 578236