Elsworthy is a small hill farm near Wimbleball Lake, on the edge of Exmoor. I'm Philip Beauvais and I keep a herd of sixteen English Longhorns here on 22 hectares of permanent pasture. The cattle are 100% pasture-reared and grass-fed for their whole lives, slowly grown until they naturally reach maturity. The farm is certified Pasture for Life. They stay in their natural family groups, an approach influenced by Rosamund Young's The Secret Life of Cows, and are handled quietly, without being rushed – something I've come to call cattle whispering. I started here in 2005 with a house and a field, gradually taking on more land as neighbouring farms sold up. Some of it had been grazed hard by sheep. Since then the hedges have been allowed to grow a little less tidily, new copses have been planted and the Longhorns graze and browse the rougher pasture and hedgerows. The main farm production is beef from the bullocks. It's antibiotic and medication free, hung on the bone for at least three weeks, then cut, vacuum-packed and labelled by a local family slaughterhouse. Beef is only available periodically because of the small scale of the farm. It's sold direct in 10kg mixed boxes, usually in the run-up to Christmas and ahead of summer. The next deliveries are 6–8 November 2026, covering Exeter and the Exe Valley, Oxford and stops around the western side of the M25. Boxes are currently £190 plus delivery if reserved by 1 October, rising to £210 after that. You can also come to Elsworthy and see the herd for yourself. Our farm safaris and visits explore regenerative hill farming, the Longhorns and the cattle-whispering approach we use here.

Awards and Recognition

Featured by the Nature Friendly Farming Network for the approach to gentle livestock handling (“cattle whispering”).

Social Media

Instagram: @elsworthy_longhorns

Can people visit or buy direct?

Yes. 10kg mixed beef boxes are sold direct when beef is available. The next deliveries are 6–8 November 2026, covering Exeter and the Exe Valley, Oxford and stops around the western side of the M25. Early reservations are recommended. Order through the website. Farm safaris and visits can also be booked through the website.

Website

https://www.elsworthyfarm.co.uk

Address Summary

Skilgate, Somerset