Ouseburn Wild Talks: An evening with Neil & Leigh from Hill Top Farm

Neil Heseltine and Leigh Weston run Hill Top Farm in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, where they continue the long Heseltine tradition of farming in Malham, whilst transforming their land into a place for nature to thrive. Life in the rural idyll of the Dales is a far cry from Leigh’s urban upbringing in Wallsend, but her Newcastle-roots have remained a strong part of her, and her family’s, identity.

With 1100-acres to care for, Neil and Leigh have adapted their cattle and sheep farming in the past 20 years to enhance biodiversity, develop species-rich hay meadows and restore natural processes. Neil also shares his valuable expertise in transformational farming through his appointment as Chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park authority.

You may have recently watched Neil and Leigh’s inspiring, nature-based approach to farming in the BBC documentary, Saving Our Wild Isles, narrated by David Attenborough.

Hosted at Ouseburn Farm as part of the Wild Talks winter series, Wild Intrigue are delighted to host an illustrated discussion with Leigh and Neil about their farming journey, their family’s encounters with nature at Hill Top Farm, and to welcome their fresh perspective of wildness and urban nature management in Newcastle city.

A Q&A will be hosted at the end of the discussion, which we invite you to participate in.

Open and free to all, light refreshments will be provided. Please book your free place in advance, and arrive 10 minutes before the start time to get a cuppa and find a seat for a 6pm start.