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Denham Fallow Venison, together with the Farm Game Handling Processing Unit and the butchery, is subjected to the strictest EC and national health and hygiene regulations under the control and regular monitoring of the Meat Hygiene Service. Independent audits are also undertaken by health agencies working on behalf of our customers.
The home abattoir, installed to eliminate live transportation and subsequent stress, has proved highly successful in achieving these objectives (and maintaining the highest animal welfare standards) and this has been confirmed by research undertaken by Reading University at Denham.
Every aspect of the venison enterprise is undertaken on the estate thus ensuring total traceability and assured quality control from paddock to plate in pursuit of our objective to produce Fallow Venison of the finest quality and consistency.
THE COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP
SCHEME AND THE FUTURE
The
Denham Estate was one of the earliest
establishments to sign up to the Countryside
Stewardship Scheme ten years ago and now, with
renewed membership, we are looking forward to
being able to make even more improvements to
create a better environment for plants, wildlife
and the local community.
- Suffolk has always been a countryside of
hedges and we are rejuvenating old and
decrepit hedges with new planting, filling in
gaps and also restoring an old parish boundary
hedge which runs through the Estate.
- Modern orchards are planted with a high
density of trees leading to very little light
being able to penetrate the foliage. The Denham
Estate is maintaining over 12ha of old
style orchard, part of which will be growing the
"Bramley" apples that were once common in
Suffolk but are now little grown. The trees are
planted far less densely meaning that grazing
becomes available between them again. These orchards have now been accredited with the Organic Food Federation.
- An area of the farm has been put aside and
sown with a special Wild Bird seed mix to
encourage the Linnets, Corn Buntings, Grey (or
English) Partridges, Turtle Doves and other
birds recorded on the Estate.
- One of the difficulties that wildlife has is
the ability to move about its habitat. The
Denham Estate is helping with this by creating
over 30km of wide field margins which will give
a system of interconnecting broad paths around
the Estate just for the benefit of the wildlife.
These will not only be undisturbed by people but
will also create a safety barrier between
hedges, ditches and ponds and the farm
machinery. We have also created specialised
"Beetle Banks" to help ground nesting birds,
such as the Skylark, and a large range of
invertebrates and it is encouraging to note the increase in numbers already.
The Denham Estate
has grown from the original Denham Castle Farm
and the 12th century Norman motte and bailey
castle still exists on the Estate. After an archaeological exploration of
the castle we are now in a situation where,
with the aid and recommendations of English
Heritage, we are able to start a slow
restoration of the castle. The moat
desilted and cleared, the castle itself
cleared of undergrowth and the scrub cut
back, although the mature trees will be left.
Arable land beside the castle has reverted
into grazing for rare breeds cattle and sheep
which will help keep the undergrowth down and
will protect the earthworks from too close
contact with agricultural machinery. The Soay sheep, in particular, that conservation graze around the castle are doing such a good job that we are in the process of enlarging the herd.
Eventually
there will be public access from the nearby
footpath and information boards have already been put up telling
the history of Denham Castle enabling visitors
to be able to find out more about this beautiful
area of Suffolk.
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