As much as we can no longer promise a personal visit to every new owner, we do still make it a priority to plan in some farm recces across the year. We visit mix of new and long-standing ones too, and where visits aren’t practical, we’re now arranging virtual tours — that’s us setting a diary date for a live video call where owners take us on a walk-around of their farm. It’s the next best thing, for sure.
Tech might be improving, but still there’s nothing better (or more enjoyable) than seeing a farm first-hand and meeting an owner face to face. If only we had more time! This month, though, Jo travelled west from our base on the Kent and East Sussex border and managed to visit 4 farms in just 24 hours. Here’s what she found.
Stop One: Timber Mill Grange, Berkshire
Peter and Gen’s glorious Timber Mill Grange near Reading is a liquid oasis, and easily one of our top two farms for river appeal. For productions needing safe, easy water access, it’s a must-hire.
A wide, flowing river and two tributaries meander through the grounds, cascading twice, once beneath the heritage mill itself, and again at a small loch, built to allow fish to pass from one stream to another. With shallow, crystal-clear waters along most sections of the rivers, the water is so easy for models and crew to access. When Jo asked how many bridges there were, Peter had to stop and count, there are that many!
Peter now works full-time on site, managing the woodland, expanding the gardens, repairing bridges and buildings, and he is currently midway through the creation of new access routes and parking areas to make the practical aspects even better for film crews. He’s also made arrangements with local parking facilities down the road to cater for large productions. Being a film location is the couple’s priority and Peter is committed to being on hand at short notice, mucking in and being supportive. The house itself offers plenty as a shoot backdrop – it’s both a smart yet comfy country pile. Crews are also welcome to use the rooms as a base, making Timber Mill Grange a great all-year round location to hire.
Stop Two: A Private Cotswold Estate
Next stop for Jo was a beautiful parkland estate in the Cotswolds, complete with a dreamy Cotswold house and much-admired gardens. This particular location remains under the radar; we can share it only when an enquiry specifically matches its style, in line with the owners’ preference for privacy.
Jo’s visit coincided with a film crew being on location, filming some scenes for a TV drama in the house, garden, and parkland. It gave us the full practical overview on access, parking and other logistics, and a treat too was to meet the owners and the Locations team, and even glimpse a few famous actors. With the estate’s proximity to The Bottle Yard Studios (less than 30 miles away), it’s an undiscovered secret for now and, having just hosted their first big crew through Farm Locations, the owners are keen for more. Success!
Stop Three: Wild Hill Farm, Stroud
On to being immersed into a a wholesome, personal journey that led to the owner’s creation of an incredible house and yard at Wild Hill Farm, near Stroud. In the 1990s, the farmer David took it upon himself, as a self-taught builder and carpenter, to convert the barn into a family home, that until then. housed his cattle. Every part of the house has been crafted by David’s own hands, using materials found on the farm or from nearby neighbours, including felled trees from the land, upcycled flooring and windows salvaged from elsewhere. The labour of love and rustic beauty at every angle is truly a sight to behold.
The house feels both fairytale and spooky; it could work for romantic, idyllic, or thrilling, eerie, primitive scenes. Jo met David and Claire who farm the land with their pedigree herd of Belted Galloways. Set in one of the most tranquil valleys, the October light at sunset is breathtaking. Jo arrived to find Claire picking vegetables for supper, and even in mid-October, the garden was thriving, complete with a very charming potting shed, also built by David.
Visits like this often reveal hidden gems we didn’t know existed. Wild Hill is a perfect example. A whole farmyard that Claire thought was “too scruffy” turned out to be a total feast for the eyes — makeshift sheds, vintage cars and tractors, haystacks, caravans, in a tucked-away, time-worn feel that’s utterly film-worthy. Think commune, hideaway….
And then there’s David’s workshop, half-hidden by a massive rambling rose. All built by him by salvaged timbers, and entered through what looks like a hobbit door, it’s a treasure trove of tools, work-in-progress pieces, and inspired finds.
Despite being down a gravel track, access is good even in winter, and small crews would have no trouble basing themselves on site. Claire and David are ready and keen to host asap!
Stop Four: Toadsmoor Farm, Cotswolds
Jo’s final visit was Toadsmoor Farm, another Cotswold gem, especially magical in the early autumn light when Jo witnessed the forested valley glowing in reds and golds.
New to our portfolio for 2025, it’s already hosted four shoots this year, from George at Asda to Bramblecrest, the outdoor furniture brand. Why so?
Toadsmoor offers the golden mix of a smart yet lived-in country house, beautiful grounds, animals in the background, and good practical space for bases. Jo met Sophie and Will, who live and work mainly from home while managing the farm, exactly the kind of hands-on, responsive owners that make for successful shoots.
A Message to our Owners
Making these trips does remind us of a few key tips and guidance that are important for all our owners to respond to, without the need to wait for a visit. Here’s the Top 3 Tips from the Trip.
- Don’t hold back on sharing what your location offers, what you see as “drab” might be just what a production finds wonderful. Show us everything in photos!
- Share feedback once you’ve hosted shoot, let’s discuss how to make your space even better – each time you host, you’ll come up with new thoughts on crew comforts, rules or how to improve logistics. We worked out some great tweaks on these visits to help make future setups smoother and owners feel comfortable with the parameters.
- Meet us, talk to us. We are not an online business. We are real people, on the end of the phone, we meet owners at events and at their farms. Most of our owners only use Farm Locations as their sole agency, not because we push for exclusivity; we don’t do that with anyone, we just put relationships first and that’s cemented through communication, mutual trust and a love for all things rural.
A Few Fast Facts
- 201 farms currently in the website portfolio, with a growing internal database too
- 41% personally visited by Jo
- 28% of all farms listed have been hired in 2025 so far
And as we now head into November, you might be thinking life slows up for filming on farms. Not at all! We are expecting a record month for hires to come, and are also very keen to welcome more farms into the portfolio to help us fill the gaps in the nationwide spread. All landowners can put a toe in the water by simply registering an interest here