Our History
A Century of Farming in
East Cheshire
The Garner family has proudly farmed in East Cheshire since the 1700s. In 1927, Richard’s great-grandfather moved to Hill Top Farm in Woodford, where he started milking cows and operating a local milk delivery service. By the 1930s, Hill Top Farm was one of the first in Cheshire to adopt mechanised tractors. Initially, milking at the farm was a labour-intensive manual task. However, in 1972, the family experienced a significant transformation with the installation of an automated milking parlour.
Diversification at Hill Top Farm
Family Legacy
In 1981, Richard’s father, also named Richard, along with his mother Kathleen and sister Annabel, moved to Hill Top Farm. Richard’s father continued managing the dairy herd, and over the past 25 years, the farm has undergone significant diversification. In 2020, the traditional buildings once used for milking were converted into rental properties, integrating them into the farm’s operations. Currently, the farm is renovating some property to serve as a holiday accommodation and has exciting plans for the future, inviting more people to experience the beauty and heritage of the family farm.
Richard began selling Christmas trees in 1998 at the age of 12, and the business has flourished since then, expanding beyond just Christmas trees. In 2023, the farm introduced wool products from their sheep flock in the Christmas shop. Richard’s wife, Kate, joined the farm in 2019, further strengthening the family’s commitment.
Award-Winning Sheep Farming
Today, the farm manages over 400 sheep, a mix of North Country Mules and Suffolks, which come indoors for lambing in January. The sheep graze in Woodford, and the farm cultivates grass to produce hay for their winter feed. In 2023, the Garners were honoured to win the Cheshire Farms Competition Award in the Commercial Sheep Flock category.
