Clive Owen has shared his hopes for the future of Ravenseat Farm during a recent episode of Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids. The series, which premiered in 2024, follows the Owen family as they renovate Anty John's, a centuries-old, derelict stone farmhouse and barn. The fourth season is currently airing on More4.
Drainage Work and Future Plans
During the latest episode on Monday (October 26), Clive opened up about the farm's future while sorting out a waterlogged field. "It's going to be a little bit wetter now than it was before because of our drain, and I think that'll be good," he explained. "It'll mean something else can flourish. And we've planted lots and lots of trees over the years to encourage wildlife. And it takes a long time for them to get established, but finally, they're getting there. So, yeah, I think it's nice to plant something. And then maybe, when you've gone, it's left behind, isn't it?"
However, Clive has no immediate plans to leave the farm. He laughed: "Not that I'm planning to go anywhere! It's nice now at last to see them up and growing. Good."
Field Drainage and Historic Discovery
Describing the field drainage work, Clive stated: "This field behind us, we call it the Big Breeze. It's a meadow, but we use it, of course, through spring. A lot of sheep have lambed in it. It's got to the time of year when we take the sheep out of the meadows, so they can grow a crop of hay. There's a lot of old ancient stone drains in all these old meadows, and over time, they break and they block, and so the water comes out onto the top and makes for very wet, boggy land."
Clive noted that they required dry grass for hay production, meaning "a flooded field is the last thing you want". Miles subsequently started excavating a drainage channel across the field in an attempt to remove the excess water.
Clive revealed that they had discovered a historic drain while digging towards the upper section of the field. "God knows who dug it in hundreds of years ago. Somebody, bless them. We tapped into it, so now we're bringing all that water. It's coming right down to the river. And on its way, we've joined other drains," he said.
Impact and Recovery
"And so, hopefully, it'll stay underground and go on its merry way, and the field will be drier for it and better for that. So, no, we've done a lot of good... We'll just have to watch and see."
The family regularly carries out repairs to sections of drainage, but this marked the first occasion they had extended one downfield. "I think we'll have done a good job," Clive shared. "I don't think we've done too much damage. It'll soon recover. Land does recover. You know, nature's a wonderful thing. I think, in a fortnights time, you'll hardly know that we've been here."
Clive was subsequently delighted to observe the volume of water being channelled down the field via the drain. Without it, the water would have pooled in the field. "That's going to make a big difference to that big bog that used to be up there. So, there's a little sheep with two lambs. They were poorly, and we've been giving them medicine, but they're away, they're fine again. A couple of days ago, they could hardly stand," he said.
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids airs Monday nights at 9pm on More4.
