Kingsclere Estates
Apply in 2025
Where it all began: find out more about the Hampshire farm that started Pitch Up! and sparked a new national movement to build circular rural communities.
Looking for…
- Mobile beef farmer
- Mobile pig farmer
- Cheese maker (or ice cream, yoghurt, butter etc!)
- Miller and/ or baker
- Butcher
- Distillery
- Mobile market garden
- Businesses to join Kingsclere’s new food hub in 2026
All ideas welcome, as they know there will be opportunities they haven’t even thought of!
About Kingsclere Estates
Kingsclere Estates is a farm that “dares to grow differently”. As part of this vision, Kingsclere launched Pitch Up! in 2021 because it saw an abundance of opportunities all over the estate and wanted to bring more people and businesses onto the land.
The Kingsclere team believes in giving everyone an opportunity and supporting those with enterprising ideas, to boost diversity and help shape the future of Kingsclere Estates as a thriving circular community.
A modern and sustainable estate made up of 2,500 acres of mixed-use land, Kingsclere is based in the beautiful rolling Hampshire downs near Basingstoke. It’s currently used by a mix of farmers, growers, producers and local businesses.
Fourth generation farmer, Tim May, has been at the helm of Kingsclere Estates for 20 years and has successfully transformed the farm’s ethos from one of commodity to community, from monoculture to biodiversity, from linear supply chain to circular economy.
Kingsclere farms acres regeneratively and organically, applying a holistic management and enterprise stacking approach. It currently grows organic crops including field beans, borage, caraway, linseed, gluten-free oats and heritage wheats/grain varieties, and has 450 New Zealand Frisian Jersey crossbreed dairy cows and The Roaming Dairy mobile milking parlour on the herbal ley grassland.
The farm contains woodland for a biodiverse natural burial site, plentiful foragable ingredients, beautiful views as a backdrop for counselling sessions, and pastureland that is grazed on rotation to ensure healthier cows and soil quality. A food enterprise centre is also in the pipeline and Tim offers fortnightly walks to impart his agroecology expertise and share the exciting projects taking place on his land.
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“With the right approach and processes, there can be more than enough of everything. It’s not just about avoiding waste; it’s also about embracing the countless opportunities.”– Tim May
Resources available
Resources already being produced/available on the farm that provide opportunities for other businesses include:
- Organic gluten-free oats, wheat, linseed, beans and caraway
- Heritage wheats/ grain varieties
- Organic milk
- Hazel
- Timber
- Grass/ herbal leys
- Lucerne
- Miscanthus
Who?
Tim May has travelled the world as a Nuffield scholar in search of progressive farming models and is passionate about bringing Hampshire locals into his vision, building a brighter future together. He works closely with Kingsclere’s development manager Nikki Amor across all aspects of the estate.
The Roaming Dairy
The Roaming Dairy / @roamingdairyltd
Mobile milking parlour – healthier cows and healthier soil.
Wandering Feathers
Wandering Feathers / @wanderingfeathers
A mobile pastured poultry/ egg business that applied to Pitch Up! 2024 and have just launched at Kingsclere Estates producing some of the tastiest, most sustainable eggs around.
The Roaming Smoker
A mobile meat smoker engineered from repurposed farm machinery to serve organic ‘old cow beef’.
Basingstoke and District Beekeeping Association
Basingstoke and District Beekeeping Association / @basingstokebees
A new training apiary on the estate, with 10 strong colonies.
Ibworth Woodlands Burials
Natural non-denominational burial site in a woodland setting.
Kingsclere Counselling Service
Kingsclere Counselling Service / @kingsclerecounsellingservice
Counselling services in a natural space, creating a happier, healthier community.
Baboon Adventures
Baboon Adventures / @baboon.adventures
An off-road electric scooter adventures company, offering visitors a chance to experience the wildlife and nature at Kingsclere Estates.
Mountain Bike Adventures
Open-air cross-country mountain bike races.
Kingsclere also has approximately 50 Commercial Unit Tenants, including artists, personal trainers, landscapers, wooden planters, window companies, plumbing & heating businesses and engineering firms.