Yorkshire shepherdess Amanda Owen and three daughters Annas, Clemmy and Nancy discuss future of derelict farmhouse on BBC Breakfast amid filming of More4 series Our Farm Next Door
Amanda Owen and her daughters Annas, Clemmy and Nancy discussed their new project renovating a derelict farmhouse on BBC Breakfast.
Amanda Owen, Clive and their nine children have been working on a project that is being filmed in More4 series Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids.
In the documentary, the family are filmed renovating a derelict and historic farmhouse, locally known as Anty John.
The first series will follow the Owen family along with a group of tradespeople and locals working on breathing life into the listed building over the initial period of 12 months.
On the morning of Wednesday, October 30, Amanda Owen and her three children Annas, Clemmy and Nancy appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss their progress.
When asked why she has taken on this project with nine children, Amanda said: “We’ve got our work cut out, haven't we kids but you know, we’re getting there. We like a challenge.
“It’s been very difficult, what with Yorkshire’s weather coming at us. Things have gone far slower than we would ever wish for.
“I ask myself that question on many occasions, don't I kids? I don’t know, it was an opportunity, it was thinking about the future, we like a challenge and it was right there in front of us.
“I spend my whole time trying to inspire these kids and telling them that anything is possible and achievable, well you’ve kind of got to live up to that.
“There’s no roof, you could see the sky, the roof actually was inside the building.
“If you look at how you would describe the programme, it’s not Grand Designs, it’s not a renovation programme, it’s kind of like a mishmash of I suppose Who Do You Think You Are, it’s the history of the place.”
History is repeating itself, Amanda said.
“That has been an overriding fact that has made this project unique because we’ve got this insight into how they were living 200 years ago.
“It’s difficult times, you don’t know what the future holds and you’re always mindful particularly when you’re farming a land and very much in touch with the historical aspect, you’re very mindful of the passing of time.
“Although we’re looking backwards at what was, we’re also looking forwards and it’s so interesting to find out and see that a lot of the ideas that we are championing now about the environment, sustainability and a more holistic way of farming is just a rebrand, we were doing it a long time before.”
When discussing how brave her children were going on the roof of the building to help with the renovation, Amanda said: “Well I want them to be involved, I want them to be hands on. That’s what inspires them, that’s what keeps them interested in the whole project.”
Clemmy described her initial reaction to the project.
“[I was] quite shocked because it was completely broken but now we’ve got the windows, it’s starting to look more like a house,” she said.
Amanda added: “It’s got a lot of history, we’ve got the diaries from the chap who used to live and farm there, it’s really important to us that we keep that heritage and legacy that he left behind and keep it true to what it is, those roots.
“That is quite an undertaking but it’s been fascinating learning about who lived there a couple of a hundred years ago.”
Clemmy shared some insights into the background of the original inhabitant of Anty John, Anthony Clarkson, 200 years ago.
“He had three kids: Mary-Ann, John and Edmond and he liked to drink, he went out every night to go to the pub,” she said.
“He had lots of animals and in the garden he had an apple tree.”