Live on a Farm by the Sea for $1.50
A four-bedroom bungalow and 416 sheep are all covered by the annual rent. Scenic views available at no additional cost. Continue reading →
How much would you pay to drop everything and take up a life in the countryside? That dream could be yours for the low, low price of a single British pound per year, or about a buck-fifty.
Great Orme in Llandudno, North Wales, is home to a 140-acre property overlooking the Irish Sea called Parc Farm. The million-pound ($1.5 million) farm comes with a four-bedroom bungalow and some 416 sheep, all covered by the $1.50 annual rent. The scenic views and unique wildlife are thrown in for free.
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So how is such a phenomenal deal possible? The opening, created by the charity The National Trust, isn't exactly for someone looking for an extended vacation as it's a caretaker role.
"We're looking for a tenant who sees a productive farm as one which produces conservation benefit as well as good healthy food," explained William Greenwood, the Great Orme general manager.
"To give him, or her, a head-start, and the best chance of success, we're taking away the financial pressure of having to cover the rent for the farm, grazing rights and farmhouse each year," Greenwood continued.
Not everyone is up to the task of managing a working farm on a fragile habitat, which is why any successful applicant for this position needs "good farming experience, excellent shepherding skills and a genuine desire to make a difference for wildlife and nature through a dedicated focus on nature conservation and habitat management," the website for the National Trust explains.
The sheep are an important part of grazing sustainably in an area with species of butterflies and plants found nowhere else on Earth. The lands surrounding the farm are overgrown with grasses and heather, which the sheep eat right up, leaving behind the threatened plants and animals.
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"We're asking somebody to look at what is very productive farmland and to do less with it, and something that's unproductive farmland and do more with it," said Alun Prichard, consultancy manager with National Trust. "So it's kind of counterintuitive."
People skills are also critical to role, as the caretaker will need to be able to work with the thousands of visitors to Great Orme as well.
Anyone looking to land this position will need to hurry, as the deadline for applications is June 10. Hundreds of people have submitted their resumes so far, and the National Trust expects thousands more.
Learn more about the job in the video below:
