HILL farmers in a remote corner of County Durham got together last week to discuss the best ways of managing their moorlands.

The event, organised by the Heather Trust, was staged at Acton Farm, near Blanchland, just over the county border in Northumberland.

Farmers Michael and Denise Herdman, tenants of the Lord Crewe Estates, hosted the event, which featured a number of presentations by moorland specialists in the White Monk Tearooms in the centre of the village, followed by an afternoon site visit to Acton Fell.

Among the presentations was one by Simon Thorp, director of the Heather Trust, who spoke on the importance of grazing management and working with shooting and conservation interests.

Mr Thorp said: "The White Monk Tearoom and Acton Fell provided excellent locations for the event and I am grateful for support from the Herdmans and the trustees of the Lord Crewe Estate.

"It is clear from the presentations and the discussions that farmers who want to stay in business must have a clear idea of where their businesses are going, and they must exploit every opportunity to create income, while keeping tight control of costs.

"There remain an enormous number of uncertainties, but there has to be a future for farming in the uplands."