NFU Deputy President David Exwood visited Derbyshire on Monday to meet with local farmers and discuss a range of current concerns, including the ongoing challenges surrounding agri-environment schemes. Bagshaws were invited to take part in the discussions, ensuring that the issues facing our clients were clearly represented.
During the visit, Mr. Exwood also addressed attendees at the Derbyshire NFU AGM, where he met with our very own Alastair Sneddon. The event provided a valuable opportunity to highlight the pressures being experienced by farmers across the region and to explore potential ways forward.
We are grateful for the chance to advocate on behalf of our clients and to contribute to conversations that help shape the future of our rural communities. A sincere thank-you also goes to the farmers involved for making the day both informative and thought-provoking.
Bagshaws Consultant Surveyor Roger Bedson helps raise a further £30k for the Carter the Brave Charity for Birmingham Childrens’ Hospital. Organised by the relentless efforts of the Chatting family, the charity has now raised an incredible £590,000. “I’m honoured to be a small part of it for such a fantastic cause” says Roger
The Peak Cluster is a major project designed to reduce industrial CO₂ emissions from cement and lime production sites across the Peak District and Staffordshire Moorlands. The project aims to transport captured carbon via new 24–36 inch underground pipelines to undersea storage, forming part of a wider national net-zero strategy. In addition will be above ground installations along the pipeline.
Current proposals indicate the pipelines will collect CO₂ from major industrial sites including:
Tunstead Lime & Cement
Hope Valley Cement operations
Cauldon Cement
These routes will then converge before transporting the CO₂ to proposed offshore storage locations at the Morecambe Net Zero beneath the sea bed . Further details are available at Project Overview – Peak Cluster.
Landowner questionnaires now issued
We understand that landowner and occupier questionnaires have begun to be sent out along sections of the proposed corridor. These early forms help project developers gather information about land ownership, access, and potential constraints.
They are also expected to be seeking consents for environmental surveys commencing in March 2026.
Seek professional advice
Bagshaws LLP expects to be representing a significant number of affected landowners and tenants across the proposed route. Early representation ensures your interests are protected from the outset. We expect our fees will be met by Peak Cluster.
How Bagshaws can support you:
Advise on access, surveys, compensation, and potential compulsory purchase issues
Represent your position collectively and individually as the scheme progresses
Keep you informed with updates as more detail emerges
If your land, farm, or business has received questionnaires or lies close to the proposed pipeline corridors, do get in touch.
Contact Bagshaws LLP on 01629 812777 to discuss how we can support you and safeguard your rights.
The 2025 English Winter Fair held in Bingley Hall on the Stafford Showground saw excellent cattle, sheep and pig trade and support from far and wide. The champion in the cattle ring realised £9,000, with champion pigs to £600 per head and champion lambs to £750 per head. It was very apparent that a range of butchers and end users, from the Midlands and further afield, who had visited the event to support and fill their fridges etc. The 100% clearance in the live pigs, live cattle and live sheep saw trade at a strong level.
Cattle Section – Auctioneer Mark Elliott The championship went to Best Kept Secret a Limousin cross June 2024 born heifer from Bryn Ellis Lloyd of Whitchurch in Shropshire, who has attended the English Winter Fair for in excess of 50 years, led out by Corwin based auctioneer Shion Eilir Roberts. This very stylish heifer had taken trophies at Denby and Flintshire Show together with two fat stock events in the north of England and the English Winter Fair, judges tapped her out to win the day. After spirited bidding with a Somerset potential purchaser kicking her off at £4,000, she realised an excellent £9,000 to the Michael and Melanie Alford of Stillmans butcher shop and abattoir in Taunton, Somerset. The reserve champion originated in Somerset with the Reason family, named Comer Vodka a full pedigree Limousin heifer born in April 2024, weighed in at 600kg. With potential breeders together with wholesale and retail butchers showing interest, she eventually realised £6,000 to longtime supporter of the show, Mr Anthony Kitson of Five Houses butchers shop at Yarm in the northeast. Within the natives, Herefords dominated the class to a top of £3,312 being lot three, a 720kg Hereford bullock from the Livesey family in Leicestershire, achieving a very substantial £4.60 per kilo. Generally speaking, more cattle could definitely have been sold to vendors advantage and several purchasers from local towns in Derbyshire and Staffordshire went home having not fulfilled their orders and as a consequence there was 100% clearance in the cattle ring. Within the Limousins and Continentals, Limousin heifers topped at £5.75/kg, for lot number 98, an April 2024 born, crossbred heifer led out by the Wright family from Somerset. The champion animal equated to £14.75 per liveweight kilo with the reserve at £10/kilo.
The sale of the babies attracted keen interest and top honours in this section went to the Gratton family from Derbyshire with Tom and his brother showing a superb Limousin cross Steer, born January 2025, to realise an impressive £3,100. Other smart heifers included a Hereford bred April 2025 animal from the Harrison family in the northeast of England to a top of £2,000. The final animal in the ring was a pedigree beef shorthorn heifer from Emma Truman and David Watkins and this impressive, March 2025 born heifer went on to realise £2,250.
Sheep Section – Auctioneer Peter Oven A real good show of quality animals in front of Auctioneer Peter Oven with plenty of buyers round the ring. The supreme champion, a pair of Beltex trimmed butchers lambs from the Hall family of Penrith, Cumbria, went on to realise £750 per head to Chris & Sarah Wright at C&S Wholesale Meats based in Boston, Lincolnshire. Reserve champion live sheep for the 2025 event were exhibited by Messrs Garth and Priestley with these 45.5kg very well-bred lambs going on to make £560 per head to the judge Mr Mulholland. There were 17 pairs of lambs £240 plus per head with excellent butcher support seen throughout the selling time. The schools’ entries topped at £190 per head for 43kg Texels from Thomas Alleynes School at Uttoxeter, purchased by Lee Machin of Manifold Valley Meats. The live weight charity donation lambs topped at £270 for a 45kg Texel from the Amor family with others up to £250 and a Southdown from N Page from Goodwood achieving £240.
Live Pig Section – Auctioneer Oliver Hiles 100% clearance in this section and trade good, with local support much appreciated. The champions were a pair of gilts which weighed in at an average of 99.2kg and were superb in confirmation and stature. The pair were shown from long term exhibitors, the Horsley family of York, and achieved an excellent £600 per head sold to the live pig judge, Mr Lee Machin of Manifold Valley Meats, Grindon. The reserve champion pig achieved £350 and were again exhibited by the Horsley family. All the best gilts were regularly £200-£245 per head.
Carcass Hall – Auctioneer Meg Elliott A very busy fridge facility saw a large crowd and purchasers crammed in for the sale of poultry, carcasses of beef, lamb and pork, together with saddles of lamb and ribs of beef. The champion turkey, a 12.1kg bird from Jessica Rivers achieved £220 to long term supporter Mr Rolland of Matlock, with the reserve being a 16kg bird from Rob Butler achieving £170 to Nigel Brown of Ashbourne. In the geese, first prize went to the Folder family at Bretby Geese who achieve £105 for their best bird, with others up to £80.
There was a large exhibition of ribs of beef and saddles of lamb with the champion saddle from Messrs Perrys of Eccleshall achieving £170. Ribs of beef topped at £260 to Mr Peter Atkin for a donated entry exhibited by Perrys of Eccleshall in memory of the late Robert Cartmail of Lawnhead. All the ribs ranged from £150 to £260 per lot. Within the beef carcasses, there was continued support from Frank Page and other old hands, with the champion carcass realizing £4,537 being £13.50/kg to Morgan Country Butchers in Telford, Shropshire. Frank Page had a 386kg carcass sold to Gavin Ingham of Nuneaton at £3,861 being £10/kg. Lamb carcasses very good to sell with a full rail in the fridge and the champion at £15.50/kg. For a superb lamb from Stuart Johnson and Mary Madders, grossing £347 to Lee Machin at Manifold Valley Meats. There were numerous lamb carcasses between £9-£12/kg with continued support from Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire retail butchers, including the Browns, Swales, Parkins, Staffords and Coates. Within the pig carcasses, the champion was exhibited by the Horsleys with an 89.5kg excellent, long carcass achieving £4.40/kg and grossing just short of £400.
Monday 17th November • Agricultural Business Centre, Bakewell
Our final Land & Property Auction of 2025 rounded off the year in fantastic style, with 15 lots sold — including several sold prior — achieving a grand total of over £3.5 million.
From farmland and residential properties to development opportunities across the region, competition was strong and bidding lively throughout the day.
A number of lots remain available post-auction, so if you missed out, there’s still time to enquire. Simply contact your local office and our team will point you in the right direction.
We’re thrilled to share that Meg Elliott, auctioneer at Bagshaws, was recently invited to give an interview at the BFA Awards Ceremony — recognising her outstanding contribution to the industry as a previous Farmers Guardian Marts the Hearts Award winner.
Meg continues to be an inspiring ambassador for the auctioneering profession, championing the next generation and celebrating the people who make our agricultural markets so special.
A huge well done, Meg — a well-deserved recognition for your passion, professionalism, and dedication to British farming.
For most auctioneers a ‘View from the Rostrum’ is an opportunity to chat about trade, give an opinion on the current situation and, if you are brave, maybe even crystal ballgaze and try to predict the future. Yes, I could do that, but in all honesty, I think it has pretty much been said by those before me, who also probably know a great deal more than I do. So instead, I am going to offer another, and I suppose quite different ‘View from the Rostrum’.
A little bit like the signs you see in doctors’ surgeries or in accident and emergency departments, the livestock Auctioneers Association (LAA) has recently circulated a generic ‘Code of Conduct’ poster for display within markets, which clearly states that aggressive or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated. It is a small but important step that has been made as a result of feedback from within the industry that ‘unreasonable’ behaviour is becoming more and more commonplace. It is true that markets can be highly-charged environments where sometimes emotions, for many reasons, can run high and tempers can be lost, including my own – I am not a redhead for nothing. Banter is ‘part and parcel’ of the job, however it is never acceptable to intentionally intimidate or belittle someone or indeed act aggressively towards a person who is simply trying to do their job. As an industry I feel that it is vitally important to call out such behaviour and more importantly as individuals not to be afraid to address it if you are on the receiving end, or indeed be brave enough to step in, if you observe it being directed at somebody else. This requires the backing of those holding senior positions within livestock markets in terms of supporting the many members of a market team but also, fundamentally for it to be effective, it is imperative that a zero tolerance policy is adopted universally throughout all livestock markets. Essentially it comes back to decent human behaviour. No matter what profession you work in, nobody should be expected to deal with any form of abuse, verbal or physical. We have some amazing young auctioneers within our industry, many of whom I have been privileged enough to teach on the auctioneers course at Harper Adams University. As a group we have discussed the issue at length and unfortunately all have experienced poor conduct directed at them, at some point. It would be an absolute travesty if any of them should feel the need to leave their chosen career path because of a person’s inability to behave appropriately.
I, therefore, applaud the LAA for taking this initial step and as a strong and thriving industry, for those who are employed within it and those that utilise its services, let us act on this initiative and stamp unacceptable behaviour out.
The retirement dispersal on behalf of Mr John Glover of Hollies Farm, Marston Montgomery, Nr Ashbourne attracted a massive crowd from throughout the UK together with bidders from Ireland and the North of Scotland and with just over 500 vehicles in the car park the crowd swarmed round the lots, and the bidding was heated. Full Report here
We were pleased to welcome approximately 175 farmers to our recent event – a powerful demonstration of Bagshaws’ ability to bring the farming community together in response to a pressing issue.
A particular highlight of the evening was the collaborative effort from four rival veterinary practices, who came together to deliver a joint presentation. Such cooperation is rare and greatly appreciated, showing a shared commitment to the well-being of our livestock industry.
The bluetongue vaccination dilemma remains complex, with many questions still unanswered. As such, a clear path forward is uncertain, and individual farmers will need to make decisions based on their own circumstances and risk assessments.
We sincerely thank everyone who attended and contributed to making the evening a success.
We’re proud to highlight a recent success story from within the Bagshaws team as part of AMC’s outstanding performance in June 2025.
AMC recently reported that June marked their highest monthly lending volume of the year so far, with 48 new loans completed. This activity represented more than £10 million of new lending delivered to clients across the country in just one month.
Among these completions, AMC chose to spotlight a notable achievement from within their Agent network. A special thank you goes to Ivor Lowe of Bagshaws, who secured a £120,000 loan for one of his clients. The funding was used to develop a new cattle shed and silage clamp, supporting the client’s continued growth and infrastructure development.
Thanks to Ivor’s expertise and the efficiency of the AMC process, the loan moved from sanction to drawdown in just two months—a fantastic outcome for all involved and a clear demonstration of the benefits of working with experienced professionals in agricultural finance.
With a strong pipeline of applications already in progress, AMC anticipates continued momentum in the coming months. Here at Bagshaws, we’re committed to supporting our clients through the entire process, from planning and application to completion and beyond.
If you’re considering a project—whether it’s infrastructure, diversification, or expansion—your local Bagshaws office is ready to help. With decades of experience and a trusted partnership with AMC, we’re well-placed to help turn your plans into reality.
To find out more about AMC finance or to speak to a member of our team, please get in touch with your nearest Bagshaws office. We’re here to help you succeed.
We’re pleased to announce a refreshed leadership structure to guide Bakewell Market into the future.
Alastair Sneddon – After an incredible 40 years as a Partner at Bagshaws and an impressive 47 years in the rostrum at Bakewell Market, Alastair Sneddon is taking a well-earned step back from the Partnership. Alastair’s dedication, knowledge, and unmistakable presence have left a lasting legacy across the agricultural and livestock community. While this marks the end of an era, we’re pleased to share that Alastair will continue to lend his expertise as a Consultant, working three days per week.
Ivor Lowe will be overseeing the Market. A seasoned auctioneer and long-time team member, Ivor brings deep experience and commitment to the role. Ivor will continue to be assisted by Alastair Sneddon.
Oliver Hiles steps up as Market Manager, taking charge of the day-to-day running of the Market, staff coordination, client liaison, marketing, and auctioneer training.
Peter Oven takes on the role of Market Operations Manager, ensuring smooth operations, contractor coordination, and top-tier Health & Safety standards.
Our fantastic auctioneering team—Ivor Lowe, Mark Elliott, Meg Elliott, Holly Swift, and Tash Hall—will continue with the support of Alastair.
We’re excited about this next chapter and confident these changes will bring strength, continuity, and fresh energy to Bakewell Market.
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