The History of the Atkinsons at South Farm

For more than 120 years, the Atkinson name has stood for farming excellence and community spirit in East Meon. This is our story.

A black-and-white photo of seven children and one man, possibly a family, seated and standing outdoors in front of a house with a fence and trees.

George Atkinson & Family

At the close of the 19th century, the state of farming in East Hampshire prompted a remarkable migration from the North. A group of neighbouring farmers from what was then Cumberland, decided to sell their holdings and move South, bringing their families, livestock, and possessions to the Meon Valley. The local land was considered ‘corn sick,’ said to grow little more than grass, and water was scarce – limited to the River Meon and a few dew ponds on the hills. Yet these challenges were no deterrent to the hardy farmers of Cumberland…

Totalling nine families who migrated down from Cumberland to farm in Hampshire between 1892 and 1925, only one of the original families continues to farm and live in the same farmhouse to which their forebears came, and that is Atkinsons at South Farm.

A black and white photograph of a rural scene featuring a tractor parked on a dirt road near brick houses with tiled roofs and a large tree with no leaves in the background.
A woman in a floral dress standing near two small goats and a young boy with a backpack in front of a barn or garage on a dirt lot, with other buildings and a pole in the background.

In the early 20th century, George and Mary Atkinson made a bold move from Skelgill Farm in the Newlands Valley near Keswick, Cumberland, to South Farm in East Meon, Hampshire.

Like several other Cumbrian families in that time, they were drawn South by the promise of larger farms and better opportunities, leaving behind their modest 40-acre holding under the shadow of Catbells, the mountain overlooking Derwentwater, the lake in Beatrice Potter’s story of Squirrel Nutkin.

In September 1905, George secured the tenancy of South Farm – 568 acres with a working water mill – and by March 1906, the family arrived, bringing livestock and belongings by special train to West Meon. This marked the beginning of a farming legacy that has endured for over a century, with the Atkinson name still synonymous with agriculture and community life in East Meon.

As we fast forward 120 years, South Farm is now farmed by brothers Nicholas and Matthew, and their sons Jack and Joe, who all live with their families on the farm.

Six generations of Atkinsons at South Farm, East Meon…and counting.

Our Farming History

Generations of Stewardship at South Farm, East Meon

Old brick house with a horse-drawn wagon parked in front, leafless trees, and a dirt yard.

March 1906

George & Mary Atkinson start their tenancy of South Farm, East Meon. This consisted of approximately 568 acres with associated buildings including a water mill

A black and white photograph of rolling hills and farmland, with a few trees scattered across the landscape and a sky overhead.

October 1909

Milk production first recorded in farm accounts

A rural scene with old brick houses, a tractor, and dirt roads, black and white photograph, possibly from the early 20th century.

1953

Joseph and George Atkinson completed the purchase of South Farm (now approximately 1178 acres, ending decades of  farm tenancy.

A black and white photograph of a sheep farm with sheep and lambs gathered near a feeding trough, a man standing beside a vintage vehicle, and a rural landscape in the background.

31st May 1971

 J Atkinson (East Meon) Ltd incorporated as a mixed farming business

A rural landscape with a metal gate in the foreground, a grassy field, and a barn in the distance under an overcast sky.

1971

Michael Atkinson oversees the purchase of Upper Parsonage Farm on the slopes of Butser Hill, increasing the acreage available for arable and livestock farming.

A whole pig being roasted on a grill outdoors, with trees and tents visible in the background.

1993

Matthew Atkinson served his first hog roast for his 30th Birthday. Matt’s Hog Roast has expanded over time to cater for weddings, parties, village shows, agricultural fairs, Halloween extravaganzas etc. This business is still thriving to this day

People dining outdoors with umbrellas in front of a rustic building with a thatched roof at a farm or countryside venue.

1999/2000

Nick and Sue Atkinson renovate Upper Parsonage Barn. Overtime, they have diversified Upper Parsonage Farm into a successful wedding venue, popular cream tea cafe, bed and Breakfast, and most recently the stunning Upper Parsonage Farm campsite.

Rolling green hills with grazing cows, under a blue sky with wispy clouds.

2001

The last of the dairy herd was sold. South Farm had produced milk for the Meon Valley for 92 years.

A group of ten men standing in front of a large green tractor and a brown trailer, outside a barn or garage on a gravel surface.

2026

Nick and Matthew Atkinson, along with their sons Jack and Joe, direct the operations at J Atkinson (East Meon) Ltd. They still proudly farm the land of South Farm and Upper Parsonage Farm, as well as cultivating under contract an additional 3,000 acres for neighbouring land owners. Continuing family traditions, South Farm has a 450-strong flock of mule sheep, which are bred on the hills of North England, possibly not too far from where the Atkinson Family migrated from in the early 1900s.