Making Dreams Come True
Roundoak Weddings and Events has been created by sisters Louise and Sophie. Louise recently had her own wedding to plan which would not have been possible without Sophie. With Sophie's imagination and idea, Louise's business mind and organisation it became the perfect business model which they totally fell in love with creating. With Louise's wedding being a dry run for the business everything fell into place and the day was a huge success. Now with many more bookings and enquiries the girls have formed a successful business which they wish to grow.
Creative Directors
Sophie Coles
&
Louise Illsley
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Roundoak really is a family run business after Louise and Sophie's parents Norman and Ruth bought the land 10 years ago.
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Over the years they have grown the farm to what it is today.
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Roundoak is set in the heart of the Kentish countryside, south of the county town Maidstone, on the southerly slopes of the Greensand Ridge overlooking the beautiful weald of Kent.
The mainly grassland farm now consists of approximately 180 acres including 5 acres of natural oak woodland at Sutton Valence, and a further 70 acres just a mile or so away in Ulcombe.
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The farm also conservation graze approximately 800 acres throughout central Kent.
Hebridean Sheep are unusual in this part of the South East but it was the idea of Norman and Ruth Coles to purchase a flock of 16 ewes and Winkwell Falco the ram and breed them in Kent.
The sheep were purchased on the Borders of Scotland and England from a hill farm near the Kielder Forest in Cumbria. Our first lambing season in spring 2005 produced 32 lambs from the 16 ewes we had two sets of triplets, some twins and a few singles. All mothers lambed themselves outdoors without intervention.
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The Highland cattle fold has also continued to grow since the farm acquired the stock from the well-known Frith Manor Farm fold at Lingfield. In 2017, our cattle numbers stand at in excess of 130 cows, calves and bulls. Both Samuel of Pollock and Victor of Earn our two Highland bulls have moved on, and we were proud to purchase a bull from Her Majesty the Queen at Balmoral Castle. Her Stockman Dochy Ormiston found us 'The Duke of Balmoral', who is 18 months old and was introduced to the fold towards the end of last year. Several years ago, the farm broadened its breeds to include a new herd of Sussex cattle, with a pedigree bull that was acquired from the Mayfield herd of pedigree Sussex Cattle. ‘The Captain’ arrived, last year, at Roundoak after winning 1st prize at the Edenbridge and Oxted Show. In May of this year, the first Sussex calves were born.