About Us > Our Story
Ernest (Ernie) Pepper had an interest in farming from a young age. He started market gardening in Steeple Morden with two acres and he would drive the van to the London markets three times a week.
He farmed pigs at Wyndmere farm and quickly rose to prominence winning The Best Pig at Smithfield several times.
Ernie was a true entrepreneur and never wavered from trying things. As land became available he would try to buy it, although he never borrowed money to do so.
His only daughter, Cynthia, married Jim Clayton in 1952. For Jim and Cynthia’s wedding present he bought them a 350 acre farm on the edge of Royston, Ivy farm. A larger than life character, he was always in a three piece suit, plus cigarettes or cigars and he loved shooting and snooker.
Jim Clayton started JA Clayton ltd in 1952. His real passion was livestock and he became a hugely successful pig breeder.
He too did some market gardening, especially in sprouts and spring onions. He also started a successful side line in potato growing and was one of the first to put in irrigation.
He was a founder member of the East of England Agricultural society and became its Chairman and life Vice President.
In the early 1990’s Jim stopped growing vegetables except potatoes, as the margins and his markets had changed .
His greatest achievements were with pigs. He was a respected judge, exhibitor, and exporter of breeding stock.
Jim’s son Jeremy joined the farm in 1976 and worked on all aspects of the business, as well as starting some daffodil growing.
In 1982 Jeremy started Bury Lane, a PYO orchard of 70 acres. Following this, a small farm shop was started in an old caravan. The A10 bypass was built and a site for a replacement farm shop was agreed, and the site of the present shop was started.
Jeremy built the farms up, however, after a couple of terrible years on the pigs and potatoes, Jeremy and his wife Jenny decided that the risks of this type of operation were too great for the future, so an unwinding process began.
Meanwhile, Bury Lane was fast becoming more important as it was growing rapidly.
Jeremy had not lost his love for growing and had, for some years, been at the forefront of growing flowers for the supermarkets. He decided to produce only high value crops, so the growing of peonies, lilies, and agapanthus was started.
In recent years, the business has had success in getting a solar farm, renewable heating, expanding the shop and the greenhouses on this site as well as introducing a Fun Barn.
Our family business is now run by Jeremy and Jenny’s son, Will. Since taking over as Managing Director in February 2019, Will has had to respond to Brexit, Covid and a significantly changed economy.
During this time he has focused on widening the scope of Bury Lane by building The Beach, extending the Fun Barn and introducing Pick Your Own Peonies.
Will also led the project to plant a 300 acre forest in Scotland and has converted glasshouse production into a leading facility for houseplants with a focus on sustainability.
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