You've inherited 15 acres - what would you do with it?

[Innernutshell]

Just that really.

I'd sell it

Grow Christmas trees.

Turn it into a giant cat sanctuary.

By that I mean a giant sanctuary for cats, not a sanctuary for giant cats.

Strike that. Sanctuary for giant cats would also be good.

By that I mean a giant sanctuary for cats, not a sanctuary for giant cats

Turn it into a wildlife supporting spot. Fence it all off, add a large pond, pollinating plants aplenty.
I'd worry about setting it up as camping or allotments. I've lost faith in people and wouldn't trust them to not ruin the area with their rubbish, or by fires or something like that.
But make ot a haven for animals and insects - absolutely.

Dunno about that - I think giant cats are called tigers, aren't they? Sounds a bit of a paperwork nightmare to me if your giant cat comes into contact with any random glampers.

Sounds a bit of a paperwork nightmare to me if your giant cat comes into contact with any random glampers

I can see a lot of future news headlines...

Ifailed that's really worth looking into.

Iknow there are only two houses close by but not directly attached iyswim so the tiger sanctuary might not get too many objections to planning.

I'd love 15 acres!!

If I inherited the land I'd probably section off into 10 areas and rent out half to farmers/horsey people for grazing. On the remaining half and woodland I would apply for planning permission for holiday homes, mini wood cabin types with hot tubs, all dog friendly.

I would maybe also look into bee keeping or renting some land to bee keepers, seems to be a growing thing.

A tiger sanctuary! That would be awesome. On a smaller scale, especially if you encourage wildflowers, maybe contact beekeeping associations. Many would be beekeepers don’t have the land for beehives so might be interested in renting a spot to keep a hive.

Having beekeepers on the land would also provide some additional security for you.

I have a horse, so that'd become 3 or 4 and I'd have my own small yard. Floodlit School, all weather gallops round the edge for canter work without mud.
Marvellous.

Oh and DH would want 2 donkeys too.

Use it as a campsite etc. Put up some permanent lodges if possible. Establish road access. Once the land is classified as brownfield and has established access I’d apply to build houses (more chance of getting permission on brownfield than on greenfield). Run off laughing all the way to the bank.

15 acres is harder work than it sounds especially if it's 2 hours away.
My ideal is around 10 acres. Mixture of orchard with meadow and bees. That's about 6 acres with large pond in the middle but also goats to keep weeds down and alpacas for grass maintenance. They'd have a 4 acre paddock split for rotation.
Also several camping pods in the orchard but they'd be kept for friends and family as opposed to commercial use.

Megan2018
I name change very frequently but I remember a thread on how you'd have your dream home if money no option and one of my dreams would be to open a donkey sanctuary. They are overworked, overlooked and very often mistreated. I have a soft spot for them so I would do sonething like this to help as many as I could.

I'd farm it. What part of the country? Grapes if in the south.

If not grapes, then I would do glamping + food farming (to run a farm shop for glampers) + deciduous trees.

Have you any interest in a lifestyle change, OP?

Food farming? As opposed to all the other kinds of farming we have.

Yes don't underestimate the cost. We spend several thousand pounds each year dealing with trees and if you intend letting people onto the land at all then you will be liable if they are injured as a result of you not managing the land properly.

In fact you can also be liable in certain situations even if you don't want and haven't authorised anyone else to be on your land..

I'd sell it - I don't do gardening or countryside!

I would put a shepherds hut on it and escape there every week or two. But a glamping site sounds good as a business opportunity

I'd manage it as a nature reserve - woodland and wildflower meadow.

You could also consider making a secure dog walking field - people hire them out to walk dogs with significant behavioural issues, so they know they won't run into other dogs.

Have you any interest in a lifestyle change, OP?

Not particularly as I'm settled where I am but an income would be nice as a pension pot.