November 10th, 2023.



Jonathan Robinson’s Yamaha Kodiak 450 is the only machine he needs to manage 148 hectares of hill and common land, with 900 Swaledale ewes and 50 suckler cows on some of Britain’s wettest farmland.

Bridge End Farm sits at the edge of Thirlmere in the wettest part of the UK. Up to 120 inches of rain have been recorded in recent years, making the ground a challenge to manage. However, Jonathan and his family have been farming at Bridge End for four generations and have a thriving farm and campsite.

“I can’t imagine tending to the flock on foot. My father and I have had a string of Yamaha ATVs and without them I don’t know how we would have managed with all the changes that hill farming is experiencing,” he says.

For the family, farming common land in the Lake District has seen significant change, especially in recent years with initiatives to rewild areas and plant more trees.

“Our farmhouse is near a reservoir so grazing nearby has reduced significantly. We have also fenced off areas and reduced stock numbers over the years to meet conservation requests. However, with the changes have come many opportunities and we joined mid-tier stewardship to make the most of them. We don’t use herbicides or pesticides, we maintain the stone walls and take pride in managing what we see as being some of the most beautiful hillside in the UK,” he says.

Maintaining his land and tending to the flock has seen him cover 4300 miles in just 9 months on his Yamaha Kodiak 450 EPS SE. The Special Edition model, which includes power steering and diff lock, supplied by Carrs Billington of Penrith, is tested on the steep, wet ground, and is an essential tool that Jonathan relies on.

“The reliability of our Yamahas has been unbelievable. We have had five different incarnations over the years and every one of them has been spot on. However, more importantly, I feel safe riding my Kodiak on our tricky terrain. The position you ride a Yamaha is lower than others, I feel like I am in it rather than on it,” he says.

The CVT gearbox on the Kodiak is a feature that he sees as both misunderstood and extremely beneficial to his work.

“The ATV never runs away, the gearbox and brakes are brilliant going downhill and very intuitive to judge, I never wish I had a manual transmission. My latest model has diff lock which really helps on wet, uneven ground and even if I do get bogged down, I have a winch and the ATV is light enough for me to lift it,” he says.

This confidence sees him traverse hillsides that most would consider impassable. He is even happy to pull trailers and implements on the steepest slopes where needed.

“I have trailers for stock and can easily carry four ewes with lambs. I also cart small square bales to sheep on the hills, pull a chain harrow over grazing land, use a bracken bruiser, and the Kodiak will even pull a roller to flatten out the pitches on our campsite,” he says.

Working with the Woodland Trust, the family is planning to plant 250 acres of trees on allotment land which has historically been tricky to graze.

“We suffer with ticks on some land, and it is better to keep the flock away. Planting trees will have significant environmental benefits and will make better use of land that is less than ideal for grazing,” he says.

With land up to three miles from the farmhouse and stretching from 800 to 3000 feet above sea level, Jonathan is rarely seen not on his ATV.

“The sheep are hefted, but I still have to spend a lot of time moving between areas of the farm, which makes it easy to clock up the miles. The Kodiak is a comfortable place to be and I find the suspension much better than anything else I have ridden,” he says.

Whilst lamb prices have been good in recent years, Jonathan believes that hill farming needs to adapt to meet the wider demands that agriculture faces.

“Conservation is an important part of our role as hill farmers and the flock helps us to maintain parts of the land. However, we also appreciate the growing demand to see projects that will help to offset carbon emissions which is why we have been supportive of the woodland project,” he says.

The health of his flock is of paramount importance and with the Kodiak he is confident to cover the hillside and spend more time amongst the flock.

“If I was on foot, I wouldn’t see any problems or be able to react anywhere near as quickly. I see an ATV as an essential tool for hill farmers, it’s like a Swiss army knife,” he says.

He also has no doubt or reason to question the Kodiak, having never had to replace a part on any of his Yamaha ATVs.

“We have a good service from Carrs and change the ATVs at 2-3 years when the warranty is up. Throughout the years, I have never had to replace any parts. I think my dad had to replace a fuel pump many years ago, but I haven’t even had to change brake pads or wheel bearings,” he says.

Carrs Billington have always been able to supply a new model and he often benefits from extra accessories such as black alloy wheels and diff lock on his current, Special Edition model.

“Resale values have been very good in recent years and have encouraged us to keep updating. I wouldn’t ride anything else out of choice,” he concludes.


www.yamaha-motor.eu/gb