Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids returns to More4 tomorrow night, January 19, with an opening episode that firmly establishes a fresh chapter in the Owen family’s long-running and deeply personal renovation story.
Picking up in spring 2025, almost two years after work first began on the historic Anty John’s farmhouse, the project has finally reached a crucial milestone. After months exposed to the Yorkshire elements, the building is now weather-tight, with the roof secured and windows fitted. For Amanda and Clive, this marks a turning point: the focus shifts from survival and structural urgency to decisions that will shape how the house is lived in for generations to come.
Inside the farmhouse, the challenges are no less demanding. In the opening episode, builder Richard faces the painstaking task of plastering Anty John’s ancient walls, a process requiring both technical skill and respect for the building’s history. At the same time, Amanda Owen confronts some of the most personal choices of the entire project, weighing up kitchen layouts, lighting plans and the practical placement of sockets—decisions that balance modern family life with the farmhouse’s centuries-old character.
Craftsmanship takes centre stage when joiner Dan arrives with a set of beautifully made new doors for Anty John’s. The moment is quickly grounded in family reality, however, as youngest daughter Nancy wastes no time questioning one crucial detail: why there is no cat flap. It is a small exchange that neatly captures the tone of the series—where heritage, practicality and family humour collide.
Beyond the renovation, life at Ravenseat Farm continues at its usual relentless pace. The children spring into action when a lamb falls into a hole, underlining the ever-present responsibilities of hill farming. After an intense lambing season, Amanda, Clive and daughter Clemmie guide the flock back up onto the moor, a familiar ritual that signals the changing seasons.
Yet this return to routine comes with new concerns. The episode notes growing unease about unusually dry weather and what it could mean for grazing later in the year, a reminder that farming plans remain at the mercy of nature, no matter how carefully laid.
Amid the physical labour, there is space for reflection. As Amanda and Clive chop firewood together in the yard, they talk openly about their relationship and the shared history that binds them, offering viewers a quieter, more contemplative moment within the episode.
The past also makes an unexpected appearance. Plasterer Ken reveals a surprising family connection to Anty John’s former occupants, while eldest daughter Raven, home briefly, joins Amanda in exploring a newly transcribed diary belonging to former resident Anthony Clarkson. The writings uncover a poignant love story from the 1820s, one that unfolded just yards from where the family now works and lives.
As Raven, Clemmie and Nancy delve into the farmhouse’s history, striking parallels emerge between the lives recorded in the diary and the Owens’ own experiences, lending the renovation a deeper emotional resonance.
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids airs tomorrow night at 9pm on More4, opening a series that blends restoration, family life and history as the Owens continue shaping Anty John’s future.
