Wellsfield Farm was originally built circa. 1725, and was worked as a traditional lowland Scottish farm growing crops, vegetables and rearing livestock using traditional farming methods. It takes it name from a historical well on the farm (the well field).
The farm became part of the Quarter Estate of Dunipace about the 1750’s. Before the farm was built, human farming activity on the land can be dated as far back as 3000BC.
There is a Druid cup marked stone on the farm, which has been dated back to this period of sun worshipping. The stone was used to mark the suns location at particular times of year for determination of the seasons for planting and harvesting.
The original farmhouse, steading outbuildings, farm workers bothy and the dairy parlour were built from yellow sandstone, which was quarried locally. A newer farmhouse built later was made from dark grey whinstone, again quarried locally. The original drove road from Glasgow to Stirling runs through the farm and this was the only road available for travel before the modern A872 road was laid. In the mid 1980s, the Harris family purchased the farm. At this point in time the farmhouse, farm steading and its 200 acres of land were in a state of total disrepair and neglect. Since then the farm has been improved by the Harris family continuously over the years and various diversification enterprises have been established to support its future.
After the farmhouse was made habitable, the farm steading was converted to allow horse stabling and livery, and the farmland was regenerated and improved to support two large and very successful suckler herds of beef cattle. Holiday Lodges were then built to attract tourists to the farm, then a Health Club with gymnasiums and saunas, then a Trout Fishery with 3 Lochans for fly fishing and bait fishing, then an Equestrian Centre for horse and pony riding. In 2008 a coffee shop was opened on the farm. In 2004, Wellsfield Farm was awarded runner-up for “Best Innovative Farm Business in Scotland” by the National Farmers Union of Scotland. The award was for Business Ingenuity, Creativity and Innovation in farm diversification.
Today, Wellsfield Farm is a working farm using the latest farming technology and machinery to produce cereals and fodder crops, and to provide pasture for horses, cattle and sheep. The farm diversification businesses continue to grow successfully and develop, employing up to 20 people directly and in addition many contractors. Going green, wildlife conservation and biodiversity projects to care for the environment are all included in the farms management policies.