Mold sits where the Flintshire lowlands meet the Clwydian Range, and the farming around the town reflects that mix. Hill sheep graze the slopes below Moel Famau, while beef and dairy herds work the lower land running east toward Deeside. Mold fallen stock collection has to cover both, from a ewe lost on a steep hillside in February to a dairy cow on a lowland unit. Martlands is a family-run, DEFRA approved business based in Burscough, Lancashire, providing licensed fallen stock and ABP collection across North Wales.
This page explains how collection works in the Mold area, what Welsh farmers need to know about the rules, and how to make collection straightforward on upland holdings.
Mold Fallen Stock Collection Around the Clwydian Range
Farming country around Mold
The Clwydian Range rises west of the town, with Moel Famau and its Jubilee Tower the best-known summit. The slopes and common grazing around Llanferres, Gwernaffield and Cilcain carry sheep through much of the year, and many hill holdings run ewes on the higher ground with lambing on lower fields closer to the farmstead. South of the town, around Nercwys and Treuddyn, the land is a patchwork of grazing, mixed farms and smaller holdings. The official guidance on fallen stock and safe disposal of dead animals sets out the legal duties in full.
East toward Deeside the land flattens and becomes more productive, with dairy and beef units and some arable. Mold has a long history as a market town for this farming community, and livestock trading has been part of its character for generations. That mix of upland and lowland farming means a collection service has to cope with both a single fallen lamb and a mature cow needing BSE testing.
The rules for fallen stock in Wales
The ban on burying or burning fallen stock applies in Wales just as in England, and has done since 2003. Very limited derogations exist for genuinely remote areas, but the Mold area and the Clwydian Range are not among them. Farmers have a duty of care to arrange collection promptly, ideally within 24 hours of discovery, through a licensed collector. The government also publishes detailed guidance on animal by-product categories and disposal.
Cattle deaths must be reported to BCMS within seven days and the passport returned, and fallen cattle over 48 months must be tested for BSE. Martlands is a DEFRA approved sampling facility, so older cattle can be collected and sampled through our site. Adult sheep and cattle carcasses containing specified risk material are Category 1, and Martlands is licensed for Category 1 ABP collection under Animal By-Products Licence APB/CCN21/373/8002.
The NFSCO scheme in Wales
The National Fallen Stock Company scheme operates in Wales as well as England, giving members access to approved collectors under a single arrangement. Martlands is an NFSCO member, so Flintshire farmers in the scheme can book collections through us in the normal way. Every collection comes with a Commercial Document and a Waste Transfer Note, which are your proof of lawful disposal for Farm Assured Wales inspections, cross compliance and your own records.
If you are not in the scheme, you can still book a collection directly through our farm and fallen stock collection service, and we use the KoLeCt system to book and track each one.
Sheep losses on the hill
Sheep make up a large share of fallen stock around Mold, and losses cluster in predictable periods. Late pregnancy brings twin lamb disease and prolapses, lambing brings losses of ewes and lambs, and wet winters on the Clwydian slopes take a toll on older ewes and weaker stock. Fluke, worms and clostridial disease add to the background losses.
On hill ground, the practical challenge is bringing a carcass down to somewhere a vehicle can reach. Move it to a hardstanding or yard near the road as soon as you can, cover it, and keep dogs and foxes away. Our guide to fallen stock collection for sheep farmers covers storage, records and the Category 1 rules for adult sheep in more detail.
On the lowland dairy and beef units toward Deeside, the pattern is different. Losses tend to follow calving, housing and the transition period, and a single collection may involve a cull cow needing BSE testing alongside calves. Keep ear tags in place, have passports ready and note the tag numbers when you call, so the Commercial Document and the BCMS report can be matched correctly to each animal.
Lanes, weather and winter access
The main routes into Mold are the A494, which runs east to Queensferry and the Deeside expressway and west over the hills toward Ruthin, and the A541, which heads north-west toward Denbigh and south-east toward Wrexham. The lanes climbing into the Clwydian Range are a different matter. Steep single-track roads, tight bends and gateways designed for tractors rather than wagons can make collections difficult, particularly in snow or ice.
When you book, give the postcode for the yard or collection point rather than the farmhouse if they differ, and mention any steep or narrow sections. In winter, think ahead and agree a collection point on a gritted or level road, even if it means moving the carcass a short distance with a tractor. That keeps collections reliable when the hill roads are at their worst.
Cross-border Mold fallen stock collection from Burscough
Martlands is based in Burscough, and our route into Flintshire runs via the M53 and the A55 corridor, making Mold and the surrounding villages a regular part of our North Wales coverage. Our North Wales fallen stock collection service covers the wider region. Nearby, our Buckley fallen stock collection and Holywell fallen stock collection pages cover farms toward Deeside and the Dee estuary, while farms south of Treuddyn and toward the border are served by our Wrexham fallen stock collection service.
Same-day collection is available for fallen stock, and if notifiable disease is suspected, do not move the carcass but report it to APHA immediately and wait for their advice.
To arrange a collection anywhere around Mold, the Clwydian Range or Flintshire, call Martlands on 01704 776977 or contact us online.
