AFTER 10 years of city life Rowley Pusey knew he just had to get out.

Just over a month ago, the 35-year-old decided to ditch his suit and briefcase for a pair of wellies and life as a farmer.

Mr Pusey said he and wife Camilla, 34, had not looked back since taking over 200 acres of Oxfordshire countryside at Hill Farm, Long Wittenham, near Didcot.

Instead of spending hours in front of a computer or at meetings at his former job as a national representative for a charity, Mr Pusey now wakes up at the crack of dawn to attend to his 220-strong flock of lambs.

He said: “It has been a dream come true. After 10 years working in the city I just couldn’t deal with it. My wife and I have wanted to become farmers for a while, and we saw an advert in a magazine and just thought ‘why not?’.

“It’s a complete culture shock and has taken a lot of adjustment – the work is a lot harder because you are up early in the morning and there is so much that needs to be done, such as making sure the lambs are all right and well looked after.”

But he added: “Going about in the morning on the quad bike and seeing the kites and the buzzards makes you feel alive. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to give it a go.”

Mrs Pusey, who juggles life as a farmer with her full-time job at farming charity Leaf, where her husband also used to work, said the life change had proved rewarding.

She said: “The charity is involved in farming so it helps to have that link. We are looking forward to showing off our products at farmers’ markets.”

Helping the couple in their new life is sheepdog Meggy – who only understands commands in Italian.

The 10-year-old dog came from a trainer in Bedfordshire who was also teaching eight other dogs and chose to command them in different languages to avoid confusion.

Mr Pusey added: “Meggy has been a lifesaver in herding up our lambs – although it has taken some getting used to speaking to her in Italian.”