My country memories: Trudie Styler

'When I was a child, every Friday evening my parents, sisters and I did the football pools. We then sat around and fantasised about what we'd buy if we won. Mum dreamed of having a fur coat, while my older sister Sabrina and younger sister Heather imagined buying lovely clothes. But dad and I were always united in what to do with the money: if our numbers ever came up, we would buy a farm. We shared that hope all the time I was growing up in Stoke Prior in Worcestershire.

'Although our family wasn’t well-off, we were very lucky to live in an area that was surrounded by hills and fields. Dad's job was in a factory but he'd grown up working on the land, and often helped out at my uncle and aunt's farm that was close by. I also enjoyed mucking in, collecting the eggs from the hens, milking the cows, generally getting my hands dirty and spending time with the animals. We often went for a roast on Sundays and were usually served pork from one of their pigs. I'll never forget sitting around the table one day and realising we were eating 'Monty,' that would teach me to name the livestock.

'My grandfather was the local hedgecutter and lived on the other side of a stream that ran near to our house. I was very close to him, so I used to jump over our garden fence and cross the water to visit him whenever I could. We'd amble around the countryside together, sometimes blackberrying in the hedgerows in early autumn, and probably eating far more than we took home for my mother to turn into a pie for all the family. Those were simple, happy times, and the dreams of one day having my own piece of land to farm did eventually come true.

'Twenty years ago, my husband Sting and I decided to make the move to the countryside from London and bought Lake House, our home in Wiltshire. It was the first property brochure that fell through the door. I went abroad touring with Sting almost immediately, thinking it could wait until I returned home. But then I came down with a really bad bout of stomach flu and had to head back to the UK earlier than planned. It was lucky that I did because, when I arrived home, I discovered that the house already had two offers on the table. Despite still feeling very fragile I wasted no time, and beetled down the motorway to see the property for myself. I instantly fell in love with the Grade I listed Elizabethan house.

'It was in a state of disrepair but, in addition to 15 acres of ornamental gardens, there was enough land for me to turn my dream into a reality. I knew the place was perfect, so we quickly put in an offer, which was accepted. We've since renovated it and maintained the gardens as well as starting an organic mixed farm. I love being there and its sense of tranquillity. One thing that makes it even more special is to know that my dad lived to see our wish come true. He passed away ten years ago, but he had loved walking around the farm with me, striding ahead, eager to see what we'd done. Today, we grow many different varieties of vegetables and keep rare-breed White Park cattle, Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, Golden Guernsey and Anglo-Nubian goats and, at Christmas, 200 turkeys. We've grown the farm in size as well, and after buying some adjoining land, we now have 110 acres the same amount that my uncle farmed back in Worcestershire when I was a girl.

'As I can't spend as much time at Lake House as I'd like, I have a great farm manager who runs it on a day-to-day basis, but I am involved as much as possible. When we're there, Sting, our youngest son Giacomo and I take the dogs for a walk around the farm and to visit the livestock. When we first moved to Wiltshire, we got an Irish wolfhound, and when the dog died six years ago I was so sad that I decided to start breeding them. My favourite is an eight-year-old called Mikey, and I was thrilled when one of our pack, Blondie, won first place in the 2011 post-graduate bitch class at Crufts.

'One of the most enchanting things about Lake House is that it's just four miles from Stonehenge, which is such a special place. Sometimes I'll ride to it alone on my horse Jay, a good chance for a gallop but it has also become a family ritual to walk there. It's a magnificent sight as it comes into view on the crest of the hill, especially in winter.'

Trudie Styler is an actress and producer. Her Lake House Table range of Kitchen Suppers is available from Ocado and selected Waitrose stores.