The owners of a farm near Maple Cross have been told to "quit farming" on a section of land earmarked for a free school.

The Reach Free School, currently based in the Wolsey Business Park in Rickmansworth, has announced it will be based on a 48-acre site near Woodoaks Farm.

The land is currently rented by John and Sally Findlay, who own nearby Woodoaks Farm, to grow crops. 

Ms Findlay said they were contacted by the landlord and given notice to stop using the land because the owner wanted to sell it to the Education Funding Agency, who will then lease it to the school.

She said: "We got notice to quit last Friday.

"It is going to affect us massively. It is a fifth of the land we use for growing crops such as Wheat, Barley and Hay."

"It is not the right place but it is the convenient place for the education department but it is not the best place for local people.

"I think we have been fighting it up to now. We do not know what we can do, the landlords can do what they want with their own land and we do not have any leverage."

The plans for the new school are expected to submitted to the council in January.

In a statement on their website, Reach Free School said: "It is with great pleasure that we are able to finally announce the location of our permanent site. 

"At just over 45 acres, the plot of land that is being purchased in the heart of the community we have always sought to serve will have ample space for school buildings, sports facilities, and playing fields.

"The process from this point forward involves the exchange of contracts and completion of the purchase, a design phase, the seeking of planning permission before building work starts.

"We are immensely grateful for the patience shown by parents, pupils and other members of the local community whilst we conducted the negotiations over our permanent home. We are thrilled to be moving to the centre of our targeted community, and look forward to creating a school at the heart of that community."

On Wednesday night, it emerged that Groundwork South would no longer be involved in the restoration of the historic Black Barn.

But Ms Findlay confirmed the owners will now be taking on the restoration of the barn, which is at the centre of what the 70-year old describes as the "diversification" of the farm.

The 70-year-old said: "We would like to make the barn secure and repair what is wrong with it, but we do not want to put anything additional in. 

"We are going to make it a vocal point in the local community. 

"If we run it, we can keep the money it makes, but if they [Groundwork South] ran it, we would not get anything."