Hillingdon Ranch in Texas: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Hillingdon Ranch is a fourth-generation Giles family ranch near Comfort in the Texas Hill Country that runs Angora goats, sheep and Angus cattle together. It is a Texas Century Ranch, won a rangeland management award in 2007 and has hosted sheep-industry tours.
| Location | Near Comfort, Texas Hill Country |
|---|---|
| Founded | Alfred Giles began buying land in 1885; the ranch was founded at its present location in 1887 |
| Sectors | Angora goats and mohair; fine-wool sheep; Angus cattle; hunting leases |
| Scale | More than 10,000 acres, about 4,000 goats, 500 sheep and 200 cattle in 2018 (AgriLife Today); older sources cite more than 20,000 acres |
| Why it is notable | Texas Century Ranch in 1986; 2007 Outstanding Rangeland Management Award |
| Ownership | Giles family; Grant and Misty Giles with sons are the fourth generation |
| Official website | Hillingdon Ranch website (named in a Texas A&M article) |
History of Hillingdon Ranch
Alfred Giles, an English-born architect who designed several Hill Country courthouses, began buying land between Comfort and Fredericksburg and eventually assembled more than 13,000 acres, according to Texas Farm Bureau. He brought Angora goats to the area in 1890 to graze brush and imported three Angus cows whose descendants anchor the ranch's cow herd.
A Texas A&M article notes the ranch was recognized as a Texas Century Ranch in 1986 and won the Outstanding Rangeland Management Award from the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management in 2007. A 2017 gathering for the 130th anniversary drew over 600 people, including about 350 relatives.
What Hillingdon Ranch Grows and Raises
The ranch chooses animals to suit native plants rather than the reverse. AgriLife Today reports that mixing goats, sheep and cattle yields a stocking rate of roughly 11 to 12 acres per animal, compared with about 25 acres for cows alone. Goats help control cedar and other brush, while the Debouillet sheep, a Delaine-Merino and Rambouillet cross, produce fine wool without supplemental feed or routine deworming.
The ranch works with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo on wool, mohair and ultrasound pregnancy checking, and it hosts tours and university classes. Mohair and wool can be scoured and compressed into hydraulic bales that store for years, letting the family wait for better prices.
How Hillingdon Ranch Makes Money
Mohair and wool
Angora goats and fine-wool sheep supply fiber that is stored until prices improve. Older coverage says the family has marketed finished yarns and fabrics instead of only raw fiber.
Meat and cattle
Sheep and goats are dual-purpose, raised for fiber and meat, and Angus cattle supply beef.
Hunting leases
Texas Farm Bureau reports six-month leases for white-tailed deer and exotics, charged per hunter. Grant Giles says lease income helps pay for road upkeep, fencing and brush control, and may determine whether the family keeps the land. The ranch does not publish revenue.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Hillingdon Ranch
Diversify species to match the land. A mixed grazing plan can support more animals per acre and keep brush down without relying on fire or herbicide.
Layer income. Fiber, meat, cattle and recreation each respond to different markets, and no single bad year decides the ranch's future.
Few ranches can say they brought goats in to deal with the cedar and never looked back, which is peak farm satire. farm.FM gathers farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, and a Hill Country mixed flock supplies plenty. We tell them with admiration for a family that has kept its ranch together for more than 130 years.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
How to Contact Hillingdon Ranch
Website: https://www.hillingdonranch.com/
Only the website is listed here. No phone or address was verified from the official site in November 2026; tours and hunting leases are arranged by contacting the ranch.
Hillingdon Ranch Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Hillingdon Ranch - Ranch website
- AgriLife Today: Hillingdon Ranch tour - Texas A&M coverage of the sheep and goat program
- Texas Farm Bureau: Giles family legacy - Family history and hunting leases
- Texas A&M: Hillingdon Ranch legacy - Range management and awards
- AgriLife: Angora goat and mohair production - Land-grant guidance on Angora goats
Hillingdon Ranch FAQ
Where is Hillingdon Ranch?
Near Comfort, in the Texas Hill Country.
What does it raise?
Angora goats, fine-wool sheep and Angus cattle, plus hunting.
Who owns it?
The Giles family, descended from founder Alfred Giles.
What recognition has it received?
A Texas Century Ranch designation in 1986 and a 2007 rangeland management award.
Hillingdon Ranch shows how mixed grazing and layered income keep a Hill Country ranch viable. See the Texas state guide on this site and the other profiled operations for more.