FARMING MATTERS: Enjoy a summer day at rare breed farm

I receive a lot of emails from readers and I always enjoy reading them.
Hazeldene Open FarmHazeldene Open Farm
Hazeldene Open Farm

One such recent email particularly caught my attention because as well as being about farming, it was also about an attraction open to the public, and as I write the leisure and entertainment pages for several Johnston Press newspapers this crossed both my remits.

And so I thought, with the summer holidays approaching and days out on the cards, you might want to hear about it. This column of course appears on many JP websites, but with days out we are often prepared to travel that bit further afield, so this should be of interest to all readers.

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Hazeldene Open Farm is near to Asheridge and Chesham in Buckinghamshire and hosts 50 rare breeds of livestock including chickens (Ixworths, White Marsh Daisy, Derbyshire Redcap), ducks (Shetland, Buff Orpington, Abacot Ranger), geese (West of England, Brecon Buff), rabbits (Smoke Pearl), pigs (Tamworth, Berkshire), sheep (Oxford Down, Manx Loaghtan), goats (Bagot)and cattle (English Traditional Hereford).

The farm, also a wildlife conservation park, is nestled in the Asheridge Vale and as well as the animals it brims with wildlife and wild flowers. A country walk guides visitors around the farm past ancient hedgerows lush with birdsong, to see beautiful views over nearby Chesham and the surrounding countryside. Once visitors have fully explored the farm, there is a traditional butcher’s shop stocking the farm’s own produce, where you can buy something tasty to take home and cook. Or if visitors want to eat at the farm, the Red Kite tea room and farm picnic area in the courtyard provide opportunities to enjoy refreshments on site.

The farm is open from 10am to 4pm Wednesdays to Sundays and is open every day during the school holidays. Entry is £5 for adults, £3 for children/concessions. Full details and travel directions are on the website, www.hazeldeneopenfarm.co.uk

If have a topic you would like me to consider for this column drop me an email at the address on this page.

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