Victorian farm officially reopens as charity

Director Rachel Lambert Jones said the team was really excited to welcome people back

A popular Victorian attraction is preparing to welcome Easter visitors as it officially reopens as a charity.

Shropshire's Acton Scott Heritage Farm, near Church Stretton, officially reopened to the public on Friday, four years after Shropshire Council decided it was financially unstable.

The farm is now a registered educational charity and has about 130 volunteers helping to run and keep it open throughout the year.

Director Rachel Lambert Jones said the team was proud of what they had achieved as the farm was a "Shropshire institution".

"We are really thrilled that we will be welcoming people back on site, back to this special place," she told BBC Radio Shropshire.

Ms Lambert Jones said there was a risk the farm could shut altogether as the site was closed between the period when the council pulled out, to the charity being formed.

"It really is down to the goodwill and determination of the people of Shropshire that the charity was formed and the farm is back.

"It has been a really interesting journey, we have inherited good stuff, the buildings are beautiful, the land is never going to change, it is absolutely stunning but there has been a lot to do to make sure we are up and running safely and securely."

It is the first time the farm site has opened fully as a registered charity

The working Victorian model farm had previously been operated by Shropshire Council for 47 years but the authority said it was losing £168,000 per year.

It was handed back to the Acton Scott Estate in 2022 before trustees and volunteers got involved.

The farm, now part of the Social Farms & Gardens charity, opened for a short period last year but the Easter weekend marks the start of its full opening as a registered charity.

Acton Scott uses only horsepower and heritage methods to farm 20 acres of grazing, rare breed cattle, sheep, poultry and pigs.

It appeared on the BBC's Victorian Farm series, and as a charity it will now provide opportunities to explore past, present and future farming, rural skills and crafts, the natural environment and wellbeing in an inclusive environment, Ms Lambert Jones said.

"The farm is very much how people will remember but with a very enthusiastic group of people running it, demonstrating and making sure everybody has a good time," she added.

"It doesn't look hugely different but it is so beautiful it would be a shame to change anything anyway."

Acton Scott Heritage Farm is open to visitors all Easter weekend including Easter Monday, and then every weekend through to October and between Wednesday and Mondays during school holidays.