Volunteers' joy at welcoming back farm visitors

Volunteers at a reopened historic working farm have said it has been "lovely" to welcome visitors back.

Acton Scott Heritage Farm, near Church Stretton in Shropshire, had previously been run by Shropshire Council, but closed in 2021 when it was deemed financially unviable.

The farm is now part of the Social Farms & Gardens charity, which officially reopened the site to the public on Friday.

Director, Rachel Lambert Jones, said: "It has been so lovely to welcome people back, because it really felt, as people walked through the door, that they're coming home."

She said the attraction, which recreates life on a Victorian-era farm, saw 400 visitors over the Easter weekend, with all tours were fully booked.

She added: "So many people have visited before, visited as children, and are just so excited for us to be open again."

Jo Walker, a volunteer who is on the board of trustees, said Acton Scott was a "magical place" and she had been visiting since childhood, later bringing her own children.

She said she was impressed by the enthusiasm of those visiting, and that she enjoyed "being able to pass on the knowledge and magic of the place to [them]".

When the attraction closed in 2021 after 47 years, Shropshire Council 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 Easter weekend marked the start of its full opening as a registered charity, after previously running some pre-booked tours.

It appeared on the BBC's Victorian Farm series, and Ms Lambert Jones said: "We're looking forward to welcoming school visits back again, and perhaps some more filming on site."

She also said the charity wanted to "reinstate workshops and courses".

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