Where
Wenlock Lodge, Acton Scott, Church Stretton, Shropshire
What
A Victorian working farm interpreting life on a 23-acre upland farm at the turn of the 20th century. The site is a mixture of arable and pastureland, which make up the original home farm for Acton Scott Hall. The farm buildings originate from the 1790s. The other main building is a schoolhouse from the 1860s - it closed in the 1950s and is now used as the cafe.
Opened
Mid-1970s. It was founded (and still run) by Shropshire County Council Museums Service.
Collection
"A wide variety of agricultural artefacts ranging from a threshing box at one end of the size spectrum to rat-traps at the other," says visitor services manager Michael Turner.
"Our extensive range of ploughs galvanized the founding of the museum. One building is a working dairy, where we make butter. All the animals here are rare breeds, including Tamworth pigs, Shropshire sheep, long- and shorthorn dairy cattle, Breaconbuff geese and black turkeys. Visitors can see lambing, calving and farrowing."
Help at hand
On site during the season, the farm has about 10 staff. Some are core members, others - like the blacksmith, wheelwright and the basketmaker - visit weekly. Turner says that the museum is looking to expand its volunteers from the current core of six people. It also takes work placements from schools and other organisations.
Budget
£100,000 from Shropshire County Council
Visitors
35,000 in 2005, but that was an exceptional year. It normally gets 32,000-35,000.
Survival tip
"Last year we had the delights of foot and mouth, blue tongue, avian flu and it rained an awful lot," Turner says. "You need to be responsive but exacting. You need to get the balance right between a duty of care to ourselves and the public, while not scaremongering."
Highlight
The horse-drawn harvest festival that is held every September. The agricultural chaplain from the Hereford Diocese comes over to conduct it. "The festival is a real community event attended by about 400 people."
Sticky moment?
"Being faced with a visitor who had managed to get to the heart of the farmyard before discovering she had a bird phobia," Turner recalls. "This was on my third day in my first season as manager here. We managed to get her into a building, then backed up a car and evacuated her."
Current project
"We have received £1.5m from HLF, the European Development Fund and the county council for a development at the heart of which is skills preservation and reinstatement. Four separate building projects are under way: a new welcome/bespoke education centre; workshops; a big cart shed; and restoring the schoolroom to its original state (complete with bell), although it will remain as a cafe.
We also have a researcher on board, who is drawing all the school records and other information together. And we have a trainee wagoner position, too."
Acton Scott Historic Working Farm is open from 15 April to November
Wenlock Lodge, Acton Scott, Church Stretton, Shropshire
What
A Victorian working farm interpreting life on a 23-acre upland farm at the turn of the 20th century. The site is a mixture of arable and pastureland, which make up the original home farm for Acton Scott Hall. The farm buildings originate from the 1790s. The other main building is a schoolhouse from the 1860s - it closed in the 1950s and is now used as the cafe.
Opened
Mid-1970s. It was founded (and still run) by Shropshire County Council Museums Service.
Collection
"A wide variety of agricultural artefacts ranging from a threshing box at one end of the size spectrum to rat-traps at the other," says visitor services manager Michael Turner.
"Our extensive range of ploughs galvanized the founding of the museum. One building is a working dairy, where we make butter. All the animals here are rare breeds, including Tamworth pigs, Shropshire sheep, long- and shorthorn dairy cattle, Breaconbuff geese and black turkeys. Visitors can see lambing, calving and farrowing."
Help at hand
On site during the season, the farm has about 10 staff. Some are core members, others - like the blacksmith, wheelwright and the basketmaker - visit weekly. Turner says that the museum is looking to expand its volunteers from the current core of six people. It also takes work placements from schools and other organisations.
Budget
£100,000 from Shropshire County Council
Visitors
35,000 in 2005, but that was an exceptional year. It normally gets 32,000-35,000.
Survival tip
"Last year we had the delights of foot and mouth, blue tongue, avian flu and it rained an awful lot," Turner says. "You need to be responsive but exacting. You need to get the balance right between a duty of care to ourselves and the public, while not scaremongering."
Highlight
The horse-drawn harvest festival that is held every September. The agricultural chaplain from the Hereford Diocese comes over to conduct it. "The festival is a real community event attended by about 400 people."
Sticky moment?
"Being faced with a visitor who had managed to get to the heart of the farmyard before discovering she had a bird phobia," Turner recalls. "This was on my third day in my first season as manager here. We managed to get her into a building, then backed up a car and evacuated her."
Current project
"We have received £1.5m from HLF, the European Development Fund and the county council for a development at the heart of which is skills preservation and reinstatement. Four separate building projects are under way: a new welcome/bespoke education centre; workshops; a big cart shed; and restoring the schoolroom to its original state (complete with bell), although it will remain as a cafe.
We also have a researcher on board, who is drawing all the school records and other information together. And we have a trainee wagoner position, too."
Acton Scott Historic Working Farm is open from 15 April to November