Trifter

THE staff, helpers and animals of the Whitehouse Farm Centre, near Morpeth in Northumberland offer a warm welcome to visitors of all ages.

New additions are regularly made to the permanent range of animals and birds, which include cows, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, wallabies, rheas, horses, ponies, donkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats, chipmunks, chinchillas and degus’.     

Visitors can hand feed most of the animals, bottle feed the lambs during lambing time and handle many of the pets and other baby animals

The centre caters really well for the youngsters with many other activities and play sessions, There are toboggan runs in inflatable rings on the all weather sledging slope and the soft play area for those rainier days that occur so frequently in Northumberland.

Mechanical activities include the pedal tractors for the junior farmer aged six and below and the go carts for any visitor aged from five to 95 years of age.  Grandparents and grandchildren can go all out to beat each other at this sport.  Whitehouse runs tractor and trailer rides throughout the year when the weather permits.

The youngsters can rush around the adventure play area and really let off steam.  The centre often stages demonstrations of candle making and face painting sessions.

Whitehouse shows the routines of lambing, calving and kidding from February until May.

Other events include medieval weekends with displays of jousting, riding, juggling, tumbling and falconry.  Once a year there is a Teddy bears’ Picnic with prizes for the oldest, smallest, largest and best looking Teds.

A sports day with fun races for all the family is held each year.

The centre holds a Halloween themed week with fancy dress competitions, pumpkin lantern making sessions and Halloween games.  There is also a month long Christmas Bonanza from late November each year.

A children’s entertainer is on hand each bank holiday (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) and certain days during the school holidays.  Other selected days throughout the school holidays feature bird of prey demonstrations and gun dog trials.

 Whitehouse caters for school visits, providing a unique and wide ranging educational opportunity for children in which they can handle, feed and learn about animals in a safe, live family environment.

It offers special discounts for informal animal handling sessions to nursery and playgroups, scouts, guides brownies and other recognised groups.  The centre is also a popular venue for birthday parties throughout the year.

There are information sheets on all of the above events available from 01670 78990.

The café offers homemade soup, daily specials, kids’ meals, sandwiches, cakes and scones to satisfy the healthy appetites that generated by all these activities in the bracing Northumberland air.

Opening times are from 10:00 to 17:00 on Tuesdays to Sundays from February to October and December.  It is closed on Monday, except for bank holidays and during the school vacations or when booked in advance by school and playgroup parties.  Whitehouse is open from 10:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays and Sundays during November and January and remains closed for the rest of the week.

The Whitehouse Farm Centre lies to the south west of Morpeth, just off the A1 and is well signposted both north and south of the town on this road.

It operates a website on http://www.whitehousefarmcentre.co.uk