Temple Newsam Home Farm

Following on from Temple Newsam Centenary Celebrations, included in our 6p admission fee was entrance to Temple Newsam Home Farm. I don't have to be told more than once that I can go and see some animals.

After Leeds City Council purchased Temple Newsam back in 1922, work soon began on creating a state of the art milking parlour at the Home Farm site with the aim of supplying tuberculin free milk to the schools and hospitals of Leeds. By the 1930s, a herd of pedigree shorthorns were producing 70,000 gallons of milk a year. Leeds City Council continued to operate this dairy until 1968. A decade later, in 1978, Home Farm opened its gates as a visitor attraction and has since been recognised as being one of the largest rare breeds centres in Europe. The Vaynol is a unique population of cattle. The herd was established in 1872 in Vaynol Park, North Wales, adjacent to the Isle of Anglesey. It was maintained there as a semi-feral herd until 1980 when it was moved to a series of locations in England. It has never existed in large numbers. The main herd now resides at Temple Newsam and a small subsidiary herd has been recently established in Lincolnshire as a precaution against disease outbreak.

There were quite a few animals to see in the farmyard and farm buildings. One of the barns houses guinea pigs alongside traditional farm animals.

Cute goats, more intent on eating than posing for photos.

More cute goats. They'd found a spot of sunshine and were taking a rest.

The pigs are my favourite bit of any farm. This is Mabel, a Saddleback.

We then went further afield into the paddocks where we saw more sheep.

There were more goats too.

Some were happy to stay by their shelter.

Just look at the apples on this tree. I wonder if they get fed to the animals.

The highlight of my day was seeing this lovely mummy pig and her piglets.

The piglets were running around playing with each other, and they kept coming over to the fence wanting us to scratch their backs. They even laid down for a tummy tickle. They were just like puppies.

This piglet is trying to eat a twig. They kept us entertained for ages.

Of course, a visit to Temple Newsam Farm wouldn't be complete without a visit to the donkeys, such gentle souls.

They weren't very interested in us on this occasion though, I didn't even get to stroke either of them.

Why is it that goats have to climb? Hmmm, no table manners!

What a lovely day out we had.