Hall Hill Farm, near Lanchester, is celebrating another record-breaking year after increasing its visitor numbers by 15%.
The award-winning Hall Hill Farm, a family-run tourist attraction on the edge of the Durham Dales, which has been providing children and families with an educational and fun day out for over 35 years, has reported a fifteen percent increase in 2017 visitor numbers compared to its performance in 2016, taking it ever nearer to the 100,000 visitor target.
The boost in visitors will enable the family owners to further invest in the award-winning attraction as it prepares for the 2018 tourist season.
The farm, recent winners of the Silver Award in the 2017 North East England Tourism Awards for Best Small Visitor Attraction, has also been nominated for two national awards at this week’s National Farm Attraction Network Awards for Best Farm Attraction (an accolade that the farm won last year) and also Best in Education. Richard Darlington, the shepherd was also named as Durham Tourism Superstar in 2017.
Ann Darlington, tourism development manager at Hall Hill Farm said: “We are absolutely thrilled with our performance in 2017. We are a very small team, at the heart of which is a family run business, which we are continuing to invest time and money to ensure it keeps providing an exciting fun day out for families right across the region.
“I would like to thank all of our staff who all work so hard at ensuring our visitors enjoy a great day out. I’d also like to thank our visitors, many of whom return time and time again for helping us to create a fun environment for everyone to enjoy at our family farm.
Developments in recent years at Hall Hill Farm, including the crazy golf, Playbarn, jumping pillow, tractor and donkey rides and new enclosures as well as innovative events such as lambing live and the very popular lamb-cam have transformed what was a working farm that opened up to visitors during lambing time, to one of the best farm attractions in the UK.
Farm parks are one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK visitor attraction’s market according to research from Visit England.
Hall Hill Farm, which employs up to 50 people, welcomed over 85,000 visitors last year attracted by the family fun on offer and the opportunities to see and touch animals at close quarters. Visitors can bottle feed lambs, see fluffy chicks, inquisitive goats, magnificent Highland Cattle and get close to children’s favourites such as guinea pigs and rabbits, as well as enjoy crazy golf, the jumping pillow or a tractor or donkey ride around the beautiful countryside.
The popular Playbarn also provides a fun indoor soft-play area for families to enjoy as well as shelter from the rain or find shade from the sun. It also welcomes pupils from many regional schools and community groups on educational farm visits.
Hall Hill Farm will re-open for 2018 on Saturday 10 February and will open daily from 10.30am until 4 pm during the February half-term school holidays.
Set in the beautiful rolling hills of Durham, Hall Hill Farm is an award-winning mixed farm of 290 hectares. The multi-award winning farm provides a great day out for children and schools with loads of great things to do and see.
For more information: www.hallhillfarm.co.uk