Farm to open its gates to the general public for the first time

Frankly Farm Tours first opened as a visitor attraction in April 2022, starting as a single field with nine alpacas available for private meet and greets. Since then, it's owners John and Natalie Franklin-Hackett have built up their business to become one of Shropshire's up-and-coming visitor attractions, attracting over 4000 visitors for pre-booked animal experiences. Positive reviews have led to the farm winning TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice awards in 2023 and 2024.

With the range of animals expanding, the farm currently offers Cow Cuddling with the smallest breed of cattle in Europe and Sheep Trekking with the world's smallest sheep, as well as the Alpaca Meet and Greets that started the journey back in 2022. The conversion of a barn into an indoor function space has also allowed the business to accommodate parties and events. Natalie, a former Assistant Headteacher, has also developed and launched an educational offer for schools.

Now, the couple are opening their farm for general admission for the first time. This means visitors will be able to visit the farm during opening hours without pre-booking, and feed and pet the wide range of animals on offer. These include rare breed sheep, ducks and chickens, Dexter cattle and of course, alpacas. A new small animal room has also been developed where visitors will be able to enjoy rabbits, guinea pigs and other cute creatures.

Admission is £5 per person, with animal feed and parking included in the price. Opening hours are expected to be Friday to Monday from 10:30am to 15:00pm.

Speaking about the new venture, Natalie said: “We’re really pleased to be fully opening the farm gates to the public with our new Open Farm offer. Although people love our pre-booked experiences and we will continue to offer them, we’re looking forward to making the farm more accessible for more people. We’re sure visitors will appreciate our quiet and tranquil setting and will fall in love with the animals just as we have.”

For full details head to franklyfarmtours.co.uk

By John Franklin-Hackett - Contributor