Family run open farm in Northamptonshire welcomes visitors back as it celebrates 20th anniversary

The Bament family is excited to welcome visitors to Rookery Open Farm in Stoke Bruerne this Spring.

This newspaper was invited along to the family-run farm this week to take a look at what fun activities it has to offer, following its re-opening in March and the celebration of its twentieth anniversary.

For me, it was like stepping back in time. Rookery Open Farm was the first ever farm my parents took me to when I was very little. I marvelled at how much the attraction had grown since then.

I recalled, on my last visit over 15 years ago, playing on some pedal tractors in an open barn and delightfully fussing rabbits in the open pet corner.

Now the open barn has been transformed into a huge indoor play area for children and the pedal tractors now have their own track outside with even more outdoor play equipment so there is much to do for little ones.

The pet corner has also grown with an assortment of birds, rabbits, baby goats with a spring in their step and two adorable calves snuggling in their pen.

Rookery Open Farm is run by two generations of farmers - husband and wife, Anthony and Gillian Bament along with their son, Wayne, and their daughter, Kimberley, whose two little boys love to help out.

I had the pleasure of being shown around by Kimberley and Anthony, who both delighted in showing me newborn lambs that were just hours and minutes old. Anthony was particularly proud of one lamb born that morning, who was speckled with black and white.

Rookery Open Farm is a commercial sheep farm that takes pride in providing fun, affordable and educational days out for families and schools.

Visitors pay one admission fee and venture around the open farm meeting all the sheep, lambs, rabbits, birds, pigs, ducks, cows, goats, alpacas, chickens, donkeys, guinea pigs and even a pony called Pebbles.

The Bament family purchased the farm in 1995, however, the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in 2001 caused a great deal of uncertainty as farmers were left with no choice but to stop trading.

This prompted the Bament Family to consider other ways to generate revenue, which led to the creation of an open farm that opened in 2002 with plenty of activities for children and opportunities to interact with and learn about animals.

Kimberley said: “Having my own children now, I really value the space. It is the freedom and children being able to get familiar with the animals.”

Rookery Open Farm is open six days a week from 10am to 5pm and it closes on Tuesdays.

Admission for adults costs £8 and admission for children costs £7.50. There are no additional fees for using any of the play areas.

Kimberley continued: “We are very relaxed and welcoming and we don’t overcomplicate it. We try not to be one of those places where you’re so structured in your day. We want people to enjoy it at their own pace.

“They can come all day, they can come for two hours and bring a picnic in the summer.”

To find out more about Rookery Open Farm, visit https://www.rookeryopenfarm.com/.

Here are – pictures of what Rookery Open Farm has to offer this year: