World Horse Welfare Penny Farm to reopen after 18 months in the dark due to Covid-19

The farm, on Preston New Road, closed to visitors last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and was due to reopen in June, just in time for the charity's 20th anniversary.

However, the government's decision to extend lockdown rules by four weeks meant the farm had to make a U-turn on its plans.

Now, after more than 18 months of looking after abandoned, neglected and abused horses and ponies behind closed doors, staff are finally ready to welcome back visitors next Wednesday, August 18.

The visitors centre will be open on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from 11am until 4pm. A free ticket booking system has been launched to manage the numbers of people allowed into the centre to minimise the risk of Covid-19.

Zoe Clifford, centre promotion officer at Penny Farm, said: “We can’t wait to finally welcome people back once more, old friends and new, and there is certainly plenty to see and find out about.

"Summer is such a wonderful time of the year here at Penny Farm and the horses and ponies are enjoying the weather. Despite being closed to the public since March last year, we’ve continued to take in horses and ponies in need throughout that time and our wonderful team here have been very busy working with them, continuing their rehabilitation work and preparing them for rehoming."

The closure of the World Horse Welfare visitor centres, along with social distancing rules preventing the organisation of big fundraising events, has resulted a 20 per cent decline in income to the charity over the past year. Despite this, entre to Penny Farm remains free, though donations are encouraged to support the care of the horses and ponies.

Zoe said: “We are very excited to reopen our facilities here at Penny Farm. We are looking forward to seeing our regular visitors and welcoming people that have never visited us before to share the amazing work that goes on here. Come and see what we have been doing and find out about the horses and ponies that are here – each has a different story to tell.

“We said that there would be celebrations here when we finally reopened, and after having to reschedule a number of times we really are going to mark the occasion!” 

People who want to visit Penny Farm should book their free tickets online HERE.