Fall in love with Shacklabank’s wildlife

Enjoy your own inspirational Spring Watch in May 2009 by heading up to the exquisite Shacklabank Farm, in the velvety Howgills near Sedbergh in Cumbria, for a Shacklabank Free-Range Walking Holiday with a wildlife focus.

Hill farmer, shepherdess and passionate free-range walker, Alison O’Neill, will be arranging a Shacklabank Bluebell Week between May 4-8 and a Springtime Wildlife Week between May 11-15. Both will be for no more than six guests and offer insights into the wealth of wildlife to be found in this stunningly beautiful part of the country.

These unique walking experiences will allow guests to step into Alison’s shoes for a week, living her life and gaining an understanding of the environment around Shacklabank Farm. All will be tailored to the fitness levels of the group and will provide unforgettable and evocative memories such as glimpsing the bright yellow celandines in the hedge bottoms, smelling the wild garlic by the beck and watching the grey herons fly overhead.

Guests will typically awake to the sound of woodpeckers hammering from first light and sink their head into their Cath Kidston furnishings to the hoot of the owls in the night.

Every walk will involve a twist and a turn that could lead to any type of wildlife encounter, all of which will be explained by Alison, who has roamed these hills since her childhood.

Guests will also delight in the full Shacklabank experience, which includes becoming a member of the O’Neill’s extended family throughout their stay, getting involved with as little or as much of the farm and farm kitchen chores as they wish and devouring the most delicious homemade food.

The “Full Shacklabank” breakfast is not to be missed, with its use of farm-fresh milk, newly-laid eggs collected from the henhouse that morning, mouth-watering preserves made in the Shacklabank kitchen and more!

Accommodation is in either a delightful static caravan, with designer furnishings and all mod cons, including shower, hand basin and toilet, or in the atmospheric Shacklabank farmhouse itself.

Dining takes place either indoors or al fresco, depending upon the weather, and guests should be prepared for the picnic experience of a lifetime when John O’Neill’s landrover tracks down hungry guests mid-walk to deliver a picnic basket full of scrumptious temptations.

As well as encountering wildlife, guests will be immersed in the world of life at Shacklabank Farm, meeting neighbours, relatives, local suppliers and publicans and members of the Howgills farming community.

A five-day wildlife break (four nights) costs £555 per person, based on two people sharing accommodation. This includes all food, which comprises a hearty breakfast, picnic lunch, afternoon tea with homemade cakes and a three-course supper.

For more information, visit Shacklabank.co.uk.