A VISITOR attraction is celebrating its fifth anniversary.
Paul and Kathryn Shrimpton, owners of Alpaca Encounter at Hillfield, on Allendale Road in Hexham is celebrating how their alpaca breeding business continues to grow and broaden its popularity, as it celebrates its fifth birthday.
Kathryn had founded the original breeding business back in 2006, with five alpacas.
Then the business progressed when in 2017, the pair sold their family home of 21 years and just six months later they moved into a Norwegian Log Cabin, built on land that they now share with their Nero Black Alpaca herd, less than ½ mile down the road.
Over five years, the herd doubled in size to 60, but has been scaled back to make room for this year’s anticipated 13 cria (babies).
Kathryn said: “I so enjoy sharing my love for our alpacas with visitors, whether they are already passionate about alpacas or meeting them for the first time. Whilst walking with alpacas is increasingly popular, we prefer for visitors to meet the whole herd, but very much on the alpacas’ terms”.
Since they gradually reopened after lockdown, the couple decided all visits would continue to be exclusive to one visiting family or group. This allows the experience to be tailored to what suits the visitors and means the group can include all ages from toddlers to senior citizens.
A further aspect of the growing business is to facilitate access to the herd for local charities and care homes. Recent visitors have come from Calvert Trust, Pathways 4 All and Cygnet Hexham, with The Chrysalis Club heading up very soon.
Paul added: “Wherever possible we encourage visitors here to Lowgate, to meet as many of the herd as possible.
"Our land is reasonably level and we can gather most of the herd close together, if mobility is an issue.
"In exceptional circumstances we can take a couple of alpacas to visit homes, as we have done recently to Leonard Cheshire, Acomb Court and up the road to the Lowgate Care Home”.
Recently at Easter Paul and Kathryn also took a number of their weanling cria to meet nearly 400 ticket holders, over 4 days, for mini encounters at Brockesbushes Farm.
Whilst Kathryn and Paul maintain their primary focus is breeding and the ongoing welfare of their alpacas, they look forward to evolving Alpaca Encounters further over the next five years.
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