Baby lambs' visit delights Seaton care home residents

The three-week-old lambs, called Primrose and Dotty, live at Manor Mill Farm in Branscombe, where the Westy and Worzel organic farming family business is based.

One of the farmers, Nicola Westlake, brought them to The Seaton care home, where her father-in-law Percy is a resident, on April 23.

Kelly Boweren, administration manager at The Seaton, said: “We had such a lovely visit from Nicola. She called us up and offered to bring the lambs because Percy lives with us. It was a fantastic treat, and the residents really loved it – one lamb even dozed off on Phyllis’s lap.” 

Nicola said: “Every single resident reacted with joy and pleasure at meeting the lambs. One resident farmed for about 50 years before retiring and she used to keep ewes. She sat with one on her lap for ages, having never thought she would hold a lamb again.”

The residents spent about an hour outside in the garden stroking and holding the lambs and talking to Nicola and Percy about farm life. 

Manor Mill consists of about 500 acres of Soil Association certified organic farmland. The family rear 100 per cent grass-fed Lleyn or Lleyn x Suffolk lambs and certified organic Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle. All their animals are born and reared on the coastal fields and wildflower meadows.

Nicola explained: “Percy has been at The Seaton since December. He helped his sons to set up the farm and he used to spend his weekends helping with the chores. Percy still takes a keen interest in the farm and so I thought I would bring a few of the lambs along for him and the other residents to meet.

“Before, when I went to see Percy, I sat next to him and just talked to him. When I took the lambs there it felt more like a family because everyone was interacting with each other. Now when I go in there, I speak to the other residents too.”  

Westy and Worzel offers a variety of farm experiences including environmental walks, agricultural activities and the chance to watch lambs being born.