The Shugborough Estate - a rare breed attraction Visitors to the Georgian Farm on the ever-popular Shugborough Estate in Staffordshire aren’t simply meeting carefully preened pigs, cute lambs and chicks - they’re also witnessing one of the mot successful rare-breed protection projects, and getting up-close-and-personal with an animal that’s as rare as the Giant Panda.

The attraction, which is managed by Staffordshire County Council, was awarded a prestigious “Rare Breed Status” by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) as recently as March of this year - putting them in an exclusive club of only 20 to have achieved this status in the whole of the UK.

What this all means to its visitors, of course, is that there is an opportunity to stroll around a period-perfect Georgian Farm, and ‘meet the animals’, including some very recently-born Soay Lambs, which are actually as rare to find these days as the Giant Panda!

Recognised for its Downton Abbey style upstairs-downstairs experience, Shugborough’s working Georgian Farm is especially popular during the spring and early summer when it becomes a maternity ward for some of the world’s rarest breeds of pigs and sheep.

The Boreray Sheep, of which Shugborough has three, is the Estate’s rarest animal and is on the RBST “critical list” with less than 300 breeding animals left in the entire world.

Leicester Longwool Sheep, classed as “endangered”, Middle White Pigs; Soay Sheep; and Berkshire Pigs are some of the other rarest breeds now being nurtured at the Estate’s farm.

With fewer than 500 Soay Sheep left, there was much to celebrate at Shugborough when two Soay Lambs were born at the end of April. And around another half dozen are expected in May.

As a Rare Breed Survival Trust farm park, this means that not only is Shugborough a fabulous family attraction, but also that it is helping to protect some of the rarest breeds of pigs, sheep and cows in the world.

Peter Titley of the RBST says: “We are very pleased with the work that Shugborough are doing to conserve these rare breeds and their awareness raising activities amongst the public. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is committed to increasing populations of the UK's rare and native breeds of farm livestock and it’s great to have Shugborough on board to help us achieve this. We were particularly impressed with the way the farm staff have been working closely with farmers from across the county and region to spread the genetics of some of our rarest breeds.”

Over 100,000 visitors a year now pass through the gates of Shugborough’s farm and are able to get involved in a wide variety of activities, including bottle-feeding, pig-washing, gently petting and listening to talks on caring for animals.

The Estate has kept rare breed livestock for over 30 years, and now joins only 19 other accredited parks across the UK.

Visit http://www.shugborough.org.uk/theshugboroughestate/Farm.aspx for further details of opening times and prices.

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For further information, and photo-opportunities, please contact:Corinne CaddyTel: 01889 881388E-mail: corinne.caddy@staffordshire.gov.uk

Notes to editor:The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a national charity, which aims to save rare, historic and ancient breeds of British Livestock www.rbst.org.ukAccredited Farm Parks have been identified as farms open to the public who are actively preserving and increasing these breeds, working with other local farmers to increase genetic pools and raising awareness of this work with the general public.

Amongst Shugborough’s rare breeds are:Boreray Sheep (classified as on the “critical list” - less than 300 breeding animals left in the world); Leicester Longwool Sheep (classified as “endangered” - 300-500 left); Middle White Pigs (classified as “vulnerable” - 200-300), Soay Sheep (classified as “at risk” - 900-1500 left); and Berkshire Pigs (classified as “at risk” - 300-500 left).