What is that vile smell? (Lakeland Sheep and Wool Centre (Cumbria))

Member Name: SusanLesley

Product:	Lakeland Sheep and Wool Centre (Cumbria)
Date:	24/04/09 (289 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Food at the adjoining hotel is good

Disadvantages: Unnatural environment for animals, smells foul, expensive gifts

On holiday in The Lake District we saw adverts for the Lakeland Sheep and Wool Visitors Centre. The leaflets were promoting it as 'Cumbria Venue of the Year' and 'the highlight of our holiday' so we thought we'd take a look. We were heading in that general direction on this particular day so this was going to be a real treat for me as I love sheep.

I was expecting a farm like set up so that we could see the animals and maybe stroke them and I was quietly hopeful that I would be allowed to hand feed a lamb - I have always wanted to do that!

Boy, was I in for a BIG disappointment!

Where is it?

The Lakeland Sheep and Wool Centre can be found just south of Cockermouth in Cumbria. It is just off the A66 - A5086 roundabout on the Egremont Road.

What facilities are there?

There is a large free car park and a hotel on the site. The hotel has a large airy bar / restaurant where we had a light lunch. This was very nice and the range of food and drink was good and the food was all well cooked. There were also toilets here which were nice and clean.

And the sheep?

Well, after we had eaten we headed back outside and along to the main entrance to the centre. This took us into a shop selling expensive clothes, ornaments, sweets and lots of general souvenirs with sheep on them, but where were the sheep?

The only other exit from the shop was through a closed door and a 'theatre show' was advertised. I did comment that maybe the sheep were going to do a song and dance act!

I asked at the counter how much the show cost and was told that it was £5 for adults and £4 for children and we thought that was a bit expensive so we were wondering whether to bother as we couldn't understand what sheep would do in a theatre.

As we continued to look round the gift shop, trying to decide what to do, the door to the theatre was opened. We weren't looking in that direction but we knew it was open because the whole gift shop was filled with a very strong smell of animal. I am not one of these people who complain about 'country' smells but this was overpowering - what it smelled like in the actual theatre is anyone's guess! It was at this point that we left the building heading out into the fresh air. As we did we looked back through the open door to see a small theatre with sawdust on the floor.

Apparently what happened in the theatre is that various breeds of sheep are brought onto the stage one at a time and the audience are told a series of facts about each of them. They are then chained up in their set position on stage with food to keep them occupied.

There are also a couple of cows and sheepdogs who show their skills by rounding up geese.

There is an opportunity for the audience to go on stage and pet the animals and also feed a lamb but even this couldn't tempt me. The idea of spending £5 to sit in a room where I could barely breathe for the smell to see sheep chained up on a stage was not my idea of 'the highlight of my holiday'!

Contact details

Just in case this review has tempted you to visit this 'highlight' the website can be found at: http://www.shepherdshotel.co.uk/sheepWoolCentre/in dex.htm

The address and contact details are below:

Shepherds Hotel & Restaurant
Egremont Road
Cockermouth
Cumbria
CA13 0QX

Telephone : 01900 822673
Fax : 01900 820129

They take advance bookings for coach parties.

My final thoughts

Well I was really looking forward to going to this centre as I was expecting to be able to see lots of sheep and lambs in the open air, where they should be, and I was very disappointed to be expected to sit in a stinking theatre to see sheep chained up on stage!

I can only suggest that, if you do go, take a peg for your nose!

Summary: Don't consider it unless you have a strong stomach