Shire horse
Lady Rhona is a stunning Shire horse. She joined us in April 2018, coming to us from another attraction. She enjoys meeting visitors and likes to pop her head above the stable door in our Children’s Barn.
Shire horses are big and strong, but they’re also really calm and friendly. A long time ago, they were called the “Great Horse” because they carried knights in heavy armour into battle! Before machines were invented, Shires helped on farms by plowing the fields. When machines took over, Shire horses weren’t needed as much anymore, which is how they became a rare breed.
Lady Rhona is 17.2 hands tall—really big for a horse! She might seem a little rude at first, but once she gets to know you, she shows her sweet, gentle side. Scratch her shoulder or bum, and she’ll be your best friend!
If you spend all day at the farm you will see Rhona grazing in the paddock near the carpark at the beginning or end of the day.
Photo credit: Piers Golden 2018
Speckled Sussex chicken
A popular backyard chicken due to its gentle and friendly nature.
Is a dual purpose breed as it is good for both meat and egg production.
The Sussex comes in eight colours (Brown, Buff, Light, Red, Speckled, Silver, White and Coronation). The speckled variety is a rich mahagony colour with greenish black speckles.
Java Sparrow
A small bird at 15-17cm long, Java Sparrows live in flocks.
Adults have distinct white cheeks and a black head and a thick red bill. They have grey or fawn plumage and pink feet.
They feed on rice fields in the wild and other seeds.
Wiltshire sheep
Possibly introduced by the Romans, the Wiltshire sheep is a native breed from Wiltshire. It is unusual among native breeds because of its ability to shed its wool in spring, alleviating the need for shearing. The rising price of wool and a move away from horned sheep resulted in a decline in popularity during the 19th and 20th centuries. The breed was saved from extinction by a small group of enthusiastic breeders who formed the Wiltshire Horn Sheep Society in 1923. In the 1970’s the breed came under the protection of the RBST because numbers were so low.
The sheep who didn’t like orchids
As well as being able to shed its own wool the Wiltshire Horn has other talents. In 2011, a flock of Wiltshire Horns were borrowed by Network Rail to graze a railway cutting that was home to wild orchids and other flora. The sheep were used to clear the scrub without harming other plants and left the orchids alone. They seem to be natural conservationists and land management specialists too.
English Longhorn cattle
Maisie, Madeleine, Margaux & Morgana are our English Longhorn cows. And then of course there is Max, our English Longhorn bull. You can find all of them in cattle shed.
English Longhorn is an ancient breed with large sweeping horns; it came close to extinction in the middle of the 20th century.
They are one of our largest native cattle breeds; with the cows (females) weighing 700-750kg and the bulls often over 1 tonne (1000-1100kg).
The body may be a variety of brindle colours but all have the characteristic white line along the back and down the tail. The horns usually sweep and curve forwards and as the name suggests can grow to great lengths. They are excellent mothers, give birth very easily and are docile and easy to manage.
In 2024 we welcomed our new, handsome bull to the herd – Gimli. In the video below, see our English Longhorns making their way back in the field. Follow our TikTok channel to see more fun videos of animals on our farm.
@rarebreedscentre All the cattle enjoying being in their field #longhorn #longhorns #cattle #fyp #fypp
Border Leicester Sheep
We were excited to welcome the Border Leicester sheep to the farm in 2024! These big, friendly sheep originally come from Northumberland. They are great mums and have super calm personalities. What makes them really special are their cute, rabbit-like ears that stand up and their Roman-shaped noses. They’re easy to spot and are often shown off at special events!
Their soft wool is also very special, as it’s shiny and takes dye really well, which makes it a favourite for spinners.
Find out more about Border Leicesters from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s (RBST’s) website.
Oxford Sandy and Black
Meet Ivy and Fig, our Oxford Sandy and Black pigs! They are one of Britain’s oldest pig breeds. Known for their friendly nature, they have a special reddish colour that has earned them the cute nickname “Plum Pudding Pig”.
Sadly, this breed almost disappeared twice! But thanks to some caring breeders, they have been saved and are still around today, though there aren’t many of them left.
In July 2025, Ivy gave birth to her first litter!
This litter represents an exciting milestone for our farm team. Not only are Oxford Sandy and Blacks one of the oldest native British pig breeds, which are listed as ‘At Risk’ by the RBST, but Ivy’s piglets were born thanks to successful AI methods (artificial insemination), which is a first for our farm.
We can now actively help grow the population of these friendly “Plum Pudding Pigs” as they’re also known. without needing to find a male boar every time.
So it’s a big win for the breed, a happy time for Ivy who can now relax with her babies, and a proud moment for our farming team. Visitors are welcome to come and see Ivy and her piglets in the Children’s Barn. Remember to be calm and quiet around them so mum and babies can rest and bond in peace.
You can see Ivy with her tiny babies in a YouTube video by clicking the image below.
British Alpine goat
Meet Boris and Ed, our friendly British Alpine goats! You’ll find them in the Children’s Barn—they love visitors, so don’t be shy!
British Alpine goats are a large breed of goat with shiny black fur and white or creamy markings on their face and legs. If you look closely, you might see something funny on their chins. They have little dangly bits called toggles, something most goats have. Both boy and girl goats can have them. No one knows exactly why they’re there, but they might be leftover from a body part goats don’t need anymore!
Ed & Boris are brothers with very different personalities. Ed is calm and gentle, while Boris is a little crazy and wild! But they both love getting scratched, especially on their chin, cheeks, and back. So come say hello and see if you can spot Boris and Ed’s toggles!
Highland Cattle
Meet one of our most bloved animals on the farm: Huckleberry the Highland bull. You can find him in the Children’s Barn.
Highland Cattle are known for their iconic ginger (orange) coats, though they used to come in other colors too! It’s said that Queen Victoria loved the red coat, so over time, more Highland cows became ginger instead of black. They come from the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland and were first mentioned 1500 years ago!
These cows are great for helping with nature projects because they love to eat bushes and trees, which helps clear the forest floor and create meadows. Before coming to the Rare Breeds Centre, Huckleberry was a champion at the Kent County Show when he was only 6 months old!
They usually. have long horns and long wavy coats. Huckleberry doesn’t have the kinds of horns usually seen on Highland cattle, as he was de-horned as a calf. He arrived on the farm at 18 months old, from a local school farm, where he won a Champion rosette for their Young Farmers at the Kent County Show.