A Northumberland farmer says that there have been a lot of "happy, emotional tears" since her farm and safari experience appeared on Robson Green's Weekend Escapes last Wednesday.
Rebecca Wilson and her husband Ross have been running the Ingram Valley Safari since 2021 with guide Patrick Norris. Rebecca and Ross aim to bring tourism to Northumberland National Park that is sustainable in the same way that their farming practices are intended to be.
Last year, they opened a barn conversion on the farm for guests to stargaze under some of Europe's darkest skies, but it is the safari that is the farm's real star attraction. So much so that it was recently featured on Robson Green's Weekend Escapes, with the much loved Geordie actor letting the cat out of the bag about this hidden corner of Northumberland.
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The Ingram Valley Safari takes guests up into the hills as high as 1,000 feet above sea level into Northumberland National Park, where they can see wildlife such as red deer and stags. Even more impressive is the archaeology on the farm which has the same legal protections as Stonehenge - namely Iron Age hillforts, which Robson Green described himself as some of the "best preserved in Europe."
Rebecca told ChronicleLive: "I think it's been a bit of a secret up until now, but the secret's out now. We're showcasing all these incredible hillforts and their history.
"The reaction since we were on the show has been incredible, there have been a lot of happy, emotional tears with the feedback. We've had loads of interest in terms of bookings and enquiries and I really want to build on this now."
Much of the feedback that Rebecca has received has come from people with accessibility needs. She continued: "There are still a lot of people out there who are scared of going into cafes and restaurants because of Covid and flu, and obviously our picnic is outside or if it's raining, in an open-sided marquee.
"This is something I hadn't even really realised or appreciated, there's a lot of invisible accessibility needs out there which I hadn't really thought about until the show and it's only now we've had all this feedback saying what we're doing for accessibility is fantastic.
"I had a really powerful email from a lady saying how incredible she thought it was that we're addressing it. She has a nine and five year old who are vulnerable in terms of having low immune stems and an activity like ours is something they wouldn't be scared of doing."
Since the Ingram Valley Safari launched, the team have welcome people from the ages of two to 97 and there is Braille signage and audio for blind or partially sighted visitors. The farm has been praised by both Northumberland National Park and Historic England for opening up the hillforts to a more diverse audience, which is only expected to increase since their appearance on Robson Green's programme.
In fact, they've not only had enquiries from all over the UK, but have visitors from Belgium and Australia booked up to visit later in the year. Rebecca added: "I didn't think people in Belgium were watching Robson Green on BBC iPlayer, but we're getting a lot of international interest now and it's mind-blowing!"
And though it was Rebecca's first time on TV, she enjoyed the experience, saying: "Robson was really nice and very professional because obviously I'd never been on television before and I was a bit nervous, but within five minutes I felt like I was talking to a friend. I forgot the cameras were there because the ones they put in the safari vehicle were so tiny that I forgot we were being filmed for the most part."
"Since the show, Robson has been messaging me about how amazing the feedback has been. I think he's really proud that we've opened the hills up to a new diverse audience."
The Ingram Valley Safari starts at £65 per person and is tailored to visitors' requests wherever possible. For more information on Ingram Valley Farm and its safari experience, visit https://ingramvalley.co.uk/.
Robson Green's Weekend Escapes is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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