Children taking a course at Braeside education centre in Devizes had a fascinating day being shown round a working farm on the outskirts of the town.

John Butler, of Rowdefield Farm in Rowde, has been hosting groups of children from Wiltshire Council’s education centre for the last ten years and the tours have become very popular.

Mr Butler said: “The last two years have seen over 40 schools per year and over 1,000 children visiting.”

Pupils from Broad Town Primary School were the latest to enjoy the guided tour around the farm, examining crop seed and their uses, comparing and selecting different animal feeds, feeding the chickens and collecting the eggs, handling newly hatched chicks and ducks and meeting this year’s lambs and kids.

Older pupils also had the chance to milk the farm’s life-size model cow and sit on a tractor.

The farm’s barn classroom is equipped with presentation facilities so that sessions can take place indoors if the weather is inclement.