10 adorable photos as South Downs farm opens for lambing season - this is why your support is more important than ever

Church Farm, Coombes in Lancing is a 1,000 acre working farm on the South Downs. The Passmore family have been farming there for more than 120 years.

As the spring lambing event for 2025 begins – the busiest time of the year – the farm has 800 ewes and are expecting more than 1,200 lamb.

They also have the Sussex cows ‘calving at the same time’ – with people invited to ‘come and see the lambs and calves being born’.

The farm has been in the Passmore family since 1901. Andrew Flake, fifth generation, has taken over from his mother Jenny Passmore – who still works on the farm and runs tours.

Jenny explained: “We are lambing until April 21. By the end of the Easter holidays, we'll have well over 2,000 sheep on the farm.

"We're getting lots of public again, because the weather's good. At the moment, it's school time, so we're getting a lot of grandparents bringing grandchildren.

"But it's very noticeable this year that we're getting a lot of adults without children as well. They all enjoy coming.

“We've got the booking system, so we're getting quite a lot of people booking for the Easter holidays. We're open 9.30am till 4pm and they can book online or pay on the gate – cash or card.

“My daughter runs late-night lambing for adults. There's lamb feeding and calf feeding. We've got 30 calves this year, and we feed them in the day as well.

“People can't book to feed lambs and calves, but they share. In the evenings, it's adults only, and they can book to feed.”

Jenny started working on the farm in 1979. Her grandchildren are already expressing an interest in taking charge one day – but they sadly may not be able to.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Autumn Budget in October 2024 that – from April 2026 – inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1million, which were previously exempt, will be liable to inheritance tax at 20 percent.

This is causing major concern for families in the agricultural industry in Sussex and beyond – with protests held across the country.

Paul Marshall – the leader of West Sussex County Council – called on the government to reconsider changes to inheritance tax which he claims will have a ‘devastating impact on many family farms’.

Coombes owner Andrew, 30, said these are ‘concerning times’ for farmers, who are ‘trying to live off their land and produce food for everyone to eat and use’.

He said: “It feels like it is getting harder and harder to do this over the last few years. We are limited to what we can and can’t do and what we can and can’t grow.

“All the input costs have gone up hugely. Before this budget, it was getting quite hard anyway.

“We used to be able to employ about 20 people on the farm in my grandad’s day. Now we are struggling to afford to pay one person and make a living off the land.”

The farm owner, who has young children, remains hopeful they will be the sixth generation but there are no guarantees.

“Now we have more costs and charges, it’s a big worry,” Andrew said.

"They are not being left with much at all.

"We have to farm all the land to get a return to make a living for ourselves. We are talking about survival here.

“Anything can happen, it’s such a big thing. It’s going to affect a lot of people.

"It feels the land is being pulled from beneath our feet. Every percentage of the population use us three times a day.”

Jenny said the family are just ‘hoping the government will allow us to carry on farming’.

"We always say we're custodians of the farm for the next generation,” she said.

“We’re very concerned about the government rules. To put it bluntly, when something happens to me, part of the farm will have to be sold.

“There won’t be any other choice if the new rules go ahead.

“You feel like you're almost letting the family down because the other generations have passed it down to us.

“We are a working farm and we're determined to keep it that way.

“When people come and visit us, we point out the facts that we are a working farm and not a play farm.”

Jenny said she is grateful for all the support the family, and ‘farmers in general’, are getting ‘with all the problems that we've got at the moment’.

Coombes Farm is running a competition for visitors during lambing season.

The website states: “Many of you take pictures of our lambs during your visits and we love seeing them. So this season we are running a competition to discover the cutest lamb picture! Or just your best picture taken on our farm.

"The winners will receive a free family return trip for up to four people. Put your photos on our Facebook site.”

The entry fee (£6 for adults and £4 for children aged two and over) ‘includes everything except the tractor ride’, which is weather dependent and payable at a rate of £4 as you board.

The website read: “There are no lambs to feed to start with as we only have hob lambs, if the ewes do not have enough milk for all their lambs.

“Lamb feeding is at 12pm and 4pm when we have lambs, we do not take them off the ewes unless the ewes do not have enough milk. Calf feeding is at 2pm after April 1.

"Schools and groups should please email us [email protected] to book.”

People are reminded that no dogs are allowed and the activity is ‘not recommended for pregnant ladies’.

Wellies are recommended as well as a warm coat and hat.

“We cannot guarantee that you will see a lamb or calf being born but there will be new ones to see,” the family added.

“Please don't consume food or drink in the lambing barn. The barn café will be open for teas and coffees and you can bring a picnic to have in the barn or outside.”

The address is Church Farm, Coombes, Lancing, Sussex BN15 0RS. Visitors are asked to book an arrival time but ‘then you are welcome to stay on as long as you wish’, subject to closing time.

To book, visit nowtakemybooking.com/book/coombesfarmtours/lambing25/start.