A FARMING family which diversified after a disease outbreak are celebrating the fifth anniversary of a successful tourist attraction on their land.

Jane and Graham Wadsworth have re-opened their popular ‘maize maze’ – in the shape of a chicken – at Lakeland Maze Park, Raines Hall Farm, Sedgwick, near Kendal, and crowds of people have been flocking there to enjoy a day out and find out more about life on a working farm.

The couple diversified in 2003 after an outbreak of Johne’s Disease meant they lost their herd of cattle, with no compensation available from the Government. Mrs Wadsworth said: “We went out of dairy farming and we talked with grant funding bodies, and they suggested we did this. We already had maize here for the beef cattle and sheep so it seemed like a good step to take.” The farm which has been in Mr Wadsworth’s family for four generations features a mini maze for youngsters and the larger maize maze, which takes between 90 and 10 minutes to complete, as well as cattle, sheep, pigs, llamas and more. And despite the success of the park, the couple remain keen farmers and are set to open a new purpose built free range chicken barn in November for 12,000 chickens.

The mazes remain open daily until September 6, from which date it will be open on weekends with special moonlit maze events.