Looking for fun things to do with the family? Hadlow College has the perfect springtime event, which the whole family is sure to love.
Lambing Weekend, on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, 2025, offers the most magical seasonal experience, celebrating the thousands of lambs being born this spring.
Hadlow College is using this spring event to raise awareness about sustainable farming and agriculture. The Lambing Weekend will have a variety of land-based activities and displays to showcase the college.
The fun-filled family experience, which runs from 11am to 4pm, offers a rare window into agricultural life and offers various activities for adults and children, including -
Food and drink vendors
Fantastic competitions
Arts and crafts stalls
Opportunities to speak with the Advice and Guidance Team and curriculum areas
Tractor-trailer rides (weather permitting)
Talks and demonstrations by the National Centre for Reptile Welfare
Birds of prey display
Archery
Chance to meet the animals
The Sheep Show
Fun fair rides and stalls
Chris Lydon, vice-principal of Hadlow College: “Our Lambing Weekend is now an established part of the spring calendar in the South-East, and it is always hugely popular. It is a wonderful opportunity to see some adorable lambs and explore our beautiful surroundings here at Hadlow.”
Hadlow College focuses on developing an efficient, economical, healthy, and sustainable farming industry. Its facilities showcase the latest technology, such as a ‘concept orchard and vineyard’ with automated AI management systems, innovative crop diversity, cleaner storage, and robotic fruit picking.
The college is part of North Kent College, which is rated as ‘Good’ and assessed as ‘Outstanding’ in Behaviours and Attitudes at its most recent Ofsted grading in 2024. The College also offers residential accommodation (graded Outstanding by Ofsted).
Kent's only rural and land-based college
Hadlow College continues its passion for the land-based sector and key involvement with the county’s rural community.
It also continues its tradition of training outstanding practitioners in the land-based sector, such as garden designers James Basson, Bethany Williams, and Stuart Charles Towner, RHS Victoria Medal of Honour winner Nick Dunn, and progressive farm managers such as Garth Clark, who oversaw the organic conversions of both the Daylesford Estate and Yeo Valley’s Holt Farm.
Major prize winners
Hadlow’s students have won prizes at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court Flower Shows, Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards, the Alltech-Hartpury Equine Student Conference, The Mammal Society Student Conference, the NSA’s ‘Shepherd of the Future’ competition, the British Florist Association Industry Awards as well as regional student prizes from the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers and the South of England Agricultural Society Autumn Show.
The college's partnership with Thanet Earth and Thanet Earth Centre of Excellence is a groundbreaking partnership between Hadlow and leading industry grower Thanet Earth, and research and innovation organisation Growing Kent & Medway.
The Centre is based at Hadlow’s state-of-the-art glasshouse and is the UK’s first centre of excellence in greenhouse growing.
How to get tickets for Lambing Weekend
Family tickets (for two adults and up to three children) are £32, adults are £14 (17+), and concessions are £10 (for children aged two to 16, senior citizens over the age of 65, and students with a valid ID). Visitors can also pay at the gate.
Click here to book tickets for Hadlow College’s Lambing Weekend on April 26 and 27 at Ashes Lane, Tonbridge, TN11 0AN.
* Please note - pregnant women are advised not to enter the site as there is a risk to the unborn child of biological exposure from touching animals/animal faeces. No dogs are allowed except guide or assistance dogs.
