Herefordshire College News
Ellie Chowns tries out blacksmithing at Holme Lacy College
Last Friday, we were honoured to be able to show Ellie Chowns, the Green Party
November 19, 2024
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Holme Lacy Campus offers an outstanding learning environment, designed to give our students the practical skills, knowledge and experience for successful progression to their chosen career or university.
Set above the beautiful River Wye, the college boasts a 230-hectare mixed organic farm, with animal care and equestrian centres, an arable, beef and sheep farm, woodlands, orchards and lakes.
Our rural crafts centre is home to the National School of Blacksmithing and the largest training-based forge in Europe. Hereford School of Farriery is the historic home of farriery training in the UK.
We are committed to boosting skills in low carbon, renewable technologies such as electric vehicles, solar, ground and air source heat pumps, water harvesting and more, as part of the Marches Education Partnership.
Read on for a quick overview of what’s on offer. But the best way to really get a feel for our College is to come and see for yourself at one of our open events!
A learning resource for students studying vocational animal management courses, the Unit is home to over one hundred animals, with over thirty-five different species including reptiles, fish, birds, amphibians, mammals and invertebrates.
It incorporates a Tropical Room, Rodent Room, Grooming/Health checking Room, Kennel Block, outside barn and paddock area. The rabbits and guinea pigs are put out to graze daily and cats, chickens and ducks also roam free during the day.
All students complete a day on the Unit each week carrying out duties such as cleaning the enclosures and providing feed, water and exercise. The students also maintain the grounds surrounding the animal accommodation to meet industrial standards.
The tutors also use the Unit for lessons and assessments in health checking, practising animal First Aid, handling/restraint, monitoring behaviour and designing accommodation.
Come to one of our open events to meet the animals and take a tour of the Unit.
This £1.5 million, state-of-the-art development is home to the National School of Blacksmithing, as well as our Farriery, Metalwork and Welding courses.
The Centre at-a-glance:
Holme Lacy College has long had an excellent reputation for its blacksmithing and farriery work. Trainees are recruited on a national basis and close relationships have been developed with the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, British Artists Blacksmiths Association and the Worshipful Company of Farriers.
Currently over 300 Farriery and Blacksmithing trainees attend each year, making the Centre for Rural Crafts the largest training centre in the country for this area of work.
Training is rigorous, and the majority of students achieve their ambition of running their own business.
Hereford School of Farriery is the historic home of farriery training in the UK. We have over 60 apprentices, and the Farriery course was cited as an example of best practice in the College’s recent Ofsted inspection.
See the Rural Crafts Centre Gallery (Flickr) for more photos
For further details about the Centre call Holme Lacy Reception on 01432 870000 who will direct you to the right person.
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The Equestrian Centre at Holme Lacy is a British Horse Society (BHS) Approved Riding School, which offers both excellent riding facilities and high quality education.
Hacking is set within the College’s magnificent 600-acre estate through woodlands, open fields and grass paths with some optional jumps. There is a cross-country course and an outdoor arena with all-weather surface. There’s also an indoor school with viewing gallery.
All our instructors are qualified to a minimum of BHSPI standard.
The Centre at-a-glance:
Comments from our last British Horse Society inspection
View the Riding School Price List
See the Equine Gallery (Flickr) for photos.
For more details about the Centre call Holme Lacy College Reception on 01432 870000 who will direct you to the right person.
Browse our:
Holme Lacy College Equestrian Centre is registered with Herefordshire Council reference N-RID22.
An organic mixed farm, set within 230 hectares of land. Supplying a multitude of students with a realistic and working learning environment, it is well-equipped with farm machinery including a CLAAS tractor with GPS-Co-Pilot.
The farm boasts a pedigree herd of Hereford cattle and large flock of Lleyn sheep. Crops produced on the farm include potatoes, wheat, oats, pea and barley mix, beans and cider apples. The farm supplies crops to Abel and Cole, a large retail veg-box scheme and local shops such as Oakchurch.
Since 2016, the Farm has been selling the potatoes to baby food manufacturers who then sell on to companies such as Heinz and Ella’s Kitchen. The oats grown are supplied to Whites who then turn these into porridge oats and muesli bars. The cider apples go to Westons Cider.
The farm has an abundant Great Crested Newt and Dung Beetle population. The estate also supports a number of beehives which are managed by the Herefordshire Beekeepers Association.
The site has its own fully equipped Learning Resource Centre which combines traditional library services, teaching space and IT facilities. This has undergone a £500,000 facelift to completely transform the building into a modern and dynamic centre for students to enjoy.
The Learning Resource Centre follows the Early Years Foundation Stage to work towards all children’s individual needs.
Last Friday, we were honoured to be able to show Ellie Chowns, the Green Party
Update on the incident on 4/10/24 on Folly Lane from HSFC, HCA and HLNSC.On the
