Catanger Farm
Catanger is the name of our land, it is a Saxon word meaning where wild cats roam and sometimes written as Cat Hanger or Cateanger.
Lying outside the local parish boundary hedges, it would have been uncultivated and quite a wild place in medieval times, where wild cats would have been quite at home. In 1992 David & Mary Pryse bought 40 acres of this land which was all under arable cultivation. It has slowly evolved into something quite different, unique even, as it is the home of Catanger Llamas and Catanger Llama Trekking.
New buildings and llamas at Catanger Farm Catanger Farm is situated in the heart of the Northamptonshire countryside. Northamptonshire is often referred to as the county of ‘squires and spires’ with idyllic villages and beautiful rolling countryside, unspoilt and blissfully quiet. What better way to get away from it all and enjoy the beautiful scenery than by walking a gentle llama along bridleways, farm tracks and country lanes.
20 acres of native woodland have been planted with paths and rides threading through them, the rest is pasture and hay fields for our herd of llamas and a few donkeys. Highland cattle were the first livestock to arrive in 1994, followed by Angora goats and a guard llama called Henry. The rest is history. Henry totally captivated us and after 6 months of llama ownership we felt compelled to get more llamas and start breeding. We slowly built our herd up and in 1998 we started trekking with Henry, Hector, George and a one year old home bred boy called Crofter. We now have a team of trekkers, second to none!
With an expanding breeding programme, it became vital that we be on site at all times and eventually, we got planning permission to live at Catanger. Our log cabin is made of timber from sustainable forests and insulated to a high degree. We have a zero carbon rating as we are not connected to the National Grid, producing all our own electricity from the sun. Cooking and heating is produced by burning wood.
New Visitor Centre
Our visitor centre provides a spacious trekking reception area with displays of llama and South American information. The open plan design also houses our gift shop and the fibre studio, complete with rug loom and spinning wheels.
Looking out over our fields with llamas as neighbours, it is centrally heated as well as enjoying a log burning stove and full toilet facilities. Probably one of the most unusual and peaceful settings, it is available for meetings/conferences for up to 12 people. Disabled access and facilities in Visitor Centre.
A balcony runs the length of the centre, overlooking one of our paddocks of llamas. There are picnic tables so you can enjoy your picnic before or after a trek or meeting in these idyllic surroundings.
Local Area
Situated on the Northamptonshire/Oxfordshire border, there is much to see and enjoy. There are historic houses, churches and gardens, waterways, forest walks and sporting facilities. Antique and farm shops, horseracing and the Silverstone circuit are all within a few miles.
Althorp, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwick, Oxford and the Cotswolds are all less than one hour away, which makes it an ideal base for discovering this beautiful part of the country.
Recommended Local Accommodation
Check our two exclusive ‘On Farm’ accommodations!
Love2Yurt – Visit their website
Luxury handcrafted yurts, located on the beautiful Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire border and within easy reach of the Cotswolds and Silverstone, provide the perfect holiday destination for families, friends or couples to enjoy a glamping holiday. Only 6 miles from Catanger Farm. e…@love2yurt.co.uk Tel: 0777 568 6678
There are numerous village pubs with excellent bar food and restaurants locally.
We are also only 20 minutes from the Hinton Airfield were you can go paintballing, sky diving and also Zorb Footballing! .
Further Information
www.northamptonshiresurprise.com/
www.visitnorthoxfordshire.co.uk
www.somewheretogo.co.uk/warwickshire_attractions.html
www.banburyshireinfo.co.uk
Useful Links
Organisations
The British Llama Society ‘brings together a lively community of people all of whom have been captivated’ by llamas
www.britishllamasociety.org
UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
www.defra.gov.uk
Web Design
This site is designed, built and hosted by Sort IT
www.sort-it.biz
We Support
For more hen ideas – www.organiseahen.co.uk
British Llama Society
We are members of the British Llama Society and have signed their Code of Conduct for Commercial Trekking, and the Code of Conduct for the Sale of Llamas.
All our llamas, including those we use for trekking and those which are for sale, are registered with the British Llama Society.
They have a page dedicated to Llama Trekking here.
For more information about Llama Fibre, please click here.
To read more general information about the British Llama Society please click here.
