Beacon Alpacas

Beacon Alpacas is a small working farm on the edge of Husthwaite, in the Hambleton Hills area south-east of Thirsk, where you lead a halter-trained alpaca yourself on a walk round the farm's tracks. The walks go at an easy pace, with time to look around and to learn about each animal's personality from the people who keep them.

It suits a wide range of people. The morning walk is open to any age, so a family with small children can come, and the afternoon walk takes children from 7 upwards on a longer outing. Couples can share an alpaca, and anyone who would rather watch can walk alongside on a spectator ticket. Groups run from two alpacas up to twelve, so the walks stay small.

From Tea Time Cafe at 87 Market Place, the farm is about 7 miles away and roughly a 20-minute drive. The address is Suncliffe Beacon Farm, Malton Street, Husthwaite, York YO61 4PD, and the farm's website has a location map. Put the postcode in a satnav and follow signs for Husthwaite.

Park in the field near the gate. People with mobility issues can park closer, near the yard, where there is limited space; mention it when you book. A car is the practical way here, and the walk times fit neatly into a morning or an afternoon out from Thirsk.

Choose between the two walks. The morning walk starts with arrival at 10.15am and lasts just over an hour. For the afternoon walk you arrive at 1.15pm to meet the alpacas, set off after 1.30pm once the group has gathered, and walk for up to two hours. The route starts with a small hill and then runs level or downhill on grassy tracks and paths.

Children share the leading with their fee-paying adult, so a parent and child walk one alpaca together. For anyone who would rather stay in the farmyard, an afternoon farmyard visit costs 20 each with one carer free. The farm also offers wrangler days for hands-on alpaca care, a self-catering cabin and campervan pitches, and sells alpaca hats, gloves and fleece through its online shop. Special occasion extras such as a cake can be arranged when you book.

Leading your own animal is the heart of it. Holding the halter and walking at an alpaca's pace is a calmer, closer experience than watching from a fence, and the slow pace leaves room for questions and photographs. The farm's hillside position adds to it, and a 2024 visitor listing mentions views out over the Vale of York towards the Kilburn White Horse. The morning walk being open to any age is a real plus for families with children under 7.

Book well ahead, and remember there are no walks on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Wear waterproof footwear, because the grass is often wet and parts of the track get muddy after rain; sandals are not suitable. On cold days the farm asks for gloves, a scarf and a hat. Walks go ahead in light rain, and the farm messages you to postpone if the forecast is wet and windy. Check winter dates directly with the farm, as no seasonal timetable is published. A morning walk finishes in time to drive back to Thirsk for lunch, or to call at Coxwold or Byland Abbey on the way.