Farmers are hoping to boost vegetable sales from a small island by a-mazing visitors.
Tourists on Lindisfarne have been able to lose themselves in a specially planted maize maze created by three local farmers.
Danny Hodgson and his son Richard, of Red Steads Farm, near Alnwick, joined forces with Robert Brigham, whose family have farmed St Coombs Farm, on Holy Island for generations, to boost sales of vegetables grown on the island and to offer added attractions for visitors.
Funded by a grant from Defra’s Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES), delivered by the Rural Development Service (RDS), the farmers have purchase a new vehicle and chill unit to help pick and store fruit and vegetables and to add a raised gantry, telescope, pedal tractors and picnic tables around the maze.
Danny Hodgson said: “Both farms have Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreements - we were among the first to sign up around 14 years ago - and we’ve created new footpaths, planted hedges, created new ponds and helped improve the habitat for birds and other wildlife.
“We believe this is the way St Coombs should be farmed and we wanted people to be able to come here to enjoy the island and its fantastic views.
“This is the second year we’ve planted the maze and it’s been really popular. We wanted to offer visitors something a bit different and the new rest area, gantry and telescope means they can now enjoy the views and watch the nearby seal colony,” he said
“We’re growing 34 varieties of vegetables in the fields here and four varieties of strawberries - all hand dug, sown and picked, it’s very labour intensive. We then sell it on the stall near the maze.”