Award-Winning Farm Shop Wheelbirks Parlour to Close After Generations

Few days out feel more like part of the fabric of Tynedale than a trip to Wheelbirks. So there will be a fond sadness across the Hexham area at the news that Wheelbirks Parlour, the farm shop and ice cream parlour near Stocksfield, will close in September — the end of a chapter that has run for well over a century.

For generations of local families, Wheelbirks has been a first taste of proper farm ice cream, a Sunday afternoon with the children among the animals, and a reliable stop on a drive through the valley. Its closing marks the end of an era, but it is above all a moment to celebrate a remarkable family story.

More than 140 years on the same land

The Richardson family have farmed at Wheelbirks since 1882, five generations of them, building up a Jersey herd whose rich milk became the foundation of everything the parlour is known for. The ice cream parlour itself opened in 2010, set among historic stone buildings, and grew into a genuine regional destination — complete with an orchard garden, a children's play area and a working kitchen.

The quality never went unnoticed. Earlier this year Wheelbirks was named Farm Shop of the Year for the North East, a fitting recognition close to the end of its story.

A warm farewell

The wider Wheelbirks estate — around 386 acres of farmland, woodland, homes and buildings — has been put up for sale, and the parlour will serve its last visitors on Sunday 6 September. The family are offering customers the chance to register interest in keepsakes from the site, a gentle touch that speaks to how much affection has grown up around the place.

Writing to their many regulars, the family kept it simple and heartfelt: "Thank you for all the wonderful support — it really does mean so much to us."

There is still time for one more visit before the doors close. If Wheelbirks has been part of your family's summers too, September is the moment to raise a cone to 140-odd years of a Tynedale institution.

Best for: Wheelbirks Parlour near Stocksfield serves its last visitors on Sunday 6 September, after the Richardson family farmed the land for five generations since 1882.

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Details are drawn from the Hexham Courant. Spotted a local story we should cover? Get in touch.