Himley Hall briefly shut as 'ram raiders' strike
Himley Hall was forced to quickly close its gates after a flock of adventurous sheep wandered into the grounds.
Visitors and staff were said to be baaa-ffled as the flock enjoyed a leisurely stroll and munched on the grass at the Dudley beauty spot on Thursday morning.
It is believed that the 250-strong flock of sheep and lambs got into the park from a neighbouring field when electric fencing broke down.
Staff on site quickly got into shepherd mode and rounded up the woolly animals and returned them to safety.
The park had to be briefly closed to visitors in order to protect the sheep and their lambs, who workers said particularly seemed to enjoy walking among the recently blooming bluebells.
No sheep were harmed and the park was back open again shortly after 9am once they had been returned to their field.
Tracey Reece, site manager said: "It wasn’t quite what we were expecting when we turned up for work this morning, but then again, every day here is different!
"The sheep seemed to enjoy their time grazing on the lawn and returned home with good grace.
"I think they wanted to get in before the Bank Holiday weekend, to make the most of our beautiful site and the bluebells which are really coming into their own."
Sheep-permitting, the park is open every day from 7am to 7pm
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