Read more about our project below…
2024 was a very big year for us – we finally got underway building a brand-new Reindeer Centre. The business, operating out of Reindeer House since it was built in 1960, had outgrown its roots, and we’d been very aware that the Paddock and Exhibition adjacent to Reindeer House (where people unable to go on the Hill Trips could visit a few members of the herd) had become very dated and in need of a major upgrade. The dream of a whole new, fully-accessible and inclusive building, housing the shop and reception area, the office and the educational Exhibition – all under one roof – started to take place.
An extremely generous donation from one of our long-term supporters gave us the motivation needed to get this project up and running, turning the dream into the starts of reality. We began with a long-needed car park and in early January the major project got underway as we tore down the old Exhibition. Excitement was tinged with sadness – 30 years to build the Paddock area into what it had become, and a couple of weeks to flatten it entirely.
Actually, ‘flattening’ was the crux of one of the problems. Our new building is situated between Reindeer House and the old Exhibition shed, and as you may know, the whole site is on a very steep slope. Shoe-horning all the elements we need into such an awkward space is proving a bit of a headache. But the main worry is – predictably – the ever-rising cost. The whole project is eye-wateringly expensive for a small, family-run business.
Along with the main building, there is all the associated groundworks for the Paddocks, and the other buildings and displays which will be situated there (we can’t leave the elves homeless – they need their Elf House back!). We made the big move into our shiny new Centre in February 2025, and by October we had our indoor Exhibition area open, with Santa’s new bothy currently being built. It will be a work in progress for a few years, as we develop our outdoor area with more pathways and features. Every donation will go towards building an awesome Reindeer Experience for All!
