A Cockermouth business is diversifying even further by adding glamping holidays to its package.

Wellington Farm, which also runs a successful tea room and sells award-winning ice cream, will soon offer six luxurious pods, which will sleep four people each.

The farm has been in the Stamper family since 1946 and Leigh Stamper explained that diversification was now necessary for small farms to survive.

He said: “Small family farms don’t just make it with agriculture anymore. Either they have to get really big or do something else.”

Mr Stamper said the family had been considering the pods for several years, but thought the time was now right.

He said: “The idea for the pods has blown hot and cold over the past 10 years, but we thought maybe now is the right time to start.”

Work to install the pods has been more than they anticipated and they have had to overcome a range of issues, including using the biomass heating system which also heats the cafe and the farm. But now they are almost ready to take bookings.

He said: “We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. There’s been quite a bit more work than we expected to be honest and there is still work to be done.

“The weather is holding us up at the moment. It keeps pushing things back because we can’t have wet ground for the patios which need to go down for each pod.”

Despite the weather affecting the schedule, Mr Stamper said the pods would be available in time for the upcoming tourist season.

Adding the pods will make the site even more attractive to visitors.

The family already rent the round to an equestrian school and driving range, and also has a cafe and llamas and peacocks wandering around the picturesque site.