A farm is swinging open its barn doors open for the 45th year and hopes to show the public the good, the bad and the unexpected of farming.

Some 1,200 lambs will be born at Coombes Farm near Lancing this season and, as always, farmer Andrew Flake is inviting the public to take a look behind the scenes.

The lambs roam the fields at Coombes and tractor rides and walkways mean everyone can catch a glimpse of them.

The Argus: Left to right: James Flake-Harmer, 3, Andrew Flake, 29, and Connie Harmer, 4 petting the lambsLeft to right: James Flake-Harmer, 3, Andrew Flake, 29, and Connie Harmer, 4 petting the lambs (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Andrew told The Argus: "We are a working farm. Take us as you find us, it's the busiest time of year.

"We don't really hide anything away. It's nature at its best. We've got two big sheds with lots of sheep in so there's a high chance of coming here and seeing something born."

The Argus: Tractor tours run through the farmTractor tours run through the farm (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

But while seeing the cute lambs playing in the field is a highlight of any visit to Coombes, Andrew said the importance of visiting a farm should not be understated.

"I think the best thing is people getting back to nature but also seeing where food comes from," said Andrew.

The Argus: A lamb roaming among daffodils in Coombes FarmA lamb roaming among daffodils in Coombes Farm (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

"Coming to a working farm to appreciate actually what goes on, the work that's involved, and seeing that animals are happy and healthy.

"We've had a lot of people come up here and say 'this is a lot nicer than I thought'."

The public were first invited to the farm 45 years ago by farmer Jenny Flake, Andrew's mother, whose family has run the farm since 1901.

The Argus: Three generations of Flake farmers. Jenny, left, holding a lamb and Andrew holding Humphrey Flake-Harmer, six months oldThree generations of Flake farmers. Jenny, left, holding a lamb and Andrew holding Humphrey Flake-Harmer, six months old (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Jenny, who runs the farm alongside Andrew, said being around the lambs helps her mental health.

"I was saying to somebody today, you know, you can talk to an animal and tell it all your problems and it's not going to tell anybody, so I think it's really important.

"You go out into the Downs, up onto the hill with these views and it's just brilliant."