Church Farm, Stow Bardolph
Church Farm is a little further away than most of the regular places we visit, but it is absolutely worth the drive. Stow Bardolph is on the A10 just North of Downham Market, about 20 miles from Ely on the way to King's Lynn. (It takes about an hour from Bury St Edmunds.) The farm is one of the most toddler friendly places I have ever seen, and is a fantastic all-weather experience, even for those who don't like to brave the elements. It is also very accessible for a buggy or a wheelchair.
There is a delightful café and shop just inside the entrance, serving homemade lunches and cakes, and a lovely assortment of toys, books and gifts. There is a door leading out to the farm, or a way into the rest of the seating area, which is adjacent to a fantastic indoor play area, with a dedicated toddler only zone.
Outside, there is a lovely play area with climbing equipment and trampolines that are sunk into the ground. Again, there is a specific under 4s only trampoline, which makes it much safer. There is also a ride-on tractor corral, with a variety of sizes of tractor, and plenty of space to drive them in. If the weather isn't great, there is a huge sandpit which has a roof, or a barn which is just filled with straw bales for jumping on.
The animals are extremely accessible, making it one of the best farms for animal interaction that we visit. Most of the pens have a safe zone for the animals if they don't want to be disturbed, and then a penned off area that the kids can climb into with the animals. Amelia particularly likes getting into the piglets' pen... They have clear signs to show which animals like to be touched, and which ones to avoid, and there are several staff members on hand to help.
There are plenty of animals to see, both inside and out. The barns are covered, so you can stay relatively dry and see most of the farm. There are some pigsties outside, and the larger grazing animals like horses and cows are in meadows around the farm, but the goats, bunnies, lambs and piglets are all in covered areas. There is a lovely woodland walk if you have the energy after playing on everything else.
It is not the cheapest farm to visit, but there is a large amount on offer here, including tractor rides and pig racing!
For more information, visit their website here. They also have a Facebook page.
Summer Opening 2016
Open Every Day from Thursday 11th February 2016
10am – 5pm
Admission Prices
Adult £7.50
Child (3- 16) £6.90
Child aged 2 £4.50
(Children under 2 are free)
Senior Citizen£6.90
Family ticket £26.80
(2 adults & 2 children or 1 adult & 3 children)
Winter Opening is from 3rd November 2016 until 5th February 2017
Church Farm
Stow Bardolph
Downham Market
West Norfolk
PE34 3HT
Tel: 01366 382162
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChurchFarmSB
Twitter: @ChurchFarmSB
There is a delightful café and shop just inside the entrance, serving homemade lunches and cakes, and a lovely assortment of toys, books and gifts. There is a door leading out to the farm, or a way into the rest of the seating area, which is adjacent to a fantastic indoor play area, with a dedicated toddler only zone.
Outside, there is a lovely play area with climbing equipment and trampolines that are sunk into the ground. Again, there is a specific under 4s only trampoline, which makes it much safer. There is also a ride-on tractor corral, with a variety of sizes of tractor, and plenty of space to drive them in. If the weather isn't great, there is a huge sandpit which has a roof, or a barn which is just filled with straw bales for jumping on.
The animals are extremely accessible, making it one of the best farms for animal interaction that we visit. Most of the pens have a safe zone for the animals if they don't want to be disturbed, and then a penned off area that the kids can climb into with the animals. Amelia particularly likes getting into the piglets' pen... They have clear signs to show which animals like to be touched, and which ones to avoid, and there are several staff members on hand to help.
There are plenty of animals to see, both inside and out. The barns are covered, so you can stay relatively dry and see most of the farm. There are some pigsties outside, and the larger grazing animals like horses and cows are in meadows around the farm, but the goats, bunnies, lambs and piglets are all in covered areas. There is a lovely woodland walk if you have the energy after playing on everything else.
It is not the cheapest farm to visit, but there is a large amount on offer here, including tractor rides and pig racing!
For more information, visit their website here. They also have a Facebook page.
Summer Opening 2016
Open Every Day from Thursday 11th February 2016
10am – 5pm
Admission Prices
Adult £7.50
Child (3- 16) £6.90
Child aged 2 £4.50
(Children under 2 are free)
Senior Citizen£6.90
Family ticket £26.80
(2 adults & 2 children or 1 adult & 3 children)
Winter Opening is from 3rd November 2016 until 5th February 2017
Church Farm
Stow Bardolph
Downham Market
West Norfolk
PE34 3HT
Tel: 01366 382162
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChurchFarmSB
Twitter: @ChurchFarmSB
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