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Stepping into this buzzing, braying and lowing Cotswolds haven of farmyard life is like entering a live-action version of Shaun the Sheep. Everything here comes with a big helping of enthusiasm, good vibes and adorableness. You will make a dozen new four-legged friends in minutes – mostly because you will have bought snacks for them but, heck, the endorphin rush is the same. You can bottle feed lambs, handle chicks or stroke bunnies to your heart’s content. Something will probably lick you. And if you’ve ever wondered what the ‘GOAT’ of goats is, this is the place to come. (Spoiler: it’s the Golden Guernsey, a legend in the goat community and now, thanks to King Charles, officially a royal goat.)
Cotswolds Farm Park is the pride and joy of man-of-the-land and BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson. His dad set it up in 1971 as a showcase for local animals. These days it has a twin purpose: as a conservation centre for 50 rare breeds and a holiday escape for animal-lovers and anyone who fancies a calming camping or cabin break in a dreamy corner of the west country. My nine-year-old and I came for a two-day summer getaway and left utterly enchanted.
What are the rooms like at Cotswolds Farm Park?
We stayed in one of the comfy self-contained lodges, Old Spot, named after, though happily not inspired by, a Gloucestershire pig breed. There are two bedrooms – one with a single bed and bunks – as well as an open-plan living room with Netflix-equipped TV and kitchenette, complete with fridge, microwave and bottles of Adam Henson’s own pale ale, and a bathroom with a very decent shower/bathtub. Outside, there’s a hot tub, BBQ, private decking, a picnic table and picture-book views across a grazing field – that’ll be Gillie, the farm’s amiable Jersey cow, coming to say hello – it’s a spot to relax or a base to explore the farm during opening hours (9.30am-5pm). It’s private enough to feel secluded, but the lawn is a great place to make friends with the neighbours. We were sending postcards to ours when we got home.
The lodges are the priciest accommodation here (£300/night) and have a minimum two-night stay. There’s an array of other options, including glamping tents, pods and grass camping pitches, some with electricity, some without. I’m not a camper and can’t vouch for the camping experience, but we walked through the pitches en route to the farm and everyone seemed very happy.
What are the facilities like at Cotswolds Farm Park?
The farm itself is absurdly family friendly, with several play areas, bouncing pillows and a zipline that the nearby goats have probably learned to ignore. There’s a woodland area for anyone who wants to roll up their sleeves and get down with the bugs and bees, and regular tractor rides. Of course, the animals are the big draw and the two indoor barns are where the ‘awwws’ and ‘ohhhhs’ emanate from. Here, you can bottle feed a lamb or feed a rabbit with a piece of carrot on the end of a fishing line. A treasured memory is of the staff member giving out the rods reminding the kids that they weren’t meant to be trying to catch a bunny.
What is the food and restaurant like?
You may not feel like eating sausages after a visit to the petting zoo, so make sure to get down to the park’s Ox Shed restaurant beforehand. The brekkie options range from full English to veggie-friendly options, and it’s open before the park itself, making for a lovely, chilled start to the day. For lunch and dinner, it’s a classic pub-grub menu: Gloucester beef burgers (£16), crunchy noodle slaw (£12), four cheese toasties (£14) and the like. The Rarebreed Beast sounds like something the Hobbits have to slay in Lord of the Rings, but is a bumper local-beef burger with all the trimmings. There’s also pizza nights and, in the summer, food vans in the sunflower field. Which is just as blissful as it sounds.
What’s the area like around Cotswolds Farm Park?
You won’t want to stray too far from the farm, but if an excursion does appeal, Sudeley Castle (open mid-March to November) is 15 minutes’ drive away. It’s the only private castle in the country to have a queen buried in its grounds – Katherine Parr, the wife of Henry VIII who got away – and boasts 10 landscaped gardens and about a millennia’s worth of English history. Also 15 minutes away is Cheltenham, with its Regency architecture, independent bookshops and elegant restaurants.
DETAILS
Address: Guiting Power, Cheltenham, GL54 5FL
Price per night: From £195 per night
Closest transport: Moreton-in-Marsh and Kingham stations are 20 minutes by taxi.