At the weekend we headed to Heskith Farm near Bolton Abbey in North Yorkshire.

To be honest I’d never heard of this place before which is surprising given I’ve spent most of my life in Yorkshire! So with only a short journey to make we headed to this Farm on our doorstep. I’ve not been to many farms in my time so I didn’t have any expectations and I was about to be pleasantly surprised.

Upon arrival I was very surprised at the sheer volume of animals! Not only that, but the fact that the animals were so easily reachable and in view – It was great!

We arrived at the farm nice and early around 10:30 AM just after the farm had opened for the day. Whilst it was lively, it wasn’t too busy for a dry Saturday. We felt the earlier we got there the better and we had no trouble parking. Once we bought our tickets, we entered a large barn where everywhere you looked; there was animals! So naturally we started from the beginning.

We headed to see the sheep first and were greeted by beautiful little lambs. All the animals have their own pens and there’s lots of space for them to move around. It was really nice to see them in such a lovely environment. They were not bothered by visitors because they have the space to move away should they wish.

Straight across from the lambs were the calves. I haven’t seen a calf before if it’s not far away in a field and these were very cute. My daughter absolutely loved looking at the calves and she was waving hello to each and every one of them!

Throughout the day there were animal feedings. We were given a schedule upon arrival. Taking place across the farm, you can normally tell a feeding is coming up because, in our case, the cows started making a lot of noise. We were lucky enough to stick around and feed a calf a bottle of milk. They drank this surprisingly fast and it was a fun experience to witness.

I also got to see pig’s up close. Just laying around you have the ability to brush them if you want to. I must admit I couldn’t resist giving this a go!

Alongside the pigs, there was lots of piglets. You could see the different ages from one pen to another because the piglets were slightly smaller. They were all either sleeping or feeding. I watched the piglets for a long time thinking about the mother and how I find it tiring to breastfeed one baby, imagine having 10 piglets expecting milk! The piglets were extremely cute so I’m sure she doesn’t mind.

A family favourite part of the farm was the Guinea pigs that just seemed to gather in the middle of the room. They must be so used to being perched there; they get strokes, food, water and attention. Why should they need to run away? As you walk into the farm, the Guinea pigs are likely the first animal that you’ll spot. There are 2 large pens where they are able to free roam and enjoy themselves and the setting is very nice.

In the centre of the barn, there are hay bales you can sit on and stroke the Guinea pigs or have the Guinea pigs sit on your knee if you want to. My one year old daughter absolutely loved brushing the pigs. They are friendly and just the right size for a child to handle without being too fragile.

I think this was probably her favourite part of the farm. I’ve never seen animals freely walking around allowing you to touch them.

After we’d seen the farm animals we moved into a smaller room which was home to the tortoises; these were massive! They were within reach and when they came closer you could touch them if you wanted to. Maybe not the most appealing animal to stroke but hey the chance is there!

In this room there was an incubator full of eggs that were days away from hatching. At the bottom, a chick had only just hatched. This was very cute because just like a human newborn, it was half asleep. In each cage was a collection of chicks; mostly born within the last few days. One part held chicks that were only a day old and you could see the age difference between all the chicks. This was really fascinating because it’s not often you get to see this. Of course, you can look at photos on the internet but it’s not quite the same.

My daughter also loved this part and I’m probably starting to sound like a broken record now. She does love animals and she did seem to love most of the farm, if not all. There are interesting facts plastered all over the walls. If your child is a little bit older and capable of reading the signs then they could definitely learn something or take away some interesting facts from the farm. I found it fun to read these out to my daughter (even if she wasn’t listening).

Finally we headed outside where you’ll find the stables full of ponies and horses, I can never quite get used to horses and the sheer size of them but I still like to meet them. We had the pleasure of meeting a young but surprisingly large horse. My daughter surprised me with her bravery – Far more confident than me!

If you want to get your kids used to being around animals – Hesketh Farm is the place to go!

We ended the day with a walk around the cafe where my family got a hot drink. I loved that you can bring your own picnic to eat here should you wish. There are also lots of mini tractors for the kids to have a go on as well as a slide and play area.

If you are lucky enough to visit on a dry day the outdoor area is even more impressive. I couldn’t believe the size of the play area it’s fantastic! There are even more animals to visit out here including donkeys, goats and chickens. I can imagine this farm is extremely popular in the summer months and I’ll definitely be coming back then too.

I would absolutely visit Hesketh Farm again in a heartbeat. I loved it here and there is nothing negative I can say about the place! My daughter seemed to really enjoy herself and it was great for me to witness her light up at the sight of the different animals. I can’t believe I haven’t been here any sooner! I’m sure I’ll be returning to visit in no time.

~ Visited Hesketh Farm in March 2025

Useful bits

Website: https://www.heskethfarmpark.co.uk/
Location: Near Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire
Entry Fee: (Correct in March 2025) Adults & Children £8 – Under 2s £4 – Under 1s £1
Bonus Factors: Free parking and plenty of it. Loads of outdoor and indoor space for picnics if you want to bring your own food. Massive play areas for the kids to enjoy. Easy to spend hours here playing and meeting the animals.
Verdict: The entrance fee was extremely reasonable given the amount of things that you can do here; especially for children (£20 for 2 adults and a 1 year old). I only wish they’d do an annual pass option!
TripAdvisor: Hesketh Farm