This July, before the summer holidays began we took a trip to Meanwood Valley Urban Farm. Just my three-year-old daughter, Hilda and I.

It was a bright and sunny day and we wanted to go somewhere new. A quick Google search found us this place with free parking and a low entry fee at just £3. Thirty minutes later we were here!

On the outskirts of Leeds, Meanwood Valley Urban Farm label themselves as a city farm for the community. This is a working farm so it is never guaranteed what animals you will see and where they will be. We had no expectations so we couldn’t be disappointed.

Hilda fell asleep on the journey here so for a short while after i’d parked up I sat on a blanket on the grass and enjoyed reading. It was really pretty here on this sunny day and I was thankful for the large yet peacefully quiet car park.

After she finally awoke we wandered towards the farm. The moment we started our walk we saw the alpacas – Eric and Bertie I believe! We also saw a sheep that seemed to be enjoying the sunshine. We continued along the path to see where it would lead.

The short walk led us first to a children’s playground. Of course we had to stop here for a play before we could continue! I actually really liked this park. It was little but I loved the fact it was all open with no gating. The warm weather certainly helped but I really enjoyed the setting and scenery.

After wearing out all the equipment we headed for the pretty buildings we could see in the background. First we came to an ‘Otterly amazing’ Otter who was made out of materials. It looked like wicker and metal but it was impressive either way.

There were plenty of picnic areas around here too which is always useful when you’re travelling with kids. We headed towards the buildings and found the cafe/shop. We didn’t actually eat here or purchase a drink so I can’t say what it was like but it definitely looked nice. Hilda made it known she wanted an ice cream so I had to divert her attention elsewhere. Luckily for me there was a barn full of little animals right behind us!

Here we found the rabbits and guinea pigs. Luckily for me, the idea of ice cream was quickly forgotten!

Next we decided to walk around the farm.

The place was beautiful in the sunshine and all the greenery blooming. We had lots of fun figuring out which path to take and where it would lead us.

Of course we had the option of following the maps but where’s the fun in that?

We came across lots of sculptures during our walk, something different to admire.

And I loved the signs for wellness walks. Nothing better than walking for wellbeing in my opinion. It was such a lovely day for it too and i’m so grateful that my daughter enjoys walking with me.

Looking back at the map now, I can see we ended up on the yellow loop. We walked for a while and it looked like the walk could have carried on beyond where we walked. With little legs in tow I decided to start to loop around so I knew we would end up back where we started. We hadn’t seen any animals on our walk yet so we were hoping to stumble upon some on the way.

Eventually, we came across lots of sheep!

This was a welcome break from the walking and I was glad Hilda got to see some animals up close. I always like to teach her about the animals living close to us, especially being from Yorkshire – It’s completely normal to see cows, sheep and more on a daily basis.

After Hilda’s little legs began to get tired we headed back towards the car. I thought to myself how we hadn’t really seen many animals but now on reflection I realise it’s a working farm. I don’t know what i’d expected but the beauty of the place far exceeded my expectations and despite me not heading there for a walk, this was the part we enjoyed the most. I’m glad we visited even if it wasn’t quite what we were expecting.

Before we reached our car we looked for the pigs but they were hiding. We saw squirrels up close, some birds and even came across a hedgehog! I realise now that the hedgehog probably wasn’t doing too good and we should have flagged it to someone. Hilda was very excited to see her first hedgehog up close though and she’s not stopped mentioning it since. Learning through doing is definitely my favourite thing to show her. Stories and pictures are great but nothing beats getting out and about and seeing things with your own eyes.

Another successful visit to somewhere new. I don’t doubt we’ll be back here and maybe next time we’ll even get to see all the animals that were hiding from us!

~ Visited Meanwood Valley Urban Farm in July 2026 ~