I said in my review of Green Dragon Eco Farm in Buckinghamshire that this place is quite possibly my favourite open farm locally. They re-branded to Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park and so I’ve updated this review with some of the changes. It’s a really good size and has lots of facilities, inside and out. You can very easily spend the whole day here.
Most of this review of Hogshaw Farm is based on our many self-funded visits, but we have also been gifted a visit to check out some of the recent changes they’ve made.
The facilities
Smallest Child is OBSESSED with animals at the moment, particularly birds and squirrels. The first thing to point out, particularly in the winter, is that Hogshaw Farm is located in the middle of nowhere on a very flat site. It is windy and cold up there so make sure you wrap up warm so everyone stays happy.
One of the main reasons why I’ve said in previous reviews of Hogshaw Farm / Green Dragon Eco Farm that I’m such a big fan is because the main focus here is on the animals. It’s one of the few open farms where you really will spend most of your time looking at the animals. They’ve got a really good variety too.
There are several different areas to this site. As well as the farm animals (both inside and out) there is a pets corner (with insects and reptiles). Additional facilities include soft play barn, walled garden, go-karts, really good outdoor playground, bouncing pillow, sand-pit, meadow and messy play barn. There are no additional costs for any of these activities. This is a large site and you can very easily spend a full day here, particularly in warmer weather. Speaking of which, in the summer they have a swimming pool here too!
The animals
They do have a good range of animals, including some that you wouldn’t necessarily expect; including a couple of Silver Foxes and Wallabies. Throughout the day they do talks and opportunities to meet / stroke various animals. Of course you can also buy food (£1 per bag) to feed some of the animals with.
This video review of Hogshaw Farm was from before they changed their name but a lot of it is still the same.
A highlight was absolutely the Wildlife Zone. This is also where they hold their daily flying shows and where you can see the Red Squirrels and Wallabies being fed. We listened to the talk about Red Squirrels and Wallabies and it was fascinating. Despite it being quite chilly we all really enjoyed it.
When we have been before we also had the chance to meet and hold some of the reptiles. I didn’t get his name but the bloke who was there with us was amazing. He was so enthusiastic about the animals he cares for and was really engaging – he is a really asset to the farm. In general all of the staff that I’ve spoken to at Hogshaw Farm have always been polite and helpful.
The other thing to mention is that it is really clean. You’d expect a farm to be pretty grubby but it really wasn’t. They have loos dotted around the site and even though they’re essentially posh porta-loos they were neat and tidy as well. The kids play area is well maintained and the cafe was regularly cleaned whilst we were there as well. The only issue we had on our last visit was there wasn’t any paper towels to dry your hands after washing them, which was a bit annoying.
The play barn
The soft play is relatively small but the kids like it. The soft play area has been replaced and expanded. They also have a separate under 5’s section which has a ball pool, obstacles to clamber over and a platform to climb up. If it does rain then it does fill up pretty quickly though. There is another barn that has a bouncy castle in it and a big wooden tractor. It’s always quieter than the play barn but still gives you respite from the weather.
The only slight downside to the entire day was the cafe. I will start by saying that this wasn’t my typical experience there. Previously we’d had very good, speedy service and found it to be good value for money. We went in about 11:45 and it seems we hit the lunchtime rush – our food didn’t arrive for over half and hour. They had run out of kids sandwiches for the lunchboxes so were making them to order, which meant the kids also had to wait 30 minutes for their sandwich. The bacon baguette was nice but for the amount we paid for it, I would have expected more than 2 rashers of bacon. Overall I was a bit disappointed, especially when compared to my previous experience. The chocolate cake was good, and nearly made up for the lack of bacon.
You’re not allowed to eat your own food in the cafe but they have picnic benches dotted around the site and there is a room that you can have your picnics in if the weather is bad.
Admission Cost
£9.95 per child, £10.95 per adult. In previous years they have offered free child admission during January. The bird show is £1.50 per person. Prices correct at the time this review of Hogshaw Farm was updated. Check their website for the latest prices.
Parking / How to get there
Plenty of free, on-site parking
Address – Claydon Road, Hogshaw. MK18 3LA. Sat Nav can send you a bit wrong so either follow the brown signs or check out the step by step directions on their website
Toilets
Several on-site. Some of the ones in the fields are only open in the summer.
Food
Picnics allowed in certain areas. Cafe on-site. We’ve eaten there several times and mostly it’s been OK.
Our Hogshaw Farm Review
It’s my favourite open farm in our local area. When you balance the cost vs facilities against somewhere like Mead Open Farm I think it compares well. No, it doesn’t have a huge soft play area, climbing wall or high ropes, but what it lacks in add-ons it more than makes up for with animals. And, since the rebrand, they’re adding lots more so who knows, in the future they might add some more of those add-ons.
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
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