I hadn’t really planned to do a review of Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary near Wallingford, but I had driven past the sign the previous day, and was intrigued. When I realised that it was free to visit I thought it was worth popping down there.
The Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary is currently only open a couple of hours per day. Before you visit, double check their website to make sure when they’ll be open. It’s a relatively small sanctuary but it’s home to over 120 donkeys across two main paddocks. They’ve also picked up a couple of other animals along the way. There are some ducks, geese, chickens, goats and a pig.
The facilities here are pretty basic as “attractions” go, but that’s because it’s absolutely a donkey sanctuary first and visitor centre second. There’s one paddock with what looks like the majority of the donkeys in it. The paddock behind the visitor centre is split down into smaller grounds and you can walk around it and get a better look at the donkeys.
Realistically there isn’t much more to say about this place. It’s interesting to get up close to the donkeys, but you won’t be here for too long. We were here for just over an hour, and that was with some considerable dawdling.
Our Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary Review
It’s a nice little stop gap to visit if you’re in the area. It’s probably not really worth a long drive though. All of the staff we met were really friendly and the kids enjoyed getting up close to the donkeys.
Admission cost
Free, donations accepted.
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Free, on-site
Address – Old Didcot Road, Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 0SW
Toiletsw
On-site
Food
There’s a limited range of drinks and snacks available
What else is there to do nearby?
We were actually on our way to Wittenham Clumps when I spotted the sign for Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary. It’s also free to visit so you could easily do both in one day. Oxford is full of family days out such as the natural history museum or the Ashmolean museum. There are also Treasure Map Trails for Oxford (well two actually) and Abingdon. You can save 10% on all maps using this affilaite link and the code FFREETIMEWITHTHEKIDS
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.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
thank you for the article