Cronkshaw Fold Farm
BEST FOR
Ages 6+
ENTRY
from £18
WHERE
Rossendale
What it’s like
Goat yoga, beehive inspections and farm tours on a steep Rossendale hillside, booked as proper activities rather than turn-up-and-wander.
This isn't a farm you wander round for a couple of hours with an ice cream. Everything here is booked as a session: goat yoga, a farm tour with dippy eggs and a brew, an introduction to beekeeping where you actually open up a hive yourself. Kids feed the poultry flock, collect eggs, learn how to give the goats a health check, and there are sheepdog demonstrations to watch too. The beekeeping experience has a minimum age of 6, and anyone under 18 needs an adult in with them, so it's not one for the toddler crowd.
Farm tours are open to all ages, but the site is upfront that little ones do better in a sling or all-terrain pram than a normal buggy. It's a hill farm, and getting between activities means a short walk over rough, grassy ground rather than flat paths. Worth knowing before you turn up in trainers and a stroller you'd normally take to the shops.
Food-wise there's an on-site kitchen doing Mexican-style wraps, fruit and biscuits, plus organic tea, coffee and hot chocolate, so nobody's going hungry after all that hiking about. Parking's free on site, though in winter snow can cut the car park off entirely. If that happens the site's own advice is to walk the 20 minutes in from the main road, which they frame as a bonus because the kids get to sledge hay down to the sheep. That's either charming or a genuine faff depending on how the school run's gone that morning.
Birthday parties run for up to 10 children at £250, covering a farm tour, animal interaction, a meal and time with the goats, but they can't be booked more than four months out or less than eight days before the date. Schools get free visits for groups of 6 to 32, with no cap on how many times one school can book, which is generous given the going rate for everyone else.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- School-age kids and up; beekeeping needs age 6 minimum
- Parking
- Free parking on site
- Food
- On-site studio kitchen serving healthy, low-carbon party food including Mexican-style wraps with dips, fruit, cookies and biscuits
- Getting there by bus or train
- Bus X41 from Blackburn or Manchester stops at Gregory Fold, Helmshore, 25 minutes walk or 5 minute taxi ride to farm
- Parties
- Farm explorer parties for up to 10 children including farm tour, animal interaction, meal and goat meet, £250
- No smoking or vaping anywhere on the farm.
- Bring an all-terrain pram if you're not using a sling, the ground is genuinely hilly and grassy.
- Extra guest goes free on farm tours for each ticket booked.
- Educational visits also cover feeding poultry, collecting eggs and taking apart a beehive with no bees in it.
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Depends what you book. Goat yoga is £25, a farm tour with dippy eggs and a brew is £48, and beekeeping starts at £50 for an introduction session.
Do we need to book ahead?
Yes, everything runs as a booked session rather than walk-up entry.
Is it suitable for toddlers?
Farm tours welcome all ages, but little ones are best carried in a sling or brought in an all-terrain pram, since it's a hilly site with long grass to cross.
What's the minimum age for beekeeping?
Six, and anyone under 18 needs an adult attending with them.
Is there parking?
Free parking on site, though heavy snow can make the car park unreachable by car in winter.
What happens if it snows?
The car park can get cut off, but the site says it's a 20 minute walk in from the main road, and kids can help sledge hay down to feed the sheep on the way.
What food is available?
An on-site kitchen does Mexican-style wraps with dips, fruit, cookies and biscuits, plus organic tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
Can we get there without a car?
The X41 bus from Blackburn or Manchester stops at Gregory Fold in Helmshore, which is about a 25 minute walk or a 5 minute taxi from the farm.
Do birthday parties get booked far in advance?
Not too far. Parties can't be booked more than four months ahead or less than eight days before the date, and cost £250 for up to 10 children.
What's included in a birthday party?
A farm tour, animal interaction, a meal and a goat meet-and-greet, for up to 10 children.
Do schools get free visits?
State schools or those registered with the local authority get free visits for groups of 6 to 32 children, with no limit on how many times a school can book.
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