Fairfield Animal Centre

What it’s like

Feed goats, pigs and alpacas, meet the wallabies, then hit the play area and a woodland walk near Trowbridge.

This is a proper hands-on animal day, not a look-through-the-fence job. The animals here are the point: goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys, alpacas, emus and wallabies, plus a Rabbit and Guinea Pig Village that'll be the bit smaller ones want to do twice. There's an adventure play area with slides and climbing frames for when the feeding runs out of steam, and a woodland walk if you want a slower lap before you head back to the car.

It suits the whole age range on paper, nought to eighteen, but realistically this is one for toddlers up to primary age who still think a donkey is the most exciting thing that's ever happened. Entry is £5 a child and £7 for an adult, or £20 for a family ticket, which is fair for a farm with this much to actually do rather than just look at. Tickets are dated and non-refundable though, so a change of plan on a rainy morning costs you.

The café does baguettes, jacket potatoes, soup and the usual chips-and-ice-cream farm menu, and dietary requirements are catered for. You can bring a picnic too, though not into the café itself, and there's nowhere to eat food you've brought if you fancy the indoor tables. Parking is free but limited, and on a busy Saturday you may end up in the Southwick Country Park overflow or on the roadside, so don't cut it fine if you're aiming for opening.

It's open daily, 9am to 4.30pm, with last entry at 3.30pm, which gives you a decent run at the animals and the play area without having to rush. Dogs aren't allowed in with the animals unless they're a service dog, and it's a smoke and vape-free site throughout.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

Toddlers to primary age; older kids get the play area too

Last entry

3:30pm

Parking

Limited free on-site parking. Overflow car park within Southwick Country Park and roadside parking available

Food

Café serving baguettes, wraps, hot snacks, jacket potatoes, homemade soup, chips, bacon and sausage baps, sweet treats, hot

Picnics

Allowed in the animal park

Dogs

Not permitted in the animal park

• Tickets are dated and non-refundable, so a rained-off morning can't be swapped easily
• It's a smoke and vape-free site throughout
• Picnics are fine outdoors but you can't bring your own food into the café
• The car park locks once the Animal Park closes, so don't dawdle at the end

Plan your visit

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