Farrington's Playbarn & Farm Park
BEST FOR
Ages 0-12
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Bristol
What it’s like
Multi-lane slides, ball pits and rope sky walks under one roof, with a farm park and café attached.
The big draw here is the multi-lane slide, the sort you line up for with your seven-year-old shouting about who's fastest, plus a speedy tunnel slide and rope sky walks for the ones who've stopped being scared of heights. There are climb towers and ball pits scattered through the main play barn, and if you've got a toddler in tow there's a separate area with its own slide, ball pit and obstacles so they're not getting flattened by bigger kids mid-race. Babies get a padded corner with a shallow mini ball pit, which is a nice touch rather than an afterthought.
It's open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sundays 9am to 4pm, and you can just walk up, no booking needed. That said, they'll enforce time limits on busy days to keep numbers sane, so don't assume you've got the run of the place on a wet Saturday in half term. Food-wise there's the Playbarn Café for homemade meals and snacks, a main café doing breakfast, lunch and coffee with cakes all day, and a weather-dependent Snack Shack running shorter hours in term time.
Parking's free with disabled access spaces, which takes one worry off the list. Dogs aren't allowed inside the barn itself but well-behaved ones on leads can hang about on the patio and garden areas if you've brought the family dog along for the ride. If you end up going a lot, the annual pass (£150 for over-twos, £100 under twos, £120 on renewal) starts to look sensible rather than indulgent.
Birthday parties get a two-hour package with play time built in and a party room for food and cake afterwards, which saves you the faff of hiring a hall separately.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Babies to 12, with separate zones so toddlers avoid the big-slide chaos
- Booking
- Walk-ups welcome. Busy times may enforce time limits to manage capacity
- Parking
- Free on-site parking with disabled access spaces
- Food
- Playbarn Café serves homemade meals, snacks and drinks
- Dogs
- Not permitted inside Playbarn. Well-behaved dogs on leads allowed on patio and garden areas
- Getting there by bus or train
- Bus routes 376 (half-hourly from Bristol/Wells) and 172 (from Bath) serve Farrington Gurney
- Parties
- Two-hour birthday party packages with play time and party room for food and birthday cake
- Worth knowing
- Annual pass gives unlimited entry for a whole year (£150 over 2s, £120 renewal, £100 under 2s)
- Time limits can kick in on busy days even though you don't need to book ahead
- The Snack Shack is weather dependent, so don't rely on it in term time mornings before 2pm
- Dogs are welcome on the patio and garden but have to stay out of the play barn
- The annual pass is worth doing the maths on if you'll visit more than a couple of times a year
Plan your visit
Do we need to book?
No, walk-ups are welcome. On busy days they may put time limits on to manage numbers, so it's not guaranteed you'll get free rein all afternoon.
What are the opening hours?
9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 4pm on Sundays.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
There's a dedicated toddler area with its own slide, ball pit and obstacles, plus a padded baby zone with a shallow mini ball pit for the really little ones.
What about food?
The Playbarn Café does homemade meals and snacks, the main café covers breakfast, lunch and coffee with cakes all day, and there's a Snack Shack running in term time and holidays when the weather allows.
Is parking free?
On-site parking is free and there are disabled access spaces.
Can we bring the dog?
Dogs on leads are allowed on the patio and garden areas but not inside the play barn itself.
Do you do birthday parties?
Two-hour packages with play time and a party room for food and cake.
Is there an annual pass?
There is, unlimited entry for a year at £150 for over-twos, £100 for under-twos, or £120 to renew.
How do we get there without a car?
Bus 376 runs half-hourly from Bristol and Wells, and bus 172 comes from Bath, both stopping in Farrington Gurney about a 500-metre walk from the site.
What age range is it suited to?
It covers babies right up to around 12, with separate areas so the little ones aren't competing with the older crowd on the big slides.
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