Plaw Hatch Farm
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
East Grinstead
What it’s like
Free entry to wander a working farm and watch the cows being milked at 4pm.
This is a proper working farm rather than a visitor attraction dressed up as one, and it shows. There's no admission charge, you just turn up between 9am and 6pm Monday to Saturday and walk the farm tracks to see how the animals are kept. The big moment is 4pm, when the cows come in to be milked and you can stand and watch it happen.
That free entry is the obvious draw, but it comes with a trade-off worth knowing before you go: in summer the track closes from 3pm to 6pm while the cows come in, so the main farm itself is off limits for that window, though the farm shop and car park stay open. If you're planning around the 4pm milking, you'll be watching from outside the closed section rather than wandering freely, which is a bit of a fudge but fair enough given it's a real farm, not a show.
There's a Coffee Barn open 9am to 4pm for a drink and something to eat after the walk, and school groups can book tours that take in the land and the animals properly, which is worth knowing if you're thinking beyond a family visit. Dogs are a no on the farm itself, though they can wait on a lead in the car park by the shop, so it's not a great day out if you were planning to bring one along for the walk.
It's closed on Sundays and bank holidays, and hours shift around Easter and Christmas. Getting there without a car takes a bit of planning too, the train station is five miles off, though a rural FlexiBus runs from £2 if you don't fancy a taxi.
Facilities
Need to know
- Dogs
- On lead allowed in car park only
- Getting there by bus or train
- East Grinstead train station 5 miles away
- Free entry, no tickets or booking needed for a normal visit
- Closed Sundays and bank holidays
- In summer the farm track shuts 3pm-6pm for milking, though the shop and car park stay open
- Dogs can only wait on a lead in the car park, not on the farm
- A rural FlexiBus runs from £2 if you're coming without a car
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Entry is free. You just turn up during opening hours and walk the farm.
Do we need to book?
No booking is needed for a general visit. School groups do need to contact the farm in advance to arrange a tour.
What time is milking?
The cows come in to be milked at 4pm, and you can watch. In summer the track closes from 3pm to 6pm for this, so time your visit around it.
Can we bring the dog?
Not onto the farm itself, dogs aren't allowed near the livestock. They can wait on a lead in the car park by the shop.
Is there food there?
The Coffee Barn is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Saturday for drinks and food.
Is it open every day?
Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm. It's closed Sundays and bank holidays, and hours change over Easter and Christmas.
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