Smithills Open Farm Ice Creamery
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Bolton
What it’s like
A hillside farm where kids hand-feed goats, ride a tractor and trailer, then finish on homemade ice cream from the farm's own creamery.
The animals do the work here. There's a Pets Corner for hand-feeding, sheep and goats to get up close to, donkey rides, and a milking parlour where you can watch the cows being done properly, not just hear about it. Add a tractor and trailer ride bumping round the fields and an outdoor playground for when they need to run about on their own steam, and you've got a full day rather than an hour's detour.
Tickets are day tickets, so once you're in at £11.50 a child or £13.50 an adult, you're not clock-watching. The family ticket at £45 covers two adults and two kids, or one adult and three kids, which is handy if it's a solo parent outing with a gang of them. Save the ice creamery for last, it's homemade and on site, and by that point everyone's earned it after the tractor ride and the hill.
That hill is worth knowing about. The farm's built on a slope, described as typical Bolton countryside, and while paths are mostly tarmacked and there are benches dotted about, it's not flat wandering. Wheelchairs can't go on the tractor and trailer ride either, there are three small steps that rule it out, though the rest of the farm is otherwise accessible with ramps where needed.
There's a café in the barn for sandwiches and hot food if the ice cream alone won't cut it, and a gift shop on the way out for the inevitable soft toy negotiation. Parking is free and there's a decent-sized car park with disabled bays, so that's one less thing to budget for on the day.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Large onsite, free car park with disabled bays and coach parking available
- Food
- On-site café in barn serving hot and cold snacks and sandwiches
- Wheelchairs
- Fully accessible with ramps where necessary
- Getting there by bus or train
- Bus 526 or 525 from Trinity Street Station, 5-10 minute walk from bus stop to farm
- The tractor ride is slow going but properly bumpy, fair warning for little ones on laps
- The farm sits on a hill, so it's more of a proper walk about than flat strolling
- Ice cream is made on site, it's the natural end point after a lap of the animals
- Check the times board on arrival, daily activities vary through the day
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£11.50 for a child, £13.50 for an adult, and £11.50 for OAPs. The family ticket is £45 for two adults and two children, or one adult and three children.
Do we need to book?
Yes, booking is required for tickets.
What time do the tractor rides run?
Weekends and school holidays it's roughly 11, 12, 1, 2, 3 and 4pm. Midweek in term time it's just 12 and 2.30pm.
Is there parking?
A large free car park on site with disabled bays and coach parking.
What about food?
There's a café in the barn doing hot and cold snacks and sandwiches, plus the homemade ice cream shop open every day.
Is it accessible for wheelchairs?
Mostly, yes. Paths are largely tarmacked and there are ramps where needed, though the farm sits on a slope with benches placed around it. The tractor and trailer ride is the one thing wheelchairs can't join, because of three small steps.
Are carers free?
One carer ticket is free with each disabled child or disabled adult ticket, one carer per paying ticket.
Is there a discount for childminders?
A registered childminder bringing proof gets a free ticket when they've booked three or more child tickets.
What days is it open?
It's open all year round, 10am to 5pm, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
Can we do birthday parties there?
Birthday parties are available on site.
How do group visits work?
Accompanying adults are free at a ratio of one adult to five children, and the group price includes a donkey ride and a tractor and trailer ride for each child. Extra adults above that ratio pay £11 each.
Can we get there by bus?
The 525 or 526 bus from Trinity Street Station gets you close, then it's a 5 to 10 minute walk to the farm.
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