A day at Whitehouse Farm
I don’t know about you, but I have many, good, childhood memories of visiting farm parks. I used to love a day out at the farm (and at one point wanted to marry a farmer. A farmer’s son will have to do!) and even now, enjoy a trip out to see the animals. Now I get to take my children along and share the excitement with them.
Last Bank Holiday weekend, we headed to Whitehouse Farm, near Morpeth. (Obviously we visited on the day when it was wet and cold, but luckily there is plenty to do regardless of the weather!) We hadn't visited for a couple of years and there had been a few changes...
Suitable for all ages
The thing I enjoy most about Whitehouse Farm, is that it caters for ALL ages. You can be young or old, and still have a great day out. There really is something for everyone.
The highlight of Monday's visit, was the new adventure playground.
"Shall we go and see some animals first?" I asked.
"No, play park!" Came the reply.
That was even in the rain. You see, the kids had spotted it straight away as we pulled up in the car park. The new adventure playground has a huge tower with three curly, shoot slides. I must admit, it was a lot bigger than I had imagined from seeing other people's photos. The new playground comes complete with zip line, a range of slides, digger sand pit and swings. The picnic benches looked a bit sad in the rain, but I can imagine on a nice warm day, this would be a perfect spot to set up camp over lunchtime. Isn’t it great when you find a playground that meets a range of ages? It makes it so much easier when visiting as a family and keeps everyone happy.
We had an explore of the new playground before admitting defeat (it was a bit soggy), and set off to find the animals.
The Whitehouse Farm animals
At Whitehouse Farm, you will find a mixture of big, outdoor animals to smaller indoor ones. No farm park would be complete without its pigs, sheep and cows. Luckily when we went, there were still lots of lovely lambs (my favourite) and you can bottle feed them at certain times throughout the day. Make sure you visit the bull in the cowshed (where the lambs usually are), as he is quite a beast.
Our last visit to Whitehouse Farm was during the Easter break two years ago. We were lucky enough to witness lambs actually BEING BORN. It was incredible to see. Whitehouse Farm is, after all, a working farm. You are bound to get to see some of the farming life. We loved it.
Moving away from the traditional farm animals, you can also expect to see meerkats, deer, snakes (if that is your thing!) and goats. Plenty of goats. On entry, you can purchase a bag of animal feed for 65p and the goats are the biggest fans of these! You can also visit birds of prey and chickens.
The animals are both indoors and outside, so no matter what the weather, you are guaranteed to see something. This is very important when planning a family day out, as you want something that is accessible no matter what the weather.
More than a farm park
We all know that when you visit a farm park nowadays, you expect so much more than just seeing animals. Well, Whitehouse Farm delivers on the entertainment front too. There is a specific barn for it, rightly named: "The entertainment barn". Here you will find magic shows throughout the day and any special events that might be on. At the time of our visit, it was "circus week" and we enjoyed a very funny show in here. (This is included in the price of your entry ticket. As are the magic shows).
In fact, once you have paid for your entry to Whitehouse Farm, everything else is pretty much included. Tractor rides, go-karting, soft play and handling the animals are included in the entry cost.
It is worth mentioning, the "Hungry Pig Cafe" is on site and provides a range of hot and cold meals from 10am to 4.30pm. We come here for a coffee but nearly always bring a picnic.
You can enjoy a picnic at Whitehouse Farm, come rain or shine. As previously mentioned, you will find plenty of outdoor benches in the new adventure playground and dotted around the farm. But there is also a picnic barn. Meaning, no matter what the weather is doing, you can still enjoy your picnic from home, in some shelter.
The picnic barn is a great space and also has toys to keep the kids entertained while you finish your lunch. (It is amazing how quickly children can finish their lunch when there are things to play with nearby!)
What else do children want to do straight after eating? Bounce around of course. Luckily, right outside the picnic barn, are trampolines, bouncy castles and the new jumping pillows. (Adults: these are great fun if there aren't little kids on!) It also looks like a new doughnut slide is going to be opening soon, replacing the old one. The scene is a castle and looks very exciting already.
Overall, a fantastic day out for ALL the family. The staff are all very friendly and the farm is well maintained. You really could spend a whole day here, there is that much to do.
Have you visited recently and tried out the new play park? Which are your favourite animals to see?
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