After enjoying a leisurely breakfast at the Peak Edge Hotel we checked out saying goodbye to the friendly staff who had looked after us during our stay. With our luggage packed in the car we left the hotel at 10.30 a.m. and drove the short distance to Matlock Farm Park.
This family oriented park is an ideal place to visit for a trip out into the countryside and offers an opportunity to get up close to a variety of friendly animals. Standard adult admission is £12.95 but do check their website for details of family tickets and special offers.
It had been raining before we arrived but thankfully it stopped just as we were walking towards the entrance kiosk. When purchasing tickets it’s a good idea to buy some grass nuts to feed to the animals as they are only £1 a bag and we found that having the food readily available made the experience of visiting the farm park so much more interesting.
Just inside the entrance there was a notice board displaying the day’s activities with timings of when specific events were taking place such as small animal handling sessions, wallaby encounters, meerkat talks, etc. I took a photo of it on my phone so we could refer to it so that we didn’t miss anything.
Despite the recent wet weather it wasn’t at all muddy walking around the park as concrete paths had been laid which were kept clean. The park covers quite a large area but with wide paths and no steps, the entire site is pram and wheelchair friendly.
To keep young children amused in between viewing the animals they can enjoy using the superb play facilities in the Enchanted Hamlet outdoor play area and have fun on the UK’s largest Jumping Pillow. There’s also an indoor Rainforest Play Centre which is part adventure playground and part cafe so parents can enjoy a cup of coffee whilst at the same time keeping an eye on their children.
We spent ages wandering around the park stopping to feed the friendly animals in their enclosures. Most of the animals can be hand fed and there is no danger of any of them biting your hands off.
We just needed to place a little food on the palm of our hands and hold it flat close to the animals who then gently took it from us. Beside each enclosure are sanitising stations to enable visitors to clean their hands after feeding.
As well as being able to feed the animals it was good to be able to learn about them too. Attached to each enclosure was a board containing useful facts on each species from animal classification, physical features, growth, lifespan, gestation period and natural habitat.
I adored seeing all the rabbits and guinea pigs in the small animal enclosure. At certain times of day some of these fluffy little animals are brought outdoors and children are invited to sit with a bunny on their laps and enjoy a stroke and a cuddle.
In one corner of the park pony rides were proving popular and in the next field other children were having lessons at the park’s own riding school which is run by qualified instructors. Whilst we were there, we watched some children gaining confidence over small fences and others setting off for a pony trekking trip. Please note that riding lessons and pony trekking need to be pre-arranged in advance with the centre.
During our visit we fed alpacas, ponies, horses, sheep, goats and llamas as well as viewing meerkats, highland cattle, pigs and donkeys. When we arrived at the meerkat enclosure there was only one outside with the others sensibly keeping warm in their heated pen but after waiting a few minutes the rest of the family popped out and paused for a photo.
A memorable activity was to be able to take both a llama and a sheep for a walk. I couldn’t believe how receptive the animals were and I adored my little walk with them. At allocated times, children can take these animals for a short walk and as a double lead is fitted to the animal’s collar, the handler is in full control for added safety.
After feeding the animals we were beginning to feel a little hungry ourselves so we popped into the farm park’s restaurant for some lunch. When I discovered that the special of the day was steak pie and chips I couldn’t resist it and soon after ordering our food was brought to the table. Lunch tasted delicious and was just perfect comfort food for a winter’s day. Alongside reasonably priced main dishes, a range of snacks are also available.
On returning to the car I couldn’t believe that we’d spent over four hours at the park as the time had flown by with so much for us to see and do.
Before setting off for home we drove into the centre of Chesterfield for a look around as apart from visiting the Northern Tea Merchants on the edge of town at the start of our trip, we hadn’t yet visited Derbyshire’s largest town. The best known landmark is its Crooked Spire Church. I’d only glimpsed it before from a train window so it was a treat to see it close up. The spire rises to a height of 228ft and leans 9’6″ from its true centre. The spire is quite safe though and not likely to topple over anytime soon. The church was closed at the time of our visit with tours up its spire only taking place during the summer months so I now need to return later in the year to experience this.
Our short walk through the town took us to the main square where large markets take place three times a week, and then alongside some beautiful Tudor buildings before we returned to the car for our journey home. I liked the appearance of Chesterfield and along with visiting its church, will enjoy spending more time in the town in the future.
This concluded our short break in Derbyshire and even in mid-winter we’d found lots of lovely activities to enjoy ranging from tea tasting to visiting a pottery, a brewery and a farm park.
During our visit we were guests of both Visit Chesterfield and Visit Peak District and Derbyshire and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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This farm looks so beautiful, and it is awesome that you could walk some of the animals!
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T was such a great place to visit Allie and I adored taking both the sheep and llama for a little walk.
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This animal park caught my attention. We don’t see these Highland Cows .
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Highland cows are so photogenic, you just feel you want to cuddle up beside them. Visiting Matlock Farm Park was such an interesting and fun day out. Thanks so much for your interest.
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The farm seems to have a decent collection of beasts great and small. I was definitely surprised to see meerkats and a wallaby. The Steak Pie, Mushy Peas and Chips looks incredibly hearty.
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I was a bit surprised to see meerkats and wallabies too! My favourites were the fluffy rabbits, llamas and Highland cattle. They all took food gently from our hands which was so nice. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
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This animal park caught my attention. We don’t see these Highland Cows . Thanks Anita
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The Highland Cows are so attractive.
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Oh this is somewhere that Tessa would absolutely love! She is such an animal lover that we would probably spend all day long here visiting with each and every one. How fun to get to take them for walks along with petting and feeding them. 🙂
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I’m sure that Tessa would adore Matlock Farm Park. It’s a lovely place to meet all the animals and taking a llama and a sheep for a walk was delightful.
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The animals are so adorable! My favorite is the Highland cows, we loved seeing them when we toured the Scottish Highlands.
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I adore Highland Cattle too, their coats look so cuddly and they are so photogenic. Llamas are my new friends too, I’d take one for a walk again any day! Thanks so much for your interest Lyssy.
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Aw the meerkats are cute – and I LOVE the photo of you walking the sheep, that really made me smile 🙂
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Thanks Hannah, I could have taken one of them back home with me, they were so cute.
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I really enjoy the variety of experiences you share with us. In appearance those hill cattle look a bit like Hamalian yaks,
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Thank you for your kind words Ian and for your loyal support of my blog. I’m so pleased you continue to find it interesting.
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The farm looks delightful, Marion. What a fun thing to do with children – or not. Mike and I love zoos and aquariums, so no doubt we would love Matlock Farm Park too.
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Matlock Farm Park is very well looked after and a great day out for everyone young or old. I adored taking the llama for a walk and feeding the animals. Thanks for reading and your welcome thoughts.
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Looks like a great way to teach children about domesticated animals. Even more though I love the buildings of Chesterfield. Maggie
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Thanks for your interest Maggie. The farm park was great and the market town of Chesterfield a delight.
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So nice to have the farm experience accessible to the public. Many city folks never even get to see these animals. Not sure what a Wallaby is doing on the farm, but we have llamas and alpacas here, so who is to judge. I am curious about your lunch. I see chips and mushy peas, but what was the other component? Love the name Crooked Spire Church. Have a great weekend Marion. Allan
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Thanks for your interest on our visit to the Matlock Farm Park Allan. Yes, the wallabies did seem to be rather a long way from home but were well cared for and providing enjoyment to the Derbyshire visitors. For lunch we had steak pie with the chips and mushy peas. It was very tasty but from the photo of the slice of pie it does look a little different.
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The Matlock Farm Park looks like such a fun place to spend the day. How fun that you even got to take a llama and sheep for a walk! Glad to hear that it stopped raining by the time you arrived and the paths weren’t muddy.
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It was so lovely to take the friendly llama and sheep for a walk around the park and it was definitely good timing that the rain stopped just as we arrived.
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Your description of the farm park is a nice invitation to get to know animals, domestic or wild, the direct contact leaves stronger memories, especially for children. I also liked the photos of Chesterfield, it seems a nice little town proud of its past.
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Both Matlock Farm Park and neighbouring Chesterfield were such interesting places to end our Derbyshire weekend. Thank you for your interest and welcome thoughts.
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I love animals and Matlock Farm Park looks like a great opportunity to get close to them. The cute rabbit and meerkats are definitely some of my favourite small animals and how amazing to go for a walk with a sheep and llama! Chesterfield with it’s church and Tudor buildings are lovely. Thanks Marion, I really enjoyed your series on Peak District … like you said, it just goes to show, there is a lot to do, even in winter 🙂.
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Matlock Farm is a lovely place to visit and fun for all ages. I liked all the animals but my favourites were definitely the Highland cattle, rabbits and the walk with the llama. Thanks for commenting and have a good weekend.
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Wow, just look at all the adorable animals! I especially love your photo of the Highland cow with its distinctive horns and long, wavy, woolly coat. I haven’t seen one in a while, have to look up if there are any in Sligo. Thanks for sharing and have a good weekend 🙂 Aiva xx
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I adore Highland cattle too, they are so photogenic Aiva. I also fell in love with the llama I took for a nice long walk. Hope you have a lovely weekend. Marion xx
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Looks like you were having lots of fun at the animal park
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It was lovely Sheree, especially taking a llama for a walk!
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