Willows Farm

Love it! Love it! Love it!

A 5 person membership is £25pcm, unlimited use - outstanding value for money. Under twos go free.

There are so many things to do.

Inside: a variety of soft play areas depending on age with slide galore. My two year old spent 2 hours on there and didn't even want to see the animals as she was having so much fun!

Outside: JCB tractors, bouncy castles, panning for gold, merry-go-rounds, assault courses, trampolines, sandpits, theatre, sheepdog trials, Tristan the Tractor ride (my favourite), Easter egg hunt, falconery, plus lots of animals (goats, cow, sheep, alpacas, turkeys, pigs).

Food: You can take a picnic and sit on one of the many tables throughout the farm. If it's raining, you can eat it in one of the marquees. They also have indoor restaurants, serving burgers, baguettes, baked potatoes with a fab children's section offering sandwiches, fruit, yoghurts - healthy indeed!

A fantastic family day out. Plenty of do, rain or shine.

Also, there's a farm shop, with restaurant and butchery and a gift shop. On the farm, there are some bedroom furniture shops (worth the visit alone) and a photographic studio.

Just off the M25 at junction 22.

We decided to take our first trip to Willows Farm today for the first time in a a year and a half, and I must say I was very impressed. Entrance is quite pricey, with a bill of just shy of £50.00 for two adults and two children, although our baby went in free, so it was £50.00 for three kids and two adults.

From the minute you get in the gates there is a lot to do. Pumpkin hunts, a full programme of shows, animals kept in very clean conditions, a treasure hunt round the park and the giant soft play area, plus new additions, like the indoor JCB ride (perfect for changeable days) and the Captain Chickens Egg Run (I think it is called that), which is great fun. We loved the frisbee game as a brilliant family activity, costing nothing and suiting all ages.

My five year old was able to hold both an owl and a skunk and the couple who look after the animals are knowledgeable, interesting and fantastic with the children.

The only thing that let it down for us was the food. The kids are reasonably well catered for with a selection of mini bits to choose from, which get packaged in a box, however the hot food provision is frankly awful. We asked for a plain burger and fish and chips. The boy on the counter forgot to put the fish and chip order through, which he discovered when the burger came out, so we had to wait twenty five minutes for it. The burger was covered in mayo and other bits, which I cant eat for allergy reasons, so we took it back - no apology. Two minutes later another burger turned up which was not cooked properly. The burgers are made at Willows so are pink in colour anyway, which I knew from my last visit, but the meat had that gummy, gooey consistency of uncooked burger, which ruined it. We took it back again and ask where the fish and chips were and the extremely sullen teenager on the counter snapped that it was supposed to be that colour and they checked it with a thermometer before it went out. NO apology, no attempt to check it. We ate the chips, threw the burger out and waited for the fish, which was so overcooked it was utterly indedible. I mean it was chewy. Yuck.

Later on we also grabbed a sausage roll in the hope it would be better which it was, but on the whole the food really let down an otherwise wonderful day.

My advice would be go, give yourselves a good five - six hours there and enjoy yourself, but take food with you. It is the safest option, which is a real shame in an otherwise perfect venue!!

Summary: Fantastic fun for up to ten years old, brilliant programme of activities, but take sandwhiches!

Had a great time here. Masses to do including indoors if it is raining. Lots of shows and a wide range of animals.

a great day out. lots to do, filled a day with our 2 yr old.

Been coming here since DD was 18 months (2006). It's a fun day out with various rides (including tractor), animal shows in the arena and productions in the show barn Have now opened a huge indoor play area and is open all year round. Has a lovely farm shop too!