Marwell zoo - anyone been?

[Gigi89x]

Hi

Im going to be visiting Marwell zoo with 6 month old , could anyone tell me what the baby changing facilities are like?

Do they have benches around to stop and feed?

Do they have any cafes for lunch etc? As il be on a week away we would like to eat at the zoo rather than bring food

Thanks

No issues with baby changing facilities or benches (lots of both). If it’s a sunny day you might have trouble finding a shady spot so I’d take a blanket or go to the little cafe by the gift shop as it has lots of indoor seating and is usually pretty quiet.

They have one main indoor/sheltered food cafe but it gets very busy at peak times so if you want a table I’d recommend going for an early or late lunch. They sell canteen style meals and pre-made sandwiches (during the summer they often have a BBQ running outside as well selling burgers etc.) There are other food outlets but they sell snacks/ice creams/drinks rather than meals and the sheltered tables go fast.

We've been quite a few times. Although the animals are brilliant the facilities are very fair weather when it comes to small children. If it's a nice warm day, bring a picnic and there are a few shady areas to sit under then you just need to buy ice creams, drinks and snacks. If it's raining then, in my experience, the canteen is far too small and queues very long and it all becomes a bit stressful trying to get a seat as you buy first. So if rain is forecast suggest you go early and plan a car picnic.

If it's too hot it can also be a bit less fun because the animals, sensibly, decide to wander indoors and go to sleep so you don't see much. Giraffe are the exception as you can see them indoors or outdoors.

Would definitely recommend though as long as you plan for all eventualities.