Hall Hill Farm – review
We had our first visit to Hall Hill Farm so thought it was time to share my review of our day out.
Hall Hill Farm is such a lovely place and I can’t believe I’d never been!
And there is loads to see and do and it’s mostly all included with admission so it’s a day out which offers fantastic value.
During this “new normal” post lockdown, like most businesses, Hall Hill Farm have had to bring in lots of changes to be covid-safe one of which being you have to book a timeslot for your arrival via the website.
It’s clear that a lot of hard work has gone into make Hall Hill Farm covid-safe with clear signage explaining one way systems and when masks should be worn as well as screens, hand sanitiser stations and lots of handwashing facilities.
As Steve’s parents were finally visiting us we booked our tickets about a week before and kept our fingers crossed for a dry day.
Hall Hill Farm is only a short drive from our home and there’s ample on-site free parking.
And we were so lucky that the weather was absolutely glorious!
We joined the short queue to enter and the friendly staff gave us a booklet with loads of information on what was open and times for events taking place as well as a handy map.
First up we went to a little area where you can handle some smaller animals – rabbits and guinea pigs.
Elsie seems to like rabbits or hop hops as she calls them so we asked for a rabbit and Tiger Lily was gently placed on my knee.
And Elsie was intrigued and gently stroked her, when we moved her closer she was a bit unsure and we thought it was time to hand Tiger Lily back.
After washing our hands well we went over to see some pigs and piglets and made our way round the sheep and lambs and very noisy goats.
We made our way over to the sheep race and my goodness it was hilarious. My sheep Lady Baa Baa won and Elsie enjoyed watching the race perched on Pops’ shoulders.
After the excitement of the sheep race, we headed for the tractor ride.
Elsie was really excited and held on tight as we bounced around taking in the stunning County Durham views and more animals.
After disembarking from the tractor trailer we joined the queue and had a short wait to feed a lamb which Elsie really enjoyed.
She kept saying baa and trying to stroke it’s face.
With tummies rumbling we headed to the picnic table area located next to some really impressive play equipment.
We had packed a little picnic but purchased drinks from the on-site cafe.
Once fed Elsie was chomping at the bit to explore the play equipment.
The larger play area was definitely too much for her so we headed to the smaller more toddler-friendly area and Elsie loved the slide and the diggers!
With the sun at its peak, we decided to seek out some shade and a sit-down for the grandparents.
We made our way to the play barn and bagged a table and after sanitising our hands and kicking off our shoes Elsie and I headed into the soft play area suitable for her age.
Elsie was wary as this was her very first soft play visit outside of nursery but after watching another little girl playing she gained confidence and got stuck in.
We spent just shy of three hours at Hall Hill Farm and only left early Elsie was getting a bit grouchy so we headed back home so she could have a nap.
I was really pleasantly surprised with just how much there is to do at Hall Hill Farm and how much is included in your ticket price.
They have lots of covid safety measures put in place such as distancing the picnic tables, one way systems, masks are to be worn in enclosed spaces and hand sanitiser and sinks are in abundance.
They’ve really thought about making it a place for families with little ones in mind. For example, the lower sinks in the toilets, as well as the smaller toilet seats built in that you can easily put down all, make it very child-friendly.
I was really impressed with Hall Hill Farm, you could very easily spend the whole day there and I’m sure as Elsie gets older we will be able to do just that.
We felt really safe at our visit and wouldn’t hesitate to return.
Hall Hill Farm ticket information
- Adult £9.45
- Child (2-15yrs)£8.50
- 1 year old and under Free
- Over 60 / Student £8.75 Students: Must have a valid NUS student card
- Family Ticket 1 (2A+2C or 1A+3C)£32.50 Under 2yrs are Free, everybody attending must have a ticket allocated.
- Family Ticket 2 (2A+3C or 1A+4C)£39.95 Under 2yrs are Free, everybody attending must have a ticket allocated.
You can so buy an annual membership to Hall Hill Farm.
- Child memberships: £38.25
- Adult memberships: £42.50
- 4 person memberships: £145
To purchase tickets and time slots please visit the Hall Hill Farm website.
Where is Hall Hill Farm?
Hall Hill Farm,
Lanchester,
Durham
DH7 0TA
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