We visited Abbotsbury Children’s Farm whilst staying in sunny Weymouth for a few days. Abbotbsbury is a tiny village easily accessible from Weymouth and Bridport on the B3157.  If you are on the right road you really can’t miss the brown tourist signs telling you which way to go.  It hadn’t occurred to me to check their website for parking instructions though so I was a little confused when we got there and couldn’t see where park.  We asked a nice gentlemen outside where to go and he said we could either park at the Swannery at the bottom of the hill for free or head to the public car park at the top of the hill which is £3.50 to park all day.

Once we’d parked up we headed inside and were met with happy friendly faces who wished us a nice day and gave us a leaflet which included various activity times.  It really is the most picturesque location for a farm and the huge barn which is an attractive feature in itself contains lots of indoor fun.



The first thing my son had to go on was the remote control pirate boats and from there we went on to discover the sand play frame, animals, indoor water play area (which Sam utterly loved), milk molly the magic cow, ride on tractors, and a small play barn.

By this time we were all getting quite hungry so we headed to the Café for lunch and the display of cakes looked utterly divine so that was duly noted for after lunch.  There were a few options for the children’s meal and Sam had ½ a sandwich, bag of raisons, pot of jelly and a drink. I asked a member of staff if they had salad and was surprised they didn’t so I ordered a jacket potato and my Mum ordered the Lasagna.  Last year we ate in the Swannery and whilst the food was lovely at the Farm it was no where near as nice as last years.  I was especially surprised that the food was served on paper plates with plastic cutlery (albeit good quality) but may be that was because they cater more for the little one’s.



After lunch we headed to the barn and discovered a fantastic soft play area, a building block and toddler area, table football, table tennis and a bouncy castle.  Sam loved it in there and I was quite happy to slouch on the sofa while I fed my baby.  Up on the walls you’ve find lots of information on Dorset’s smugglers and there is even an 8 minute video playing about Isaac Gulliver the infamous smuggler.



Poor Sam was exhausted by the end of the day so I went off to get the car.  I don’t recommend this at busy times though as I imagine the lane can get quite congested.

Good to know…….

There are highchairs in the Café.

There is a microwave in the Café which can be used to warm baby milk and baby food.

The big barn is fantastic but quite cold so consider taking a jumper if it’s not a scorching hot day.

The toilets including baby change facilities are situated at the entrance to the Farm.

Whilst the Farm is pushchair friendly I found getting in and out of the big barn quite difficult and bumpy so it’s handy if you have a friend to help you.

The gift shop is a child’s idea of heaven and packed full of toys and sounveniers.



If you park in the Swannery car park then use the path which runs alongside the main road to walk up to the Farm.  Alternatively the public Car Park is not far. Whichever car park you use involves a hill so you’ll have to choose whether you want to tackle it at the start or the end of the day.

There are plenty of activities going on during the day including bottle feeding the lambs, an owl flying display, guinea pig handling, grooming the ponies plus donkeys and pony rides. Please note that the pony rides are a paid activity and days and times may vary on all activities.

The bale mountain and slides sound fantastic and opens from Mid May.

Take baby wipes although there are plenty of hand washing stations and antibac gel there for you to use.

The Farm is available for children’s parties, please see the Website for details.

You will receive 10% off the normal admission price if you book online 2 days in advance.  The passport ticket is good value for money if you are also planning to visit the Swannery and Subtropical Gardens during the year.

No dogs are allowed in the Farm due to roaming animals.

If you would like to read more about the Children’s Farm including prices, opening days and times plus special events then please visit the Website. 


Sam gives Abbotsbury Children’s Farm the thumbs up!

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