Review: Cotswold Farm Park Holidays
I originally booked a two night trip to Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park Holidays for May half term, but that got postponed for obvious reasons. Luckily we were able to rearrange for the summer holidays, and it made a great treat for Ollie’s second birthday.
We have actually camped here before, but that was back in 2014 when the campsite had just started, and it is so completely different now that I have decided to write a new post. Plus, that visit was pre children and so we didn’t visit the Farm Park.
As with our other post Covid camping trip to Hickling Campsite last month, this is another very well run site, with every precaution taken to keep us all safe.
Cotswold Farm Park Holidays is a fairly large site and has a variety of pitches for tents (both with EHU and without), caravans and camper vans. There are also camping pods, glamping tents and lodges available if you fancy a touch of luxury. The pitches are very spacious (10m x 10m) with room to park your car next to your tent.
When you check in, the reception is friendly and welcoming, with the staff on hand to give all the information you need. They were also great when I needed first aid assistance after opening the car door into Ollie’s head. There were wardens patrolling all day and into the evening, which I find reassuring, particularly on a family site as it means that people are more likely to stick to the rules.
The facilities are excellent at Cotswold Farm Park Holidays. Stupidly, I forgot to take any photos, but the shower and toilet block was clean and regularly inspected. There were also plenty of cubicles so I never had to wait. The showers were always warm, although they operate on a push button system. I know this is more sustainable and eco friendly, it’s also quite annoying when you’re washing your hair, but I can live with it when everything else is so great. There was also a baby bath and changing station available which I made good use of as Ollie has decided that he REALLY doesn’t like showers! I was able to take the bath into the family/accessible wet room to wash both kids at the same time, which makes life so much easier for families.
The site also has a laundry and washing up room, and a kitchen. Unfortunately this was closed due to Covid restrictions, but I had a sneaky peek through the window and it looked very well kitted out, with a microwave and fridge etc. There is a farm shop at the park for essentials and a cafe and bar onsite. We treated ourselves to breakfast and lunch one day. We don’t usually eat out so much, but the Cotswold Farm Park Holidays is participating in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, so it worked out as very good value. They also do evening meals, which I saw many campers take advantage of.
The large recreation field is great for perfecting your ball skillsOne thing that I wasn’t a massive fan of, is that the pitches are close together with little space between for the kids to run about. As usual I spent a lot of time retrieving Ollie from the neighbours’ pitch. However, there is a very large recreation field which was perfect for letting the kids run off some steam. We also enjoyed an evening stroll around the Wildlife Walk.
The Wildlife Walk can be accessed from the campsite or the Farm ParkThe campsite is great, but the main draw for us is the fact that you get entry to the Farm Park included for every day of your stay. We arrived a bit late on the first day, but we spent all day there on the second day, plus after packing up on our final day, we headed back and spent a couple more hours at the park.
Cotswold Farm Park covers many acres and is a great day out for young familiesThere are a variety of rare breed pigs, goats, sheep, horses and cows to see and feed. There are also barns with smaller animals like rabbits, chicks and guinea pigs that you can get up close to. Unfortunately, there was no handling allowed at the moment, but you can still get close to the animals. There were also some piglets and calves to see, which the kids loved.
Feeding the goatsThe most popular part for both Finn and Ollie was the play areas. We couldn’t get either of them away from the bouncy pillows, Ollie also liked the ride on tractors.
The paly areas were a great hit with both Finn and OllieI’d always intended this to be more of an extended day out, rather than a proper camping trip. We easily spent a day and a half at the Farm Park, and could have spent longer. The kids had a great time, and there was enough to look at to keep us occupied too. I think it is more aimed at younger children, as I think older (10+) age groups might get a bit bored after a while.
We paid £90 for two nights camping with EHU and Farm Park entry for the duration of our stay, which I think is not bad value when you consider an adult ticket to the Farm Park is £15.
If you’re looking for a family day out, with lots to do and lots to learn, I recommend Cotswold Farm Park and campsite and I’m sure we will return.
Have you visited Cotswold Farm Park Holidays?
My grandfather came from Moreton in Marsh in the Cotswolds. It is a lovely area.
Finn and Ollie’s faces!! They look so happy!
#AdventureCalling
Sounds like the campsite is well-organised and well-run, which is reassuring with all the Covid restrictions. The farm park looks like a great place to visit too. The boys certainly look like they were enjoying feeding the animals and making the most of the play areas. #AdventureCalling