Hesketh Farm Park is a family favourite in our house, located just up the road near Bolton Abbey. It’s a farm. And a park. As you might have gleaned from the name. There’s plenty to do for families, all against the backdrop of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.
Here’s the video of our Hesketh Farm Park family day out for their Halloween event:
Hesketh Farm Park – The Animals
The animals are probably the main attraction at Hesketh Farm Park, near Skipton. All year round you’ll find cows, sheep, donkeys, guinea pigs, an array of different birds and a heap more. You can pet most of them and there is an opportunity to feed some of them too. Be careful though, a calf has a powerful suck. Hold onto your two-year-old as they brandish a bottle in the general direction of the animal so it doesn’t send them flying through the air. Seriously.
You can brush pigs before brushing guinea pigs, which is a similar experience but with different sized brushes. Oh, and you probably wouldn’t rest a fully grown sow on your lap whilst petting them. The kids can also collect eggs, tend to lambs, hold chicks and chase tortoises. The latter of which is not exactly challenging to be honest.
This is one of the real highlights of a Hesketh Farm Park family day out. The feeding happens at set times throughout the day and there is always plenty of opportunity for all the kids who want to to join in.
Hesketh Farm Park – Play Activities
As well as farm animals, Hesketh Farm Park has a range of play activities to keep the kids entertained. There’s a straw maze that kids love. You could also take refuge in a hidden corner if you fancy a few minutes’ peace (pro tip).
You’ll also find slides and climbing frames both inside and out. There are push along tractors for the little ones and more grown up go-karts too. The cafe is decent, with sandwiches, sausage rolls, cakes and more on sale. You can also head out on a tractor ride around the huge site. Although it was a little too boggy for the trailer on the day we went. That;’s the beauty of the Yorkshire autumn for you.
Special Events at Hesketh Farm Park
We went for the Halloween event at Hesketh Farm Park. There were some lovely activities to help ease you into the spooky spirit. Pun very much intended.
We hunted the entire place looking for witches bearing letters that made up a suitably seasonal word (with the knowledge that we could swap that information for a gingerbread man on the way out). There was a spooky room all decked out in Halloween decor and pumpkin carving too.
Hesketh laid on the pumpkins and all the implements you need for creating a spooky masterpiece. These included the best pumpkin cutting device I’ve ever used, instantly inspiring me to head out and buy one. I should have asked what it was called, because apparently our local hardware shop has no idea what a ‘sharp pointy pumpkin cutting thing’ is.
More Family Days Out in Yorkshire
I’d definitely recommend a Hesketh Farm Park family day out, and you can find a load of other great stuff to get up to in the White Rose county on the Bewildered Family Guide to Yorkshire page.
Let me know about your experiences of Hesketh in the Comments below. Also, recommendations for other Halloween activities in Yorkshire!
Leave a Reply