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Cotswold Farm Park is a living museum with a
difference, showing our animal and farming heritage. It is part of a 650 ha
working mixed farm, farming both arable and livestock, Bemborough Farm. It was
established in 1971 and claims to be Britain's first ever farm park. On display
is a collection of rare breeds of British farm animals including cattle, pigs,
sheep, horses, poultry and goats. It is also owned by Adam Henson a presenter on
the BBC Countryfile Programme.
During the middle ages the rural populations
would have kept a variety of animals to fulfill several roles from providing
milk, meat, eggs, grazers, working horses, supplying materials such as wool and
so on. As times and methods of farming have changed many of these breeds no
longer had a use and some have become extinct while others the numbers have
reduced considerably. In 1973 Joe Henson, Adams father became founder Chairman
of a national charity, The Rare Breeds Survival Trust, which now has over 10,000
members all committed to making sure these animals do not become extinct. So the
Cotswold Farm Park has been at the forefront of protecting and educating us on
the rare breed species.
Each of the animals on display within the farm
park represent examples of the breeding flocks and herds kept on Bemborough
Farm.
On a visit to the Farm Park today you will see
examples of a wide variety of breeds including, Herdwick and Soay Sheep, as well
as the 'Cotswold Lions', which were bred for their long fleeces and formed the
basis of the wool industry in the area, creating immense fortunes and allowing
merchants to build large manor houses and imposing 'wool' churches. The farm
still breeds them today. There are also Donkeys, Exmoor ponies, Shetlands and
Shires, Gloucestershire Old Spot and Tamworth pigs, Angora goats and so much
more.
It is very much a family led attraction and as
well as the displays of farm animals there are also the following attractions:
Touch Barn - where you can get up close and
personal with rabbits, guinea pigs, goat kids, lambs, piglets and newly born
chicks.
Being part of a working farm they also provide
seasonal demonstrations which include lambing, shearing, milking and visitors
are encouraged to take part by bottle feeding lambs, rolling fleeces and
handling wool as well as milking some of the wooden animals. There are also
regular working animal demonstrations as well as the Sheep History Pyramid show.
Wildlife Walk - There are two trails one 2
miles long and takes about an hour, the other is 1 mile long. Arrows and
information boards mark the route and there is also a leaflet outlining the
route from the shop. Along the walk you will see wildflowers and wildlife as
well as some historic features such as a Bronze Age burial mound, old quarry
workings for Cotswold roofing slates, loads of dry-stone walls and a Cotswold
dewpond.
The viewing tower at the far end of the site
allows you to get a good view of the farm park as well as the beautiful
surrounding Cotswold countryside.
For the children there is the Tractor School in
the Play Barn where 3-12 year olds can ride on the battery operated tractors, an
adventure playground with slides, sand-pits and mini diggers, swings, a combine
harvester and obstacle course. A maze where on answering questions based on
their rare breeds helps you find the correct path to find the Cotswold Lion. The
'Jumping Pillow' where 15 or more children and adults can bounce away together.
There is also a Farm Safari ride on a tractor
and trailer ride around the farm and a Woodland Adventure obstacle course. You
are encourage to feed the animals by buying bags of animals snacks at the
entrance, but watch out for the goats who also are partial to the paper bags.
Skippy Foal
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