Cholderton Charlies Farm Review
Cholderton Charlie’s Farm
www.choldertoncharliesfarm.com
Reviewed by Kerri Chard
Cholderton Charlie’s Farm is situated just off the A303 nr Andover. It is well sign posted and offers plenty of free parking on arrival. To enter the farm first you must navigate past the gift shop, here you will find a reception desk as well as entrance to the café. On arrival we had to wait several minutes for a member of staff to serve us and when they did so, they didn’t seem to be very knowledgeable about the entrance pricing nor did they offer us any sort of activity schedule so we were forced to enter the farm none the wiser. We weren’t offered any animal feed but having been to the farm before I knew to ask for this otherwise we may not have known it was available which would be a real shame for the kids.
The farm itself is looking a little tired if I am completely honest. Having been in the past I felt that it has been neglected since my last visit. There didn’t seem to be as many animals, and some areas such as the large woodland play park had even been closed off. Generally I felt as though a bit of cleaning, a focus on customer service and bit more staff attentiveness would improve a visitor’s experience.
That said, the kids don’t notice these niggles and they love the farm. On a good day there’s lots to see and do, and when you have an activity schedule to hand the kids can enjoy some wonderful farm yard activities such as tractor rides, pig races and animal petting. We fortunately spotted the chick petting at the right time so the kids got to hold and stroke a new born furry chick. All of the petting areas are furnished with facilities to wash hands after handling animals. The pig races are great fun as they really engage the kids – they can run alongside the pigs, choose their favourite to win and cheer them on – the louder the better.
Aside from scheduled activities you will find plenty of animals to feeds and pet. Mostly goats and pigs. The kids spent a lot of time trying to feed the smaller goats but found it quite difficult and got quite angry with the larger goats barging the smaller goats out of the way to get their feed. There are also ponies and donkeys, rabbits and a lot of chickens to see.
There are a number of play areas both indoor and outside (all of which could do with a bit of care and a tidy up). These include; sand pits, an outdoor adventure assault course, trampolines and bouncy castles, play areas with swings and climbing frames, and an indoor soft play barn. You can lose the kids in the soft play barn for a good hour or so if you wanted. It is a well-equipped, three storey maze of fun activities including slides and rope swings which is well padded so completely safe for kids of all ages. There are a few tables so it is a good time to put your feet up or have an indoor picnic.
A woodland walk is available if you want to take yourself on an adventure and during the summer the Maize maze opens up for additional entertainment. If you want to get food on site the café offers a good menu of hot and cold food, which all seemed reasonably priced, and on a hot day the availability of ice lollies is very welcome. Here again we were a little disappointed by the staff, as it seemed to take a very long time for anyone to get served and none of the tables had been cleaned off despite there not being any other customers when we sat down to eat our ice creams.
Rating: 3/5
We would have liked to have scored Cholderton Charlie’s farm higher based on our previous visits but a lack of staff, customer service and general maintenance let them down on this day. We would still recommend it as a place to visit with young children. We guarantee they will have a good time, but bear in mind that there are other farms available to visit in the Hampshire area.
Fact Box:
Cholderton Charlie’s Farm Park is a Rare Breeds Farm located on the Wiltshire and Hampshire border. They offer a fun-filled family day out for all ages: from an indoor three-storey play barn, to a café and gift shop; from feeding and cuddling baby animals to tractor rides.
During peak times, the farm offers lots of hands-on farm activities, from walking a goat to cuddling a little fluffy baby chick! Tractor rides are a big hit as well as their infamous PIG RACING! Here is the Summer activity timetable:
11.00 Animal Handling (Rabbit & Poultry unit)
11:30 Pig Race (next to play barn)
12:00 Tractor Ride (at tractor stop £1 per person)
12:30 Animal Walking & Grooming (Baby Unit)
13:00 Animal Handling (Rabbit & Poultry unit)
14:30 Pig Race (next to play barn)
15:00 Tractor Ride (at tractor stop £1 per person)
15:30 Animal Handling (Rabbit & Poultry unit)
16:00 Animal Handling (Rabbit & Poultry unit)
16:30 Animal Handling & Grooming (Rabbit & Poultry unit)
Winter opening hours: 10:00-16:00 7 days a week
Summer opening hours: 10:00-18:00 7 days a week
Adults £6.95 each
Children (2-16yrs) £6.95 each
Family admission (2 adults and 2 children) £25
For more information or to buy tickets visit www.choldertoncharliesfarm.com
Cholderton Charlie’s Rare Breeds Farm, Amesbury Road, Cholderton, Salisbury, SP4 0EW
