Trentham Monkey Forest and Gardens 2019 Review
Reviewed by Lindsay Burton
The perfect day out for all the family! Especially now the school summer holidays have started and you have 6 long weeks to try and fill with fin, education and laughter.
Trentham Monkey Forest is completely unique to the UK. Built in 2004, it is the only place that you can walk amongst 140 Barbary macaques roaming free in 60 acres of beautiful Staffordshire woodland together with their babies!
We made our way through the woodland, at first not seeing any monkeys but then a member of staff pointed them out to us and suddenly, the whole canopy of trees came to life with inquisitive, playful monkeys leaping from tree to tree above our heads. Even though there are restrictions about the distance you should maintain from the monkeys, you can get up close to the them and there are lots of members of staff to answer any questions. The also get fed quarter past every hour so little chance of not seeing any.
Once you’ve had your fill of the beautiful creatures, you can take your own monkeys to the lovely playground situated right next to the cafe. You can either purchase food and drinks on the premises, or bring your own picnic as the facility caters for both options. There is a lovely trail the family could tackle together. The playground, cafe and trail are all found outside the monkey enclosure, they try to keep them in an environment as close to the wild as possible.
The site is compact but beautifully picturesque and right next to Trentham Gardens so can easily combine the two attractions which is exactly what we did!
The Trentham Estate is home to the award-winning Trentham Gardens featuring The Italian Garden by Tom Stuart-Smith, and the Floral Labyrinth and Rivers of Grass by Piet Oudolf and vast wildflower and woodland meadow plantings by Nigel Dunnett.
We enjoyed finding the fascinating fairies on the trail and relaxed comfortably in some complimentary deck chairs while our children thoroughly enjoyed themselves in the adventure playground with the UK’s first barefoot walk, a family-friendly hose and speak maze, mile-long Capability Brown lake with seasonal boat and train trips. We took the circular lakeside walk all the way round and it takes you aside the River Trent, by the bird hide, through the cascading weir and along atmospheric trails, featuring vast meadow schemes by Dunnett and the team who were responsible for the stunning wildflower plantings at the Olympic Park. The playground can be found right next to the cafe and ice cream hut, both facilities is fully catered and very clean. On the day we visited, there was a lovely outdoor grill in action, offering some mouthwatering dishes for all.
Another interesting attraction is the remains of Trentham Hall, namely the Grand Entrance and Orangery. My daughter and went to investigate the ruins which we have researched since and found that the estate was first recorded in 1086 in the Domesday Book.
Trentham Monkey Forest, Trentham Treetop Adventure and Trentham Shopping Village with 50 shops and 14 cafes and restaurants can also be found at The Trentham Estate, making it a day where everyone can get to do something they enjoy-you’ll find something for everyone here. The venue is also dog-friendly.
Trentham Monkey Forest is a very unique experience that is fun for all the family, whatever their age. As you walk the ¾ mile pathway through the forest you see monkey everywhere, uncaged and free to roam. We loved it, a great start to the holidays.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £6 to £9 (£5.50 to £8.50 if booked in advance).
For more information or to book tickets online visit monkey-forest.com.
Trentham Monkey Forest, Stone Road, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, ST12 9HR
