Old Down Country Park

Visited with our two grandsons, aged 9 and 7, and they had an amazing time. We bought some animal feed, which they absolutely loved, and then they spent ages enjoying the play area. Afterwards, we had lunch in the café, which had a great choice of food and drinks for both the children and the adults. Everything was fresh and tasty, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. A lovely place for a family day out, with plenty to keep the kids entertained. We all had a great time and will definitely be visiting again. Highly recommended!

· via Google

The actual park estate is beautiful, perfect for children too, pets corner was a firm favourite with my Grandson. The onsite cafe was disappointing, the food is overpriced for the quality, we had nice toasted sourdough but thick catering bacon with more fatty rind than pork. It was empty at lunchtime when we visited, we were expecting it to be full. My Grandsons arm stuck to the table (think pub carpet in 1999). I did clean the table with some water wipes, it became apparent they hadn’t been properly cleaned in some time. The pot of tea was pleasant once I’d exchanged the filthy teacup with a clean one. We will look forward to visiting the park again but next time we’ll take a picnic like many other visitors we saw! The 4 stars are for the park itself, I wouldn’t give the cafe 1 star.

· via Google

Lovely afternoon spent here. Lots of animals. Bought animal feed and hand fed sheep and alpaca. Didn't appreciate feral kids and equally feral parents throwing branches in the pond but sadly very frequent occurrence these days.

· via Google

My parents and I visited Old Down Country Park in February, taking advantage of a limited-time discounted rate of £5 per ticket. Although the winter landscape meant bare trees and muted colours paired with rainy, windy, and overcast weather, the chance to see and interact with the animals more than made up for trudging through mud and slippery paths. For just £1 per bag of feed (small, fingertip-sized pellets), visitors can feed a wide variety of animals. Some roam in the open field near the bus, while others are found further along the path in the farm area. I won’t spoil the surprise by listing them all, but I would recommend exercising caution around the ostrich (or a very similar-looking bird), which nearly swallowed my hand, perhaps because we visited around lunchtime. Fortunately, the rest of the animals were gentle and calm. You simply place the feed on your palm and they softly lick it away. Standing just behind a gate, interacting with animals we had never even seen up close before was both thrilling and heartwarming. Being followed and nudged for more feed, hands slightly sticky with saliva, we couldn’t quite believe what we had just experienced. It was memorable in the best possible way. There is also a café and a large green space with playground equipment. My parents, both in their 50s, kindly left the playground to the many delighted young children who were making full use of it. The farm itself is modest and charming, though it could benefit from clearer signposting and perhaps a few more staff members available to guide visitors. That said, there is something enjoyable about wandering around and spotting animals that blend into the grassy, brownish winter landscape. It felt like a small adventure. Improved signage would make it easier to locate the animals from afar, and updated information boards sharing each animal’s name and story would greatly enhance the educational aspect of the visit. Learning more about them helps visitors form an emotional connection, seeing them as sentient beings rather than simply part of the scenery. This became especially apparent when I overheard a conversation between a regular visitor and a staff member discussing a cow and her seven-day-old calf. Moments like that add depth to the experience. It would be wonderful if staff could occasionally share such stories more widely, though credit must be given to the few team members who were constantly on the move managing the grounds. A few additional feeding instructions would also be helpful, for example, clarifying which animals should not be given the standard feed pellets and outlining any hygiene precautions. Such guidance would make the experience feel even safer and more complete. However, the free-range, self-guided format does allow visitors to explore at their own pace, which is part of its appeal. Overall, visit for the feeding experience. It truly feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That said, springtime on a sunny day would likely showcase the scenery at its very best.

· via Google