The farm has a new café and a soft play area too
For families looking for the perfect weekend or holiday day out this spring, there’s not much better than getting your wellies on and heading into nature. If you have animal lovers in your family, a farm is the perfect place for them to interact with their favourite barnyard friends first-hand while learning about them too – and there are plenty you can visit without even having to leave London.
The likes of Mudchute Farm and Hackney City Farm may be the locations that more immediately spring to mind when you think of a London city farm, however there are some lesser-known gems that are well worth a visit. Belmont Farm in Mill Hill, North London, may not be on your radar yet, but it has enough on offer to make it a brilliant family day out.
The farm is home to a wide variety of animals from Angus cows to pygmy goats, pigs, alpacas, Shetland ponies and even guinea pigs and chinchillas. Visitors can interact with many of the animals directly by purchasing special animal feed from the farm, giving children the opportunity to feed them themselves.
As well as being home to many species, the farm also boasts a newly-opened café serving coffees, cakes, pastries, toasties, pizza, ice creams and soft drinks. The farm also has a soft play area for children aged six months to ten years, but it is important to note that kids can only play before visiting the animals and not after due to the contamination risk.
Founded by owner Andrew Reid, Belmont Farm was established to educate visitors about farming and food origins through hands-on experiences. The working farm is home to over 20 different animal varieties and is supported by three other farms “where we grow wheat, barley, hay and produce sheep breeding stock, lambs for the market and wild venison”.
Getting there
The farm is easily reachable from central London – simply travel to Mill Hill East on the Northern Line and then catch the 240 bus to Mill Hill Village. Alternatively, you can travel on a national rail service to Mill Hill Broadway and walk for 30 minutes or catch the 240 from there.
The farm’s address is: Belmont Farm, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1QT
Prices
Tickets for the farm start at £5 for children aged 1-3 going up to £7.50 for children up to 16. Babies under 1 can enter for free, and adult tickets cost £8.50. You can also buy a bag of animal feed for your visit for £2.
Tickets for the soft play area are charged separately, and you can book online or in person on the day. Children can play for £8.50 on weekdays or £10.50 at weekends. To find out more about ticket pricing for the farm and soft play and to book, visit the Belmont Farm website here.
More fun nearby
For an extended family adventure, combine your Belmont Farm visit with nearby Darlands Nature Reserve. Located between Totteridge and Mill Hill in Barnet, this 32-hectare reserve offers diverse landscapes including woodlands, wetlands, grasslands and the picturesque Darlands Lake.
Originally part of the 16th-century Copped Hall estate, it became a nature reserve in 1982 and provides stunning countryside walks with valley views whilst serving as a wildlife sanctuary.
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