February half term meant that it was very busy. The car park was full, which meant we were directed onto the overflow car park, also known as a field. Lots of rain in previous days meant the field was very muddy. Wellies would have been a good idea but unfortunately we hadn't taken any. Pushing the pram from the car over to the entrance was very hard work and in the end we carried it for the last stretch, as the wheels were caked in mud and no longer turning.
Arriving at the farm we were greeted by donkeys and goats. Through the entrance there were cows in a large central pen. Unfortunately Baby had fallen asleep on the walk from the estate entrance to the farm entrance (a good 5-10 minute walk), so we made our way straight to the cafe. The previous day's outing had shown us how busy it could be, and on a previous pre-Baby visit the cafe had run out of jacket potatoes (its main hot food offering) so we wanted to have lunch early anyway.
As expected, the cafe was very busy. There were no free seats inside, but as Baby was snug in her pram we decided to sit outside, where there were a handful of tables under cover, as well as plenty of picnic tables. The queue was so long however that by the time food arrived, Baby was just waking up. Jacket potatoes, soup, pasties and sandwiches formed the main savoury options, with the usual wide selection of cakes most National Trust places are so good at offering.
After lunch, and a quick change and feed for Baby, her five year old cousin had a quick play on the tractors. These are the delight of little children, with their bright colours and free turning pedals, and the dread of parents, who usually have to bend over double to push their children who haven't quite got the strength to turn the pedals fast enough to make the tractor move.
A suitable amount of energy expended, it was off to see the animals. The barn with the sheep, including two little lambs, offered yet another opportunity for Baby's cousin to burn some energy. Hay bales occupied half the barn space, the perfect height for climbing on, and well spaced out to allow for jumping in-between.
Outside the sheep barn there was a meet and greet with Jacob the shire horse. Baby wasn't quite sure what to make of the very large horse, even when Mummy and Auntie showed her that it was a very friendly horse who was quite willing to have his nose stroked.
Beyond Jacob's vast body, Baby spotted some animals which seemed a more approachable size: several white geese, who honked as Auntie took Baby to see them. Next were some chickens, followed by some cows with very large horns, who were more interested in their lunch than in Baby. The other shire horses in their stables were also having lunch, so Baby saw more of their backends than of their faces. The goats were slightly politer, at least looking at Baby while they ate.
Baby has a book, bought by Grandma and Grandpa when they visited Scotland, called Harry the Highland Cow, and a cuddly toy to match. So Grandma was very pleased to see that the cows in the big pen included a Highland Cow. Unfortunately this Harry had decided he wanted to have a bit of a lie down and a rest in the corner, making him difficult for Baby to see. Perhaps sensing Grandma's disappointment, another (white) cow decided to take a liking to Baby, and followed her as we walked round the pen. Mummy and Baby kept a safe distance because of the cow's long sharp horns which he has been known to stick through the fence, but Auntie was braver and tried to stroke the nose pushed through the fence. The cheeky cow quickly stuck his tongue out and gave Auntie's hand a big slobbery lick. 'Like very wet sandpaper' apparently.
Hands suitably washed, next up were some shetland ponies. The perfect size for little children to ride. These were followed by a visit to the piggery, which was bursting with little piglets, born in the late Summer and Autumn. We saw one little piggy which was born three days after Baby. One pen had seventeen piglets in it, who all jumped up and ran around when their food arrived, which amused Baby muchly. Not so entertaining was a rather large pig who grunted very loudly at Baby, making her cry for a moment or two.
With Baby all tired out from seeing so many new animals, we left Baby's cousin to expend yet more energy on the adventure playground and headed back to the car, making sure to stop at the gift shop on the way out for a stamp for Baby's National Trust Visitor's Passport.
Key facts:
Month of visit:
February
Weather for visit
Sunny and dry, but not overly warm.
Is it pushchair friendly?
Usually, yes. The path down to the farm from the entrance is wide and gravelly, and once you're in the farm, it's mostly concrete. On this occasion though, I found myself wishing I'd taken the carrier, as the mud in the car park was horrendous. We drove past the following day and saw a sign stating that heavy rain overnight had forced them to close the car park, so worth thinking about recent weather when planning your visit.
How are the baby changing facilities?
There are baby changing facilities in the entrance courtyard area, which we didn't use, and in the farm area itself, by the cafe, which we did use. It was a separate baby changing room, but it was so small that prams would have to be left outside. There was a large sink which someone had obviously used to clean their boots, a changing table, a nappy bin and a plastic chair. No heating, so it was very cold, as it was a cold day. Even in Summer I should imagine it remains quite cold in there. The lock on the door didn't work at the time of our visit which meant we were constantly having to tell people we were using it, and would have been very inconvenient while I was feeding Baby, had Grandma not been on hand to keep the door shut. As there was only one room, there was a small queue to use it.
What about somewhere to feed?
As mentioned above, I fed Baby in the baby changing room, more due to lack of any other alternative than because it was particularly suitable. Had the cafe not been so busy, I probably would have fed in there, where it would have been warmer and cleaner, but as there were no free tables inside, we sat outside, and feeding outside on a freezing cold day wasn't really an option.
Is it worth a visit?
Definitely. Children and babies alike will love seeing the different animals, and Wimpole has thoughtfully provided areas for children to let off steam. They also offer a variety of activities throughout the day, such as meeting the shire horses, meeting rabbits, and watching the animals being fed. In the Summer, there are also horse drawn carts which take visitors down to the farm.
Baby's highlight?
Seeing the piglets running around, being honked at by geese, and watching her cousin play on the hay bales!
Wimpole Estate
Arrington,
Royston,
Cambridgeshire,
SG8 0BW
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpole-estate
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