Family / Free things to do with children
With the kids in Bristol: St Werburgh’s City Farm
Located in amongst peaceful streets and bordered by allotments, St Werburgh’s City Farm is a hidden gem in an idyllic suburb of Bristol. This oasis is made up of five parts – the farm, the community gardens, the allotments, Boiling Wells Amphitheatre and the cafe. All of the areas have their own characters but also have a beautiful synergy.
Our first stop was to visit the farm itself. It’s a simple setup housing your typical farm animals likes goats, sheep, pigs, ducks and chickens. On entry into the farm, we were treated to seeing a goat being milked – something that you don’t see every day, living in the city. This made my kids excited to find out more and get stuck in so I bought us a bag of animal feed (£1) and off we headed off to find some more animals.
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My kiddies may have thought they were keen but this soon changed when they were actually face to face with the animals and putting our hands in close proximity to their teeth. It therefore fell to me to actually do the feeding and I admit I was a little anxious about it, but in the end it was fine and only kind of tickled – though this still didn’t persuade my children to take over.
With the feeding all done, we then took a gentle meader around the farm, which is set in two acres. We talked too on our travels and had a look at what was being grown on site. It was at that point that our bellies started to rumble and so it was definitely time for lunch.
This was an outstanding part of the visit for me. The award-winning cafe has a hobbit-esque look about its wooden doors and windows, the shapes of which reminded me of Gaudi’s architecture in Spain, and feels very homely and welcoming, like getting a big hug to say hello. It exudes a calm and tranquil aura, which is great for when you have two very hungry children in tow. Whether you want breakfast, brunch or lunch there are mouth-watering options for everyone, whatever your preference.
My husband and I opted for the Huevos Rancheros to avoid getting food envy, (£8.75), whilst our children kept it simple with fishfingers and sausages (£4.50). And we couldn’t leave without trying one of the delicious homemade cakes. The carrot cake deserves a special mention as it is truly scrumptious. I have to say it is the best carrot cake I have ever eaten.
Suitably satisfied, it was time to explore the rest of the farm, namely the adventure playground. Built by the Green Play Project, the playground has many elements to it, made from natural material like wooden logs and bamboo, that will amuse most children. Being adventurous, my two couldn’t help but get stuck in.
As the children had had their 30 minutes of fun, now it was the adults’ turn to decide what next. We decided to take a short walk to the community gardens and allotments to see what was being grown, especially as the allotment holders are encouraged to trade surplus with the cafe. It’s not often you get to actually see where your food comes from, especially within minutes of having eaten it. It was great to explore the grounds to see what was in season as well as it also being a bit of an education for the kids, and with our curiosity satisfied we took our cue to head home.
As St Werburghs City Farm is a registered charity there is no charge for entry, however, donations are gratefully received as it contributes to keeping the farm operating. Visit www.swcityfarm.org.uk to find out more.
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