Boydells Dairy Farm is a real hidden gem in Braintree, Essex. A family run, working farm where animal lovers will enjoy a hands on, fully immersive farming experience where the welfare of the animals is top priority. When you arrive it is straight to work with Farmer Kiley! Milking the cows and sheep, collecting the eggs, feeding the chickens and grooming the horses. This isn't a commercial attraction, but a real working farm that is opened to the public in holidays and some weekends.
Review: Boydells Dairy Farm
Why Boydells Dairy Farm is a good place to visit with children
- Visitors get great interaction with the animals in an authentic farming experience.
- The friendly farmer and staff are passionate about farming and the well-being of the animals so children (and adults) will learn lots.
- There is a woodland walk, bogs and streams.
- You can ride a donkey cart (additional charge).
- There is a tractor and trailer trip into the fields (additional charge).
- Children can enjoy the pedal tractor track.
What is there to do at Boydells Dairy Farm?
At Boydells the love for the animals from the farmers shines through and
they want to encourage visitors to learn more about their animals and
farming. They do this in a hands on way which is really friendly and
patient. In addition to feeding and taking care of the farm animals there,
there are also seasonal activities such as holding chicks, ducklings,
kittens and watching sheep shearing.
In a May half term visit we held a kitten, chick and ducklings as well as stroking rabbits, guineas pigs, goats and brushing a unicorn. Other farm animals are all on show and available for a stroke.
There is a small shop on site which sells refreshments, farm produce such
as ice cream and eggs and pocket money souvenirs.
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Enjoy a tractor race on the pedal tractor track |
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| See the farm animals |
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| Children will love feeding and stroking the animals |
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| Pigs at Boydells Farm |
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| Quack Quack |
What age children will enjoy visiting Boydells Dairy Farm?
This is a great place to visit for animal lovers, although appreciate it
is a working farm so the animals are mostly kept for farming purposes.
It's probably most of interest to children under 12.
Is it suitable for pushchairs?
The main section of the farm is hard ground and although a little uneven
is manageable. The back section
may be challenging for buggies if the weather has been bad.
What you need to know before visiting Boydells Dairy Farm
- Boydells is a working farm so you need to keep a close eye on children. It is worth reading their safety information before visiting.
- They are usually open weekends from Easter to October half term and school holidays in that period, but they close if there has been a lot of rain. This is partly because most of the car park is on a field which gets very muddy.
- They are open for two sessions a day: 10am - 1pm and 2pm to 5pm.
- In good weather the farm can reach capacity so it's always worth getting there for the beginning of the session time to ensure entry.
- Boydells keep their Facebook page well updated so it's always worth having a check before you travel incase they have had to close at short notice.
- Entry costs £7 per adult, £6 for children and under 3s are free. You can't book in advance, but can pay cash or card on entry.
Is it dog friendly?
No dogs are allowed on site in order to protect the livestock.
Are there toilets and baby changing facilities?
Yes there are basic toilets onsite and baby changing facilities.
Where can I eat at Boydells Dairy Farm?
There is tea and coffee (self serve) available for a donation and ice
creams made from sheep milk from
the farm. They don't have a cafe though so you might want to bring a
picnic, there are plenty of places to sit to eat.
Make sure you wash your hands well before eating due to the risk of
infection.
What to take with you when visiting Boydells Dairy Farm
- Wellies as it can get very muddy and there are streams children might want to paddle in.
- Bring cash: you can buy animal feed for 50p. I also highly recommend the eggs and the strawberry yoghurt pop from the shop. Yum!
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| A small selection of produce from the farm is available for purchase |
How to get to Boydells Dairy Farm and where to park
The farm is in a rural setting but with sat nav or Google maps it is easy enough to find.
There is plenty of parking and it is well managed however rain can reduce
parking availability and even sometimes cause the farm to close so keep an
eye on their social media pages for up to date information.
What else is there to do near Boydells Dairy Farm?
A visit to Boydells is great for a few hours in the morning or afternoon so if you are
looking for other activities near by here are a few ideas:
- Colne Valley Railway is approximately a 14 minute drive away. There is a full size country railway, a miniature railway and museum (including model railway). It is mainly open on weekends and school holidays.
- Braintree Village is approximately a 20 minute drive away. It is an outlet shopping village with a selection of restaurants. On the retail park next door there is NAMCO Funscape which includes bowling, soft play, arcade games, pool and Clip 'n Climb and a Cineworld cinema.
- Great Notley Country Park is approximately a 20 minute drive away. It has a great play trail with lots of innovative play equipment and a wonderful sand pit. Great Notley Country Park is also home to Sky Ropes, a high ropes experience which even caters for little ones aged 2 with Sky Ropes Junior.
Images and recommendations made by Essex Mum, Joanne.
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