General entry price: Adult £6, Child £4.50 (pre-booked only)
Camping: £20 / £25 (with electric hook-up)
Sacrewell Farm has been run by the William Scott Abbott Trust since the 1960’s with the aim of connecting people of all ages with all aspects of agriculture and farming life. Today the farm not only operates as a centre for heritage and education but also as a destination for family fun and campsite.
Our Visit
We had the pleasure of spending a night at Sacrewell at the end of our recent road trip with Bumble Campers and were genuinely blown away by the place. Despite being located a 15 minute drive outside of the centre of Peterborough Sacrewell could be miles away from civilisation. The farm is surrounded by views of rolling fields and open pastures while still being easily accessible from the A47.
The site at Sacrewell is wide, open and spacious. On arrival we were welcomed in the main reception and given a handy information pack with details on camp site rules, farm opening times and options for eating at the on site cafe, Origin8. We opted to stay in the Top Triangle which offered some of the best views in a nice quiet pitch. The farm currently runs a series of pre-booked session times. We were thrilled to be told that on the day we were visiting they were running an evening session between 5pm-8pm. This not only meant that we could make the most of our limited time exploring, but we could also benefit from having the farm almost to ourselves while enjoying cooler evening temperatures.
Heritage Buildings
The Heritage Site includes an 18th century working watermill which is set in stunning grounds. The mill building has been fully restored thanks to a £1.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and now provides a beautiful centre piece for the rest of the farm. We loved exploring the walkways around the pond leading to the mill as the sun started to set.
Play Areas & Animals
There are several play areas dotted around Sacrewell. My children loved getting lost in the maze; climbing, swinging and sliding in the playground and following the farm trails. Our favourite play area had to be the shady stream area with stepping stones and hidey holes around a grand weeping willow. Perfect for a hot summers evening. As with all indoor soft plays their play barn is currently closed.
No trip to any farm is complete without the opportunity to get up close and friendly with some of the resident animals! Sacrewell is no exception with a whole range of animals waiting to meet visitors including alpacas, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits and chicks galore in the hatchery.
Camping
The campsite at Sacrewell is open between March and October. It’s a reasonable sized site with 27 electric hook ups and 48 grass pitches – however it doesn’t feel busy or crowded even in August due to the size of the area it covers and the general sense of space thanks to wide, sweeping views from every aspect. There are very good wash facilities next to the main reception with hot showers and clean loos. Best of all there is an on site cafe providing great food in the evening and first thing in the morning…which leads me to my next point!
Eating
The cafe at Sacrewell is run by Origin8 who pride themselves on offering visitors a wide range of hand-made hot foods, cakes and freshly baked goods. After a week on the road eating pot noodles and nightly pasta based dishes it was such a welcome relief to have great catering on offer as part of our camping experience. During our stay we were able to indulge in fresh pizza cooked on a wood fired oven which at £5.95 we thought was good value. It was also a joy to be able to splash out on a decent cup of coffee and a bacon roll first thing the next morning.
Covid Precautions
We found Sacrewell to be very effective in following government guidelines. As I have mentioned tickets must be booked in advanced with the farm offering a limited number of places to each open session. Face masks are compulsory in all indoor areas including the main reception, gift shop and cafe.
Our Thoughts
Sacrewell is a really special place with something for all ages. We were really impressed with every aspect of our time here. From a warm welcome at the reception to friendly staff in the cafe every member of staff we encountered was polite, friendly and helpful. The children had fun exploring and playing while we were able to relax thanks to the laid back vibe that Sacrewell exudes. An absolute gem of a place.
With thanks to the Sacrewell team for inviting us to experience their farm and campsite in exchange for this review. For more information on visiting Sacrewell please visit their website here.
