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A visit to Manor Farm and Country Park

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Tin Box Tot loves talking about farm animals and tractors. In fact, she is a little bit tractor obsessed. So when we found ourselves pitched up right next door to Manor Farm in Hampshire last weekend we would have been failing in our parenting duties not to pay it a visit.

A view of Manor Farm farmhouse though a flower garden


Manor Farm is where the BBC’s Wartime Farm series was filmed. The farmhouse itself dates back to the 1400s and the adjoining country park is packed full of wildlife, walks and picnic areas. During the  Second World War the land was secretly used by the Marines for training.

Old farm buildings

When you walk through the entrance of the farm it’s a bit like being transported back in time. This isn’t a modern farm experience. A lot of the ancient buildings have been saved and brought to Manor Farm from other parts of Hampshire. There’s also old tractors and farm machinery, some of which is still working for demonstration purposes.

An old blue tractor

Tin Box Tot enjoyed feeding the chickens and ducks. She had been keen to meet the pigs – Peppa Pig is very popular in our house at the moment – but wasn’t so impressed when she saw them. What she did love were the donkeys. We spent quite a while chatting to them.

Tin Box Tot looking over a wall at pigs

Tin Box Tot feeding chickens through a wire fence

The best bit for me was the farmhouse and Wartime Cottage, which featured heavily in the BBC programmes. Ever since I was a child I have loved looking around historic houses. Whether they are stately homes or traditional dwellings like this one, I am always fascinated to see how people used to live.

The pantry of Wartime Cottage with lots of old supplies

The sitting room of Wartime Cottage with old furniture

A Victorian schoolroom has been recreated as part of the Wartime Cottage. Tin Box Tot thought the desks were good fun and enjoyed opening and shutting the lids to look inside. She might not have been so impressed if one of the period costumed farm staff had been telling her to sit on her bottom and be quiet.

A Victorian school room with blackboard and old-style desks

Tin Box Tot sitting at an old school desk

There was even a tin box…well, a shepherds hut. These were common on the Hampshire Downs in the 19th Century and were used when flocks of sheep were kept far away from the farm. It looked quite cosy really, but maybe not up to Tin Box’s standards.

The inside of a Shepherds Hut with as bed and stove

Every day on the farm there are activities for visitors to take part in. There’s milking in the dairy, lessons in the schoolroom, walks and a chance to meet some of the farm’s smaller animals.

Tin Box Tot stroking a duckling

When we visited the farm was celebrating the 150th anniversary of A.A.Milne’s Alice in Wonderland. There were Alice story times, dressing up, a special trail for children to follow and Wonderland inspired treats in the cafe. The farm holds additional events on a regular basis so it’s worth checking out what’s going on.

Cupcakes with white rabbit ears

A visit to Manor Farm costs £7 per adult, £6 for senior citizens, and £4.50 for children over three-years-old. Entrance to the country park is free but there is a charge for parking.

Have you ever been to Manor Farm?

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Ting Dalton

Wednesday 9th of September 2015

Love the little wartime school room, I remember having desks like that in my primary school! Manor House Farm looks like a wonderful day out - you do like visiting TV-related places at the moment :) ps. Still loving the new look! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes

Bronwyn McConvey

Tuesday 8th of September 2015

What a great place! My kids would have loved this too. I love visiting historical homes and teh kids would have enjoyed all of the outdoor spaces. The perfect day out!Bronwynwww.queenbcreativeme.blogspot.com

Katja - globetotting

Monday 7th of September 2015

I love this, it looks so pretty and so quintessentially English! Love that the pigs were a disappointment :) #MondayEscapes

Chloe Ciliberto

Wednesday 15th of July 2015

I really want to visit here. I LOVE looking around historic houses and imagining how people used to live. It's so interesting seeing all the old farm machinery. It makes you really realise how much we take for granted everything we have now and how easy it is to get food from the supermarkets because of our big modern machinery.

It sounds like you had so much fun. What a cute picture of your family feeding the chickens. It's adorable that you had little chats with the donkey too. I love visiting farms and animals with my daughter, they get so excited to see anything feathered or furry. :-D

Thank you so much for linking up to the new #whatevertheweather linky. :-D

Chloe xx

Jenny

Wednesday 15th of July 2015

What a lovely place to visit! So funny that the pigs didn't live up to Peppa Pig's standard. But great that there is so much to see. I do love looking around historic houses, I much prefer the traditional places to big mansions and castles, that shepherds hut definitely looks surprisingly cosy! Thanks for linking up to #whatevertheweather linky. :) x

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