Taking a small break with my family over Easter, we decided to drive the hour from Kessingland to Wroxham Barns; a visit that we presumed would only last a couple of hours.
Over 5 hours later, we were still there and having a great time.
For such a relatively small place, there was a considerable amount to keep my two young sons entertained and as many of you will know, smiling children make parenting a lot easier.
Parking:
We arrived just before noon and were lucky enough to get one of the two remaining parking spaces; I would strongly advise trying to arrive earlier than we did if you're planning a visit during a school holiday, although there were parking attendants to help find spaces that you might otherwise have missed.
If you're visiting outside of school holidays I would say there is more than enough parking.
Dog friendly:
There are signs stating that Wroxham Barns is dog friendly and to a large extent, it is.
With that being said, you need to be aware that there are certain areas that you can't take your four legged friend. To make the most of your trip, I would really advise against taking your dog(s).
Food:
There is a restaurant and a cafe, both with a wide range of food and drink option. We didn't go into the restaurant so I won't be able to provide a review on that; we did go into the cafe and I have mixed feelings about it.
First, the bad - As it was Easter weekend we were prepared for it to be busy but I personally don't think that the time of year should dictate the cleanliness of tables and chairs.
Our table was covered in crumbs from the previous customers and the child seat had jam spots on it. Nothing a couple of baby wipes couldn't fix, but I surely a little extra planning from the management could have resulted in someone looking out for mess like this.
I'm not attempting to be overly harsh about this but there was at least 10 minutes between us arriving and then sitting at the table which was empty the whole time.
Now for the good - the food was fantastic. We're not in the realms of fine dining here, nor do we want to be. At a place like Wroxham Barns, we expected traditional British snacks and we had them in abundance. Ask my wife and she'll tell you I'm sausage roll mad; the ones in the cafe left me with a full stomach and a big smile.
The scones in front of my wife disappeared rather quickly too; she was delighted with them.
Junior Farm:
At £6.95 per person, this can very quickly become expensive if you have a big family but under 2's can go in for free.
For me, it's well worth the money!
The kids had a wonderful time seeing the lambs that were born on that morning, the chicks, rabbits, and everything else.
One nice touch is that once you've paid, you're given wrist band to enter and exit at your leisure.
They also have a number of activities such as free face painting, feeding the lambs, and holding the chicks. All things that are amazing for children.
Gift shop:
This is called 'The Gallery' and has lots of things to buy to remember your day out. We bought an amazing painting of an owl for under £40 which is going to take pride of place in our house.
There are also a number of typical children's toys, the type of which you often see at zoo's and play areas.
The Norfolk Cider Shop:
Locally made cider and cakes using local ingredients; I love businesses like this.
They offer free samples and I can tell you first hand, both the ciders and cakes are out of this world.
You can buy bottles for a really affordable price and the owner will accept repeat orders by phone if you would like more delivered. read more
