Being a non-driving family has meant that there are places in Norfolk that we love to go for days out but usually can’t go because of transport issues. Wroxham Barns is one of those places. I always thought we couldn’t go because we don’t drive but recently I figured out that with the help of a train and then a taxi, it would be possible. Planning our day out was much easier than I thought it would be.
Due to COVID-19, tickets must be booked for Wroxham Barns in advance and you cannot buy them at the entrance on the day. Tickets can be purchased for combined entrance for the Junior Farm and the Fun Park and these cost £10.50 each + £1 booking fee per ticket. You have to pick a time slot when booking the ticket and the website shows availability availability each day. This is to ensure that people arrive at different times throughout the day and that social distancing is possible.
We chose to arrive at 10am, the first slot of the day but this was mostly due to transport more than anything. We had to arrive a bit early because of our train times and as it wasn’t open yet, we just had to wait outside for a while but that wasn’t a problem really.
Junior Farm
We started off with a visit to the Junior Farm. We arrived on the hour so this is where we were supposed to start. If you arrive on the half hour then you are supposed to start in the Fun Park and this breaks up the amount of people in each place.
It’s been a couple of years since we were last at the Junior Farm and Erin was a lot more excited about it this time. We bought some bags of food to feed the animals (goats and sheet/ birds and ducks) for £1 each. This is something that Erin was really looking forward to doing so we got 6 bags in total just so she would definitely have enough… and we might get to do it as well. The goats and the sheep were a firm favourite with us all and they were really very friendly. I mean, I would be friendly to most people if they came to me with food. Erin was a lot braver than she was on the last visit and really enjoyed feeding the animals.
My personal favourites were the alpacas although they didn’t seem to sure about me. I tried to get some pictures with them but one of them in particular seemed to look at me with a scary glare so I didn’t want to get too close. Other animals on the farm include pigs, chickens, donkeys and cows!
On our walk around we were able to take part in a bit of a quest to find a certain number of chicks (pictures, not real) so that Erin could win a prize at the end. This was something that Wroxham Barns really didn’t have to do but it was a lovely touch and Erin loved getting a prize.
Fun Park
As much as Erin enjoyed the farm, the Fun Park was where she really wanted to be. While we were waiting for Wroxham Barns to open we could see all of the fun things to do so Erin already had ideas about what she wanted to do first. The Fun Park includes mini golf, water wars, giant jumping pillows, a mini train and a few different rides, as well as play equipment.
For us, I think the best thing about the Fun Park is that the rides are all included in the ticket. Rides can cost a fortune at other places like a funfair so we usually have to limit what Erin can do. Here, she was able to go on everything more than once and that made her a really happy girl. There was a little wait sometimes but this was due to the rides being cleaned down after each use. We really felt that Wroxham Barns did a lot to help keep people safe with things like this and the amount of sanitiser stations around.
One of Erin’s favourites in the Fun Park was the new giant bouncing pillows which are a bit like a trampoline. There are 2, one for under 6s and one for over 6s. There was some really big kids in the older side so it was nice that Erin could have fun safely in the younger side without having to worry too much about anyone being a bit too rough. This was something she kept asking to go on over and over again.
Food and Drink
We were lucky to visit while the Eat Out to Help Out offer was on meaning that food and drink was heavily discounted. We were able to get 3 small pizzas each with a lunchbox item and a drink, with an additional drink for only £14.50. I thought this was really great value for money and the pizzas were really nice. There was a deal on large pizzas with drinks but they sadly didn’t have any on that particular day. I think they must have sold out the day before as it was the first day that the offer was running.
You are welcome to take picnics though if you want to which we would probably do on another visit to save a bit of money.
Wroxham Barns wasn’t the cheapest of days out for us. Here’s a breakdown of the cost:
Tickets – £46
Train – £10
Taxi – £10
Food and drink – £20
Total – £86
We honestly had such a fun day at Wroxham Barns and I think there is something for everyone. You get a lot for the cost of the ticket and while it seems like a lot, we really made the most of it.
PIN IT FOR LATER
