You don’t go to a farm expecting to see a T-Rex roaming next door to the cow shed, but that is the adventure awaiting children - and grown-ups - at Mrs Dowson’s.
Jurassic Adventure has entered its final week at the Clayton-le-Dale venue (dubbed Jurassic Farm for the occasion) - running Wednesday to Sunday - and if you haven’t been already it is well worth a visit, especially for those budding palaeontologists.
The main attraction is a show staged by three ‘explorers’ describing their discoveries in an engaging way for children, with a selection of life-like dinosaurs appearing, and the opportunity for audience interaction.
The show, which is held at various times of the day, is entertaining and educational and lasts for around 20 minutes.
Seating is limited, so it might be worth considering taking a blanket or even camping chair for comfort.
At the end, children are invited to have photographs with the individual dinosaurs, although the T-Rex is reserved for a paid-for photo opportunity.
Purchasing is optional, but as my two were both looking at the camera and smiling (a rarity!) we bought one.
It is presented in a nice folder, but at £12 for one (or £20 for two) the quality of the print was a little disappointing. But that’s my only gripe on a delightful dinosaur day.
After meeting prehistoric animals we went to see the farm animals, via the sand pit and the children’s play area, which looks set to get bigger and better in the not too distant future.
Trying to keep children entertained during the summer holidays can be expensive.
At Mrs Dowson’s you save 30 per cent by booking online, with a family of four costing just under £46 if booked through the website.
It is not the cheapest day out BUT you do get value for money.
As well as the dinosaur show, which is included in the price, you have access to the rest of the farm, which includes a duck pond, petting area with rabbits and guinea pigs, sheep, cows, pigs, goats, deer, donkeys, llamas, water buffalo, wallaby walk as well as an inflatable maze, which seemed like good practice for the corn maze.
If only it had been as straightforward as the inflatable option! There were points where it started to feel less like an adventure and more like my worst nightmare, but it all added to the sense of achievement - and relief! - when we did find the exit.
Then it was back to the paddocks to use the rest of the animal food, priced £1 a bag and available on entry to hand feed the majority of the farm’s animals - there are some exceptions, which are explained.
The animals are pretty well spread out at the farm, so if you want to see everything be prepared to get your steps in, with the water buffalo and deer located in the furthest paddocks.
All paddocks are accessible with a pram, so if you have little people who are mobile but still like to be carried after a while (like I do) then I’d recommend having a buggy handy.
No trip to Mrs Dowson’s is complete, of course, without sampling some of their delicious ice cream. I had a lovely latte too, to round off a brilliant day.
Mrs Dowson’s is not just a farm, it’s an experience.
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