On Site Activities

The animals are a very popular feature of the Centre. We have lots of rare-breed chickens, guinea fowl, guinea pigs, rabbits, fantail doves and two dogs. Visiting groups become involved with the animals in many ways. There are eggs to collect, chickens to feed and chicks hatching under broody hens and in the incubator. Each year we have adopted lambs and goat kids to bottle feed. Next year we hope to get some Gloucester Old Spot piglets to look after for the spring and summer months. Many children think they have come to a working farm and they love it! For many of our visitors this is their first involvement with animal husbandry. We believe that the chance to become closely involved with the animals at Macaroni Wood is very important as it teaches new skills and develops a sense of caring and responsibility. Many of our visitors remember the animals as the best part of a visit to the Centre.

We have a number of BMX bikes available for groups to use. They can only be ridden in very specific areas of the wood that Richard will point out to groups before they are allowed to use them. Cycle helmets are provided. The bikes must not be taken out of the woods unless a member of staff accompanies an organised cycle ride. There are 7 mountain bikes for staff use only. We also have a small BMX track that is very popular with the children. It has recently been renovated and a non-slip surface has been attached to all the structures. A company called ‘Colas’ kindly donated the materials to enable us to do this. A number of trees have been thinned to make the track more open and airy. We charge £25 per group for the use of the bikes and the games room for a weekend and £50 for a week. The bikes are regularly serviced but any defects or problems should be reported to the centre managers as soon as they are noticed.

Groups can use the centre’s digital camera. We can make instant colour prints of photographs and a charge is made to cover costs of materials. We also have a camcorder and TV/VCR pack for groups to use.

The games room is equipped with a table tennis table, pool table and table football machine.  We have art materials, jigsaw puzzles and some games that can be used by groups. 

We also have a small telescope for watching the sky at night.

Wildlife in the area includes foxes, deer, badgers, squirrels, bats, hedgehogs, barn owls, kestrels, buzzards and for the keen ornithologists the centre has field binoculars which groups are welcome to use. There are cameras in the woodland linked to monitors in the games room and every year in the spring you can watch birds nesting and chicks hatching.

We have a number of ordnance survey maps which groups can use during their stay at the centre and Richard and Liz can advise you on the best walks in the local area and further afield.  Richard often takes groups out on night walks that are very popular.

There are rope swings, a small children’s slide, a sandpit and play house and a floodlit barbecue area.