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. We have two micro pigs that are very friendly and playful. 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 mountain bikes for staff use only. We also have a small BMX track that is very popular with the children. It has a non-slip riding surface on all the structures. 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.

There are rope swings and play structures outside including slides, swings, a non-working farm tractor and trampolines for everyone to use. We have an area of grass for playing five a side football. There are designated areas for lighting campfires under supervision.

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.

Our sports hall is in the building adjacent to the bike storage area. We have play equipment for five-a-side-football and short tennis and will hopefully have more equipment later on this year. There are two toilets and washbasins in this play area. Since it’s opening in July 2011 it has been well used and we have had many appreciative comments from groups staying at Macaroni Wood.

This is a large room with a table tennis table, bar football table and pool table. This is also where our wildlife camera system operates from. We have a computer and three monitors that link to cameras in the woodland. The cameras are focused on bird boxes, bird tables, the dewpond and other areas of the wood and show us what is happening with the wildlife in the wood. In the spring we have chicks hatching and at all times of the year there is always something of interest on the screens. The computer is not to be used to access the internet as we have a lap top computer that can be used by groups if they feel it is necessary.

We also have art materials and other games in this area of the unit. The games room has a separate toilet.

The playroom is a new addition to the facilities available in Castree House. It was converted from the old garage in January 2008 and is now fully equipped as a sensory playroom with equipment including a light projector, bubble tube and two sensory boards.

The room also has a 38” flat screen TV with digital television, a DVD player, a good quality sound system and a computer that is connected to the internet.

We also have art materials and other play equipment and everyone who has used the room have been hugely impressed with this new addition to the facilities that we can offer to our visitors.