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Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre & Countryside Park
As the school holidays draw closer parents are checking out which attractions in Cheshire will keep their precious broods occupied for a few hours.
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We’ve been seeing what’s available and have come up with one or two suggestions. The first is this tremendous day out for all the family at Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre & Countryside Park, near Tarporley.
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It’s evident from you moment you arrive the dedication that’s gone into making this place tick – all of the animals we encountered seemed very unstressed and unphased by their human observers – and importantly all pens and areas were spotlessly clean and well-maintained.
A nice welcome from a family of one-week-old piglets
On arrival we were greeted by a group of week-old piglets, which, to the delight of my daughter and grand-daughter, set about trying to chew my shoes as I struggled to take some of the photos used here.
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Set in 50 acres in the heart of the beautiful Cheshire countryside, Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre & Countryside Park offers everything for the perfect day out.
How small are you? How big are you?
The internationally renowned Cotebrook Shire Horse Stud – which has been breeding prize winning shire horses for over 40 years – form the centrepiece of the centre. And what beautiful and friendly animals they are.
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They’re more my size
The 50 acres of parkland are extremely well-managed and thoughtfully planned – offering short, intermediate or long walks for all abilities.
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What’s particularly nice is the provision of benches throughout the parkland – for grandparents like me to occasionally take that badly-needed break.
I can smell my lunch, but where is it?
We spent an easy couple of hours in the heart of the centre, observing the animals and birds in their enclosures, before taking a leisurely, but enthralling walk around the parkland where even more animal enclosures are to be found – dotted along the various walks.
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You can’t beat a fresh trout!
There’s an excellent cafe/restaurant serving very reasonably priced sandwiches, drinks, snacks and meals – but another very well-considered and thoughtful aspect was the provision of picnic tables within the centre itself.
You’re cute
Too many attractions in the UK want to take your admittance money then leave you with little choice but to eat in their sometimes expensive restaurants. For families on a tight budget this could mean all the difference between a great day out and a fraught one.
Another surprise was the very reasonable admission cost of £25.00 for a family ticket – not only that but that same ticket can be used for unlimited admissions for the following month. That has to be the bargain of the year.
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Thanks grandad, I’ve had a great day
And if that’s not enough annual entrance memberships can be purchased offering unlimited visits plus discounts at the cafe and gift shop!
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It’s plain to see the love and devotion that owners Alistair and Janet King have lavished on the centre and all credit to them for offering so much for such a reasonable price of entrance.
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If you’re looking for an entertaining, educational and reasonably priced day out we can’t recommend the Cotebrook Shire Horse Centre highly enough.
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Full information on the centre at: http://www.cotebrookshirehorses.co.uk
All images ⓒ ilovemacc 2016
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