Review: Reaseheath College Lambing and Zoo Weekends *

[Ad-gifted] Spring may be a few weeks away yet but a visit to the first of the Reaseheath College Lambing and Zoo Weekends and a chance to see the adorable newborn lambs definitely made it feel like springtime is just around the corner.

I visited on the first day of this year’s two lambing weekends with my five-year-old daughter Jemma and we were joined by my friend Sarah and her 13-year-old daughter Olivia. Both girls are big animal lovers and were excited for an afternoon of farm fun.

Reaseheath is an agricultural college located in Nantwich, Cheshire and this as my second year visiting their annual Lambing Weekend, which this year is held on February 28 and March 1, and March 7 and 8. A ticket-only event, it offers families the chance to meet the adorable new arrivals and learn about life on a working farm.

The event is open 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm. We arrived at midday, avoiding the rain in the morning! There was plenty of free parking, and a very energetic parking attendant who helpfully directed us to a parking space.

Once we had shown our tickets, we were given wristbands which gave us access to both the farm and the zoo, plus a programme packed full of interesting information about lambing, a map, and timings for the talks and feeding times at the zoo.

We headed straight to the Lambing Shed to see the newborn lambs, which as the main attraction did draw quite a crowd of people, but were well-worth the wait to see the cute lambs with their mums.

There are lots of other things to see and do on the farm, including checking out the expectant ewes, seeing the cows and pigs, and viewing some of the machinery used on the farm. There is also a farmers market with local businesses selling handcrafted goods and locally sourced produce.

Next we headed over to the zoo, just a short walk from the farm past the lake and through Reaseheath College’s beautiful grounds. There is lots to see with 200 species of animals including farm animals such as goats, chickens and donkeys, and more unusual creatures from around the world, such as wallaby, capybara and tamarind.

What Did We Think of the Reaseheath College Lambing and Zoo Weekend?

We spent a good four hours looking around the farm and zoo, so the event is well-worth the ticket fee!

Jemma and Olivia loved seeing the newborn lambs. We were not able to get too close to the ewes and lambs in the lambing shed, but there is an opportunity to hold one of the lambs and have your photo taken. There was a queue for this, but it went down quite quickly. I’d definitely recommend braving the wait for this, as the girls loved holding the little black lamb and it made for a super cute photo as a keepsake of our visit. You can buy a professional photo for a reasonable price and collect it that day.

The zoo was brilliant and a big hit with both girls, and us mums! It’s a nice size zoo with a good variety of animals, birds, and creepy crawlies. Both girls liked that the zoo is quite interactive. They both enjoyed feeding time with the wallaby and were thrilled that they fed from their hands.

We were excited to see the capybara, but unfortunately they were a little sleepy and had taken to their beds. It was a chilly day, so can’t really blame them!

We managed to catch a few of the talks from the zoo keepers and feeding times, including seeing one of the owls take flight and watching the hungry otters eat their fish.

The Farmers Markert is worth a browse and there is some lovely little stalls selling hand-crocheted toys and tasty treats. There was a few gimmicky stalls at the market this year, selling mass-produced toys such as bubble guns, aimed at attracting the kids, so be warned as it can add to the cost of the day.

We stopped for lunch and sampled some of the food stalls at the market, including burgers, s’mores, and delicious ice cream. Luckily the rain held off, but there is a picnic tent where you can sit and eat and also take your own food and drink.

Keeping both a small child and a teenager entertained can be a tall order, but our two girls with their shared loved of animals had a great time at the Reaseheath Lambing and Zoo Weekend. It’s a wonderful way of getting outdoors and we will definitely be back next year.

How long is the Lambing Weekend on for?

It takes place over two weekends, the first weekend sold out but there is still availability for Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8. It is open from 10am-4pm (last entry at 3pm).

Where is Reaseheath College?

Reaseheath College
Nantwich
CW5 6DF
Cheshire

Where can I buy tickets and how much is it?

Family ticket £33 – this ticket is perfect for families of 2 adults and up to 3 children
Adult ticket £11
Child (3-16 years), Students, Senior’s (over 65) £7
Child Under 3 – Free

Review by Danielle Booker

You may also want to read this:

Review: Reaseheath College Lambing and Zoo Weekends 2025

Review: Reaseheath College Lambing Weekend & Zoo 2023

Family Day Out Review: Lambing & Mini Zoo at Reaseheath College

*We were provided with free entry passes to the event in return for a review. All opinions are our own.