Meet The Animals attraction offers families a brilliant day out at Thornbridge Hall

By Gay Bolton
Published 17th Feb 2023, 05:30 BST
Pet a pygmy goat at Thornbridge estate, Great Longstone, Bakewell.Pet a pygmy goat at Thornbridge estate, Great Longstone, Bakewell.
Pet a pygmy goat at Thornbridge estate, Great Longstone, Bakewell.
Thornbridge Hall’s spectacular estate has unveiled its new visitor attraction just in time for the half-term holiday.

Families will be able to pet a pigmy goat or one of the estate pigs and piglets. There are also sheep and lambs to see in springtime.

The Meet the Animals area is just behind The Emporium where there are small bags of food on sale that can be fed to the four-legged friends.

Access is free and open from 10am to 4pm every day.

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Sophie Barber, marketing manager for the Thornbridge estate in Great Longstone, said: “The launch of Thornbridge Smallholding’s new "Meet The Animals" area in time for half-term will be a brilliant day out for families looking for fun things to do in the area.

"We are excited about the next few months on the estate and have put together a variety of events, workshops and

activities to suit a range of people and interests.

"Our first Artisan Food Market (March 3-5) celebrating local independent food and drink producers, will include around 20 stalls, a Thornbridge Brewery bar, homemade goodies from The Thornbridge Estate Kitchen, and wine and gin tasting workshops”.

On February 28, there will be a talk in the Carriage House about the life and times of Joseph Paxton, a notable Victorian gardener who was a designer of hothouses and was also an MP. Hosting the event will be David Adams, an experienced Thornbridge Estate tour guide and specialist on Joseph Paxton. David will share a deeper insight into the life of this prominent Victorian and his link to the Thornbridge estate.

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If art and craft is more your bag, there are several classes that are now available to book online including a macrame workshop, an estate-inspired botanical lino printing class, a spring wreath workshop, and a series of mandala creation workshops. There will be a dog-life drawing class in Quackers cafe on February 24.

The Thornbridge estate has been a luxury wedding venue for many years, but this year sees its first wedding fair on

Sunday, March 12. Showcasing the stunning venue, a number of wedding suppliers will be attending and

include bridal and men’s wear, wedding confectionary, vintage cars and photographers. Future brides and grooms are invited to visit for free and can register via the website, www.thornbridgehall.co.uk.