Sacrewell Farm

“Scarewell” Season

Location: Thornhaugh Peterborough, PE8 6HJ

Opening Times: Fall Activities – Seasonal. The Farm – year round.

Duration: Half Day

Age-Range: 0-10

Parking: Free Parking Lot

It wouldn’t be the fall season if my family didn’t carve jack o’lanterns into hand picked pumpkins. Our first year in England, I needed to find the perfect place to seek out the gourds in question. Research online yielded a handful of patches in the Cambridgeshire area with Sacrewell Farm being the stand out choice.

Straight up the A14, the farm was very easy to find and parking was no problem. We went on a Sunday afternoon during Fall break, and we found the sight to be busy but not overcrowded. It was the ideal level of bustling without feeling constrictive.

Sacrewell was holding a “Scarewell Fest” which was an additional purchase that gave each child a passport book and allowed them to complete three separate activities.

Traditional entry into the farm was 26 pounds for my family (two adults and two children) which gave us access to all the yards and pathways, as well as the indoor play barn. In addition, we paid another 6 pounds per child for the passports. In total, 38 pounds.

The play areas and several animal pens were located near the front of the farm, making this place perfect for families with young children. The outside playground was creative and widespread; it reminded me a lot of Germany’s parks.

• 

• 

Directly to the right of the playground was a small hedge maze, the ideal size and height for younger children. Then farther down was an open play area with an accessible creek and fallen logs for climbing. More than enough room for little feet to burn off energy and hands to get muddy.

• 

• 

---

With the purchase of the Halloween passports, we took the kids to the three different activity areas. The first was a candy making station, where the kids sat at a table and waited as a worker came around with melted chocolate. Once spread on edible paper, the kids stuck a plastic stick in the dollop and had free reign to decorate their treat with candies and sprinkles. Once finished, their lollipops were placed in a refrigerator and allowed to chill for thirty minutes.

---

The second activity was a Haunted House for all ages. This was a farmhouse converted into themed rooms with workers dressed in grisly outfits. There were some elements that unnerved Evie, but nothing that would truly frighten a three year old. It felt like something similar to a neighbor’s house that went above and beyond for the Halloween season and had a keen eye for decorating.

---

The final and third activity was the pumpkin patch, where each kid was allowed to choose one pumpkin. Additional pumpkins could be purchased for 4 pounds apiece, but my family was content with sticking to 2.

Small wheelbarrows were available at the entrance for kids to use (unfortunately my group missed them and then had to endure the whines of a missed opportunity) and there was a long table set up for carving for those wanting to perform the task immediately.

My group skipped the carving, choosing to do that later that evening at home, but we did take advantage of the photo booth pop up and examined the variety of scarecrows displayed throughout the rows.

• 

• 

• 

---

Sacrewell Farm was one of the smaller public places I have visited so far, but what it lacked in size it made up for in charm. Neither of my kids grew tired walking around, and every spot was stroller (“buggy”) friendly, including the haunted house. For those with preschool aged children or those with toddlers, this was the perfect amount of roaming and playing room. The farm relied on its natural space to entertain curious minds; this form of exploration was ideal for an afternoon outing.