Meanwood Valley Urban Farm

At about 7 months old our little one became much more interested in life outside and started snorting with laughter when someone made the noise for a pig or a cow. We decided it was time to try and find some of the real thing rather than just rely on our poor imitations!

Meanwood Valley Urban Farm is exactly as its title suggests - a slip of land in the middle of a built up area where goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys and the odd cow seem happy to co-exist with the city bustling around them. I didn't grow up in a city, so find the concept of taking children to a farm to see animals a slightly odd one, as where I grew up many of those things were in the fields near where I lived. Misgivings aside we went for a visit.

Immediately after parking the car a donkey let out a call of welcome to us - the little one was absolutely enthralled! We made our way towards the visitor centre or 'epicentre' as it is known. The farm is a form of social enterprise, with allotments available for local use; I also think many of the staff are volunteers. Entry was very cheap and we bought a bag of grass pellets to feed the sheep and goats.The information given to us included a map. I didn't find this very easy to follow I'm afraid and we also found that some of the paths were hard to navigate with a pushchair.

I think it took us about an hour to walk around the farm and see all the animals. My favourites were the pigs and the little one's were the goats who cheekily displayed their climbing talents in order to get more food! I think it would be perfect with toddlers who would understand what the animals were and would be able to walk around the farm. An older child would also be interested in the nature section by the main centre.

In summary, I think it's a great asset to have in the middle of a city; I know how lucky I am to have been able to see sheep and cows in the fields as a child and I appreciate that a city farm helps children who wouldn't get the opportunity to see these animals otherwise. It's not all that easy with a pushchair, however, and I don't know how much longer I could have eeked out the visit. Value for money is excellent - it costs under £2 to get in. There is a cafe on site which sadly wasn't open on the day that we visited. It is, above all, a farm - so make sure footwear is appropriate.

Website - www.mvuf.org.uk