Cotswold Wildlife Park, Burford

just got back 2 newbury after a great day at the park. i've been 2 all the parks in the uk regularly, but somehow missed cotswold! the 1st thing that registered is the reasonable prices on everything, restaurant included, then as we went round we noticed such a different variety of animals 2 other places, some i've only ever seen on tv b4! the keepers were really friendly also and the glass blower making his models was brilliant and also very friendly! again his prices were extremely reasonable! will definitely be coming again! fantastic!

We came here when our child was about 9 months old. The park itself is huge with lots to see and do. Unfortunately it was raining when we came and therefore this dampened our day a little. There was some sheltered areas - near the entrance but it obviously would have been nicer on a good day. Highlights were the petting area for our child and also the penguins. The grounds are massive so it is also a good walk around the park spotting all the animals as you go. There are baby changing facilities but they are not the cleanest in my opinion. Could do with a re-vamp! We ate in the cafe and there were plenty of highchairs. The food options were not the healthiest but we had brought food for our child so didnt have to worry about that. There is also a really good play area which will not fail to dissapoint! You can easily spend the whole day here and not get bored!

We visited Cotswold Wildlife Park on a very busy, sunny Easter Saturday. Despite the crowds there was still plenty of space to enjoy the park. It's easy for young children to see the animals in their enclosures although because we went on a hot, sunny day most of the animals were quiet and sleepy. That said the safari animals (giraffe, zebra, rhino, ostrich and camels) were wandering about happily. There's a great little train ride around the park (an extra £1 per person, under 3s free) which is popular. There's a good playground with some good assault course style equipment which my five year old enjoyed challenging himself to. The cafeteria was very busy at lunchtime, we didn't eat there luckily we bought a picnic and sat outside. There are lots of places to sit and eat your own food. It's very easy to get about with a pushchair, the toilets are clean and the children are guaranteed to enjoy themselves. I like Cotswold Wildlife Park because it's open all year round. Years ago we visited one January but it's definitely best enjoyed when the weather's hot and sunny!

I first went to the Cotswolds wildlife park well before I had children and on my recent visit with my toddler I was glad to find that it wasn't any less enjoyable with a child in tow! The park is largely flat, so easy to manouvre a pushchair around and we found that most of the enclosures had viewing agreas at a good height for toddlers to see in to. Our daughter most enjoyed the walk-through lemur area because the lemurs jumped wildly over our heads. We also enjoyed the penguins which are almost close enough to touch and the farm animals where there is also a walk-through area. The cafes serves food suitable for young children (although largely chip-based). The changing facilities are good and the parking is really easy.

Our most recent visit to the Costwold wildlife park was over the February half term. Despite it being a rather windy and at times wet day, there was plenty to keep my three year and one year old happy. We started by taking a trip on the miniature railway which they loved (tickets £1). This gave an overview of all the animals in the park. We then walked round to take a closer look. We were lucky to see the lions who were out “sunning themselves” despite grey clouds above, although my daughter was pleased to find out they were safely behind glass. Other favourites included the giant tortoises, zebras, monkeys, meerkats and lemurs. Sadly the penguins were “on holiday” so we wern’t able to see them being fed. We had lunch in the cafe which provided a welcome respite from the wind and a chance to warm up. We had to wait in a long queue and the food was basic children’s fare – sausages and chips, fish and chips etc, with sandwiches also available. There are plenty of high chairs and there are baby changing facilities. In summer most people bring their own picnics which is much better. There is a great playpark with a wonderful slide which is a great hit with 3+ children (in fact it can be very hard to tear them away to see the animals). The grounds are spacious with plenty of room for picnics. In addition to the main cafe there are a couple of kiosks selling ice cream situated strategically around. There is a lovely little section for smaller children focusing on farm animals – pigs, goats, ducks, rabbits and chickens which my 1 year old loved. At £11.50 per adult and £8.50 for children 3-16 it is not a cheap day out but fun. There is plenty of parking.

We visited the park during the winter so the small train wasn’t running. My son had great fun running along the train tracks though! There is a huge variety of animals here from zebras to lions to giant turtles. They also have owls, bats and penguins to name but a few. The penguins are fed twice a day which is fun to watch and don’t miss the lemurs. My son enjoyed watching the animals but probably had the most fun playing in the play area. This is very close to the café and a large green area where you can sit and have a picnic. Parking here is good and even on a busy day the park doesn’t feel too crowded. Would highly recommend.

We visited the Wildlife Park on a Sunday and had a really great time. The grounds are very well kept and they have taken a lot of trouble to make sure the animals are in their appropriate environment. In fact all the animals seem really well looked after. Though the park appeared busy as we arrived, once inside people were well spread out and we didn’t have to wait or queue to see anything. My son (7yrs) loved the animals, especially the baby meerkats and the baby owls. Don’t miss the Madagascar exhibition, it was lovely to see the lemurs roaming free within the large enclosure. We also had fun watching the penguins and otters being fed. Buggy-friendly and dogs are allowed too. We took our own lunch and had a picnic on the lawn while my son played happily in the play area beside us. You can also get food and ice-creams in the café if you prefer. We stayed around 4 hours and didn’t get to see everything. It’s a proper family day out and great value for money, we would highly recommend it.