Farmyard & playground

With so many things to do for kids young and old, Chatsworth Farmyard and Adventure Playground makes for a fun day out for all the family.

In the farmyard you can meet our friendly animals, from pigs and horses to mischievous goats and guinea pigs, many of whom you can feed, pet or even cuddle.

We're also delighted to be home to a number of rare breeds including Suffolk Punch horses, Shire horses, Albion cattle, Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, Golden Guernsey goats, Derbyshire Red Cap chickens and more.

From the farmyard, take the secret tunnel to the woodland playground for exciting adventures.

Climb our tall towers for a bird's eye view, descend at speed on our racing slides, scramble across the wood tangle, zip on the zip wire, dig in the giant sand pit or use an Archimedes screw to fetch water from the stream...there are hours of adventures in store.

ABOUT THE PLAYGROUND

To keep everyone healthy and safe whilst visiting, please follow this important guidance:

- Wash your hands thoroughly, especially after animal contact or touching surfaces. Some animals can carry harmful bacteria like E. coli, which can cause serious illness. Good hand hygiene helps keep everyone safe.

- If you are pregnant, please avoid touching sheep, lambs and goats.

- Only eat and drink in designated picnic areas.

- Keep children supervised at all times in the farmyard and adventure playground.

The farmyard at Chatsworth has been a favourite day out for children of all ages since 1973, when it opened with a variety of animals including cows, sheep and lambs, pigs, horses, goats and poultry, as well as a milking parlour for demonstrations. 

Since then we've introduced the adventure playground and more exciting activities for children to get involved in, as well as developing our breeding programme for rare and sometimes critically endangered breeds.

In 2021, we were thrilled to be awarded Rare Breeds Survival Trust accreditation, recognising our important contribution to the conservation of some of the rarest livestock and equine breeds native to the UK, from Suffolk Punch horses and Shire horses to British Landrace pigs and Eriskay ponies.