We’re over the border in Herts this week, as we were so pleased to hear that the wonderful Hill Farm Barn has decided to stay open a month longer than usual.
Hill Farm Barn (also known as the walk-in cafe), is located opposite Northchurch Common, which is part of the Ashridge Estate near Berkhamsted. It’s really popular with families in the summer months, so we were delighted to find they are open this November.
It’s a brilliant spot to sit with a coffee while the kids can wander freely. In the summer, there are animals grazing in the paddock within the seating area, with feed dispensers available to use.
A giant tractor tyre is turned into a sandpit, with diggers and spades to enjoy. There are guinea pigs in a hutch, stepping stones to play on, a pond to spy through the fence and a vintage tractor that everyone loves clambering up onto for a perfect photo opportunity!
Some parts of the grounds have been closed off to protect them from the elements until the Spring, but you can still feed the goats (food bags available from the cafe for £1.50), and play at the oat-grinding table. There’s also still space to sit outside and have a run around if the weather is not too bad.
Although it wasn’t the warmest day for our visit, the children still spent a good half an hour coaxing the goats over and making ‘flour’ for an imaginary baking session.
Finally feeling the cold, we headed into the barn for hot drinks and cake (the gluten-free banana loaf was our favourite, although I heard a lot of love for the chocolate orange brownie too)! They also serve soup, toasties and homemade sausage rolls for lunch. We usually go for the kids’ picnic box, which comes with a generous selection of items. The staff are always friendly, and the relaxed atmosphere inside the barn makes it a comfortable place to sit with little ones. My eldest always insists on sitting at the tables with the hay bale benches, although there are high chairs available too!
To make the most of staying open this winter, they’ve opened a Christmas shop in their newly refurbished second Victorian barn. We popped in to have a look – our first foray into Christmas this year! I couldn’t say no to the request to try out the children’s lucky dip situated in the twinkly entrance way (£2 a turn, we won’t give away the prizes), before we went inside to browse the beautiful selection of Christmas gifts. There’s some great unusual finds from local artists, writers and makers, and there’s even mulled wine available for the grown ups, which will be very welcome as it gets even colder.
We’ve often said we wished Hill Farm was open longer, so it was great to see how they’ve adapted this year. We really appreciated the little touches they’ve put in place to remain a child-friendly outdoor spot to spend an hour or two this winter!
