Groups visiting Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire will soon be able to see donkeys, pigs, goats, cows and sheep who have made their home at a new animal park.
Located behind its Belvoir Retail Village at the foot of the Regency castle, visitors will be able to see the recently re-homed animals at the new animal park, as well as enjoy cuddling the smaller animals.
From a family of goats and a duo of rescue donkeys to lambs which were originally born on the Belvoir Estate, as well as chickens and geese, visitors will be able to feed the animals their favourite snacks as well as read about them on special information boards. Shorthorn cows and calves have also settled in at Belvoir Castle after being bred on the estate.
The animals are being looked after by a dedicated team of experts and the park itself has been created with the needs of the different species in mind. Rebecca Vernon, who works on the farm at Belvoir Castle has helped to set up the new animal park and believes this will be a fabulous new offering at the Leicestershire attraction.
She said: “Providing our visitors the chance to see these wonderful animals up close and feed them too will be a lovely new experience to enjoy during a day out at Belvoir Castle.
“Our animals are full of character, and we are all immensely fond of them – we’ve formed such close bonds with them very quickly. It’s been a huge privilege getting them all settled in at their new home.”
Group visits at Belvoir Castle
The animal park is available for group visits and tickets can be purchased on the website which are available at £4.50 when purchased with a playground ticket. Alternatively, tickets to just access the animal park are available at £6.50.
Group bookings to Belvoir Castle can be specially tailored to the group size and interests. Group of ten or more that pre-book a visit to Belvoir Castle will receive a reduced group rate.
Visitors are advised to check the Belvoir Castle website for opening details through the winter months, with the castle set to close until March 2025. The animal park opening hours are subject to the weather during this period.
From Saturday 23rd November until Wednesday 1st January 2025, those heading to Belvoir Castle can celebrate the festive season with a family fun day out at the Belvoir Retail Village, which is set to be transformed for the season. Christmas events, including candle making workshops, will be taking place throughout this period.
For information about group visits to Belvoir Castle, call the groups coordinator on 01476 871001, email groups@belvoircastle.com, or visit www.belvoircastle.com.
