Smithills Open Farm - Bolton

As some of you may know, I've spent most of the Summer back in the UK, splitting my time between my home town in Lancashire and with Scott's parents in Edinburgh. In the last few years, each trip that Scott and I have made back home has always been super stressful, with very little time to relax and enjoy doing things that we want to do. With our wedding out of the way, we found ourselves with a spare Sunday afternoon. Scott was quite happy to sit watching TV and scoffing custard creams but the sun was shining and so I dragged him out of bed and along to Smithills Open Farm in Bolton!

I've visited the farm several times growing up as it's not too far from where I was raised. The farm itself is a family run business and houses lots of lovely animals, from those that you would typically expect on a farm, to some that are a little more unusual. 

The farm sells small bags of animal feed which you can use to hand-feed some of the animals. You can tell that some of the residents have heard the rustle of a food bag before! Five minutes after arriving, I'd already been licked by a cow - much to Scott's amusement. The farm provides such a great opportunity to get up close and personal with its livestock, which is so much fun for both adults and children alike. 

It took Scott several attempts and strong words of encouragement before he plucked up the courage to feed a goat. (Yes, really) Now, all I need to do is to convince him to let me bring one home with me...