Occombe Farm
Occombe Farm
3.5
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
Occombe Farm is a mix of farm attraction with indoor play, animal encounters barn and animal paddocks trail; a farm shop and a farm cafe. Occombe Farm Park & Play is an exciting family visitor attraction with indoor and outdoor play, Animal Encounters Barn and Animal Paddocks Trail. You can buy tickets on the day at Occombe or in advance from our website. Occombe Farm Shop is jam-packed with locally sourced food, drink and gifts. Your go-to for the best of the West Country. At Occombe Farm Café, the food is deliciously honest and creative. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, Afternoon tea or simply coffee and cake. There’s a special menu just for kids (under 10 years), a daily selection of locally made cakes, bakes and sweet treats, a variety of free-from options plus coffees and teas, and hot and cold drinks.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingFull view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
400 within 3 miles
Attractions
168 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- Sadie G7 contributionsGreat for little onesGreat for little ones, its our little girls favourite place to go. Farm animals friendly and safe to engage with, sinks and soap available to keep everyone safe/clean. Play area inside is fun, outside hay bales and ride on tractors are awesome. Staff OK. Just dont have an accident on site! I burnt my hand in the play area cafe and had to go and find someone upstairs in the restaurant to help. The lady that did help me was amazing, can not fualt her at all, thank you. As expected I was very upset and in a lot of pain, i know i was rude to staff and i appolgise for that but the manager (I think, didn't get her name) who filled in an accident form (on my request) was, less then adequate. But i must say it was great customer service to receive a courtesy call the next day following the incident (only joking have heard nothing!!). If it wasn't for annual passes we would not go back and as the rest of the family brought passes on that day, we unfortunately will have to return. I say unfortunately, we have never experienced a problem before just on this occasion. Let's hope we don't experience any other problems!! Shop has nice gifts.Visited March 2023Travelled with familyWritten 1 April 2023
- Amy1 contributionOk but needs more animals for the price there charging. The animal feed is a rip off as is the easter trail.The indoor play area has been done nicely and the hay maze is fun. They charged us a £1 for animal feed which consisted of a small bag of dry grass - complete con. Easter trail sheets were £2 a go and the lady only let one of my kids have a tiny chocolate for completing. The other two were left upset. Not enough animals for the money we paid. Expensive coffee shop. Nature trail pleasant enough but not much to see on the way.Hi there, thanks for your review. We aim to provide a fun place for families at affordable prices, whilst delivering a first-class experience. Our ticket prices for the Farm Park and Play are significantly lower than other comparable attractions in South Devon. Regular visitors can enjoy unlimited trips with an Occombe Annual Pass, which equates to just 3 times the cost of a day ticket. Our day tickets include unique indoor and outdoor play, animal encounters barn with daily activities, talks and demonstrations, and a self-guided animal paddocks trail. We hope you'll visit us again soon. Kind regards SarahWritten 21 August 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 7 April 2023
- Valerie F1 contributionGreat day outTook my 2 grandchildren ,who both enjoyed brushing the goats. We walked around the beautiful nature trail and had lots of fun playing inside the play barn. A lovely day out. All staff really pleasent ,smiley and friendly.Hi there, thank you for your great review. Kind regards SarahWritten 21 August 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2023Travelled with familyWritten 27 July 2023
- Michael W2 contributionsFabulous place for kidsWhat a fabulous place this is. Went yesterday with the 2 grandkids as weather was awful. They loved the play barn and the animal encounters as well as the tractors and hay bales. Would certainly recommend this place to anyone with young children.Hi there, thank you for your great review. Kind regards SarahWritten 21 August 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 2 August 2023
- AmthukCarmarthenshire, United Kingdom19 contributionsLovely afternoon outWe came here on a Sunday afternoon with five children, ranging from 9 months to 15 years. Although not massive, there’s enough to do for a good few hours. The children, young and older, loved cuddling the animals and playing in the bails of hay. A nice little trail takes you along a path full of apple trees and animals. The pigs loved them! We especially appreciated the under 2’s area in which they’re able to crawl around safely….as long as no older children are let in! We’ve never had this in any attraction before so it was really great to see and have. Our baby loved it. Even though it stated it was open 10:00-11:45, it was open the whole time we were there, and that was during the afternoon. We do think this should be kept open throughout the day. Clean facilities, very friendly staff and a wonderful time there. The farm shop was well stocked, with beautiful produce and if I were a millionaire, I would have spent a lot more in there!! Nice cafe area too. Cakes were wonderful! We don’t live nearby unfortunately, but I’m sure if we did, we would be back.HI there, thank you for your great review. Kind regards SarahWritten 21 August 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 14 August 2023
- Food monster12 contributionsLovely farm and cafe 5*Set in beautiful Torbay, Occombe farm has a children's activity centre, where you can play amongst hay bales, interact with friendly animals and have a beautiful walk mooch around there paddocks. Farm shop stocked with amazing cheeses, local wine and lovely gifts. There cafe has the most amazing coffee and cakes. The food was served hot, beautifully presented, and really tasty. All staff we encountered were friendly, polite and seemed to genuinely care. Thankyou occombe.Written 23 December 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
3.5
269 reviews
Excellent
98
Very good
64
Average
37
Poor
30
Terrible
40
Melissa S
8 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
We are a family of three with a five year old boy who enjoy going on many days out and had heard good reviews of this place so decided to give it a go! However from the second we arrived we were disappointed. The play area has barely anything in it and is very underwhelming. You’d never spend more than 45 minutes in there and my boy was bored after about 15 minutes.
We then went to the cafe and had lunch which was disappointing. The cakes looked fantastic but weren’t great. The shortbread I had fell apart and fell into a crumbled mess after just picking it up. It’s extremely over priced along with the rest of the place.
The staff asked my son if he wanted to feed the animals which of course he said yes too- another £1 spent on a small bag of grass which you could pick outside.
All in all we spent two hours here and felt completely and utterly ripped off. I do not understand why adults need to pay to get in when they are already going to be buying drinks. Children at 7.95 also seemed steep for what you get.
There are many other lovely things to do in this area that are a fraction of the cost.
We then went to the cafe and had lunch which was disappointing. The cakes looked fantastic but weren’t great. The shortbread I had fell apart and fell into a crumbled mess after just picking it up. It’s extremely over priced along with the rest of the place.
The staff asked my son if he wanted to feed the animals which of course he said yes too- another £1 spent on a small bag of grass which you could pick outside.
All in all we spent two hours here and felt completely and utterly ripped off. I do not understand why adults need to pay to get in when they are already going to be buying drinks. Children at 7.95 also seemed steep for what you get.
There are many other lovely things to do in this area that are a fraction of the cost.
Written 14 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
recameron
Devon, UK27 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
We went to Occombe Farm for the first time to celebrate my youngest’s first birthday. We needed somewhere that would entertain both him and his big brother (aged three), where they could both explore safely, burn off some energy, see some animals (cuddles were a bonus!), get some fresh air (weather allowing!) and hide out indoors if the weather didn’t allow. Occombe ticked all the boxes!
We had a brilliant time - both the boys loved it and were well catered for with the beautiful big indoor play area as well as the soft play crawling room for my youngest. Outside they had a great time on the tractors, meeting (and cuddling!) the animals and exploring the paths between the fields of animals. Everywhere seemed well looked after and clean.
We also had lunch in the cafe, which was delicious.
All of the staff were delightful and very helpful. Tiana (in the petting barn) couldn’t do more to help and share about the various animals in her care.
One comment - we would happily have paid for an annual pass if it was say £10 more or so on top of each of the day tickets - but another £60 (total) seemed a little extortionate, so we passed. Such a shame as even though it would be less income for the farm on tickets, the amount we would ultimately have spent at the farm in the cafe, shop etc on visits as members, would have exceeded the additional cost of the membership - ultimately bringing in a greater income for the farm.
We had a brilliant time - both the boys loved it and were well catered for with the beautiful big indoor play area as well as the soft play crawling room for my youngest. Outside they had a great time on the tractors, meeting (and cuddling!) the animals and exploring the paths between the fields of animals. Everywhere seemed well looked after and clean.
We also had lunch in the cafe, which was delicious.
All of the staff were delightful and very helpful. Tiana (in the petting barn) couldn’t do more to help and share about the various animals in her care.
One comment - we would happily have paid for an annual pass if it was say £10 more or so on top of each of the day tickets - but another £60 (total) seemed a little extortionate, so we passed. Such a shame as even though it would be less income for the farm on tickets, the amount we would ultimately have spent at the farm in the cafe, shop etc on visits as members, would have exceeded the additional cost of the membership - ultimately bringing in a greater income for the farm.
Written 23 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, thank you for the great review. We are so delighted that you all had such a great visit. Many thanks and kind regards Sarah
Written 8 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ASC
22 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
Family visit with two young children. This was largely a superb visit. The play areas are excellent, the food in the cafe super and the site is lovely. The staff are a real credit to the place, and Occombe should be really proud of their team.
All in all it was good value. One hopefully useful bit of feedback - we would have been more likely to take out an annual pass if this wasn’t so expensive. Other visitor attractions (including many of Devon’s Top Attractions) don’t ramp their recurring/annual pass to triple the rate. I wonder if it’s worth Occombe crunching the numbers to see if selling more annual passes at a 200% increase rather than a 300% increase would get more return footfall into the site. This footfall would bring additional spend at the cafe(s) and in the shop and other areas round the site and would likely make up more than the extra markup on the Annual Pass. We’d have been far more likely to buy an annual pass for ourselves if this was better value, and would have returned multiple times spending money around the place. I’m sure there’s an optimal level, and my take would be that Occombe are pricing themselves out of an opportunity.
A brilliant little attraction, great animals and we had a genuinely wonderful time. The staff were brilliant, especially Tiana (apologies if I have misspelled her name).
All in all it was good value. One hopefully useful bit of feedback - we would have been more likely to take out an annual pass if this wasn’t so expensive. Other visitor attractions (including many of Devon’s Top Attractions) don’t ramp their recurring/annual pass to triple the rate. I wonder if it’s worth Occombe crunching the numbers to see if selling more annual passes at a 200% increase rather than a 300% increase would get more return footfall into the site. This footfall would bring additional spend at the cafe(s) and in the shop and other areas round the site and would likely make up more than the extra markup on the Annual Pass. We’d have been far more likely to buy an annual pass for ourselves if this was better value, and would have returned multiple times spending money around the place. I’m sure there’s an optimal level, and my take would be that Occombe are pricing themselves out of an opportunity.
A brilliant little attraction, great animals and we had a genuinely wonderful time. The staff were brilliant, especially Tiana (apologies if I have misspelled her name).
Written 23 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, Thank you for your great review and for sharing your feedback regarding our Occombe Annual Pass. While we regret that you chose not to join us, we genuinely appreciate your input.
We want to assure you that our annual pass offering is meticulously designed to provide exceptional value, comparable to many top attractions in the area. With unlimited visits to the farm for a year, our pass equates to three times the value of a day pass. Extensive research has gone into ensuring that we strike the right balance between offering value to our customers and covering the operational costs of running a farm attraction.
Furthermore, by choosing Occombe, you're not just gaining access to a fantastic play and animal experience but also supporting the vital work of our parent conservation charity, Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust. Your visit contributes directly to the care of many beloved green spaces in Torbay, such as Cockington Country Park and Berry Head. Occombe Annual Pass Holders also get to enjoy other great benefits like discounts in our shop and cafe too.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We hope to welcome you back to Occombe Farm again very soon.
Kind regards
Sarah
Written 8 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Food monster
12 contributions
Set in beautiful Torbay, Occombe farm has a children's activity centre, where you can play amongst hay bales, interact with friendly animals and have a beautiful walk mooch around there paddocks.
Farm shop stocked with amazing cheeses, local wine and lovely gifts.
There cafe has the most amazing coffee and cakes. The food was served hot, beautifully presented, and really tasty.
All staff we encountered were friendly, polite and seemed to genuinely care. Thankyou occombe.
Farm shop stocked with amazing cheeses, local wine and lovely gifts.
There cafe has the most amazing coffee and cakes. The food was served hot, beautifully presented, and really tasty.
All staff we encountered were friendly, polite and seemed to genuinely care. Thankyou occombe.
Written 23 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Denise S
5 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
Very disappointed! We are locals and pop in now and then for breakfasts or to pick up a few items in the shop. Not a lot as it is a little bit pricy. I know because I used to sell a lot of the products in my deli. But we were pounced on by a member of staff whilst parking. I’d had to move a cone a few inches. Omg you’d think I’d committed the crime of the century. She screamed at us and shouted. “Next time you come don’t you dare move anything……” sorry my love but after that we definitely will not be back! I got back in the van and we left. Awful experience!!
Written 7 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your message and for your feedback. We are very sorry for the delay in responding to you.
We have explored the incident in question with the member of our team concerned.
The traffic cones referred to are located in our farm shop car park. Their strategic placement is to safeguard access for emergency services and guidance for customer parking. A provision that is essential for the safe running of our operation. I am sure as a regular customer you welcome this level of safeguarding and understand that even when our car park is busy these cones cannot be moved.
It is our understanding that the staff member politely advised that the cones should be returned to their original placement. She explained their importance and indicated alternative parking in our other larger car park.
We are very sorry you felt that this instruction was delivered in a less-than-friendly manner, but that you can appreciate the importance of why she needed to approach you.
Your feedback is welcome and thank you for raising this with us. We will have a wider discussion with all members of our team, guaranteeing the continued delivery of the highest level of customer service every time.
We hope we can welcome you to Occombe Farm again very soon.
Kind regards, Sarah
Written 11 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ian r
Exeter, UK4 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
I have no problem with Occombe farm regards the pleasant surroundings and quality products. However I was vey disappointed today when I purchased Torbay Gin which is made about a mile away. It was a last minute present and I had travelled ten miles to the farm and so I reluctantly bought it at a price £8 more than the RRP. Worse still it was sold without any of its brand packaging nor even an Occombe farm bag. I walked away like a gin wino clutching my naked bottle
As a resident of many years standing I felt this was a tourist rip off which unfortunately is not alone in Torquay's tourist retailing these days.
The gin by the way is excellent
As a resident of many years standing I felt this was a tourist rip off which unfortunately is not alone in Torquay's tourist retailing these days.
The gin by the way is excellent
Written 4 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amthuk
Carmarthenshire, UK19 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
We came here on a Sunday afternoon with five children, ranging from 9 months to 15 years. Although not massive, there’s enough to do for a good few hours. The children, young and older, loved cuddling the animals and playing in the bails of hay. A nice little trail takes you along a path full of apple trees and animals. The pigs loved them! We especially appreciated the under 2’s area in which they’re able to crawl around safely….as long as no older children are let in! We’ve never had this in any attraction before so it was really great to see and have. Our baby loved it. Even though it stated it was open 10:00-11:45, it was open the whole time we were there, and that was during the afternoon. We do think this should be kept open throughout the day. Clean facilities, very friendly staff and a wonderful time there. The farm shop was well stocked, with beautiful produce and if I were a millionaire, I would have spent a lot more in there!! Nice cafe area too. Cakes were wonderful! We don’t live nearby unfortunately, but I’m sure if we did, we would be back.
Written 14 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HI there, thank you for your great review. Kind regards Sarah
Written 21 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sazz
11 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
This place has space, well thought out areas, great play space and lots to see and do. Cuddling guinea pigs, pampering ponies, it was all brilliant. Easily accessible with a buggy. Nice food, though the milkshake was a bit pricey!! Shop was stocked with just the right items. Would definitely go back.
The only negative was there are doors on both sides of the indoor play area making it difficult to keep watch on the children. And more seating all around the play area, as the café chairs were being hogged a while.
The only negative was there are doors on both sides of the indoor play area making it difficult to keep watch on the children. And more seating all around the play area, as the café chairs were being hogged a while.
Written 4 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, thank you for your great review. Kind regards Sarah
Written 21 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael W
2 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
What a fabulous place this is. Went yesterday with the 2 grandkids as weather was awful. They loved the play barn and the animal encounters as well as the tractors and hay bales. Would certainly recommend this place to anyone with young children.
Written 3 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, thank you for your great review. Kind regards Sarah
Written 21 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Valerie F
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
Took my 2 grandchildren ,who both enjoyed brushing the goats.
We walked around the beautiful nature trail and had lots of fun playing inside the play barn. A lovely day out. All staff really pleasent ,smiley and friendly.
We walked around the beautiful nature trail and had lots of fun playing inside the play barn. A lovely day out. All staff really pleasent ,smiley and friendly.
Written 27 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, thank you for your great review. Kind regards Sarah
Written 21 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mandy o
Torquay, England, United Kingdom
how much is it to get in please
6bat3
Lympstone, UK3 contributions
Completely Free, walk around a 2km nature trail, look at the animals (this is a working farm not a visitor attraction so what you can see changes constantly) and use the bird hide in the woods. All for nothing. All looked after by a charity- well done Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingOCCOMBE FARM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Occombe Farm
- Occombe Farm is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 - 16:30
- Hotels near Occombe Farm:
- (1.65 mi) Blue Waters Lodge
- (1.66 mi) Compton Pool Farm
- (1.90 mi) The Elmdene
- (1.71 mi) The Charterhouse
- (1.72 mi) Belle Dene Guest House
- Restaurants near Occombe Farm:
- (0.01 mi) Occombe Farm Cafe
- (0.41 mi) Ye Olde Smokey House
- (1.25 mi) Weavers Cottage Tea Garden
- (0.63 mi) The Church House Inn
- (1.84 mi) La Scala