Cogges Manor Farm
Cogges Manor Farm
4
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
About
Located in the heart of Witney in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, Cogges Manor Farm is a hidden gem with over 1,000 years of history. Set against the stunning backdrop of a 13th century manor house and Grade II listed 18th century farm buildings, today Cogges is a popular visitor attraction for people of all ages to relax, learn and have fun. Children love to feed the farm animals, explore the meadows and have fun in the woodland adventure play areas. With over 17 acres of naturally beautiful grounds, the enchanting walled garden, picnic orchard and meadow walk – it offers the perfect family day out and you can even bring your dog! Fans of Downton Abbey may be interested to know Cogges is the home of Yew Tree Farm and Mr Drewe, the tenant farmer. Cogges also featured in the film Colette, starring Keira Knightley and Dominic West about the French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. Visitors don't need to buy a ticket to the farm to visit Cogges Kitchen cafe.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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4.0
283 reviews
Excellent
144
Very good
81
Average
28
Poor
16
Terrible
14
Adventurers049
Brisbane, Australia3,377 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
What an amazing place.
The gardens are fabulous and the house is amazing.
When you enter each room, a recording starts and tells you all about it.
A wonderful place to visit.
A great place for the kids too.
The gardens are fabulous and the house is amazing.
When you enter each room, a recording starts and tells you all about it.
A wonderful place to visit.
A great place for the kids too.
Written 29 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.
Alex
St. Albans, UK26 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
I loved this little gem of a place. Loads of history, museum is wonderful with great snapshots of historical eras. House and farm is charming and interesting. Cafe is lovely. I only gave this 4 stars because I found Adventure Park frustrating as it was for older children. There could be more for younger children at their play area.
Written 7 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.
Dawn
3 contributions
Feb 2023
Always wanted to visit Cogges Manor Farm and finally achieved my ambition and this was before Downton Abbey! The staff were lovely and I hope I did not cause their eyes to glaze over when I mentioned my family connections to Cogges! The manor house was glorious, the staircases were a bit treacherous though and I am glad it was not one way round or I would still be there now hanging onto the small bannister on the landing! The weather was fine, the cafe was cosy with a varied menu. I have to say that I very much enjoyed the feeling of being able to touch items that in other houses would probably have had 'Do not handle' stuck all over them. It made all the difference! My grandson enjoyed himself especially looking for the teddies. Would come back again.
Written 11 February 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.
Rjw332
176 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
We went to Cogges Farm to go to the Santa’s grotto. Children loved it and I thought the Santa & elf were very sweet in a lovely cute setting; pressies were nice too. Lovely to go to the cafe after for a hot chocolate & warm up.
Didn’t quite agree with paying the full entrance fee too however and think it should have been reduced. Also, if kids are easily scared then maybe best to avoid the last bedroom in the Manor House. There’s a huge anaemic looking Scrooge in bed and it totally freaked out my son who is still talking about it!
Didn’t quite agree with paying the full entrance fee too however and think it should have been reduced. Also, if kids are easily scared then maybe best to avoid the last bedroom in the Manor House. There’s a huge anaemic looking Scrooge in bed and it totally freaked out my son who is still talking about it!
Written 19 December 2022
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.
Daline40
Felixstowe, UK228 contributions
Sep 2022
Now better known for being used in the Downton Abbey series, this was a lovely way to spend a few hours meandering around this property. Plenty to entertain the children. All the staff and volunteers were approachable and helpful
Written 25 September 2022
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.
Jamie W
5 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
After not visiting for two or three years we went today planning an end of school holiday treat, thinking it would be a reasonably priced morning out, but at £21 for an adult and two young children, for what is essentially a playground and a handful of animals, we decided it was not worth the entrance fee! It was a shame they didn’t have a summer holiday deal as finding cost effective things to do for young children, for families feeling the cost of living pinch in the holidays is nigh on impossible.
Went to the Leys instead, more to do for young children and the money we saved meant we could have an extra ice cream!
Went to the Leys instead, more to do for young children and the money we saved meant we could have an extra ice cream!
Written 3 September 2022
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 taking the time to comment on your visit to Cogges. As a charity that receives no regular government or public funding, we rely on the income we can generate from entry fees, grants and the generous donations so that Cogges is preserved and accessible for the enjoyment of all. As well as the animals to say hello to and adventure play areas, Cogges offers 17 acres of space to enjoy, historic farm buildings to explore and the 13th century Manor House with new audio and visual displays that children can enjoy too. We understand everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment so perhaps come and visit us when there is a special event on with extra activities - see our website for the latest 'What's On'.
Written 20 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jessica
Swindon, UK13 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Visited Cogges today for the woodland activity.
Pros:
- beautiful grounds
- free roaming chickens and ducks, lovely to see
- lovely cafe which is not overpriced
- informative Manor House
- good play area for young children
- woodland activity was great, really engaging staff
- walled garden is wonderful, very knowledgeable man working in there who clearly loves his job - was a pleasure to speak to!
Cons:
- for the size of the place and the limited activities I found the entrance fee a bit steep.
- couldn’t find the parking! No signs around Cogges Manor where the disabled parking is to let you know where general parking is, this led to glares and tuts from who I assume are regular visitors when I was trying to turn around in the narrow lane to get back out onto the main road.
- did expect more farm animals and perhaps the opportunity to feed them or a member of staff talking about them to visitors.
Pros:
- beautiful grounds
- free roaming chickens and ducks, lovely to see
- lovely cafe which is not overpriced
- informative Manor House
- good play area for young children
- woodland activity was great, really engaging staff
- walled garden is wonderful, very knowledgeable man working in there who clearly loves his job - was a pleasure to speak to!
Cons:
- for the size of the place and the limited activities I found the entrance fee a bit steep.
- couldn’t find the parking! No signs around Cogges Manor where the disabled parking is to let you know where general parking is, this led to glares and tuts from who I assume are regular visitors when I was trying to turn around in the narrow lane to get back out onto the main road.
- did expect more farm animals and perhaps the opportunity to feed them or a member of staff talking about them to visitors.
Written 23 August 2022
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 such a thorough review of Cogges. We're so glad you enjoyed the Woodland Club and had time to explore the grounds, Manor House, walled garden and cafe. We have to carefully manage the diet of our animals but offer 'Meet the Animal' sessions on most weekends and bank holidays when children can have closer contact with some of the smaller animals and learn a bit about each species and how we care for them. Our main car park (OX28 3FR) has a different postcode from where the disabled parking and main entrance is . We are in the process of improving our signage to avoid confusion.
Written 20 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cotswoldian
Cotswolds, England38 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
I have been here several times with different grandchildren over the years but have to say that it has gone decidedly downhill since my last visit, with broken equipment and other overgrown areas making climbing on the equipment by the large field uninviting with one cordoned off with stinging nettles growing through it. The popular zip wire padlocked up. Although they have added an audio trail to the Manor House, for children it would have been more useful in bringing the kitchen and dairy equipment to life. I know certain items like the dressing up box were probably removed because of the pandemic. Tiny tots and younger children seem well catered for but I really felt (as did my grandson) that there was nothing of great interest for the older child.
Written 16 August 2022
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 feedback. We are in the process of upgrading our climbing equipment in the meadow area to maintain safety for all. Our zip wire and woodland adventure play area is normally accessible (weather permitting).
Written 20 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jonclat
London, UK17 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
I’ve been to Cogges Farm a dozen times over a few years and historically loved taking our young boys here. Though every visit they are removing/closing ‘attractions’ and massively increasing prices.
Last visit (yesterday) they charged £15 for an adult and 1 child (aged 4) - including a surcharge for allowing them to gift aid the ticket!!! Baffling! So I recommend you decline the gift aid option! This about a 100% increase in total cost over a couple of years.
Once in (and paid) we then found out they had stopped selling animal food/allowing you to feed the goats and sheep as ‘they got the animals diets wrong’. They also cancelled the petting corner where kids could stroke and play with the Bunny Rabbits and Guinea Pigs. I can obviously understand the welfare issue (which is rightly the top priority) but being close to the animals is the main draw of this place for young kids so is quite an (unadvertised) change of experience, and purely down to mismanagement by the owners as other petting zoo’s manage the process fine.
The only other reason to visit (for young kids) is the playground, but the (small) suspension bridge is still closed, now out of action for about 2 years and counting, and is so overgrown with nettles I’m guessing it’s been given back to nature. Plus this time the Zip Wire is now also closed (2nd time in a row with no explanation) which meant all there was was two slides and a single tire swing. 6 other kids at the playground meant you couldn’t get on the swing; so resulted in an incredibly poor day out.
The soft play also went about 18 months ago in favour of a historical timeline video, only really interesting to adults. The soft play was small, but it was at least relevant for kids. The ‘house’ is also really geared up for adults not children, with projectors telling stories of the families that lived there etc. keeps a 4 year old engaged for 0.5 seconds.
Where management have invested it’s in ‘interactive’ educational hardware. You press a button and it plays a short historically relevant blurb. Being blunt it’s pretty 1990’s and not at all engaging for young kids.
After about an hour we called it quits and went to the free council playground opposite which is better equipped, more fun and in better state of repair.
Sadly the quant charm and innocence of this place is now very sadly lacking. Now drastically over priced and not a good day out for a young family. Staff basically ignore after you’ve paid. Just a bit sad really….
My last visit I think. I recommend the owners/management focus on working out who the experience is for, and enhancing that.
Last visit (yesterday) they charged £15 for an adult and 1 child (aged 4) - including a surcharge for allowing them to gift aid the ticket!!! Baffling! So I recommend you decline the gift aid option! This about a 100% increase in total cost over a couple of years.
Once in (and paid) we then found out they had stopped selling animal food/allowing you to feed the goats and sheep as ‘they got the animals diets wrong’. They also cancelled the petting corner where kids could stroke and play with the Bunny Rabbits and Guinea Pigs. I can obviously understand the welfare issue (which is rightly the top priority) but being close to the animals is the main draw of this place for young kids so is quite an (unadvertised) change of experience, and purely down to mismanagement by the owners as other petting zoo’s manage the process fine.
The only other reason to visit (for young kids) is the playground, but the (small) suspension bridge is still closed, now out of action for about 2 years and counting, and is so overgrown with nettles I’m guessing it’s been given back to nature. Plus this time the Zip Wire is now also closed (2nd time in a row with no explanation) which meant all there was was two slides and a single tire swing. 6 other kids at the playground meant you couldn’t get on the swing; so resulted in an incredibly poor day out.
The soft play also went about 18 months ago in favour of a historical timeline video, only really interesting to adults. The soft play was small, but it was at least relevant for kids. The ‘house’ is also really geared up for adults not children, with projectors telling stories of the families that lived there etc. keeps a 4 year old engaged for 0.5 seconds.
Where management have invested it’s in ‘interactive’ educational hardware. You press a button and it plays a short historically relevant blurb. Being blunt it’s pretty 1990’s and not at all engaging for young kids.
After about an hour we called it quits and went to the free council playground opposite which is better equipped, more fun and in better state of repair.
Sadly the quant charm and innocence of this place is now very sadly lacking. Now drastically over priced and not a good day out for a young family. Staff basically ignore after you’ve paid. Just a bit sad really….
My last visit I think. I recommend the owners/management focus on working out who the experience is for, and enhancing that.
Written 16 August 2022
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.
We're sorry to hear that your visit didn't meet your family's expectations. We know our animals are a major draw for families and the petting area is normally open on weekends and bank holidays - at the time you visited ( a week day) it wasn't accessible, something we do highlight on our website but this should have been communicated to you on arrival too. We have had to stop the selling of animal food to keep a tighter control of the diets for our small selection of animals. Our children's play area is back in working order after some very temporary issues with the zip line. We will take on board all your comments to ensure Cogges remains a welcoming space for families.
Written 22 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Harry S
Southport, UK277 contributions
May 2022
We have visited this place a number of times but not recently due to travel restrictions. The house was not open the last time which is normally the high light of the visit. It was open this time and we think there many more rooms open than our previous visit. We ate at the adjoining cafe which had very friendly staff. The food was slightly on the more expensive side but very nice and fresh. The atmosphere was very good and during the day some volunteers were going to be using the old kitchen to prepare something on an original wood burning stove. Worth a visit if you have never been but needs to really be a sunny day as most of it is outside. Good with small children as the staff will let you hold guinea pigs and rabbits.
Written 23 May 2022
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 Harry for your feedback. It's great you got to see the Manor House newly refurbished and now open with new interpretation. And you are right, the 1st floor is open for the first time in years. Children love seeing the stairs leading up to the attack where the maids would have slept! Come and see us again soon, perhaps when one of our events is on.
Written 8 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sinead G
Oxford3 contributions
Hi I would like to know why you choose to provide single use (disposable) cups, plates and cutlery in your cafe, especially for customers eating/drinking within the cafe, for which you charge an ‘eat in’ supplement?
Colin S
34 contributions
Hi Sinead
Thanks for the question. The disposables in question are Vegware, which is compostable and made from renewable and recycled materials. All of it is processed with food waste.
The cafe is outsourced and I am asking the cafe owners about the use for eat in and the supplement and will come back to you as soon as I can.
Many thanks
Colin
Marshalls321
Oxford, UK2 contributions
Do you have any special Christmas events for 19th nDecember
Colin S
34 contributions
Hi. I'm so sorry, only just picked this up. Cogges is now closed until the new season on 19th March 2016. Details will be available on the Cogges website in the new year. Best wishes. Colin
Marshalls321
Oxford, UK2 contributions
Do you have any special Christmas events for 19th December?
Colin S
34 contributions
I am so sorry we missed this and it's clearly too late. 12th December was our last event and we close over the winter. The website is the best place to check what's on at Cogges - we open for the new season on 19th March. Once again my apologies for the very late response. Colin
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Claim your listingCOGGES MANOR FARM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Cogges Manor Farm
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Cogges Manor Farm:
- Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle Tour from London (From £163.66)
- Downton Abbey Town and Country Tour from London by Private Black Taxi (From £511.58)
- Downton Abbey Day In The Cotswolds Tour (From £463.20)
- Small-Group 'Downton Abbey' and Highclere Castle Tour from London (From £204.84)
- 'Downton Abbey' TV Locations and Blenheim Palace Tour from London (From £168.81)
- Hotels near Cogges Manor Farm:
- (0.19 mi) Crofters Bed & Breakfast
- (0.75 mi) Corncroft Guest House
- (0.56 mi) The Witney Hotel
- (0.56 mi) The Fleece
- (0.60 mi) The Beeches
- Restaurants near Cogges Manor Farm:
- (0.08 mi) Cambodian Cuisine
- (0.17 mi) Grand bangla
- (0.17 mi) La Maya Romanian Restaurant
- (0.17 mi) Noir Grill
- (0.19 mi) The Cogges Kitchen Cafe