On Sunday we visited The Farm Animal Sanctuary in Evesham, Worcestershire UK.  We wanted a family day out and Ben thought it would be good for the kids to see some animals somewhere, but we have decided not to continue supporting questionable zoos.  Instead I Googled for a nearby animal sanctuary for us to support instead and discovered The Farm Animal Sanctuary.  Perfect!

What is The Farm Animal Sanctuary in Evesham UK?

The Farm Animal Sanctuary is a UK-based charity that rescues farm animals in need, rehoming them on their farm and letting them live out their lives.  The sanctuary is located in the United Kingdom, and it was established in 1994. 

Owner Jan Taylor remembers walking through a Worcestershire Livestock Market in 1984 whilst working as a journalist and being horrified at the sights, sounds and smells she encountered.  Much animal cruelty was plainly on show and Jan remembers seeing lambs barely 24 hours old and barely alive being sold for as little as 50p.

Feeling the urge to help, Jan bought a small black lamb for £1.  The poor lamb was ice cold to touch and not moving.  Jan wrapped the little lamb up and took it immediately to the vets.  Jan says “The lamb, who we named Taro, survived hypothermia, dehydration and a gut infection, he lived with us until he was 15.”

This was unwittingly the beginning of The Farm Animal Sanctuary.  As Jan says “it wasn’t planned, but what I’d seen couldn’t be ignored.  I bought 68 of the worst animals from several different markets in England and Wales, all were seen by my vets straight after purchase.”

Sadly one of the ewes did not make it, but the rest survived and thus began The Farm Animal Sanctuary which Jan says is “the first charity formed to give a home to all abused, neglected and abandoned farm animals.”

The care and welfare of the animals at The Farm Animal  Sanctuary

At The Farm Animal Sanctuary the animals are able to live out their lives in full, as it should be.  They are taken care of until they naturally die, with any medical attention they need provided, along with warmth, shelter and whatever else they need to live a “life of respect”.

At the time of writing the farm cares for almost 600 animals and requires approximately £2500 per week to care for them sufficiently.  Being a charity this funding comes from the kind donations of those who support their work and volunteers who dedicate their time to this worthwhile cause.

“The Farm Animal Sanctuary provides a forever home to over 600 animals who have been rescued from slaughter, abuse or neglect. We receive no government funding and rely on the generosity of people like you to help us, help them.”

If you’d like to support them then why not arrange a visit to the farm to meet the animals, make a donation online or visit their online shop.

Find out more at their website: https://www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk/

Or check out their latest Facebook posts at https://www.facebook.com/FarmAnimalSanctuary/

Visit them Manor Orchard Farm, School Lane, Middle Littleton, Evesham, England, WR11 8LN – but don’t just turn up!  Visit the website to book a timeslot and pay for your farm tour.  At the time of writing it’s £5 per adult and children are free.

Read on to see our photos and thoughts on our family day out to The Farm Animal Sanctuary.

The animals at The Farm Animal Sanctuary

They currently have 600 animals at the time of our visit from all sorts of places. Some was suffering abuse and neglect on the farms they previously lived on, with many of their previous owners since criminalised for animal cruelty. Others were found dumped in roads and some have been left on their doorstep anonymously.

You can read some of the stories and meet some of the animals here: https://www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk/our-work

Here are the photos from our visit and some of the animals we saw:

Conclusion: a memorable trip to a wonderful place!

I believe our visit to The Farm Animal Sanctuary was the first time we had been to a sanctuary. We had a great day out knowing the animals were being well catered for and won’t come to any harm at the farm. They are provided with all that they need and can live their lives to their natural end.

It’s not a full day out, but is more about supporting the cause and seeing the animals and what the sanctuary does on a day-to-day basis to rescue and care for neglected and poorly treated farm animals. We spent a few hours here, maybe two to three hours, stopping halfway through our visit for a picnic in our campervan, but you could see everything in one hour if you are short on time, or take even longer if you want to spend more time with the animals.

There is no café or shop onsite, so you are allowed to take your own food for a picnic. They do have picnic tables where you can sit with the ducks and geese, if they’re about, and cat and dogs to enjoy a picnic – perfect for animal lovers!

We enjoyed being able to walk through the fields with the farm animals, reading their stories and taking our time. We were free to wonder around the farm at our own pace, arriving at our booked time slot and then being able to roam around until 3.30pm at the latest.

The farm is only open for guests at weekends currently and can be booked online at https://www.thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk/

Many of the animals are super friendly and came over to us. Others prefer to be left alone and there are a couple of fields which you can not enter and these are clearly marked. Some of the chickens, the ponies and many of the sheep came over to us for petting. It’s a great farm for kids to get up close to animals, to support the work of the sanctuary or if you’re looking for a vegan-friendly day out.