Accessed via water bus or the Canada Creek Railway, Thorpe Farm provided guests with an opportunity to learn about a traditional 1930’s farm.
Opening a few years after the theme park in 1982, and located next to Thorpe village on the other side of Manor Lake, Thorpe Farm featured traditional farm buildings and enclosures, some of which are Grade II listed. Children could get up close and personal with typical British farm animals, and learn about sheep shearing, foot trimming, breeding, and general animal care.
Guests could view chickens in the coop, feed ducks in the pond, pet smaller mammals and rodents such as rabbits and guinea pigs, and enjoy other attractions such as The Forge, Pot Bellie’s Restaurant (also called Farm Cafeteria and Farm Restaurant), children’s play area, ice cream shop, and the farm gift and craft shop.
The farm featured all the typical animals one would expect such as cows, goats, sheep, pigs, llama and ponies. Over sixty species of wild fowl and birds were identified at Thorpe Farm, and it was common for ducks, chickens and turkey to wander freely amongst guests.
As the theme park developed over time, and new attractions focused on entertainment rather than education, Thorpe Farm’s visitor numbers began to dwindle. In 2007 Thorpe Park announced that the farm would not be opening for the new season, and emphasised the many new attractions that had been installed for all the family in the years prior.
Today, the site is used as a storage, nursery and horticultural facility that serves the theme park, with the listed buildings still intact. A portion of the farm fields next to Manor Lake were excavated to provide areas of flood storage to compensate for the partial infilling of the lake for theme park expansion.
Explore other past rides and attractions in our dedicated archive.