Cross Bank Farm Experiences
Hands-on experience days on a Victorian smallholding in Shropshire, with our rare Large Black and Oxford Sandy & Black pigs, heritage hens, quail, lambs and Henry the turkey.
Dusk at Cross Bank Farm. Bats, Stars & Still Evenings
Some of the best things happen when you stop and wait.
As the sun drops behind the Shropshire hills and the farm settles into evening, Cross Bank Farm becomes somewhere quietly extraordinary. This is not a bat walk. There is no guide leading you through a landscape and no guaranteed wildlife spectacle. What there is, is a thoughtfully arranged field, a reclining chair with a warm blanket, a hot drink in your hand and the genuine possibility of something wonderful happening overhead.
The bats that live at Cross Bank Farm emerge at dusk and hunt across the fields with extraordinary precision, darting, swooping and changing direction in ways that shouldn't be physically possible. They may appear in numbers. They may be fleeting. That's rather the point. As darkness deepens, the stars come out over the Shropshire countryside, away from the noise and light of town and the farm settles into a stillness that is increasingly hard to find anywhere.
Arrive, settle into your lounger, pull a blanket around you and let the evening do what it does. Bat detectors are available so you can hear the echolocation, a sound most people have never heard before and never quite forget.
You'll leave with a jar of something handmade from Cross Bank Farm and the kind of calm that takes a little while to wear off.
This is not a guaranteed experience. It is an invitation to slow down in a beautiful place and see what happens.
£30 per person
What to expect
2030 - Arrival and welcome. Hot drinks, introductions and a brief guide to the evening, what to look for, what to listen for.
2100 - Into the field — bat watching begins as dusk falls.
2200 - Stars emerge — questions welcome, no rush
2230 - Take-home jar and goodbyes.
Timings are approximate and will vary seasonally as dusk shifts throughout the year.
This is an outdoor evening experience in the open air, please dress warmly and in layers, even in summer, as temperatures drop quickly after dark. Sturdy flat footwear suitable for a field is recommended.
Please be aware that some areas of the farm use electric fencing, these will be clearly pointed out on arrival.
We have on-site parking and accessible composting toilet facilities.
This experience runs from late spring through to early autumn when bat activity is at its peak. Dates are weather dependent and in the event of heavy rain or strong winds we will contact you to rearrange.
Gift vouchers available — a genuinely unusual and memorable gift for someone who has everything.
Spend two unhurried hours in the company of our rare Large Black and Oxford Sandy & Black pigs two of Britain’s most endangered native breeds and discover why people who keep pigs never seem to stop talking about them!
You’ll arrive to tea, coffee and an introduction to find out who they are, what makes these old breeds so special and how they nearly disappeared from Britain altogether.
Then, you get to meet them.
Feed them by hand, brush them, scratch their backs and get to know their individual personalities. Ask questions, take photographs and spend time with animals that are far more intelligent, curious and characterful than most people ever expect.
Stay by the fence or get right in amongst them, we’ll take it at your pace. And if the timing is right, there may even be piglets.
You’ll leave with a jar of Cross Bank Farm preserve of your choosing , a small reminder of a morning that tends to stay with people rather longer than expected.
Maximum six guests, kept deliberately small so the pigs enjoy the experience as much as you do.
£65 per person
Among the Pigs
What to expect
This is an informal, unhurried experience built entirely around the pigs and the people who come to meet them. There is no formal teaching, just genuine time with genuinely remarkable animals and someone who knows them well.
Please be aware that some areas of the farm use electric fencing. We'll point these out on arrival. Fences are turned off during all feeding and interaction sessions.
Please wear comfortable clothes and flat closed-toe shoes. We have on-site parking and accessible composting toilet facilities.
Piglets may be available seasonally — please get in touch before booking if this is important to you and we'll let you know what to expect on the day.
Gift vouchers available — a genuinely unusual and memorable gift for someone who has everything.
A Morning at Cross Bank Farm
Some mornings are worth getting out of bed for.
Spend three unhurried hours at Cross Bank Farm, a Victorian smallholding tucked into the Shropshire countryside and leave with mud on your boots and a smile you didn't expect.
Feed our rare Large Black and Oxford Sandy & Black pigs (they're friendlier than you'd expect and considerably more entertaining), scatter grain for our heritage hens, spend time with our quail, say hello to the lambs, meet Henry the turkey and our turkey chicks.
You'll collect eggs, sit down to a proper tea and coffee break and go home with a Cross Bank Farm hamper of goodies.
No experience needed. No agenda. Just a genuinely good morning with rare and beautiful animals in a place that takes real pride in what it does.
Maximum six guests per session. We keep numbers small so you actually get time with the animals.
£65 per person.
0930 - Welcome & Introductions.
0945 - Meet the Rare breed pigs, hens, quails, lambs and Henry.
1100 - Tea, Coffee & Tea, coffee and a chance to ask us anything.
1130 - Final time with the animals / wrap up.
1215 - Hamper and departure.
Cross Bank Farm is a real working smallholding, not a visitor attraction. You're coming into our world, which means it's informal, genuine and occasionally unpredictable in the best possible way.
Please wear comfortable clothes and flat closed-toe shoes, the farm is a farm, after all!
We have on-site parking and accessible composting toilet facilities.
This experience is suitable for adults and older teenagers but if you're bringing younger children please get in touch beforehand and we'll make sure the morning works for everyone.
Please be aware that some areas of the farm use electric fencing. We'll point these out on arrival so you always know where they are. Fences are turned off during all animal feeding and petting sessions.
Gift vouchers available — a genuinely unusual and memorable gift for someone who has everything.
What to expect
An Introduction to Smallholding
A full day seeing exactly what life with pigs, chickens, quail, sheep and a turkey called Henry looks like in practice.
Whether you're dreaming of your own smallholding, have just taken on land, or simply want an honest picture of what it involves before you commit, this day gives you a real, hands-on experience without the rose-tinted filter. You'll meet all the animals, learn from our wins (and our losses), sit down to a proper farm lunch, and leave with printed notes, a seasonal hamper and a much clearer idea of what you're actually taking on.
Numbers strictly limited to six people.
£125 per person.
What to expect
0930 - Welcome, tea and introductions.
1000 - Meet the animals — feed the pigs, hens and quail, collect eggs, spend time with the lambs and Henry.
1115 - Smallholding in practice — an honest conversation about what the life really involves, what it costs, what it demands and what it gives back.
1215 - Lunch at Cross Bank Farm.
1315 - Planning your smallholding — land, animals, housing, fencing, legalities and where to start.
1415 - Hands-on afternoon session and open Q&A with the animals.
1515 - Hamper, printed notes and departure.
This is an honest day, not a glossy one. We'll share what works, what doesn't and what we wish someone had told us at the beginning. The morning is relaxed and animal-led. The afternoon is more structured but informal, think good conversation around a table rather than a classroom.
Please be aware that some areas of the farm use electric fencing but we'll point these out on arrival. Fences are turned off during all hands-on sessions.
Please wear comfortable clothes and flat closed-toe shoes. We have on-site parking and accessible composting toilet facilities.
Printed notes covering everything discussed during the day are included so you leave with something useful to refer back to.
Gift vouchers available — a genuinely unusual and memorable gift for someone who has everything.
A full day learning pig keeping, hands-on with two of Britain's rarest and most loved native breeds.
The Large Black and the Oxford Sandy & Black are extraordinary animals; intelligent, characterful and genuinely endangered. This day gives you everything you need to know before buying your first pigs, from handling and feeding to housing, health and the legalities involved. You'll spend real time with our pigs, ask every question you've been storing up and leave with printed notes, a farm lunch and a Cross Bank Farm hamper.
If you're serious about keeping pigs, this is the day to start with.
Maximum six guests per session.
£120 per person.
Pig keeping for Beginners
What to expect
0930 - Welcome, tea and introductions.
1000 - Meet the pigs — history, breeds and what makes the Large Black and Oxford Sandy & Black special.
1045 - Feeding, handling and behaviour — hands-on time with our pigs.
1145- Housing, fencing and land management.
1215 - Lunch at Cross Bank Farm.
1315 - Health, common problems and what to watch for.
1400 - Legalities, registration and buying your first pigs — what you actually need to know.
1445 - Afternoon hands-on session and open Q&A.
1515 - Hamper, printed notes and departure.
This is a practical day, not a theoretical one. You'll spend significant time with the pigs themselves, feeding, observing and getting comfortable around them. The taught sessions are informal and conversational and no question is too basic.
Please be aware that some areas of the farm use electric fencing but we'll point these out on arrival. Fences are turned off during all hands-on sessions.
Wear comfortable clothes and flat closed-toe shoes. We have on-site parking and accessible composting toilet facilities.
Printed notes covering everything discussed during the day are included so you leave with something useful to refer back to.
Gift vouchers available — a genuinely unusual and memorable gift for someone who has everything.
Foraging Walk & Hedgerow Harvest
Slow down, look closer and discover what's growing right under your nose.
Cross Bank Farm's hedgerows, boundaries and land are full of things most people walk straight past — sloes, haws, rosehips, elderflower and much more depending on the season. This half-day guided walk teaches you to identify what grows, what's edible, how to harvest responsibly and what to do with what you find.
You'll finish with a tasting of Cross Bank Farm's own hedgerow and garden produce, and leave with a small foraging basket of seasonal finds and a jar from our own hedgerow range.
Run seasonally from August through to November. Maximum six guests per session.
£65 per person
0930 - Welcome and introduction to foraging — the basics, the rules and the golden principles.
0945 - The foraging walk — identifying, tasting and harvesting across the farm's boundaries and hedgerows.
1115 - Back at the farm — what you've found and what to do with it.
1145 - Tasting session — Cross Bank Farm's own hedgerow produce,
1215 - Foraging basket, hamper and departure.
This is an outdoor session in all but the most extreme weather; dress for the season and wear sturdy footwear suitable for uneven ground. We'll walk at a relaxed pace and there's no fitness requirement but do let us know in advance if you have any mobility considerations and we'll plan accordingly.
Please be aware that some areas of the farm use electric fencing but we'll point these out at the start of the walk.
We have on-site parking and accessible composting toilet facilities.
Gift vouchers available — a genuinely unusual and memorable gift for someone who has everything.
What to expect
A full day away from screens, deadlines and the relentless noise of modern life.
No objectives. No outcomes. No team building exercises. Just a genuinely good day in a genuinely good place, with clean Shropshire air, named animals, good food and the rare luxury of nowhere to be and nothing to perform.
Your group will spend the morning with our rare breed animals, feeding the pigs, spending time with the hens, quail and lambs, and meeting Henry the turkey. You'll sit down to a proper farm lunch made from Cross Bank Farm produce, spend the afternoon foraging the farm's hedgerows and land and finish with a tasting of our own hedgerow range before heading home with a take-home hamper.
It sounds simple because it is. That's rather the point.
Minimum six guests.
Lunch, refreshments and mini hamper included.
£100 per person (min 6 attendees).
Away From It All
What to expect
0930 - Welcome, tea and introductions.
1000 - Meet the animals — feed the pigs, hens and quail, collect eggs, spend time with the lambs and Henry.
1115 - Coffee break and open conversation.
1215 - Lunch at Cross Bank Farm.
1315 - Foraging walk across the farm's hedgerows and land.
1445 - Hedgerow tasting session — Cross Bank Farm's own produce.
1515 -Take-home hamper and departure.
This day is designed to feel like the opposite of work. It's informal, unhurried and genuinely restorative, the kind of day people talk about afterwards. We'll look after you from arrival to departure and all you need to do is show up.
Please be aware that some areas of the farm use electric fencing but we'll point these out on arrival. Fences are turned off during all animal feeding and petting sessions.
Please wear comfortable clothes and sturdy footwear suitable for a farm and countryside walk. We have on-site parking and accessible composting toilet facilities.
Meet some of our animals
Winnie - Our Oxford Sandy & Black pig
Dumpling - The super fluffy Cochin hen
