A lot of thought has gone into its layout and facilities. Apart from a modern, clean teashop with home made scones and fancies and other delicious stuff, you can explore a maze in the main barn which is made from straw bales and which kept me occupied for a long while (Poppy loved it too).

Also in the barn were various rabbits, canaries, 2-week-old piglets and the most cuddly baby llama you could imagine.

Nearby you'll find shire horses, massive bulls, sheep dogs, rare breeds of hen and two ostriches. We decided to pay a bit extra for a tour of the whole estate aboard The Wizzick (a kind of pope-mobile/ATV) and learned about their longhorn cattle and another rare breed whose name I forget right now, which can be traced back to Roman times.

The owners are involved in an extensive planting scheme and have many areas now growing native trees and shrubs, providing a wildlife haven. The views from the top field were stunning - from Pendle round through to Malham Cove, Settle and Ingleborough - a 360 degrees panorama.

As well as all this, there's a flat campsite area with electric hook-ups, and they also have a conference room which can be hired out. There was a children's birthday party set up for the afternoon - lucky kids!

Although it's fantastic for kids, if you don't have any to hand then it's still worth going. (Mind you, the fact that I had a 6-year-old guardian made it acceptable for me to act my shoe size, not my age...)

Costs vary, but basically it's £4 per adult and £3.50 per child (under 2 free), but you can get a family ticket which saves money if you have several children in tow.

You'll spend a fascinating couple of hours on this exciting, educational but above all FUN visit. The entrance is opposite Thornton church, off Skipton Road. They're open from 10.30am till 5pm - but check before you go as times may vary according to the season.