Hopefield Animal Sanctuary & Visitor Centre — Attraction in Brentwood

We love Hopefield Animal Sanctuary. My Nan and Aunt came down to see us after not seeing another for over a year. They live over 5 hours away. We enjoyed the day but one rather massive letdown the cafe was closed on a Saturday. It really dampened our day somewhat as we were expecting to eat there too. It was also an opportunity to show my Aunt that vegan food can be delicious. The owner called in sick and there were no other staff to cover this? It was very disappointing and a real hassle. It stressed us all out. This is a day out for many and when you've got a child and there's no food other than snacks in your bag it's not great. So I would really suggest the cafe puts precautions in to avoid this. Because the tickets are time restricted and it eats into your day there when you've got to scramble to sort food out. I had to fork out a small fortune to get something from deliveroo and then the one way system was a nightmare to collect the food. And lastly my Nan can't walk very far so really needed to have the cafe from shelter from the blistering sun, a nice meal and slice of cake. It won't stop us coming back but it really did spoil a family day out which is a sore spot for many after the year we've all...

We do not share the positive sentiments shared by so many others. We were very saddened and disappointed when we visited Hopefield recently. We feel that Hopefield is more about the human experience than it is about the quality of life for it's resident animals. It looks more like a zoo than it is a sanctuary.

All of the little animal enclosures are far too small with insufficient enrichment and very few, if any, grass, shrubs, and trees. The reptile tanks are also all far too small and contain only plastic plants, which are toxic. It's horrible to see.

The big animal enclosures were larger and there were some trees although not enough. For the pigs however it was very sad to see such small spaces with very little grass or other plants for them enjoy.

The animals looked miserable, existing only to be on display for humans to see. There is also very little information provided about the sanctuary, about the animals there and about animal rights and suffering in general. It has the potential and space to offer much better lives for it's residents, we really hope to see many positive...

On a whim me and my girlfriend visited Hopefield Animal Sanctuary this past bank holiday.

The stories of all the rescues they have taken on - it is incredibly harrowing - horses that people wanted to shoot because they could no longer ride them, abandoned animals due to floods, costs etc. I don't understand how people can feel so little about these creatures they raise.

The volunteers and staff really care about the animals and do their best to provide for them - you can see it. The animals are peaceful and enjoying large spaces, and warm rooms when the night comes.

Check out Peppa the Pig, Benji and Charlie - all have sad stories behind them but are clearly living a much better life here.

Great place to take the kids to teach them about caring for animals and how to best approach them. They also have a tearoom coming, so will be a good afternoon visit for tea.

You don't need to wear wellies, (but it doesn't hurt to do so), but wrap up warm, as it can get windy! Lots of parking on site, and whilst bumpy, definitely wheelchair accessible.

Credit/Debit card taken on site...