Sedgley Adventure Centre — Attraction in Dudley

We made the trip because my eldest was excited to pet the animals. Upon arrival, we were informed that there would be no petting sessions due to the hot weather. Although disappointed, we understood and accepted it. However, once inside, we saw a petting session taking place with several children involved. I asked if my son could join and was asked if we had a ticket. I explained that we didn’t but that I was happy to pay. I was then told it was a private party and a one-off event, so my child couldn’t participate. He was heartbroken. I politely requested again, explaining that we had travelled specifically for this and were willing to pay, but was still refused. The staff were rude and dismissive. Overall, it was a very poor experience, and I doubt we’ll be returning.

Edited after owner response - It’s confusing: either it’s too hot for petting due to animal welfare, or it isn’t. You can’t say it’s unsafe while allowing a group session to go ahead. We tried to book a petting session when we arrived but were told none were available. However, once inside, we saw a session happening with about 20 children. Since my child just wanted a chance to pet an animal, we tried to join but were told we couldn’t without a ticket. I went back to get a ticket, only to be told again that there were no petting sessions available today. The owners would better understand our confusion if they had contacted us directly, rather than relying on school-aged volunteers working there and addressing the issue publicly online. We checked your Facebook page and found no advance notice of the change in petting availability to no public sessions.

I was especially surprised by how dismissive and unfriendly the volunteers/staff were, especially given the many reviews that mention how welcoming they usually are. It's possible that our interactions were solely with the school-aged volunteers—evident from the word "volunteer" on the back of their shirts—who may not have received much training in professionalism or customer service. As I mentioned, there were no petting sessions offered when we arrived or at any point during our visit, contrary to what your response suggests and the private session ongoing—so that statement is inaccurate. This isn't about me having any issue with your farm personally. It's about the difficulty of explaining to my child why he couldn’t pet a chicken—something he was really looking forward to—after we made the trip all the way there, only to see a group of other children participating. What made the experience disappointing was the way your volunteer staff handled the situation, followed by your online response, which felt more like a defensive diatribe than a constructive engagement.

I'm still onsite and open to discussing this in person if you'd prefer a direct conversation over a generic online response. I’m confident this won’t be addressed properly, so I won’t be spending any more time on it. Thankfully, there are plenty of other petting farms in the area—many of which offer a much better standard of...

Disappointing Experience Due to Staff Attitude and Misinformation

We had a disappointing experience, largely due to poor customer service and incorrect information provided by the venue itself. The website clearly advertised a 1 PM petting session on this weekend, which was a major reason we chose to visit (screenshot attached). The weather on the day was mild, with light rain and a cool breeze—far from extreme.

Despite animals (including chickens) already being outside, staff refused to run the petting session, claiming it was “too hot” and that “the chickens could die.” This was inconsistent and frustrating, especially since a private party on the premises was petting the same chickens during our visit.

When we mentioned the petting session, staff told us to “check the website,” seemingly unaware that it was their own site providing the wrong details. Their tone came across as dismissive and disinterested, and the overall attitude suggested they simply didn’t want to carry out the scheduled session.

Although the children still had fun feeding the sheep and goats, the experience was let down by poor communication and an unwelcoming atmosphere. We would not recommend this place based on our visit.

Edit after owner’s reply: we actually went to the farm for petting and it was the first thing we asked for but were told it isn’t happening however on going inside it was very clear that it was happening right there for a party. No reason to justify the lack of politeness from staff or the discrepancy between information given on website and what was...

This place is a true community gem. We went for the first time on Tuesday after seeing an advert on facebook for their Easter holiday sessions. We booked a pony petting session for two adults and two children which only cost £20 for the whole family! This included farm entry which was a complete shock as I was prepared to pay for park admission as well! My eldest has ASD and can find lots of new experiences very frightening and overwhelming but the moment he stepped foot through the gates he was greeted by very friendly staff and loved being able to amble through the park at his own pace. The grounds have rubber mud matting in most places and the paths are clear and clean. There is plenty of signage to warn of uneven footing too. They have a lovely cosy cafe which serves proper food not just sandwiches and cakes all of which are reasonably priced. The staff are lovely and approachable. Food pots are only a £1 each and the goats would happily stand there all day for food! The petting session with Fudge was run beautifully with every step explained and information given about Fudge and how to care for him. The children loved being able to brush him and dress him up in lovely bows and even got to take him for a walk around his paddock. My eldest was very unsure about walking him but the lady running the session got down on his level and asked him if he wanted to have a go, there was no pressure and fudge was very gentle. He was so proud of himself after overcoming his nervousness. It was such a wonderful day out and only 20 minutes...