Discovery Land at Priory Farm — Attraction in Tandridge

We have just come back from the Father Christmas Experience at Priory Farm and what a disappointment.

We went in 2023 and 2022 and were blown away by the magical experience. The interactive nature, the movement through the performance spaces, the ability for the children to move about in the space and interact with the characters as you were led from room to room through a magical portal and a giant clock face. The time spent with Mary Christmas and Fairy Tinsel Bottom taking photos in the magical wood and the Christmas workshop whilst waiting to see Father Christmas. The fact that it was all seamless and you were on a magical journey all the way through to seeing Father Christmas and this magic only ended once it was all over. - Perfection. at £100 for a family of 4 - not cheap but so worth it (as it was in 2022) and as soon as the dates were released for this year I booked straight away.

So much hope for this years performance! How disappointing... This year - Lots of benches in one space with characters coming onto a central stage - much less interaction - dropping stars through the stage floor.... (last year we blew magic dust, built and aeroplane in the workshop and opened the clock with a giant key) The performance space felt too large (this is geared up for other performances they are doing - I guess to generate more money....) so it felt so much less personal. There was no movement through the performance space at all, all just in one room and no time to take any pictures or interact with the characters. Very tenuous story link to cuddly toy at the end. And the worst part - ushered back out into the "Discovery village" and told to wait under a tent in the cold for your slot to see Father Christmas - the magic totally broken and bewildered children who started to cry thinking they had missed out on seeing Santa. Also, his workshop was just a shed - nothing like previous years.

Not worth the money at all and not the experience I thought I was buying when I booked in September. The performers and Santa were all pretty good but the experience of entering what felt like to be another world was severely lacking. I doubt I'll be...

Went here as a surprise for our boys and it didn't disappoint. The tractor ride was good fun, passing some bats on the way. The boys thought the bumpy bits were hilarious.

Pumpkin picking was great fun, there were loads to choose from of all sizes and there were lots of tiny ones in big baskets by the pay area. There were some little areas to take photos (hay bales, a pumpkin house) and a small kids hay bale maze with a slide.

The boys loved toasting a marshmallow each while we waited for the tractor back. Remember to take a bag or something to carry your pumpkins back in! Also worth noting, there are 2 different car parks, one of them is a lot closer to the picking area.

We then did the spooky trail; the boys have been here before and remembered it was the fairy woods, but it had been taken over by mud monsters, so it was a different experience from last time. We collected words to complete the magic spell which saved the area from the mud monsters.

There are so many different areas along the trail, tree houses, little huts, spooky tunnels, a giant spider, music making areas, a tyre obstacle course and more. So very much to keep the kids entertained, we didn't even manage to do it all. Could easily have spent another few hours if we had the energy 🤣

After the trail there's also another play area and there were also several places to get food. I have to say, it all looked really yummy and the mulled cider was AMAZING!

We were there from about 12:30 til just after 5pm, we all had a great day and will be back for...

A Perfect Autumn Day at Priory Farm

We visited Priory Farm last Sunday with our 8 month old, hoping to give him his first taste of autumn magic. And it did not disappoint! The place was brimming with festive charm, with pumpkins of every shape and size scattered across the farm. Our little one was fascinated, wide-eyed as he explored the bright orange pumpkins, a real autumn wonderland for him!

The tractor ride was an absolute highlight. It took us on a scenic journey across the farm, where we enjoyed some lovely views and spotted even more pumpkins. It was a gentle, fun ride, and our little one loved it (well, until he nodded off from all the excitement).

We also stopped by the farm shop, which was full of tempting local produce and autumnal treats. It was a real struggle not to fill a basket with everything in sight, but with a very sleepy baby, we thought we’d better save that for another day.

Overall, Priory Farm gave us the perfect family day out – full of autumn spirit, fresh air, and lovely memories. We’ll definitely be back next year (and probably leave with a pumpkin or two...