Walton Gardens and Hall Zoo — Attraction in Walton

There are loads of things to do here for children and adults alike, that you could spend the whole day on the site.

The playground is one of the best we've visited. It's really big and there's a lot of apparatus to play on. It is all in really good condition and suits a range of ages from toddler, through to much older children, who also have access to a separate fenced off area with faster, bigger and more advanced activities.

There are lots of wide open spaces to play ball games or have a picnic, along with plenty of benches throughout the park. The grounds are a mix of grass, tree-lined paths and more landscaped gardens with an orchard and some woodland walks. There is often an ice cream van next to the playground and at certain times throughout the year, a fairground comes to visit. There is a pitch and putt, a small zoo (free of charge) and there is a woodland high ropes course at an additional cost. On weekends there is a small Thomas the Tank Engine train that costs £3 for a 10 mins ride around the parkland.

There is ample car parking, along with an overflow car park open at weekends. Car parking is approximately £3-4.50 depending on how long you want to stay. There is a nice cafe on site located in a courtyard area, which also has some little gift shops and an outside dining area too. There are some greenhouses accessible, growing interesting plants and are free of charge to enter too.

In terms of access, the majority of the park has flat paths with some gentle inclines. There are a few steps around the garden areas, but there are some routes available to gain access. Disabled spaces are available in the car park and there are accessible toilets with a baby change station.

The park does however, not rate the full five stars, because every time we have visited, the toilets have been in a disgusting condition. There are two sets, one block near the cafe and one block near the playground and zoo. Today they smelled awful, the floors were full of dirt, one of the toilet seats was broken off, the soap dispensers were empty and some of the taps weren't working. My husband said one of the urinals was not draining properly and there were a lot of flies in there. He said the smell was unbearable. With some upgrades and more regular cleaning checks, they could be improved.

Just a quick word of warning, that weekends are...

If I could give this zero stars, I would. The zoo is just atrocious. I went there today with my family, and the conditions for the animals are just disgusting. Last year I came there were over 5 or 6 cockateils, this year there were around 3 of them and none looked cared for. They weren't preening themselves, had no toys, and one even looked like it was borderline making out with death itself. That was the beginning. The next thing I saw was one of the ducks. The poor thing was being attacked by other animals. Its feathers on the back of its neck had been ripped out, and you could see red, raw skin. Following up with more parakeets without toys, the love birds had nothing same with the budgies. I don't know a lot about love birds, but I'm fairly disappointed with the care for the budgies as i have a few at home. There were three gorgeous little budgies all in one massive enclosure, no toys, and no food or water bowls in sight. I'm also concerned about how these little birds are actually surviving through the British weather as they don't really have anything but a few boxes to sit in. To be honest, I'm just overall disgusted with the conditions these animals are putting up with as most of them just look like they are waiting for something to shoot their brains out. It really is a shame to see parents and children witnessing all this and being oblivious to what's going on. I'm not quite sure why the zoo has decided to have animals they can't take care...

This is a great little place for anyone who wants a scenic walk and for kids of all ages. We went on a Monday afternoon with our 5 month old and we had a great time. There is lots to do for kids including a big play area and the zoo is a nice touch to the Walton estate. They had more farm animals like roosters, rabbits, sheep and donkeys but they also had a few alpaca’s which were the high light. Our baby loved to see and hear all the animals. The gardens are lovely filled with loads of wildlife and beautiful flowers. The squirrels all came out when food was put out for them and were a joy to watch. The Heritage Cafe had great food and bakes which were reasonably priced. Overall it’s not too big and we spent just over 3 hours here. They also had adventure golf outside which is pram friendly and a fun thing to do for the whole family but this cost extra (£6 for adults and £5 for kids) They had a lot of easy accessible toilet and baby changing facilities available all around the estate which was a plus for us. These gardens and halls were dog friendly too. Car parking was easy and only cost £3 which nowadays is a rare feature. All in all I’d definitely recommend this to everyone to come and experience, it makes a nice little fun day...