Hesketh Farm Park at Bolton Abbey

WHY? It's got all the usual farm creatures that will make every child - and many adults - go "aahh," but with some interesting extras on top.

I took my daughter Gabrielle and two friends, Amy and Ruby, last weekend and they loved it.

The highlight was a chance to feed young calves.

The cows sucked fast and furiously on the bottles, emptying them in about 33 seconds and even wrestling one bottle out of someone's hands.

We also met sheep, goats and pigs, and the kids had cuddles with the farm's guinea pigs. The animals are mostly kept inside a big barn, at least during the day, so we wouldn't have got wet had it been raining.

Inside the barn is also a straw maze, involving giant bales cleverly stacked to create a labyrinth.

It isn't exactly one of those you could get lost in for half an hour, but great fun for the girls to play hide and seek. Outside, we just missed the chance to go on the day's last tractor and trailer tour of the farm (£1 extra per person) but the children (and me) did have fun pedaling mini-tractors round and round a go-karting track.

After getting off, I heard the chuffing of a steam train, and looked over a fence to see a great view of a loco puffing along the bottom of the picturesque valley below - a train on the Embsay steam railway.

REFRESHMENTS? There's a caf in the barn, selling drinks and snacks.

FAMILY FRIENDLY? Very. Kids, and their parents or grandparents, will love it.

OPENING TIMES? Open daily from 10-5 (last admissions 4pm) for the coming half-term week, before closing down for the winter.

HOW MUCH: Adults £4, children and oaps: £3.50.

PARKING: Plenty available on site, free.

DIRECTIONS: Take A59 through Harrogate towards Skipton, turn off for Bolton Abbey and then look out for farm park signs.

Further information: 01756 710 444, or go to www.heskethfarmpark.co.uk