Chestnut Centre

Every now and again, one has to indulge their inner child — whether it’s with a Disney film or particular choice of bedding (pugs, anyone?) we all have our ways. My friend happens to love otters and, after hearing about the Chestnut Centre, we simply had to make a visit.
This is not a quick fix, easy to reach by public transport and not have to worry about anything kind of place. If you have a car, by all means this is an easy divert for you. In our dedication to otters and owls, we braved all kinds of public transport.
The Chesnut Centre is a ‘sanctuary’ and ‘haven’ for a small handful of animals, set in a large area of woodland, which I believe is next to a larger area of national park. It’s about £7 for an adult entry, and they have a few offers for family units.
Walking through the first entrance, you’re in the deer field — and deer is what you’ll see. We were lucky (if that’s the right word) to see some stag begin to ‘lock horns’, and it was comforting to see them portraying natural animal habits.
Walking on and you arrive at the area with otters, owls, a fox, some wildcats and more otters. They are all in their own pens, very naturally set up, with a few sleeping/​heated boxes for burrowing and the like. Luckily most of these have a viewing window so you won’t be disappointed. There are a range of feeding times and talks that happen throughout the day, and the keepers are very knowledgeable about what they’re doing and the animals they are caring for.
Due to the woodland nature of the centre, I would recommend considering your ability to get around before heading there — if you’ve got a buggy, make sure it’s a sturdy one, or perhaps lightweight so you can pick it up. There are steps and uneven paths, but it’s worth a visit with the kids if you can get around these.